Thoughts

In these chapters we read of the reigns of Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham and Ahaz.

Each of these kings were descendants of David, and as I have said in previous episodes, coming from a believing family does not mean that the following generation will follow God. The opposite is also true. Coming from a non-believing family does not mean the following generation will not follow God. We saw that in these kings.

Also, as is common to most people, the first two of these kings, Amaziah and Uzziah, had their good points and bad. Each of us has strengths and weaknesses. It’s the human condition. That’s why we all need a savior. Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. Anything less than perfection, anything less than a completely sinless life means that we fall short of the glory of God.

There is a common thread that was evident in the chapters we read today with the failures of Amaziah, Uzziah and Ahaz. Each one of them sinned in their own ways, but the common thread was pride. Pride invariably brings destruction, even to people who showed great devotion to God in their early days. Once we begin to believe that our accomplishments come from our own abilities, we are headed for a fall. It can happen to anyone, at any age. I have discovered that my own susceptibility to sin is still alive, even after more than fifty years of being a follower of Jesus. If I take my eyes off of Him, if I begin to rely on my own “goodness”, I quickly find that I cannot walk His path on my own. As the old hymn says, “I need thee every hour.”

To his credit, of the four kings we read about today, only Jotham seems to have had a lifelong record of following God’s direction. Verse 6 of chapter 27 tells us, “Jotham grew powerful because he was determined to live as the Lord his God wanted.” What a legacy.

My legacy will unfortunately not be without a list of failures, but I am determined to keep my eyes on the prize, because I long to hear my Savior say on that day that I finally see Him face to face, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 25 NKJV, Ch. 26-27 GWT, Ch. 28 ESV

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