The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Kings 13:2-5,
"He [King Jehoahaz] did evil in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them. So the Lord's anger burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son. Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord's favor, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. The Lord provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before."
The sins of Jeroboam that Jehoahaz followed was the idol worship Jeroboam had introduced to Israel. The Israelites turned their back on the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob to pursue these idols and as a result became worthless to the progressive roll-out of God's plan of redemption of mankind.
The Lord decided to use the offspring of Abraham as his covenant people to bring into the world his Son as the atonement for all of mankind's sins. Additionally, he used the law and all the Scriptures, the temple worship, the priesthood, the temple itself (as well as the earlier tabernacle), the various feasts and festivals he gave to Israel's calendar to point the way to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. He did this so mankind might learn the ways of the Lord, and particularly condition mankind to recognize the sacrifice Jesus Christ would make on behalf of mankind.
In that Israel had wandered from the Lord and became unuseful to his agenda, the Lord brought into the life of the nation what would bring them back to him: the threat and misery produced by an occupying force that caused the Israelites to cry out for deliverance.
And, this is exactly what happened. Israel turned from the Lord to Idols, the Lord subjected them to the occupying power of Aram, the pain was so great they finally turned to the Lord for deliverance. Then the Lord delivered them, "The Lord provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before."
This was the intent of the Lord from the start of Aram's occupation of Israel.
This is a dynamic seen throughout the Scriptures. Indeed, it is the principle of the Lord behind Paul's comment in his letter to the Romans, "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." Romans 8:20-21.
As we read of Israel's history, it should never be understood apart from the agenda the Lord is pursuing. The Lord has his agenda - it is to build his kingdom. Everything that takes place on the world's stage is understood only in light of the pursuit of this agenda. To not recognize this is to miss the message of Israel's history - of all of history.
This reality is no less true today than at any point in the history of the world.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"He [King Jehoahaz] did evil in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them. So the Lord's anger burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son. Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord's favor, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. The Lord provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before."
The sins of Jeroboam that Jehoahaz followed was the idol worship Jeroboam had introduced to Israel. The Israelites turned their back on the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob to pursue these idols and as a result became worthless to the progressive roll-out of God's plan of redemption of mankind.
The Lord decided to use the offspring of Abraham as his covenant people to bring into the world his Son as the atonement for all of mankind's sins. Additionally, he used the law and all the Scriptures, the temple worship, the priesthood, the temple itself (as well as the earlier tabernacle), the various feasts and festivals he gave to Israel's calendar to point the way to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. He did this so mankind might learn the ways of the Lord, and particularly condition mankind to recognize the sacrifice Jesus Christ would make on behalf of mankind.
In that Israel had wandered from the Lord and became unuseful to his agenda, the Lord brought into the life of the nation what would bring them back to him: the threat and misery produced by an occupying force that caused the Israelites to cry out for deliverance.
And, this is exactly what happened. Israel turned from the Lord to Idols, the Lord subjected them to the occupying power of Aram, the pain was so great they finally turned to the Lord for deliverance. Then the Lord delivered them, "The Lord provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before."
This was the intent of the Lord from the start of Aram's occupation of Israel.
This is a dynamic seen throughout the Scriptures. Indeed, it is the principle of the Lord behind Paul's comment in his letter to the Romans, "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." Romans 8:20-21.
As we read of Israel's history, it should never be understood apart from the agenda the Lord is pursuing. The Lord has his agenda - it is to build his kingdom. Everything that takes place on the world's stage is understood only in light of the pursuit of this agenda. To not recognize this is to miss the message of Israel's history - of all of history.
This reality is no less true today than at any point in the history of the world.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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