Bible Chapter: I Kings 15 & 16

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    I have to admit that the history shared in these chapters gets more and more confusing.  This is because of the continual turnover of leaders in the two nations.  I have a hard time keeping up.  And, the turnover resulted from the continual line of kings who refused to serve and obey God.  We see statements like 15:3 that says about Abijah,  “He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God” (NIV).  Later we read about Ahab, 16:31 “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.” (NIV)  I have a hard time comprehending the hardness of heart of someone who was supposed to know better that they considered it trivial to commit the sins he lived in.
    The history lesson we see is that time after time the people who became leaders were more concerned with their position and pleasure than being the leader God required.  Many people paid a high price because of those poor decisions.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    What is the lesson?  The lesson that is repeated over and over is that God expects obedience.  Obedience will bring God’s blessings.  Disobedience will bring God’s judgement.  Position will not permit a person to reject God’s standards.  No one is exempt from obedience.  In fact, we see in the Bible that God gives a higher standard to those in positions of authority.  God expects more from them.  Sadly, king after king failed to be what God expected of them.  Thankfully, from time to time there were Godly kings who did obey and brought the nation in a good direction.
    The application:  again we see God’s expectation of doing what He says.  Life works so much better.

3.  How can I help someone?
    I want to help people see the truth.  It works best when we trust God and obey His commands.  It’s really not that complex.  We make it difficult through our demands that God will allow us to do whatever we want.