Our reading today continues the account of the divided Kingdom of Israel. While Judah did not wholeheartedly embrace God's plan for the Jewish people, there is a powerfully strong contrast between Israel and Judah's attitudes toward God. The narrative focuses on the kingly leadership, whose spiritual inclinations trickle down to the people. Yet, the people's hearts appear fairly fickle themselves, eager to seek after anything that will bring short-term answers. This pattern of thinking has persisted into the present day, as Oprah and others provide airtime for an ongoing parade of self-help gurus.
Wickedness earns its just rewards, while faithfulness to God's will bring His blessings. In the stories today, these outcomes appear to come quickly to the actors. Sometimes, in our short-sighted view of time, we may notice what appear to be aberrations on these themes, but we must recognize that God's timing does not coincide with ours. As someone humorously noted, God is not wearing my watch or yours. Psalm 73 provides helpful insights into the heart of a believer whose eyes have seen worldly success come to wicked men. In the long run, however, the truth always holds true, and a people's heart inclination towards Christ and His Kingdom is what counts for eternity.
In the death of Ahab, we have a king whose prideful anger hardened him towards Elijah. In the end, Ahab receives a fatal battle wound and suffers a slow death looking at the Aramean army. Even the cleanup of the chariot is mired in disgrace: "They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the LORD had declared." (1 Kings 22:38) Ahaziah, Ahab's son, then succeeds him as the king of Israel, only to fall into the same traps that his father had. Instead of seeking God alone, Ahaziah consults Baal-Zebub, meaning "Lord of the Flies," concerning an illness. Elijah then foretells the king's death and brings disaster upon two companies of men who impulsively call for Elijah, the only bearer of truth. It seems that Ahaziah wants to intercede for himself before Elijah's prophecy comes to fruition.
In sharp contrast, we see the words of 2 Chronicles 16:9 come to life again in the story of Jehoshaphat and the people of Israel: "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." In the face of a Moabite invasion, Jehoshaphat called the people to pray and fast. The people responded: "the people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him." God's Spirit answers by encouraging the people to recognize that the battle belongs to the Lord, not to the people. The king encourages the departing soldiers to "have faith in the LORD your God" and leads the people in praise to the Faithful One.
Pastor Scott mentioned President Roosevelt's call for national prayer on June 6, 1944, also called "D-Day." You may view his address to the nation here: http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/odddayp.html. Given all the turmoil in the world, we have many reasons to seek the Lord. Three particular areas of concern for the U.S. are our views towards: 1) the value of human life; 2) sexuality; and 3) generosity and love for the poor. Most importantly, the Church is concerned about many things that are only temporal and deviate from Jesus's mission, most clearly articulated in Luke 4:18,19 and Luke 19:10: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
QUESTIONS
1. Is your heart fully committed to the Lord? How can you resolve like Jehoshaphat to "inquire of the LORD?"
2. How can you pray for our nation and the world? How can you give thanks?
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