By now I’m sure you get the point … God blesses His people in many ways, not because we are good or deserve it but because He is kind, merciful, and full of grace and love.
I want to show you two cases from ancient Israel that again show God’s love and mercy to a people who don’t deserve it.
In the twenty-third year of Judah’s King Joash son of Ahaziah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned 17 years. 2 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. 3 So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and He surrendered them to the power of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad during their reigns. 4 Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord’s favor, and the Lord heard him, for He saw the oppression the king of Aram inflicted on Israel. 5 Therefore, the Lord gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped from the power of the Arameans. Then the people of Israel dwelt in their tents as before, 6 but they didn’t turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. Jehoahaz walked in them, and the Asherah pole also remained standing in Samaria. 7 Jehoahaz did not have an army left, except for 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them, making them like dust at threshing. (2 Ki 13:1-7)
23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. 27 But the Lord had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. (2 Ki 14:23-27)
Both accounts in Israel’s history show an evil king leading evil Israelites that are deeply entrenched in idolatry and sin. They were not upright at all. God was angry with them and punished them for their sin but they were not repentant and did not turn back to God. Take note of that in the passages. At no point did Israel turn away from idolatry and turn back to God. The only thing we see is king Jehoahaz seek God’s favor (2 Ki 13:4) … but at no point does it show the king tore down idols, tore his clothes and repented, fasted, or told the people to seek God. At other times in Israel’s history we see that kind of repentance from the king AND the country followed by God’s blessings (2 Ki 18:1-8; 2 Ki 22-23). But in this case, there is no confession of sin, sorrow, repentance, or change but God blessed them anyway. He delivered them from their misery and oppression and would not allow them to be destroyed. But why? WHY did God act? Look carefully at 2 Ki 13:4-5 and 2 Ki 14:26 above. God acted because “He saw the oppression the king of Aram inflicted on Israel” and “For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter”. God acted on evil Israel’s behalf because of His love, mercy, kindness, and grace … not because Israel was good or deserved His favor.
Israel was rescued and blessed by God because HE IS GOOD to His people.
The same holds true for you and me. We still sin, get distracted and pulled away by the world, lose sight of Him, and walk in the flesh … but, He is still gracious, loving, kind, and merciful to us. Not because we deserve it but because of who He is, and His perfect loving character as God and Father to us. Don’t let pride seep in and deceive you to think you’ve earned blessings because of your ‘righteous’ living. Don’t do it. That robs God of His mercy and kindness to you and makes it seem like you’ve earned His blessings. You haven’t.
I’m not trying to beat you, or me, up. I just want us to give God the glory, honor, and thanks He deserves for pouring out so much kindness and blessings on us. Israel didn’t deserve it and neither do we.
Take time out now to think about God’s mercy and blessings in your life. The blessings you receive every day. Praise and thank Him my brothers and sisters in Christ.
BIBLE DEVOTIONS FOR LIVING 