Couriers Seeking the 'Some'

Scripture: The couriers traveled from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but the inhabitants laughed at them and mocked them. But some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 30:10-11

Observation: King Hezekiah of Judah has restored the temple and the temple practices after his evil father had repurposed it for idol worship, and he now declares Judah will celebrate Passover. Israel has relatively recently been destroyed and taken into exile by Assyria, so he sends couriers into the northern kingdom to invite any Jews who want to now repent of the past practices of their fallen country and return to the Lord, to come celebrate Passover in Jerusalem. Some do, but in general "the inhabitants" (aka most people) do not.

It is important to note the designation of who it is who mock the couriers. They are called "inhabitants." When Assyria destroyed Israel, what they did was deported most of the residents, and then imported new residents ... either people from their homeland or other defeated nations who could now just take and live in the land. In this manner, every people-group Assyria defeated was made a foreigner in a new, strange land, without national identity or allies. As a result, the couriers likely were encountering three distinct people-types as they delivered their invitation to Passover:

-- Foreigners who have no context of Yahweh, relocated to Israel by Assyria

-- Various people who may have heard of Yahweh but live traumatized lives

-- Jews who still want to believe in Yahweh and were open to returning to true faith

Application: Every day, I have the chance to be a courier for Jesus ... to tell someone that they are invited by the Lord, creator of the universe, to partake in a grand and eternal celebration if they would just come and meet the true Passover lamb, the Messiah. And every day, these are the three kinds of people I'll likely encounter when I deliver the good news.

There are those who completely reject the idea of there even being God, or maybe embrace some other belief system. They are likely to mock and scoff at any discussion of Jesus and salvation. There are those who live lives of trauma, and as a result have adopted lifestyles that take them far away from the Lord. Typically, their minds and hearts aren't open to any conversation about the unconditional love of God and hope found in Jesus. However, there are those who want to believe ... who have a hope that there is more to life, there is a potential for salvation, and there must be a creator who they don't know or understand but that might be able to give their lives purpose.

I know I live in a place where most of the people I encounter fall into the first two categories. However, those in the third category ... they are gold, they are precious, and they are the reason we suffer the mocking of others. When I tell others about Jesus, I will be mocked by the inhabitants of this region. However ... some will humble themselves and come.

Prayer: Lord, I desire to serve you better each day by being bolder in telling others about Jesus. May I find ways to do that day by day, in your name. Amen.