Leaving Right for Wrong

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

LEAVING RIGHT FOR WRONG

1 Kings 16:29-34

29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. 30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. 31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him. 34 In Ahab's time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the LORD spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

NIV

Ahab did more evil than any king before him. That had to be so much evil that it is difficult to imagine God not striking him down at the first sign of Ahad serving Baal. Is this a case of power always corrupting the man? We have seen throughout our lifetimes many who have attained a political position with the stated intent, at least, of doing good for the people they represent, turn to self-interest to gain more power, influence, and wealth. Ahab could not have been much different, turning his back on God to serve other gods. However, our story is about Hiel of Bethel, who rebuilt Jericho. When Joshua and the people of Israel marched around that city seven times and, on the last day, they shouted, and the walls crumbled, and they destroyed the city, he prophesied a curse, or declared an oath, on anyone who tried to rebuild it. His exact words are recorded in the book of Joshua, which includes that whoever rebuilds this city will cost him both his firstborn and his youngest son. This is precisely what happened, as Joshua had spoken. Once again, we see a man who does not pay attention or give credence to the old ways. Israel had such a rich heritage, and these stories about Ahab and Hiel both show us a total disregard for their rich heritage and relationship with the LORD. We wonder if we have left our rich heritage to serve our own self-interests. Surely, we have not left out our relationship with our Lord, but over the years we have seen the people of the church set up their own set of standards, or rules and regulations, which they know they can abide by, thus showing themselves as “Good Christians”. The problem is twofold. First, it is the rules of men, without the command of God. Second, those standards, or rules and regulations, are subject to change depending on the current times. That was a problem with Baal, or an Asherah pole, as they were false gods, who had no eyes to see, no ears to hear, and no mouth to speak, so any rules that applied to them were made by men, therefore changeable. We know God never changes, and His commands are trustworthy and eternal. However, because of Jesus, we are not subject to the law as Israel was. Jesus fulfilled all the law and gave us the two greatest commands. If we could just live by those two commands, our lives would fall into place, and we would learn from Jesus. It is not that we forgo all the Old Testament, with all God’s commands, but Jesus told us that if we love as he told us, then we would be fulfilling all the law and doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. The problem that can arise is when we let our “self” get in the way. We start to think we are the center of life, more important than we are, and when we believe we are offended, we leave love behind to serve self. Let us not be like the people of old who left right behind to do wrong. Let us remind ourselves that love covers a multitude of sins.