by David Scott Robertson
I love the Old Testament. As the pages unfold, so do history, drama, prophecy, adventure, tragedy, irony, humor, types, foreshadows, and patterns. The patterns are of particular interest to me. As the Holy Spirit enables, I pick up on cycles that I notice recorded in the Scriptures. Let me give you an example.
I'm currently reading 2 Kings. I see a pattern. It goes something like this: A king comes to power - he was evil - God got mad - the king repents - deliverance comes - the king/nation backslides once the trouble has passed. Let's take a closer look at the pattern of disobedience:
VERSE 1. THERE WAS A KING - (2 Ki 13:1 NIV) In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years.
VERSE 2. THE KING WAS EVIL IN THE LORD'S SIGHT - (2 Ki 13:2 NIV) He did evil in the eyes of the LORD by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them.
VERSE 3. THE LORD WAS ANGRY WITH THE KING AND NATION - (2 Ki 13:3 NIV) So the Lord's anger burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son.
VERSE 4. THE KING REPENTS AND/OR PLEADS WITH GOD FOR RELIEF - (2 Ki 13:4 NIV) Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord's favor, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel.
VERSE 5. GOD SENDS DELIVERANCE - (2 Ki 13:5 NIV) The LORD provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before.
VERSE 6. ONCE DELIVERED, ISRAEL REVERTS TO IDOLATRY - (2 Ki 13:6 NIV) But they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them. Also, the Asherah pole remained standing in Samaria.
I see this six-step process recurring time and again in the times of the kings of Israel.
KING AHAB
1. THERE WAS A KING - (1 Ki 16:29 NIV) In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years.
2. THE KING WAS EVIL IN THE LORD'S SIGHT - (1 Ki 21:25 NIV) (There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife.
3. THE LORD WAS ANGRY WITH THE KING AND NATION - (1 Ki 21:21 NIV) 'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel--slave or free.
4. THE KING REPENTS AND/OR PLEADS WITH GOD FOR RELIEF - (1 Ki 21:27 NIV) When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.
5. GOD SENDS DELIVERANCE - (1 Ki 21:29 NIV) "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."
6. ONCE DELIVERED, ISRAEL REVERTS TO IDOLATRY -(1 Ki 22:6 NIV) So the king of Israel [Ahab] brought together the prophets [false prophets of idols]--about four hundred men--and asked them, "Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Go," they answered, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand."
(1 Ki 22:7 NIV) But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?"
The pattern of disobedience is once again repeated and vividly illustrated in the reign of Manasseh, King of Israel. And so the vicious cycle repeats itself over and over again. What can we learn from this?
A pattern of disobedience to the Lord will bring a curse. A pattern of obedience to the Lord will bring a blessing. Get the pattern wrong and the judgment of God will fall on your house (or if you are king, your nation; or if you are a leader, your followers; or if you are father, your family, etc.). Get the pattern right and the glory of God will fall on your house.
Patterns are powerful because they involve habit. The kings of ancient Israel had a nasty habit of conforming to the patterns of the pagan nations they were commanded by God to displace from the land.
Whenever we read about a good king, we discover the pattern of fearing the Lord, consulting with the Lord's prophets, and abolishing various levels of idolatry during their reigns. And God responded mightily on their behalf.
Fast forward to our time. How do we apply this truth?
I suggest committing to yourself to do "the basics" well (in a spiritual context). Do things right (quality) and do the right things (priorities). Jesus was right: Seek Him first and His kingdom (Matthew 6:33) and everything else will work itself out for good (Romans 8:28). Good habits are as hard to break as bad habits. Get the pattern of obedience to God so ingrained in you that it becomes an unbreakable, unshakeable habit in your life. Do this and you will be well on your way to a lifestyle of pleasing God and will reap the corresponding rewards.
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will' (Romans 12:2).
DSR
3/14/05