“In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.” 1 Kings 16:29-34
This chapter was my daily Bible reading for yesterday, and I have been contemplating these last few verses ever since. God had instructed the Israelites back in the days of Joshua to demolish Jericho because of its worship of false gods and other corrupt, pagan practices; therefore, the rebuilding of this city indicated the peoples’ desire to turn away from the commands of God and elevate other “gods” above Him. Thus, Joshua pronounced a curse on anyone who would attempt to rebuild Jericho, proclaiming the death of that man’s oldest and youngest sons.
“Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, ‘Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho.
‘At the cost of his firstborn shall he
lay its foundation,
and at the cost of his youngest son
shall he set up its gates.’” Joshua 6:26
I always assumed these deaths were referring to child sacrifice to the false gods as an effort to “bless” the work of the people’s hands. How could anyone be willing to have his children slaughtered just for the sake of building a city and making his own name great?? And how could one believe in a false god to the level of sacrificing his precious ones?? After reading a commentary on this subject, it was brought to my attention that this may have been the case, but that there is a possibility that these two sons lost their lives simply in the construction process of the city. Though these are two very different scenarios, both are the result of disobedience to the Lord. Time and again throughout the Old Testament, God warned the people of the consequences of turning from Him. In this case, He had a man (Joshua) warn the Israelites as to a very specific consequence of this sin. Nevertheless, God’s instructions still were not heeded.
It always amazes me how these stories that once seemed so irrelevant and archaic to me when I was child now seem to beg to be understood in light of my own circumstances. Verses that mean nothing when I simply read them and move on to my next activity suddenly scream out warnings (or even blessings at times) as I meditate on them throughout the day. This is a sober passage with a timely message. Turning from God will cost me something. Disregarding His commands to follow my own pleasures and whims will be my ruin and quite possibly the ruin of my children. And ignorance of God’s rules are no excuse- He has given me His very Word. If I don’t read it and spend time considering its meaning and relevance in my life, then my ignorance is my own fault. Idolatry may seem a far-fetched notion, but it is just as real and alive today as ever. Some ways I am prone to idolatry are as follows:
- In my desire to please myself I look to other people, things, and activities to meet a need in my life (friends, family, TV, phone, vacations, spending money).
- In my desire for comfort, I decide to ignore the commands God has given me to do in order to go about the activities I see as best for me.
- In my desire to gain a high opinion from others and feel important, I keep myself too busy to read and meditate on scripture, talk to God, or attend church.
- Because it seems so incredibly difficult, I choose not to read scripture to my children on a particular day or lead them in prayer. I let my feelings of being overwhelmed dictate my actions, causing me to forgo pointing them to the Lord in my conversations and ignoring training and discipline.
Though these actions do not paint the picture of me purposely sacrificing my children for the sake of myself, they are at best a picture of me ignorantly doing so. It may seem extreme, but the result of my conduct could be my children carelessly going their own way in life and not following the Lord. Ultimately, their eternal lives are at stake…as well as an abundant life on this earth.
It is true that the Lord is gracious and merciful, ready to forgive, and not treating us as our sins deserve, but I don’t want to chance one single thing when it comes to my childrens’ lives. I realize that they have wills of their own and will ultimately have to make their own choices of obeying or disobeying the Lord; however, I want to do everything I can to please the Lord and point them in the right direction. Jesus has already given everything for me and for them, and I want to sacrifice my own desires in return for His better plan. My efforts will never be enough, and I will have multiple failures along the way. But as soon as I see these failures, may God direct me to repentance and living each day for Him.
Father, thank You for the warnings You have given us in Your Word. Help me to live each day with the end in mind. When I want to wander or have my own way, highlight in my mind the great consequences I am risking and help me to choose Your way. Thank You for the forgiveness and mercy You pour out on me, but may I never abuse that grace. May my love and fear of You be greater than my love of myself. In Jesus name I pray, amen.
“But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.” Psalm 103:17-18
“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—” Deuteronomy 4:9