The Wise and The Foolish

1Kings 15-16, 2Chron 17 Asa may not have been the perfect king, but it seems he did one thing right; he raised a godly son Jehoshaphat, who took his place. He reigned in Jerusalem and followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps.  He sought the God of his ancestors and obeyed his commands, unlike the Israelites. Asa’s son cleansed the land and brought about many godly reforms.

Over in the Israelite kingdom, we read of the progression of kings who followed in the steps of wicked king Jeroboam. Over and over, we read, “he did evil and encouraged Israel to sin.” And over and over, we read, “these sins angered the Lord God of Israel.” Were there godly people there? Was there peace in the land? The author reminds the reader that there were wars continually. The author of this book wants us to see and learn that the king’s sins were predominant, and his leaders followed his lead.  As He has done in the past, God sent them wise counselors, yet they were rejected.  After two full chapters, the author leaves us at the end of 1Kings 16 to read about Ahab, who did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings before him.

What are the lessons to be learned from these kings? Like them, we will stand before a holy God to hear our life’s record. What is being recorded in your life story?