Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.” (II Chronicles 34:21 ESV)
Fixing Yesterday
Recently I woke up early and watched a manned space capsule burn cross the night sky on reentry. The capsule blazed, the fiery trail lit up the sky, and my imagination was kindled. Just in time, I lifted my camera and pressed, ‘record.’
But I had not adjusted the filter for the nighttime lighting. And while the pictures will help me remember the event, overall, the quality of the video was terrible.
As I watched the memory, I wished I could go back and fix my thoughtless and ill prepared errors. But of course, I could not.
We cannot fix the past, merely by wishing we can. Whether the past that needs fixing is camera related, paths traveled, words miss-spoken, sinful desires acted out, or decisions to hate instead of love. It is beyond our reach. We cannot fix it.
When young King Josiah became aware of the terrible apathy and rebellion that his nation had towards God in recent generation, he grieved. He did one of those Biblical ‘tear his clothes and put ashes on his head’ kind of things. He understood how much his nation had sinned against God, and how deserving of His wrath they all had been, and in fact still were at that moment. The sins of the past DO weigh on the hearts of the present.
But Josiah did not attempt to fix it in any of the ways we moderns might recommend. He did not pass legislation condemning his fathers and fore-fathers. He did not declare HIS regret for THEIR sins. He did not put extra money today in the temple coffers for the past shortcomings.
He called on the Lord.
And that is the only option that actually can fix the past.
Our nation, our church, our family, and we ourselves have sin debt accumulated in the past. Lots of it. But Jesus is THAT amazing. When we, like Josiah, call on HIM for forgiveness, for grace, for mercy, and for change, He answers as only He can.
The past is wiped clean as clearly as the sins of the present.
But not by something WE do.
Only by Jesus’ life, wherein HIS perfect sinless obedience is attributed to the past just as much as to the present. Only by Jesus’ death, wherein HIS sacrifice is attributed to the past just as much as to the present. Only by Jesus’ resurrection, wherein HIS transformation gives new life to the past just as much as to the present.
However atrocious and regrettable yesterday’s sins are, Jesus is more gracious and merciful.
Wow, He even fixes the past.