God’s Story Is Our Story: From Genesis To JesusSample

Reflecting on the last week: In 1 Kings 12, the kingdom of David is divided into two kingdoms. “Israel” is in the north and “Judah” is in the south. Israel (the northern kingdom) is led by a series of despotic, non-Davidic, idolatrous kings who continue to lead the people into outright rebellion against the LORD. God sends his prophets (Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Amos, Hosea) to call Israel to return through repentance and obedience (Amos 4:5-7). His pleas are full of heartbreak, like a husband pleading with his wife to stop cheating on him (Hosea 4:2), or a father begging his child to stop a self-destructive pattern (Hosea 13:1-2). At times, God’s words seem harsh, but he only elevates the rhetoric and consequences to lovingly grab Israel’s attention. In fact, his kindness ought to shock us more than his warnings when we consider the atrocities committed in Israel: violence, child sacrifice, extortion, abuses of power. The prophets make it clear that injustice is always where idolatry leads. So Israel’s only hope is to return to the one true God. To seek him and live. Tragically, no one listens. God cries out, “Let justice roll down like waters,” but injustice drowns the land. Sin explodes on a national scale. It corrupts every institution and household. The idolatrous culture reinforces it. Parents teach it. God keeps crying out, but to no avail. Today we are challenged by this story to ask: where have our idols led us astray? On a national scale? In our culture? Where do we see injustice? What does it look like to turn from the idols that cause it? God’s plea is as earnest today as it was 2800 years ago, “Seek me and live.” Repent. Turn. Give God your heart’s allegiance. Accept the gift of life he graciously offers.