Not a Reality Show

 

READ 2 Chronicles 21–24

This reading is like a bad soap opera or a contemporary X-rated movie. Today’s church service theme of joy stands in sharp contrast to this plot from the Old Testament. It starts with an extreme power trip:

When Jehoram had ascended the throne of his father and was established, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the princes of Israel. (2 Chronicles 21:4)

Despite his father Jehoshaphat’s example, this man lived more like Ahab, the king of Israel who daughter he married. It was only because of the covenant God made with David that he was not destroyed.

However Edom was not happy and broke away, setting up their own king. Jehoram attacked them. “Libnah also revolted from his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord, the God of his fathers. Moreover, he made high places in the hill country of Judah and led the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom and made Judah go astray.”

Elijah the prophet wrote saying because of what he was doing, “the Lord will bring a great plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions, and you yourself will have a severe sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day by day.” The Lord stirred anger against him from the Philistines and the Arabians who invaded and carried away what was in the king’s house and left nothing but his youngest son. Then the LORD struck Jehoram in his bowels with an incurable disease and he died “in great agony.” This king “departed with no one’s regret.” (21:6–20)

His son Ahaziah also walked in the ways of Ahab. “His mother was his counselor in doing wickedly” and his father’s counselors were “to his undoing.” He went off to war with the king of Israel against Syria. That king was wounded and when Ahaziah went to see him, God ordained a meeting with Jehu whom He had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. Jehu killed Ahaziah and his brothers. No one was left to rule the kingdom. (22:8–9)

Then his mother, Athaliah destroyed the royal family, but the king’s daughter took the king’s young son and hid him with the help of one of the king’s sisters. Eventually the priest (Jehoiada) orchestrated the boy to be crowned king. This infuriated Athaliah, yet even her shouts of treason did not stop her from being killed. After that, “Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the Lord’s people . . . . and all the people of the land rejoiced.”

Joash was only seven years old when he began to reign. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. He decided to restore the house of the Lord since the sons of Athaliah had broken into it used all the dedicated things for their idols. Both princes and people rejoiced, bringing their tax to a collection chest and much money was raised. The work went forward it until they “they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it.” (24:13)

However when Jehoiada died, the king “abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.” (24:16–18)

The Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’ ” But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown him. When Zechariah was dying, he said, “May the Lord see and avenge!” (24:20–22)

This up/down story goes on, leaving me with the same sense that most reality TV shows would do if I watched them to the end. People are fickle, full of schemes, and don’t care much about God. Then I remember that I can be like that too. I want to be loyal to Jesus, yet my actions and words don’t often follow through that good intention. I relate to these OT people in some ways, yet in another way my life is different — because of Jesus. For certain, I cannot save myself nor keep myself godly, but He died for me; He saved me; He is my righteousness. My eternal life is secure as is my life here. I fall but He picks me up. I make mistakes, but He uses even my stupidest actions and ideas for good — because as I confess those sins, He cleanses me and works to transform me into the image of His Son. This is not a reality show written, nor will it have a poor ending. Mine is real life — directed and produced by God with eternal outcome guaranteed. I praise His for giving me His Son and life everlasting!