The Effect of Sin upon Emotions

From one young king in the last few years of Judah's freedom to the other young king of Judah, that is where we are heading in relation to this blog as we go from last week's post about Joash to this week's post on Josiah.

Josiah was 8 years old when he began to reign. Unlike Joash, he didn't have one single counsellor that he relied upon solely for his life and decisionmaking. Still he successfully served the Lord from the outset of his reign. The Bible even goes so far as to say that he "declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left."

It all starts at the age of 16. This is when the Bible explains that Josiah truly began to seek the Lord and comes closer to Him. After he has developed a personal relationship with the Lord, Josiah turned his attention to the sin of the people. At the age of 20, he went around Judah to crumble all the idols and altars for worship of false gods into dust.

Finally, at age 26 with a pretty stellar resume of service to the Lord already established, he ordered that the Lord's house be cleaned up and brought to a state of usefulness once more. In the process, the Law of God is found.

When Josiah heard the words of the Law, he had a most emotional response. Let's listen in on II Chronicles 34:18-21,

"Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying, Go, enquire of the Lord for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do after all that is written in this book."

Even with the awe-inspiring works that Josiah had done in his life, when he read the book of the Law and realized that he and the people were simply falling short of the standard God had put in their lives, he rent his clothes in anger. His sin and the sin of the people put a heavy burden on his heart, that he couldn't just ignore.

So how does our sin weigh on us? Do we examine our sin as if it's no big deal because God has already forgiven it? Do we claim that because of all the other good we have done our sin in x area is meaningless? I certainly hope not!

Josiah had done much for the Lord through his young years. But that didn't change his reaction when he learned some of his actions were actually sinful. Despite all the good Josiah had done, he looked down on himself and was angry at his own sin. That also should be our response.

We can't just treat sin as if it's no big deal. When we do, it is allowed to grow and fester. Our sin needs to bring us to our knees to confess and ask the Lord to forgive.

How not to Respond to Jehoiada

My post today will be shorter than usual, and that's saying something, since all my devotional posts are intentionally short.

Joash is the youngest King of Judah. Taking the throne at age 7, Joash could easily have found himself immature and not ready for such a huge role of leading the nation of Judah But he was wise enough to come to his uncle Jehoiada the High Priest for advice all through Jehoiada's life.

But eventually Jehoiada dies, and Joash loses his best counsel. It is a loss that could disrupt the good that Joash was doing and, and unfortunately, it does just that. The whole story can be found in II Kings 12 and II Chronicles 24. Since you know that I am not going to paste these whole chapters here, but I desire to ensure you know my information is accurate, I will be quoting one verse from each selection:

"And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest." ~II Chronicles 24:2

 "And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him." ~II Kings 12:2 

Joash had an instructor in his life. He had someone who would help him be able to serve the Lord. But it would seem that once that instructor moved on (died is a form of moving on, right?), we learned that Josiah hadn't actually found any real love for God himself. He never became sufficient in God.

Hey, I understand that it is truly beautiful to have a mentor in your life. I have had my share and they have been greatly helpful. But you must make sure that you do not become sufficient in just the use of counselors, but instead truly become sufficient in God's love for you, and your love for God. I urge you today- don't misuse your Jehoiadas. Learn also to depend on God yourself.

Abimelech, the First King in Israel

I know what you're thinking. The first king of Israel is clearly Saul. Although Saul is the first king in the line of kings we typically think of, there was a small period of time when Abimelech the son of Gideon ruled as king over Israel in the days of Judges.

This story begins with the work of Abimelech's father Gideon. As many of you know, Gideon was a judge whom the Lord used to overthrow the Midianites. After this, the Israelites wish to make Gideon their king, but he replies in Judges 8: 23,

"And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you." 

However, the rest of his actions are not exactly befitting of that level of commitment to the Lord. Gideon who spent his early ministry tearing down idols, now has the Israelites furnish their own. Gideon caused the Israelites to go "a-whoring" after false gods.

This was the milieu in which Abimelech was raised. The son of Gideon and his concubine, Abimelech shared the inheritance of his father  with Gideon's seventy sons.

Or so he should have anyway. Instead though Abimelech decides that he is going to work his ways into the hearts of the men of Shechem to be their king. He challenges them in Judges 9:2,

"Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh."

There's just one problem. The other sons of Gideon have as much right to rule as does Abimelech. But this is no hard task for Abimelech. When he receives the blessing of the men of Shechem, he immediately goes to his father's house and slaughters the rest of his brethren.

This is a depressing time for the Israelites. One man has slain all his brothers for his own selfish ambition.

Thankfully, the Lord provided that not all the sons of Gideon would be slain. Jotham, the youngest son, hid from Abimelech and was saved. You can all guess how the events transpired from here. Jotham turns the hearts of the Shechemites against Abimelech, but he does this civilly without any threat of war. Ultimately, Abimelech dies, and the era of judges continues with a man by the name of Tola the son of Puah.

Jotham is never heard from again. He exhibited extreme selflessness working to free the people from the reign of Abimelech. He didn't look to put himself on the throne for himself, but rather sought to free Israel from the rule of this treacherous leader.

Truly that is what this passage is all about. Being more willing to serve than to rule. ln other words, looking out for others and God rather than pursuing your own agenda. As Jotham tells the men of Shechem in Judges 9: 7-15,

 "And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon."

In this parable, the bramble is symbolising Abimelech and his treachery. Jotham is saying that the judges prior to Abimelech were more interested in serving those around them, than they were in having power of their own. The Matthew Henry's Commentary on this chapter explains further,

"When the trees were disposed to choose a king the government was offered to those valuable trees the olive, the fig-tree, and the vine, but they refused it, choosing rather to serve than rule, to do good than bear sway. But the same tender being made to the bramble he accepted it with vain-glorious exultation.... He hereby applauds the generous modesty of Gideon, and the other judges who were before him, and perhaps of the sons of Gideon, who had declined accepting the state and power of kings when they might have had them, and likewise shows that it is in general the temper of all wise and good men to decline preferment and to choose rather to be useful than to be great."

A few weeks ago, this passage really spoke to me, in that I need not go about my days pursuing my own agenda, but looking to serve the Lord whole-heartedly, to be a blessing to those around me. Authority, power, enjoyment is all empty if we do not look to serve others. This is much more fulfilling than living a life of greed. Let it run every waking moment of your day.