BLACK AND WHITE
DAY 141: One of the things I like about reading the Old Testament record of the kings of Israel is the contrast: there were very good kings and the were very bad kings. The scriptures put it simply. Either "He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord" or " He did what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord." In a predictable pattern, those Kings who did what was evil generally experienced turmoil during their reign - or at the least an unpleasant death. Those who did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight often found success in their leadership. It was not rocket science, but king after king somehow missed the pattern that obedience brought blessing and rebellion brought calamity.
In the passage for today in 2 Kings 17 & 18 there is yet another crystal clear example.
You might recall that the promised land of God's people was split into two separate territories with a king ruling each. At this time Hoshea was the king of the Northern tribes of Israel and Hezekiah ruled over the southern territory of Judah. Hoshea followed in the footsteps of a long line of unsatisfactory kings.
2 Kings 17: 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
Some incredibly bad examples had gone before him and as might be expected, he was chip off the old block. Even though he was not as bad as some of the previous men who had gone before him, it seems his reign was the straw that broke the camels back. Under his leadership, the nation of Israel was taken into her first captivity. The occupants of the northern tribes were exiled to Assyria. He wasn't as bad as the ones who came before him, but disaster came anyway.
7 All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods 8 and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. 9 The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right.
Years of corrupt and evil kings had taken their tole on the nation. They were a people easily led away from God, and it seemed to start by being like the other nations around them. The traded worshiping the One true God for embracing any and every kind of idol offered up.
They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”
I don't want to seem creepy, but read through those verses if you haven't already (verses 7-17) Is it just me or does it sound eerily like America today when describing the spiral downward into such things as "sacrificing their own sons and daughters." It is like the words were ripped out of recent headlines. The evil was so great for such a long period of time that God finally took action.
18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left,19 and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God.
SO that is interesting. Tthe people of neither kingdom were keeping God's command, yet the only one he sent into exile at this time is Israel. Judah is spared. What made the difference?
Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years (Hoshea reigned for only 9). 3 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done.
Hezekiah, like Hoshea had some bad ancestors who came before Him, but he also had some good and honorable leaders. He chose to model himself after once of the earliest and the greatest, David. Hezekiah still had a populace that "did not keep the commands of the Lord their God." It didn't matter. Hezekiah didn't look to the people for guidance; he looked toward the Lord and what was pleasing to Him.
6 He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. 7 And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.
Yep, it seems as clear as black and white. God casts those who are rebellious out of His presence (and sometimes their land). The Lord is gracious with the obedient.
These stories of the Kings and how they behaved remind me of a couple of truths.
I would love for it to be said one day of me what was said of Hezikiah:
5 Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.
Day 141 of 365
2 Kings 17
2 Kings 18:1-12
Acts 20
Psalm 148:1-14
Proverbs 18:6-7
You might recall that the promised land of God's people was split into two separate territories with a king ruling each. At this time Hoshea was the king of the Northern tribes of Israel and Hezekiah ruled over the southern territory of Judah. Hoshea followed in the footsteps of a long line of unsatisfactory kings.
2 Kings 17: 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
Some incredibly bad examples had gone before him and as might be expected, he was chip off the old block. Even though he was not as bad as some of the previous men who had gone before him, it seems his reign was the straw that broke the camels back. Under his leadership, the nation of Israel was taken into her first captivity. The occupants of the northern tribes were exiled to Assyria. He wasn't as bad as the ones who came before him, but disaster came anyway.
7 All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods 8 and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. 9 The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right.
Years of corrupt and evil kings had taken their tole on the nation. They were a people easily led away from God, and it seemed to start by being like the other nations around them. The traded worshiping the One true God for embracing any and every kind of idol offered up.
They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”
I don't want to seem creepy, but read through those verses if you haven't already (verses 7-17) Is it just me or does it sound eerily like America today when describing the spiral downward into such things as "sacrificing their own sons and daughters." It is like the words were ripped out of recent headlines. The evil was so great for such a long period of time that God finally took action.
18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left,19 and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God.
SO that is interesting. Tthe people of neither kingdom were keeping God's command, yet the only one he sent into exile at this time is Israel. Judah is spared. What made the difference?
Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years (Hoshea reigned for only 9). 3 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done.
Hezekiah, like Hoshea had some bad ancestors who came before Him, but he also had some good and honorable leaders. He chose to model himself after once of the earliest and the greatest, David. Hezekiah still had a populace that "did not keep the commands of the Lord their God." It didn't matter. Hezekiah didn't look to the people for guidance; he looked toward the Lord and what was pleasing to Him.
6 He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. 7 And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.
Yep, it seems as clear as black and white. God casts those who are rebellious out of His presence (and sometimes their land). The Lord is gracious with the obedient.
These stories of the Kings and how they behaved remind me of a couple of truths.
- First, I need to be mindful of the long term view -always. God is building something in and through my life that will, I hope, be carried on long after I am gone and pass the faith torch to other. If I live only for the outcome of today, I may diminish what could be accomplished 'in the land."
- But also, I need to remember that things are actually pretty clear cut when it comes to life. I can do the things that please God or I can do "evil" in His sight. Evil is a strong word we don't like to use. Reality is reality though. What I call compromise God calls evil. What I call personal preference God calls evil. What I call a matter of opinion God calls evil - if it is directly in opposition to what God himself has opposed.
- Finally, I hope I never forget that just because I can never loose my salvation does not mean I cannot loose blessing for myself or my little "kingdom" for which God made me responsible. God wants to bless and has plans to bless. My choices can remove me from the land of blessings.
I would love for it to be said one day of me what was said of Hezikiah:
5 Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.
Day 141 of 365
2 Kings 17
2 Kings 18:1-12
Acts 20
Psalm 148:1-14
Proverbs 18:6-7
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