Generational choices, bondage and freedom

2 Kings 13:1–14:29, Galatians 4:1–31, Proverbs 7:21–27

Children eventually reach an age where they want to be free from parental control and make their own decisions. At that time, most fail to realize the impact parents have made on their lives, for good or for bad.

When Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria he followed not only his father but the kings before his father. “He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them.” Because of this, the Lord brought judgment by giving Israel continually into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael.

Jehoahaz, perhaps in frustration, sought God’s favor and “the Lord listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them . . . . Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.” God even reduced Jehoahaz’s army to fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen. (2 Kings 13:1-4, 6–7)

The next kings did no better. Jeroboam also “did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” Yet the Lord saw the bitter affliction of Israel with no one to help them. He used Jeroboam to rescue them, showing that His mercy can overrule the wrath that sin deserves. (2 Kings 14:23–27) While the sons of kings often followed the pattern set by their parents, they were held responsible. No one can blame their parents for their sin.

The reading from Proverbs seems disconnected to these thoughts. However, it does describe how temptation can pull a young man away from parental guidance. Solomon began the section with a warning to “my son.” He told him (and us) to remember the teaching of his parents and avoid illicit relationships and those woman who persuade with seductive speech and smooth talk. He says if his son does not heed this parental advice and follows her, he is “as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.” (Proverbs 7:21–23)

Solomon unwittingly pointed to the kings who came later and who reverted to the lifestyle and choices of their fathers. Some were good, yet many were evil and each generation paid the price of evil. Many young men ignore the wisdom of their parents and are ensnared, not only by a sinful woman, but other lures that she personifies.

For a Christian, the warning is to listen to our heavenly Father. If I make decisions apart from His wisdom, I will go back to the slavery and bondage to sin that held me captive before I became a Christian..

Paul writes, “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.” (Galatians 4:8–11)

Paul warns about legalism and rule-keeping. The rules in themselves are not necessarily bad, but Christ died to set us free from the law of sin and death. No matter how hard I try, I cannot keep the laws of God in the perfection they call for. Instead, those laws put me in bondage.

Freedom as a Christian does not mean I can live as I please. It does mean that my master is no longer a list of ‘thou shall not’s’ but instead is the Spirit of God who produces in me a freedom to live by faith in a delightful relationship with Him. I have no need or desire to be enslaved by rules.

It happens though. The people at Galatia turned back to the things they once trusted, choosing bondage to their religious rules and regulations. For them, it was slavery to the Law. For me, it could be anything from my former life such as thought patterns, pride, bad habits, even good ones, but anything that has no value, comfort, or worth in my Christian life.  

God saved me “just as I am” without the keeping of rules, but He loves me too much to leave me in that state. I have “come to know God, or rather have come to be known by God” (Gal 4:9). While I was still a sinner, He broke into my spiritual bondage and destroyed those chains, giving me freedom and a new life in Christ. I need to guard that freedom!

Flies are attracted to garbage . . .

“You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5)

A sheep has limited ability to keep flies from buzzing around its head, but Christians are less helpless when it comes to troubling and unwanted thoughts. Flies like garbage and God gives us resources to keep our lives free from stuff that attracts and sustains sinful thoughts.

Our main resources is the anointing oil of the Shepherd. Sometimes He sees my distress and comes to my aid. Sometimes He waits to see how I will deal with the flies. My best option is to ask for His help. He makes a couple of promises in that regard . . .

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:7–8)

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:22–24)

Yet He gives me some responsibility in this matter of unwanted thoughts. The oil is for after the flies are gathered, but as the psalmist says, there are some “I will not’s” that may keep them from buzzing and bothering in the first place . . .

I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. (Psalm 101:3–7)

For example, if I can’t get my mind off sinful lifestyles, but watch soap operas on television, can I expect victory? If I join in with those who gossip, can I expect to never have bad thoughts toward others? If I lift myself up over those who achieve, can I win over arrogance? If I spent time gobbling up the garbage of those who tell lies, can I expect no battles with deceit?

