Lost
We've all experienced the feelings of futility, frustration and grief over a loss of some kind. Perhaps the loss of a loved one or a friendship; maybe the loss of some material good. There are described in the Bible four great losses which may occur.
THE LOST BOOK
In 2 Kings 22:8, Hilkiah the high priest declared to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD." Some have concluded that Hilkiah spoke of the original manuscript which came from the hand of Moses. Finding it should not have been a surprise, since it was to be laid beside the ark (Deuteronomy 31:24-26). it is more likely that the document under consideration here is a copy, which had fallen out of use.
The real question is, "Why was it missing?" The text which follows in 2 Kings 22, and the parallel in 2 Chronicles 34 indicates that it was not a matter of a single copy having been misplaced, but that the word of God was not known among the children of Israel. Was it carelessly mislaid and neglected? Had it been maliciously concealed by some idolatrous king or his agent? Did the Jews abandon the book, having slide into sin? Whatever the cause, what an awful thing to have occurred!!
The book of the Lord is lost to many today. No, it's not visibly lost, as most homes have at least one copy of the Bible available, and there is access to the Scriptures in most countries and languages. But the importance of the Bible has been lost in our society. The book of God, which reveals God's power to save (Romans 1:16; James 1:21), how we might ride ourselves of sin (Psalm 119:9,11), and gives complete direction for life (Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16-17) has been sorely neglected. Friend, may we find the book of the Law and come to the LORD.
THE LOST CHRIST
Luke 2 records a journey from Galilee to Judea when Jesus was twelve years old. The feast having ended, Mary and Joseph and others whom they were travelling with departed, assuming Jesus to be in their midst. After a day's journey, it was found that Jesus was lost! Imagine the turmoil of these parents, separated from their child for 3 days, as they searched for Him.
Now, understand, though He was lost to His parents, He was not actually lost. They found Him at the temple, discussing the Law with the teachers. It is in this scene that we read the words, "Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?" Being found by His parents, Jesus departed Jerusalem with them, headed for Galilee.
The Christ can be lost to many today. Jesus revealed that some who might seek Him would not find Him, for they would die in their sins (John 8:21). We must come to the Lord, believing that He is the Christ, the Son of God, and that only through His sacrifice will we receive the forgiveness of sins (John 8:24; 3:16). We must come to Him, obeying His word, the gospel of our salvation (Hebrews 5:8-9; Romans 8:17). The Christ can be found (Matthew 7:7; 16:25), but we must be willing to seek on His terms, not our own.
“The Christ can be found, but we must be willing to seek on His terms, not our own.”
THE LOST OPPORTUNITY
Luke 16 tells us about the rich man and Lazarus. In this rich man, we see a lost opportunity. His end in torments was the due reward for his selfishness in life. He could have ministered to Lazarus, but chose not to. He could have been a blessing in life, but instead lived for himself. After death, we find their positions are reversed. The rich man is now the beggar, seeking mercy from Abraham by the hand of Lazarus. He was not rich toward God in his life, and thus was destitute when he came to eternity.
What do we do with our opportunities? Paul commanded, "Buy up your opportunities, for these days are evil. (Ephesians 5:16, WEY). And again, "Behave wisely in relation to the outside world, buying up your opportunities." (Colossians 4:5, WEY). And yet again, "See to it that no one ever repays another with evil for evil; but always seek opportunities of doing good both to one another and to all the world." (1 Thessalonians 5:15, WEY). Do we have a habit of "buying up our opportunities", or do we let them pass us by? Have we engaged the opportunity to be a servant of God (Acts 24:25; 26:27-28) and to serve our fellow man (Galatians 6:10)? A good friend and mentor once taught me the equation:
OPPORTUNITY + ABILITY = RESPONSIBILITY.
THE LOST SOUL
Another rich man is spoken of in Luke's gospel, in chapter 12. This man focused exclusively upon his wealth, to the eternal detriment of his soul. Jesus tells us, though we gain all the wealth which could be found in the world, it is not equal to the value of the soul (Matthew 16:24-26).
Friend, if we have lost the book, or the Christ, or the opportunities placed before us, then we are among those who at present have lost our soul. The soul may be lost through inactivity (Matthew 25:24-27) or plain ignorance of what we should do (Luke 12:47-48).
However, the great news is that while there is life, there remains hope. today, you can find the instruction of God in the Bible. Today, you can find the Christ, the Saviour of the world. Today, you can find the opportunity to become a child of God through obedience to the message of the gospel, and the opportunity to serve others by seeking the interest of others above your own. Today, you can find salvation for your soul!
- Believe Jesus to the Christ (John 3:16; 8:24)
- Repent of sin (Acts 2:38; 3:19)
- Confess Jesus as Saviour (Matthew 10:32-33; Acts 8:37)
- Be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3;21)
Article Navigation:
Answering The Atheist
The Atheist's Complaint:
Is it OK to take a census? David took a census (2 Samuel 24:1; 1 Chronicles 21:2), and God killed 70,000 men because of it. However, Solomon took a census (2 Chronicles 2:17) like his father David had done, and God didn't mind at all. Is there a contradiction?
Response:
There are two very important differences between the census commanded by David in the texts mentioned above and that which was accomplished by Solomon. David sought to number "Israel and Judah" (2 Samuel 24:1); Solomon numbered "...all the aliens who were in the land of Israel..." (2 Chronicles 2:17). The sole purpose mentioned for David numbering "Israel and Judah" was "...that I may know the number of the people" (2 Samuel 24:2). Solomon numbered "...all the aliens who were in the land of Israel..." to raise a labour force to bear burdens, hewn stones, etc. (2 Chronicles 2:18; 8:7-8; 1 Kings 9:20-21).
But 2 Chronicles 2:17 says that Solomon numbered these people "...after the census in which David his father had numbered them..." The census referenced here is not that which is recorded in 2 Samuel 24:1 and 1 Chronicles 21:2, but that which is recorded in 1 Chronicles 22:2. This census of David was of "...the aliens who were in the land of Israel..." (not of Israel itself), and the purpose was was "...to appoint masons to cut hewn stones to build the house of God" (not to stroke David's pride about how many were in the nation.)
The census of Solomon in 2 Chronicles 2 was nothing like the census of David in 2 Samuel 24 or 1 Chronicles 21. Those numbered were different, the purpose was different, and the Lord's response was different.
There is no contradiction.
This article is in response to Skeptic's Annotated Bible.