Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 15; 2 Chronicles 16; Colossians 1
Scripture: 1 Kings 16:30-33
30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. 31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.
Observation: There has been a fairly constant downhill slide since the Kingship of David. David got it started, Solomon accelerated the pace, and it has been picking up steam pretty much without stopping, especially in the Israel part of the divided kingdom. David had concubines and many wives including Bathsheba whom he obtained through a sordid episode of adultery, betrayal, and murder. Solomon dialed it up with more wives and concubines including pagan women for whom Solomon built pagan places of worship, even joining them in their cultic practices. Their offspring took it even further and here we have the result. The new King of Israel, King Ahab "considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam." These sins were enough for Jeroboam to be cursed by God and his entire family line wiped out! These sins were very serious. But as time progressed, people got used to them and they were thought to be not so bad. Finally, Ahab gets to the position where they are looked at as "trivial" -- what's the big deal?
Application: Sin is progressive. What one generation allows, the next generation will approve. And there is also a progression in sin in the life of an individual. Something looked at as really bad the first time one does it becomes progressively less serious in one's thinking over time.
Bottom line: Sin is not something that can be contained or controlled. It is like wild fire. It predictably spreads in unpredictable ways. And those who follow us will be caught up in the flames. Keep yourself far from it.
Prayer: Lord, cleanse us and purify us. Help us to stay on Your path of righteousness and holiness and far away from the path of sin, and destruction, and death. May we do this not only for ourselves, but also to pass on a holy heritage to those who will follow in our footsteps.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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