Some things must be avoided. Smut of course. Books and television filled with forbidden passion and violence do not do favors to a mind struggling to remain pure. While Jesus said we are defiled by what comes out of us, not by what goes in, feeding the sinful nature only adds to its power to defile. I need to feed the Spirit of God who lives in me with thoughts, words, and visuals that edify my spiritual well-being. No garbage.

Yet my best efforts cannot stop those corrupting ideas entirely. Sometimes I feel bombarded with temptations that seem impossible to escape. I ask God for help and they don’t stop. I try and try to avoid the buzzing flies but without success. Finally, God reveals that these pests were tests, not that He sent them, but that He wanted to show me something in my inner self that needs His renewing and redemptive power . . .

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:12–15)

Those inner desires can attract flies. My good Shepherd can deal with the flies, but sometimes I’ve had to learn the hard way to stop going where flies gather and stop putting out junk or being around junk that attracts them. Instead, I need to stay much closer to the One with the anointing oil.

Garbage in, garbage out?

What about watching television or reading books that would not be found in a Christian bookstore? This question came to mind from today’s devotional reading. It was about Bible study and suggested reading useless, impertinent books is a sin for the same reason indulging in useless conversation is a sin.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:29–30)

While the reading didn’t talk about television (it was written in the 1700’s) I immediately included it, for I might sit in front of the tube if I don’t have a book in my hand. I like watching and reading mysteries and crime stories, reasoning this is because justice happens at the end. Yet, is seeing justice accomplished worth putting into my head whatever else happens in the program?

Oddly, when I opened my Bible the passage was not related to the reading, but this one . . .

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1–7)

I began comparing it with the last version of “The Mentalist” that I watched. I’ve underlined all the things in this passage that were depicted in that episode. Not one person on the show demonstrated any love for God. One was dressed as a religious person but had a knife concealed in her robes and used it to attack someone. As I kept reading, I wondered if I was one of the weak women burdened with sins and led away by various passions, a person who is always learning but hasn’t got it yet.

In the computer world, the GIGO principle is well known. It isn’t so popular when it comes to the human mind. Psychologists try to tell us that there is no relationship between violence committed and violent video games played, and that watching horror movies has no effect on the psychological makeup of those who view them. I’m not sure that I agree.

Back in the day of no movies, television, or X-box, the Bible says that people do this stuff in real life and we are supposed to avoid such people. What about today’s actors and graphic images that do such things? Are they an acceptable substitute for that which God’s Word tells His people to stay away from?

As for books, I know the effect that descriptions of violence and graphic sex can have on me, so I refuse to read books like that. But what about those whose characters set no godly example and are like the people described in 2 Timothy? 

Not all books are filled with sinful people, yet today’s market says those books are boring and the characters are plastic and not real. Actually, the characters in the Bible are real. Scripture describes the life of murderers, rapists, adulterers, thieves, a full range that includes only one Hero who never sins. All of it is honest about real life, but I doubt very much if today’s devotional writer thought about the Word of God that way. He realized, as do I, that God shows us the worst of ourselves so that we want the best that He can offer. He isn’t trying to encouraging sin by telling us about sin, but instead shows the terrible consequences of living for sin and self instead of living for Him. Sin leads to death and eternal punishment.

As I think about television shows and books, I can also see the downhill trends. It used to be that a lead character could make mistakes, but also took responsibility for them and acted in noble ways. Not anymore. Today’s star of the show can violate the name of God in normal speaking and even break the law (or the laws of God) in the name of “justice.” The characters of hero and villain have blurred.

As for this Word from God today, I’m thinking that I can start out admiring the stars of a show or the lead characters in a book, but if their lives begin to ignore their own sinfulness, will I also slide into ignoring that too and continue to admire them? Or will I avoid such people and go find better stuff for which to fill my mind?