Am I Accomplishing Things The Lord Wants Done In A Manner Acceptable to Him? - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 Chronicles 28:9-11,

"Because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven. And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves. But aren't you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God? Now listen to me! Send back your fellow Israelites you have taken as prisoners, for the Lord's fierce anger rests on you."

These are the words of the prophet Oded to the army of the northern kingdom of Israel as they returned from defeating their brothers in Judah. Because of the sins of Judah, and her king Ahaz, the Lord gave Judah "into the hands of the king of Aram", verse 5 as well as the northern kingdom of Israel.

The account helps us understand some things of the Lord. It was the Lord who created nation-states among mankind, not mankind himself. We have in this account one of his purposes in creating these nation-states. He actively promotes his agenda through the interactions he causes among them. We see this played out in this account.

Also, we see that although the northern kingdom was used by the Lord to get Judah's attention (by crushing them militarily), his use of the northern kingdom was not a precision use. The Lord became angry with the very people he was using to humble other people because, as Oded points out, they went too far. Now the northern kingdom, who was not free from the impulse of sin themselves, was in the Lord's cross-hairs. Apparently not all who are used by the Lord find themselves in his good graces.

This is perhaps a good warning for all who feel they are being used by God. Introspection is always warranted to insure what we are doing falls within the confines of his desires. The caution for me is that even though I might feel I am being used by the Lord, I can at the same time find myself outside the parameters of what pleases him.

It really is an important thing to think about, and certainly something this account speaks to.

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!

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