ahavafriend

This phrase is repeated systematically throughout Chronicles to indicate, I believe, that what was just detailed was not intended to be the comprehensive historical treatment of the particular king, but rather a select commentary that illustrates/summarizes the spiritual contribution of that king in the spiritual life of God's people. Over and over again, there is one lesson learned by each of the kings: did they lead God's people rightly by following the ways of the Lord, or did they lead the people away from the Lord. And, interestingly enough, the most common way that most kings turned the hearts of the people away from God was through alliances with other kings, which led to reliance on other gods. Not consulting the Lord, but offering sacrifices to pagan gods was a sadly repeated habit. Of course, the details of each kings method was different, but the end result was the same.

As I reviewed this highlights, it struck me how I can be equally guilty of relying on "other gods". Not that I deny Christ or practice witchcraft (I don't consult a Ouija board or a palm reader to help with my decision making). But do I "renew the covenant with my God" in my heart each day as I go about my life? Do I seek for wisdom in resources outside of God's Word, considering the latest pop cultural trends, when establishing and evaluating my personal convictions? Do I rely on my own common sense, formal education, life experience, or other secondary resources instead of letting God fight my battles and conquer my enemies? How often do I pray for or hand my relationship conflicts over to God instead of talking to all my friends looking for consensus on what I should do?

Each of the kings had conflicts, battles, ambitions, or accomplishments that they faced during their reign. But the one thing that determined if they led well or poorly was how much and how consistently they followed after and trusted completely in the Lord.

There are many great lessons to be learned from the Kings of Judah and Israel. One of the scariest for me, however, is the sad record of those who started right and ended wrong. The longer we live, the more subtle the traps to rely on anything other than the Lord to help us govern our lives, our families, our businesses, or our ministries. God help us to learn from the kings.