Good Kings and Bad Kings
BRD REFLECTIONS:
2 Kings 15 and Psalm 103 (NIV)
(Kenneth Lim, SGM Core Team Member)
READ:
2 Kings 15 and Psalm 103 (ESV)
OBSERVE:
The kings of Israel were described as doing evil in the sight of the Lord. Three of them seized the throne by killing the previous king, and, amid this infighting, several Israelites were carried off by the Assyrians. Meanwhile in Judah, Azariah and Jotham were described as doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but neither was successful in turning the people of Judah away from idol worship.
In contrast to Israel’s evil, violent and transient kings and the Judaean kings’ inability to deal with the sinfulness of Judah’s idol worship, God was described in Psalm 103 as righteous (v. 6), compassionate (v. 8) and everlasting (v. 17) and as the God who redeemed (v. 4) and removed our transgressions from us (v. 12).
APPLY:
The passage in 2 Kings 15 reminds me that leadership is scary.
It is scary for people watching a new leader being appointed, as no one knows if the new leader will be strong or weak; compassionate or violent; a servant leader or a despot.
For me, it is also scary as I take on new leadership positions, whether it be leading projects at work, leading committees in church or being the spiritual head of my household.
I praise God then that He has placed Jesus on the throne of not only Israel and Judah, but over all creation, which includes my country, my workplace, my church committees and my family. I need not worry therefore that some future leader (including myself) will be less than perfect, because Jesus’ rule is both absolute and eternal and will ultimately prevail.
DO:
I will trust God even as leaders and regimes change, as I know that Jesus is king above all and I will submit to Him as my king in each leadership position He has placed me in.
PRAY:
Dear God, thank You that Your rule over us is absolute and eternal. I pray that You change my heart each day into one that earnestly proclaims Jesus as king over all areas of my life, including those that are difficult to surrender, and that You hasten the day when Your kingdom is fully established on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
