(based on 1 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 17) It is not hard to see what constitutes a good king. Jehosophat is Asas son and ...he walked in the former ways of his father David... (2 Chron.17:2); and, ...sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments... (2 Chron.17:3); and finally, ...his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord... (2 Chron.17:6). Everything else is good, but these things are the criteria for what makes a king good in Gods eyes - his heart is for the Lord. And the contrast couldnt be greater when considering the case in Israel. In basically the same period, Israel goes through four kings leading up to the long and terrible reign of Ahab (the story of which begins in 1 Ki.16:29). These kings did evil and led their people in rebellion against the Lord - Baasha led a coup against Nadab; when Elah (Baashas son) was king, Zimri led a coup against him and killed the entire royal house; Zimri lasted only seven days and Omri took over. The intrigue politically is built on a fundamental rejection of God and His revelation (in the form of His ways and His commandments); and all this led to the reign of a king that ...did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him... (1 Ki.16:30). You will note an interesting anecdote at the end of 1 Kings 16 - concerning Jericho. Joshua had destroyed the city and he had placed a curse on the one who tried to rebuild it - see Josh.6:26 and compare to 1 Ki.16:34. The point to note is that once rebellion against the light in the revelation of God exists in a family, or a nation or a people, then the darkness grows and deepens. It has taken some years (from Jeroboam to the beginning of Ahabs reign) but the spiritual darkness in Israel has reached the bottom and yet (we are about to see this play out), even at this point, God reaches out to His people. That fact alone ought to cause you to agree that there is grace in the first testament. In contrast, there is blessing for Judah and its king. There is still a problem with these places of pagan worship (2 Chron.17:6); but the king sent his leaders, Levites and Priests throughout the kingdom to teach them the Law of the Lord (2 Chron.17:9); so the blessing flowed. In the revelation lifestyle you dont receive the revelation because of your obedience - you receive the revelation because God loves you and wants you to know Him and be free; then you receive blessing for your decision to obey what has been revealed to you - for in the revelation lifestyle obedience carries blessing and reward; but God is gracious and unwilling that anyone should perish and so He seeks a time to warn and plead. He still does!
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 20:55:27 +0000
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