Chapter-a-day 2 Kings 24
In God's opinion he also was an evil king, no different from his father
It's funny to watch certain behavioral traits pass down through generations. If you grew up in my family and found yourself in the bathroom when everyone else was at the table ready to eat, you were labeled "Uncle Garrett" because some old guy a few generations before had a habit of always being on the pot at meal time. When a person in my wife's family behaves in an authoritatively stubborn way, they are said to have inherited the Vander Hart gene.
Sometimes these behavioral patterns that flow through families are silly and the source of lots of ribbing and laughter. Sometimes they are simply annoying and you roll your eyes when they surface. Other times, however, they can be spiritually unhealthy and destructive. One of the themes that sticks out like a sore thumb in our journey through the Book of Kings is the perpetuation of sin and evil across generations. Time after time I read a verse like the one above from today's chapter. "Chip off the ol' block" is not always a good thing.
Today, I'm reminded that I am responsible for my own behavior and following God may require me to take a clearly different path than the well-worn trail that was blazed by earlier generations in my family. Following in Jesus' footsteps is a journey that leads us to change in ways that force to be more like Him, and less like those on the path behind us.
Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and collylogic
At least two times in this chapter young kings are referred to as "puppet kings". The king of Babylon had such power and control that he could dictate what the other young men did. I find that interesting b/c power is addictive. Any time we are in charge we puff up a little and expect the world to listen to us. Today I am reminded of the qualities of a humble leader.
Posted by: kr | March 15, 2010 at 08:36 AM