I am going through 1 & 2 Kings in my daily studies, and I'm really intrigued by a lot of the Jewish history that is involved in the Christian Bible. It's particularly interesting how the Jewish people interact with one another, and how they individually and corporately interact with God. To be honest, so far it's been painful to read about everything that went on (I just finished reading 2 Kings 20) in the lives of the Israelites: so muddled with foreign idols, betrayal, treachery, murder, lust, and what would seem to be countless other terrors. Even when reading about Solomon in 1 Kings, I was so shocked that this man--who God would have given anything to--asked for wisdom and then went on to marry an incredible amount of women from foreign countries and then starting worshipping foreign gods. Are you kidding me?! C'mon, Solomon, where's your wisdom? Where's your tact? Your love for your God? And I'm gripped by all of the murders that occur so that people can become king. And all this started because the Israelites were being mocked for not having an earthly king. They said they wanted one, so God gave them one; and what do you know, calamity ensued.
As I was reading this morning in the lobby of Campus House, I was hit by a stark truth outlined in God's word, specifically that of 1 & 2 Kings. God told His people all throughout the Old Testament that when they were to go to war with someone, to kill everyone known to them from their people, and even to kill the livestock! But trouble began brewing because the Kings would hear from God and not do it. For example, Saul was given explicit orders to kill all of the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15), but he kept king Agag alive and the best livestock of the Amalekites. Samuel, the prophet, rebukes Saul in verse 22, "What pleases the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obedience to His voice? It is better to obey than to sacrifice. It is better to listen to God than to offer the fat of sheep. Disobedience is as bad as the sin of sorcery. Pride is as bad as the sin of worshiping idols. You have rejected the Lord's command. Now He rejects you as king."
Wow, that's intense. Saul had just erected a monument in his own honor after disobeying the Lord, and now he is being denied his kingship. Samuel offers very dramatic and true words. It all started with Saul--he was the first king of a long line. And the kings of Israel and Judah were no different in their affection for the Lord; there were a few that honored God, and besides the last king of Israel, Hoshea, no one was even close to having the devotion that David had to YHWH.
I began to draw a parallel between this story of Saul and the life of the Church. God wants to make us pure and holy, blameless before Himself and men. Largely, He has done this through Christ, but I wonder what we can do to pursue this? Obedience. If God goes and tells us to kill all of the Amalekites--and not spare even a baby or a sheep--then we had better do it! This was so none of the evil of the people remained amongst the Israelite people. Now, I'm not superstitious, and I don't think that keeping the cattle of an evil nation would be a bad thing or that some of their evil was trapped inside of their animals. But the Lord said no to this, for the good of His people.
I began to think about times and sin in my life that I have overcome and times when I have really struggled. I sought for a long time to find detachment from sexual sin, and God was ushering me in saying, "Go and get rid of all the Amalekites that are causing you to stumble, think lustful thoughts. And you need to destroy all the cattle that are interrupting your purity. And also, you need to get rid of the babies that are planting those lustful thoughts in your mind, the things you do and how you act that make those thing habitable in your heart." And I realize now, looking back--having claimed true victory in Christ over my sexual desires--that I was holding on to the king of the Amalekites, and I kept the best cattle because I thought that would honor God best. But what honors God the most is obedience, just like Samuel said to Saul.
It's incredible how such an ancient text can be a breath of fresh air in this dying world, and I'm so thankful that the Holy Spirit works within me to convict me about sin, righteousness, and judgment.
So that's my first post.
2 comments:
Appreciate your commitment to knowing God's Word. Kings & Chronicles are loaded with practical guidance for following the Most High daily. Good stuff bro. Looking forward to connecting with you again.
You know, it's kinda scary... that these people were God's chosen and yet time after time they turn away. I suppose it's also a testament to God's mercy. But still, if they did it, we surely are in danger of the same. The story of Solomon has ALWAYS interested me. How he started off so well; being the son of David, God appearing to him, and asking for wisdom rather than wealth or long life, and yet his life ended so tragically. How did that happen? Seriously?
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