I want to close my eyes in peace.
“Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.' So they took her answer back to the king.” (2 Kings 22:20)
What would you like to see before you die? Also, what do you never want to see before you die? I want to see the glory of God saving the dying souls whom I am praying for before I die. But what I never want to see before I die is the wrath of God upon my children. Of course, I already saw my baby, whom I never wanted to see, die in my arms. But God also made me see the birth of my other three children Dillon, Yeri, and Karis, God’s gifts of love and grace. I remember one day, while having a conversation with my wife about the death of one of saint whom we know. I said: 'I'm so glad he died without seeing this.' It was only after he died that his son-in-law committed a crime and was sent to prison, and eventually the daughter and son-in-law were divorced. What parent would want to see this happen to their children?
In 2 Kings 22:20, the prophetess Huldah (v. 14) speaks to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant (v. 12). This is the word of God's promise that King Josiah would not see with Josiah's eyes all the calamity that God would bring upon Judah, and that he would be gathered to his ancestors and would be buried in peace (v. 20). This cannot but be a word of blessing. Why did King Josiah receive this blessing from God? The reason is because King Josiah was a king who completely obeyed all the laws of Moses toward the Lord with all his heart, all his soul, and all his strength (23:25). King Josiah tore his clothes (22:11) because of the disaster (v. 16) the Lord’s anger that burned against all the people of Judah (v. 13) because their fathers have not obeyed the words of the Book of the Law, which Hilkiah the High Priest had found in the temple of God (v. 8). When he heard the words of God's wrath and curses recorded in the Book of the Law, his heart was softened and humbled himself before God and tore his clothes and wept (v. 19). Then he gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem (23:1), and told all the men of Judah, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the the priests, the prophets, and all the people who were assembled in the house of the Lord, all the words of the book of the covenant that he found in the house of the Lord. After reading all the words in their hearing (v. 2), he made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all their hearts and all their souls (v. 3). Then King Josiah carried out the Reformation. He removed all idols from the land of Judah (vv. 4ff). But God didn’t turn from the fierceness of His great wrath which His anger burned against Judah (v. 26). The reason was because of all the provocations with which Manasseh, the grandfather of King Josiah, had provoked Him (v. 26). However, God didn’t bring down all His wrath during the reign of King Josiah, but promised that he would close his eyes in peace (22:20). How precious is this blessing?
No one wants to see the wrath of God come upon their family members before they die. No one wants to see the souls of their own family perish before they die. How can we close our eyes to see the wrath of God come upon our family members and the souls of our family members to perish? But God the Father was watching His only begotten Son, Jesus, who received all His wrath and was nailed to the cross, the tree of the curse. Why did Heavenly Father do this? The reason is because God wants to save our souls. The reason is because God loves us until He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross. How should we live as we know this love of God and grow deeper, higher, and wider? Like King Josiah, we must fully obey all the words of God toward God with all our heart and all our strength. In particular, we must rend our hearts and return to our God, not only for our sins revealed through all the words of God, but also for all the sins of our ancestors, and all our relatives and family members, church members, and all our sins (Joel 2:13). We must return to our Heavenly Father with deep weeping and repentance. And we must put away all the sins of our families, relatives, and members of the church. Then we will not see God's wrath and His coming curses and calamities. Then, God will allow us to close our eyes in peace. May this blessing be with us and our families.
I want to close my eyes in peace,
James Kim Sharing