May the mumbling commence!
Who do we rely on for our protection and sense of safety? Who do we rely on for our healing? The way we answer these questions are important. These questions are related to one another, and both of them reflect where we seek our journey for wisdom and hope.
And, for those of us who are leaders, the question has extra-special significance. The way leader choose (both religious and political and a combination thereof) guides how the people under their care choose. The standard is always higher with those who have been entrusted with much – whether that wealth is in material possessions, political power, or knowledge.
A leader can live a mostly righteous life but slip up only a few times and lead the people astray. King Asa of Judah, for example, chose not to go to the Lord for healing of a physical ailment. It ended up costing him his life (2 Chronicles 16:12-14).
The example of Asa lived on in his son Jehoshaphat – with all its strengths and weaknesses. The Chronicler notes a weakness in verse 33 of 2 Chronicles chapter 20. “The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their fathers.”
This weakness resulted from drift – as my good brother in the Lord, Paul Hoffman, calls it. Jehoshaphat tried to use his wealth of knowledge, power and material possessions wisely – for the Lord. Read about it below from 2 Chronicles 17:
The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah. In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. With them were certain Levites – Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah – and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people. (5-9)
Jehoshaphat had removed the high places and Asherah poles. He had also sent officials and Levites armed with the Book of the Law of the Lord. They were armed to teach the people of Judah about the Lord. Jehoshaphat, in his early reign, trusted wholeheartedly in the Lord. This trust showed in his actions, as he removed the idols and their place of worship from the land. By doing this, he also put to an end improper worship of the Lord.
To the removal, Jehoshaphat added the instructions, commands, and precepts of the Lord. These laws were delivered by Levites, who knew the law well. Along with the Levites, the officials of the king went. These officials added both import and significance to the priests’ message. All the people feared the Lord – even those alien nations around them. It was obvious that God was with them…
Or rather – they had sought to be with the Lord, and they had found Him easily. But it only takes a little drift over a period of time to destroy all the progress that was made, as we saw in the later Scripture passage in 2 Chronciles.
Let us remember these things when we are distressed.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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