I have completed my journey through 1st Kings as of last night, and it has been quite an enlightening one. One (such as I) might think that there was little to be gleaned from the stories of selfish and evil idolatrous kings constantly failing to abide by the dictates of the LORD but for a few brief shining moments. And you'd be (and I was) wrong. I went into my study begrudgingly and I came out of it...I don't want to say I was "rejoicing" but I certainly had a clearer understanding of the LORD, which is always good. But it's a cringing sort of joy because it also says a lot about us as His people and what our problem is.
Preacher, author, significant Calvinist John MacArthur's podcast recently had a series on sin where he talked about modern Humanism. Modern humanism believes in the perfectibility of man, that every age of man is a step up, a continual evolution of we humans. Every age, they say, we leave behind more of our base instincts and become ever more enlightened. It's a very likeable and compelling belief...as long as you know absolutely nothing about history. All recorded history, when you get down to it, flies in the face of humanistic ideals. For a time we act enlightened but all it takes is one generation to turn us from those ideals and march us back into the paths of darkness. 1 Kings is a book that shows us we are still those same people from 4000 years ago and we still wrestle with the same problems.
1 Kings spans the centuries between the death of King David to the death of King Ahab. During this time Israel is split into Israel and Judah in a civil war. Jeroboam was made King of the 10 other tribes (Judah consuming the tribe of Benjamin without so much as a by your leave). Jeroboam rose to kingship and got the majority portion of the once whole country, but there was a threat to his power. He was convinced that if people traveled to Jerusalem to worship the LORD in the temple in Judah that Solomon had built they would remember the golden years of the Davidic reign and want to be part of that again. He was afraid that bit by bit his kingdom would secede because the temple is so pretty. So, what does he do? He builds two golden calves, one in the north and one in the south, and says "Here, oh Israel, are the gods who brought you out of Egypt." Total post-Exodus Aaron jerk move.
This softens the people up to the worship of other gods right alongside the One True God. Solomon had already "broken the seal", so to speak, on this by giving in to his foreign wives and going so far as to worship Molech and Asherah alongside the LORD though not in His temple. Jeroboam, however, connected the two worships at the same exact location. Ahab comes along with his foreign wife and he openly worships the Baals and the LORD in the same place even going so far as to apparently worship the Baals more than the LORD.
Along comes Elijah.
During the Mount Carmel confrontation Elijah addresses the assembled masses of Israel and shouts, "How long will you go limping between two options!" Either Baal is god or the LORD is God. Stop worshiping them both. Those words almost glowed on the page. They stuck out in a way that I know to be the Holy Spirit convicting me of something.
There are a lot of people who think that America is the "new Israel" and that we are full up on God's blessings and promises. Now, I don't think that is correct, but I think it's interesting that we as a people are committing many of the same sins. We'd like to believe that we aren't worshiping other gods but let me ask you this: What thing(s) in your life are keeping you from what Jesus acknowledged as the greatest commandment, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your might,"? As harsh at its sounds, whatever it is that holds you back from that is your god. You see, we are committing the exact same sin as Israel. We want to worship other gods beside him.
I mean if we give Him slightly more time, if we give Him slightly more consideration then it's OK to worship the same gods that the rest of the world does, right? Because, it's not like we are worshiping them more so it's not the same has having other gods before Him...right?
Unfortunately that gets a resounding, "No". All your heart. Whew...forget the soul and strength, let's sit back and appreciate that. There is no room for division. There is no room for sectioning off and this is for God, this is for me, and this is for this other god I don't want to admit controls my desires. All seems to mean all. And that's where I'll stop because I'm feeling a kindling; like it goes deeper and if I look I'll derail this whole blog post. So I'll stick that in the Blog Idea file and leave it there today.
Our problem is the same as Israel's that began before the crowning of King Saul and has only gotten worse over time. We proudly declare, "We are blessed of God! We are a different and unique people set apart! So, uh, but we want to be just like everyone else...k?" Is it any wonder? We regularly buck against 1 John 2:15 "Do not love this world nor the things it offers you.." We all agree that we are to be "in the world but not of the world," but that rattles off our tongue without us really considering its meaning or its cost. How do I know? Because when I rattle it off I don't stop and say, "Oh crap...Woe is me."
We cannot be a unique (holy) people, set apart, and while at the same time trying to be like the rest of the world. We want it to be OK to do this or that activity, accept this or that sin, alter this or that doctrine to serve our need/want, accept or reject this or that scripture to make Jesus more palatable so our church will be liked more. And, as always, I'm bringing this up because I still haven't wrapped my mind around it. I'm struggling on a fundamental level with my own inner Israelite. I want to be special to God, but just like everyone else around me...or at least as much as my seared conscience will allow.
Here's what I do know: The more we submit to Jesus, the more we do what we know is right via His scriptures, the more we let go of those things that so easily entangle our hearts (not to mention our soul and might), the more we focus on seeking Him, His Kingdom, and His righteousness...the more everything else on earth will matter less and less. It hurts. It's painful to our Flesh. Our knees and necks are so stiff that we struggle to bow, struggle to bend the knee, struggle to do more than lip service.
We haven't changed.
Woe is me.
But...He wants to be known. That's the joy here. He's right there. He is exactly the Papa He says He is; waiting for His prodigal children to even just turn around...and He's running to meet us.
Pax,
W
P.S. For the curious souls who scrolled down this far...Amos is next.
P.P.S. Throughout this blog entry I keep hearing the words of the Law Giver from "The Island of Dr. Moreaux, "If there is no pain...does that mean then that there is no Law?". How seared are our consciences?
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