Heart

The next two chapters provide us with a list of kings that follow on from Rehoboam and Jeroboam as kings of Israel and Judah.

Abijah King of Judah

In the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign as King of Israel, Abijah became King of Judah and –

There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam throughout Abijah’s lifetime.  1 Kings 15:6

He reigned for just three years and –

He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.  1 Kings 15:3-5

And Asa his son succeeded him as king.

Asa King of Judah

Asa was different. He reigned for forty-one years and it was a different kind of reign altogether –

Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done.  1 Kings 15:11

He got rid of all the shrine prostitutes.

He even deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah.  1 Kings 15:13

His heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.

He protected all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries. He tried to make peace with Baasha King of Israel.

In his old age, however, his feet became diseased.  1 Kings 15:23

And Jehoshaphat succeeded him as king.

Nadab King of Israel

In the second year of Asa’s reign as King of Judah, Nabad became King of Israel and he reigned for just two years.

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of his father and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit.  1 Kings 15:26

He killed Jeroboam’s whole family.

Then he was killed by Baasha, who succeeded him as king.

 Baasha King of Israel

Baasha reigned over Israel for twenty-four years. He too did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

The prophet Jehu spoke out against Baasha.

Baasha was succeeded by his son Elah as king.

Elah King of Israel

Elah reigned as king for two years.

Zimri, one of his officials plotted against him and killed him while he was drunk in his own home. He succeeded Elah as king and killed all the family of Baasha as soon as he began his reign.

Zimri King of Israel

Zimri reigned for seven days.

When the Israelites heard that Zimri had killed the king, they appointed Omri, commander of the army, as king.

Zimri locked himself in the royal palace and set fire to it and died in the blaze.

Omri King of Israel

Omri reigned for twelve years.

But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him.  1 Kings 16:25

Ahab his son succeeded him as king.

Ahab King of Israel

Ahab reigned for twenty two years.

Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him.  1 Kings 16:30

He married Jezebel, daughter of the king of the Sidonians, and built a temple for Baal in Samaria.

Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.  1 Kings 16:33

 

Not the most interesting list of names and numbers maybe, but the most fascinating detail given about each man is their standing before God. Their relationship with God. It all starts with their attitude of heart.

David had got it right. He is the one they are all measured against. Yes, he made some mistakes, but his heart for for God. Fully devoted to God.

Only Asa in this list comes close. Only he has a heart that is described as fully committed to God his whole life.

And what does this look like in practice?

The right attitude before God comes first – a commitment to God and His ways, a devotion to serving God – and then the actions follow.

David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

David did not fail to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life (apart from in that whole situation with Bathsheba and Uriah).

Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

He tried to rid the land of the false gods.

He tried to put right the wrongs that had been done.

And the rest of the kings? Well, they were the opposite.

Their hearts were not right before God. They did evil in the eyes of the Lord. And it got worse and worse and worse. As standards started to slip, the evil escalated. Each king did more evil than the king before him.

Nothing has changed, has it?

Except that we judge world leaders purely by the good they have done or the atrocities they have committed. We know nothing of their relationship with God. Although we got clear glimpses of the faith of Barack Obama as he stood in that church in Charleston, speaking out against racial hatred and speaking for grace.

Our heart matters. Our relationship with God matters. It matters more than anything else in the world.

And once we’ve worked out what it means for us to be fully committed to God, then this will overflow into actions – into doing the right thing, following God’s commands.

Good deeds do not earn us forgiveness or make us worthy – only a relationship with God can do that. But a relationship with God will always overflow into action. I don’t see how you can have one without the other.

I believe that what we are doing now and the relationships we have now are just one tiny tiny part of the whole of eternity – an eternity that I have no idea what it looks like but I know it will be in relationship with God. I therefore try to live every day in the light of that eternity – practising the presence of God in the everyday, bringing heaven to earth in my own small way, playing ‘Let your will be done; let your kingdom come’.

I can’t give you a formula of what your relationship with God should look like and sound like and be like – each one of us is different and will therefore need to find our own way. I guess it’s about a willingness of heart – a willingness to know God more and seek Him in the everyday and learn to live in his light.

I get annoyed when people don’t give me practical answers – and I know that is exactly what I am doing here…..

And I know that anyone looking at me may well be thinking ‘Really? that’s what she thinks she’s doing……she’s so far off the mark…….’ I know that too.

Putting the inexplicable into words is hard. I feel like I’m failing.

The writer of this list of kings came up with a formula – a heart for or against God translating into doing good or evil in the eyes of the Lord.

Maybe it really is that simple.