A few weeks before the Year 2023 started, I felt that the Holy Spirit was impressing upon me to read 2 Kings 23, and as I turned to read that chapter, I seemed to see a quick picture in my spirit that spelled out that chapter to me as “2K23” or another name for 2023 because the “K” comes from the Greek word “kilo” which means a thousand. With that, my curiosity took over and I was intrigued about what secrets this chapter might reveal for the Year 2023. It didn’t take long for my excitement to build about this chapter.
The first three verses of 2 Kings 23 say, “Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the Temple of the Lord with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, along with the priests and the prophets — all the people from the least to the greatest. There the king read to them the entire Book of the Covenant that had been found in the Lord’s Temple. The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the Lord’s presence. He pledged to obey the Lord by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul. In this way, he confirmed all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll, and all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.”
Wow! In those verses, several things jumped of the page to me such as:
-
The king, priests, prophets, and all the people sought the Lord.
-
The Book of the Covenant was found and read entirely.
-
Authority was taken back, and the covenant was renewed in the Lord’s presence.
-
The king pledged to obey the Lord and keep his commands with all his heart and soul.
-
All the people pledged themselves to the covenant.
Talk about a great roadmap to success in those verses for the Year 2023! As we seek the Lord, diligently read the Bible, take back our authority, and keep the Lord’s commands with all our hearts and souls, we will no doubt make this an incredible year!
Here’s another little secret, after the first couple of verses of 2 Kings 23, if you continue to read the next 23 verses or so, you’ll see all the topics that our Pastors have been teaching us throughout this year. From rescuing the little children, to destroying the enemy’s plans, to seeking the Lord, this chapter contains the very heartbeat of God for our year. To further encourage your enthusiasm to continue to read this chapter, and see the roadmap unfold for your year, I discovered at least 23 great points … how many will you find?
May your Year 2K23 be your best one yet!
Rachel Stageman is a staff member of Lord of Hosts Church.
