Kings...me...God...etc.
Subscribe in a readerWe're studying 1-2 Kings currently. Reading the book, which records the lives of all of Israel and Judah's Kings, its fascinating to see the way an entire King's life is immortalized forever in just one paragraph. It's got me thinking "man if my life was summed up in one paragraph, what would that paragraph be about, and would I be surprised by the things that DIDN'T make the list?"
Scot Pitts brought up a great point in lecture today. He brought up the point that each one of the Kings of Israel, who so many of whom look like such tyrants in 1-2 Kings, would have most likely had a VERY DIFFERENT opinion of how their lives should have been immortalized for all time. Jeroboam 11 is a great example of this. Jeroboam 11 (2 Kings 14:23-28) took advantage of a weaker political climate in the region and expanded the borders of Israel to one of their greatest extents, ushering in Israel's last "golden era" of economic prosperity before the spiral into Exile. It's interesting to me that Jeroboam 11, while things were going so "well" for him , was BLATANTLY IGNORING God's direction and God's law.
Jeroboam spent 41 years as King of Israel, leading Israel the whole time down the same path of idolatry and sin that would eventually wreck the nation and send them into exile. The book of Hosea was written into this time (Israel, pictured as a prostitute running away from their true love). Ouch.
I wonder if Jeroboam went to his grave thinking he'd done Israel a huge favor by being such a "successful leader." I bet so. The problem is, his "success" is measured in every way OTHER THAN the the things God cares most about:
Relationship with him, love for Him, following Him.