2 Kings 16:9 (ESV)
And the king of Assyria listened to him. The king of Assyria marched up against Damascus and took it, carrying its people captive to Kir, and he killed Rezin.
Does God use acts of faithlessness to bring about discipline and difficulty in our lives? Does that then affect others? In 2 Kings 16 we see the King of Judah (a wicked king named Ahaz) call for help from the Assyrians (2 Kings 16:8-9). When being attacked by his brothers to the north (Israel), instead of going by faith to God in a time of trouble, he turned to the non-believing world, the wicked Assyrians. As a result, a short time later, the Assyrians lay siege against Israel's major city and took Israel captive ... Israel is no more! Fast forward now to King Hezekiah, the new King of Judah, and who comes to lay siege against Judah? ... the Assyrians! So, God uses the faithlessness of a king to bring out discipline for a nation and that allows the same nation to be used for further discipline against Judah ... the remaining tribe of Israel in God's promise land. When we see unfaithful behavior we need to stand back to see what God is actually doing. We think God is asleep at the wheel when people express unfaithfulness and turn to the world's solution (anger and fight rather love and forgive). Yet, that is the very time God is using that unfaithfulness to accomplish His greater purpose. In this case, discipline. In the case of Joseph back in Genesis God used the faithlessness of Joseph's brothers to get Joseph into the land of Egypt to save the nation from famine. God uses faithlessness as much as faithfulness. I think He prefers faithful followers. But, God is not asleep at the wheel. He uses faithless and carnal people to accomplish His ends. Which one do you offer God in your walk with Him? He is going to use you do you offer Him faithfulness and trust or faithless carnality? By the way, latter in our reading for today Hezekiah, in an act of pride and faithlessness, invites the Babylonians into his home ... they will eventually be used by God to destroy Judah. God uses unfaithful choices for His purpose.
No comments:
Post a Comment