Bad leaders led to the fall of a nation

Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:

What did I like about today’s passage?

Israel’s depressing succession of rotten rulers ended with the result God had always warned about. The covenant agreement Israel accepted from God came with the understanding that if they rejected God, they would be ejected from his promised land, just as Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden. It’s a sad echo of the original story of the fall of humanity.

I’m struck by the story of how Samaria was repopulated with Israel gone, with people who kept a mix of gods despite God sending lions (not great peacemakers or teachers) to show they were wrong. Even a priest of the Lord could not stop them from mixing recognition of God with pursuit of other gods “to this day”, and apparently into Jesus’ time too, judging by the conversation in John 4. This is one reason why Jesus’ story about a good Samaritan would have been so shocking to the first people who heard it.

So what about Judah and David’s family line? They had a mixed bag of leaders but Hezekiah was one of the better ones. He trusted in God, and God gave him success, even though his reign was not easy. Assyria were a constant menace, yet God would be glorified through the encounters.

We're only reading part of their big clash today, but I love how Assyria's field commander is reminiscent of the devil himself from Genesis 3. He lies, misrepresenting God and what it means to worship him, tempting the people with offers which sound like paradise (they sound a lot like God's promises to faithful people), exaggerating his power, even claiming God's backing for his own. This was a key test - would Judah repeat ancient mistakes and fail to recognise the real God at work? If not, how could they get out of this mess and prevail? Could anyone stop the king of Assyria? (cue cliff hanger music and join us for more on Thursday...)

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

God keeps his promises. Sometimes these are executed swiftly when people turn away from him, but other times there may be a long period while God allows his people to drift off, get warned, and decide for themselves what will happen next. God's plan to extend his Kingdom reign, justice and goodness will still prevail. Jesus even talked about how it would emerge in unexpected places, so it's not for us to judge people by their nation's reputation, but we are to depend on God directly and see how he works with people in surprising ways.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

I like to show off what I think I’m strong at, but I want to grow trust in God like Hezekiah. I can see from this story that my success in this can’t be measured in riches.

Who am I going to share this with?

I don’t know yet. I’m sure an opportunity will come up to share about how we trust in God.