Today's reading in One Year Bible Chronological Reading Plan: : 2 Kings 14:1-14, 2 Chronicles 25:1-24, 2 Kings 13:12-13, 2 Kings 14:15-16, 2 Kings 14:23-27, 2 Chronicles 25:25-28, 2 Kings 14:17-22, 2 Kings 15:1-15, 2 Chronicles 26:1-21, Jonah 1-4. For less flipping read 2 Kings 13:12-13, 2 Kings 14:1-27, 2 Kings 15:1-15, 2 Chronicles 25-26:21, Jonah
In all this reading, just like reading earlier about the people of Israel, it's exhausting how many kings just don't get it. It's sad how many of them are assassinated. There are so many of them that when you get to one that reads "he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord" you get so excited.....for a while.
Pride. Oh, that glorious sin of pride. Amaziah seems on the right track, until pride takes over. His son Uzziah seems a little stronger in his stride for the Lord when pride once again, overcomes him. Pride is the proven destroyer of amazing good but what is it rooted in?
If you asked someone what the original sin was that Satan committed (before he was Satan, but the angel described by God as "blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you." Ezekiel 28:15) they would probably say pride. Some people will say selfishness is right there with pride. Yet, what is it that birthed pride? It is the deeper sin of unbelief.
Each of us in our thought processes that produce what we do in our life we have a choice to believe (trust) God or not. We start by analyzing what God wants and what we want, what we think is good and what he says is good. We then will find ourselves either agreeing or disagreeing with him. Even that stage is perfectly fine as a child may very well disagree with a parent, but we should expect that we would disagree with him at times since his thoughts are higher than ours and there is no way for us to "get" his wisdom. From there however is the first sin, to believe or not to believe, that is the question! Do we take God at his word when he says "this is what's best", or "the way I want things is for my glory and your good"? Do we trust him? Do we say "yes, I believe you" or "no, my way would be better for me". Once this sin or submission is decided we act on it in one of two ways: humility or pride. Pride is the road the blameless angel took after he decided he did not believe or trust God's good plan for his joy, but rather he believed his own deduction that being equal with God would make him happier.
We have the same chance at this process every day and on every level. I think it's good to identify it because it's important to know how your heart and your mind connect to respond to God. It makes more clear that all sin is rooted in unbelief. Daily we get chances to believe and trust God and to act on it. Humility says "He is in control and his way is best". Humility breeds faith because it empties us out and fills us with the God who, as stated in these most recent passages, provides the victory.
It's sobering to think we have the same choices that Satan did on every day of our lives. The turning point can be severe when we choose unbelief. Both Amaziah and Uzziah thought they had this down, God was on their side right? It proves that we always have to be on our toes to turn to God and not our strength, to ask of him and not trust the counsel of men alone, to lean on what he has stated in the past is good for us, and never to reduce him to a good luck charm we carry in our pocket with us. To always view him as the Almighty God, truly interested in our doings, but also passionate about his own glory which he wants us to participate in and not distract from.
Tomorrow's reading is Amos 1-6:14
2 comments:
There was so much in the assigned reading today. I'll admit, I sort of skimmed through the Kings and Chronicles portions to get to Jonah, but I'm very much like you ~ whenever I get to the phrase "and he did right in the eyes of the Lord" I always get excited. And then disappointed! I guess that's an indication that no one is immune to disbelief issues, even if they are strong in their faith at times.
Does anyone else feel like the book of Jonah got cut off before the story was actually finished? It seems like such a random blip in the Old Testament! Like, how does this tie into this time period? What happened after God told Jonah off? Did Jonah come around to seeing God's point of view? Did he live and minister in Nineveh after this? The conclusion is missing, dang it!!!!!
I can totally identify with Jonah though and his attitude about Nineveh. When you hear of people living terrible lives and then becoming Christians on their deathbed, it chafes a little to know they're promised the same gift of salvation I am. I mean, I've had to work at this relationship; displaying it for others and exposing myself to the sometimes harsh, sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit for my whole life. And Joe Lifetime Criminal gets to skate through the pearly gates after 10 minutes of Christianity!!!! It just doesn't seem fair!
Too bad Jonah didn't have the words of Jesus in Matthew 20:1-16. It makes perfect sense when we look at it HIS way!
This WAS a long passage wasn't it?
I too always get excited when I read about a king who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, thinking "Oh good, another good king!" and then end up disappointed. Especially when they turn so far away. You know, not just "minor" things like forgetting to ask God before going into battle. But major things - like worshipping other idols and killing people for political reasons or personal vengeance.
I can totally identify with Jonah too. I can imagine it being like God asked me to go preach to the inmates on death row, to serial killers, to child abusers, etc. I wouldn't want to because I wouldn't want to risk them repenting and being saved! I want them to suffer, I want them to die unsaved. How horrible is that?! That I think I am somehow more worthy. I think we truly just do not have a clear concept of sin, and how any sin, no matter how "minor" is a sin against God.
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