_“If your hearts turn away and you are not obedient... you will certainly be destroyed.”(Deuteronomy 30: 17, 18)_
After King Solomon, Israel was divided into two. Kings of the northern kingdom followed the example of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin by setting up the worship of the golden calves, and all of them were given to idolatory. The history of the kingdom of Israel is an almost unbroken story of wickedness, king after king coming to the throne through the murder of his predecessor. II Kings 17 gives us an account of the captivity of Israel and also gives us the reason of this punishment. The people of Israel had descended to the very level of the nations whom God had commanded His people to drive out of the land. They forsook the Lord and served the gods of the heathen, walked in their ways and performed all their wicked deeds. Therefore God permitted the king of Assyria to carry Israel away as captive to Assyria, according to His warning given by Moses in Deuteronomy 29:24-28. But long before the power of kings in Israel was taken, God had transferred it from them to the prophets. Out of the darkness of this evil times, two figures stand forth as God’s witnesses showing us that through all the failure, God was quietly working onwards toward His eternal kingdom of righteousness. Elijah and Elisha in contrast of their characters and mission, remind us of John the Baptist and of our Savior. Elijah the rugged prophet of the wilderness dressed in his mantle and leather girdle, suddenly bursts upon the scene in the court of Ahab and pronounces judgment of the Lord. He reminds us of John, dressed in the same manner, at the court of Herod, denouncing fearlessly the sins of that king. (Mark 6:17, 18). Elisha’s was a ministry of blessing and healing. In this he was a type of Christ. We have, moreover in the life and miracles of Elisha a series of most beautiful lessons on Christian life and service. Inspite of this, the kings did not repent but continued in their wickedness. So judgment of the Lord fell upon the people.
Dear friends, God often warns us through His Word or His servants. But if we deliberately chose to walk away from the Lord surely one day we will see His wrath falling upon us. So let us pay heed and repent.
*PRAYER*: Almighty God, when you warn me through Your Word or through your servants let me listen to You. Before a great disaster falls upon me let me repent. Take away the stubbornness of my heart. Give me an obedient spirit to follow Your precepts. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment