PROMISE VAPORIZED
Israel’s story in the Bible of receiving God’s promise of having their own nation, only to lose it and be exiled is quite instructive. God’s promise to Abraham came to fruition with Saul becoming the first king and then the nation reaching its zenith during the reigns of David and Solomon. However, with each succeeding generation, the nation drifted further away from God and finally lost their kingdom and their independence. The reason for this debacle is detailed in 2 Kings 17 and serves as a warning for each believer that God’s promises cannot be taken for granted.
Being unfaithful to God:
v11: ‘They did wicked things that provoked the Lord to anger.’ Obedience to God is a requirement for all men, yet the natural inclination of men leads them to do otherwise. The natural drift within man is to follow the sinful nature within and it requires an effort to stay committed to the Lord. The nation of Israel despite being chosen by God, went on to idol worship, imitating other nations and turning away from God’s commands. A disciple of Christ needs to recognize the primacy of that relationship and do all he can to nurture it and grow in a deepening relationship with God. After all everything in this world is transitory and one has to stand before God and be found in Him.
Not listening to God:
V14: ‘But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the Lord their God.’ God reaches out to man through various sources including the nature around him, circumstances and people. While being responsive to God is ideal, the pride of man more often than not makes him stiff-necked, and not amenable to correction. He then lumbers ahead, intoxicated by his own folly to meet destruction face to face. A disciple needs to have moments every day set apart to meditate on His word and listen to the voice of God. And when man does what God asks him to do, the relationship is consummated.
Becoming worthless:
V15: ‘They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless.’ What begins as being unfaithful to God gets compounded by one’s stiff-neckedness, to lead one astray. When God is not worshipped, something else will take His place, and this can be money, professional pursuits, people, power, pleasure and so on. That is what idol worship is. What you worship, gets incorporated into your life, which then begins to define you. The end result is man becoming as worthless as the idol he worships. The world might offer him social media likes, popularity and respect, but in God’s eyes, worthlessness is all that is measured.
The tragedy of Israel was that the promise given to them vaporized because of their disobedience. It can be similar for a disciple of Christ. Much might be promised, but little realized unless one sticks to Christ and perseveres till the end.
