Read 2 Chronicles 18
Read Isaiah 48
The last words of Isaiah 48 are "'There is no peace,' says the Lord, 'for the wicked.'" Let that be a warning. And let our 2 Chronicles reading be a vivid illustration.
Ahab was a wicked king; a scoundrel and an undesirable man. This is probably the reason why Herman Melville chose the name "Ahab" to be the obsessed and difficult captain in his novel Moby Dick. To this day, the name Ahab is not a complimentary one. And his wife was Jezebel...not a positive name in the course of history either. Yes, they were a lovely couple.
And God brought those wicked people down to a wicked end. It even appears in our reading that God lures Ahab into a battle that will kill him. Dare we accuse God of lying, scheming, and a devious plan? I won't use those words. But we do see here that God will be God, and he reserves the right to punish the wicked.
Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, shows some wisdom, however. It seemed good to him to enter into battle with Ahab. All of Ahab's prophets agreed. But Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from Yahweh, the One True God. So he summons the only true prophet available, one that Ahab hates because he never had any good things to say about him. How could he? The prophet spoke the Word of the Lord, and the Word condemned the wickedness of Ahab. And in the end, Ahab takes an arrow right between the pieces of armor (coincidence?) and he dies.
God punishes the sinner. Let that be a lesson for us. Do we take God's law seriously? Do we cheapen his grace and sin on purpose? Do we follow along with the crowd? Or do we take the Will of the Lord seriously, like Jehoshaphat did?
Take some time to ponder these questions today. Apply this to your life. Are you living the way God wants? Or, is it time to make changes?
Then, if you are like me, you are going to feel a healthy dose of guilt and a desire to do a better job of walking in God's ways. If you are like me, then you are going to look to your loving Savior who became sin for you to rescue you from your sins.
Yes, truly, we have all fallen short. We have big targets on our backs, deserving a direct arrow of God's wrath. Yet Jesus Christ, True God and True Perfect Man, stepped into that wrath for us, and suffered hell on the cross for us. That is the difference between peace and no peace.
Rejoice in your loving Savior today. Confess your sins to him, and he is faithful and just to forgive you all your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
Pray:
Pray from your heart today concerning what's on your heart and mind.
Study with me tomorrow,
Pastor Jon
Soli Deo Gloria!
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