| | But… (The Most Tragic Word in History) Key Scripture: 1st Samuel 10.9-10 – And it was so, that when (Saul) had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 1st Samuel 13.8-14 – And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. 1st Samuel 15.11-23 – It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night. And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal. And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD? And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal. And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 1st Kings 11.1-6 – But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 1st Kings 11.29-39 – And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field: And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes: But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there. And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel. And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee. 1st Kings 12.20, 25-33 – 20And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. 25Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. 26And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 27If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 28Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 29And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 30And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. 31And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. 32And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. 33So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense. Matthew 26.14-16 – Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. What is the most tragic word in history? When you think of all the languages that have ever been spoken, and all the words that have ever been created, which word is the most tragic, the saddest of all? Do you know someone, too, who started out life very well, only to have his or her life end in tragedy? In life, there are many words that are sad, tragic, and depressing, just as there are people who have started out life well, only to end their lives in terrible and horrible tragedy. What do you think the most tragic word in history is? What person started out life flying high, only to hit the rock-bottom and end tragically? Starting Out Well... Life is full of stories of people who began their lives, a career, a venture, or an enterprise very well, only to end things tragically. Probably everyone who reads this can think of someone – a friend, a celebrity, a politician, a co-worker, a schoolmate, or a family member – who started out well in life, but ended up in a tragic situation, or their lives ending in tragedy. Many of the great composers of days gone by, who had the sponsorship of many rich and powerful people, ended life in poverty or in obscurity. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Stephen Foster, and Felix Mendelssohn. Actors, such as John Belushi and Chris Farley, and athletes like NBA Draftee Len Bias and Pro-Wrestler Curt Hennig may also come to mind. The tragedy of starting out well and ending tragically has touched just about every other area of life, as well. This writer had a friend in high school who’s life, thus far, has echoed this sentiment, who’s name is Jimmy. Jimmy was a stand-out athlete in high school. Being 6’4” (almost 2 meters tall), he was literally built like a statue, muscular and strong, and was all-district, all conference, and all-state in two sports. In Football, during his Junior and Senior years, Jimmy led his squad, as a starter on offense and defense, to two consecutive conference championships and two state play-off appearances. In basketball, his abilities, as well, helped him, again, to lead his team in his last two years to Regional Championship games, and, in his senior year, to the Kentucky High School Basketball Tournament where, under his strong leadership, he led his team all the way to the State Championship Game, where they lost by one point (Jimmy scored 30 points in that game). Following Graduation form high School, Jimmy received scholarship offers in football and basketball from several Division I universities, including the University of Kentucky, and Ohio State University. Jimmy chose, instead, to accept a full scholarship in Basketball at a small Christian University in Tennessee, and, in his first season, was the leading scorer for his team, despite coming off of the bench, and not earning a starting position until the latter half of the season. He was named Freshman of the Year for his College’s division and conference in Basketball, and was named Newcomer of the year by his Basketball Squad. Things were looking REALLY good for Jimmy, and he had a bright future ahead of him. One Bad Decision and One Small Word After all of this, however, things began to go badly for Jimmy. During the off-season and second semester of his freshman year in college, Jimmy was found in possession of illegal drugs by the police, and by university officials. He was kicked off of the basketball team, expelled form the university, lost his scholarship, and never returned to that particular school. Later, Jimmy enrolled at another small, Christian University in Kentucky and was given a smaller scholarship for the Football Team which, that year, won the National Championship in Football, where Jimmy, though not starting, did receive a substantial amount of playing time. However, again, in the second semester of his time at this Christian School in Kentucky, Jimmy was caught stealing from the College Bookstore and, as a result, was again expelled from school, kicked off of the football team, and lost his scholarship. Since that time, things have only gone downhill for Jimmy. He has become an alcoholic, a drug user, and basically wasted such great and awesome talents he had shown in High School and his first year of College. Since this time in his life, Jimmy has had more trouble with the police as well, his last run-in with them involving his car being loaded with $58,000 worth of illegal drugs, and Jimmy going to jail to pay for his crimes. For all his talents, all his potential, and the bright future he had before him, Jimmy has wasted his life, his opportunities, and has fallen tragically. Do you know someone like Jimmy? Coulda’, Woulda’, Shoulda’ Everyone probably knows or has a friend like Jimmy. As stated above, in the USA many celebrities have started off well, only to end their lives tragically, or reach a point in which tragedy has come about. The actor John Belushi is one such person. Belushi gained enormous fame as a member of Saturday Night Live, and later, in Movies such as The Blues Brothers, 1941, and Animal House. By 1980, John Belushi was a household name in the USA. However, in March 1982, John Belushi was found dead in his apartment, his death later ruled as a result from a drug overdose. Despite so much potential and such fame, Belushi fell tragically, and died very young (aged 33). In 1986, the Boston“Celtics”drafted, with the 2nd pick, a huge power forward named Len Bias. Bias had been a standout player for the University of Maryland, and upon his draft, had signed a huge, multi-year, multi-million dollar contract. Bias was expected to augment the “Big Three” of Robert Parrish, Larry Bird, and Kevin McHale. However, only a scant 48 hours after his draft and contract deal, Bias was found dead in his dorm room. His death was ruled an overdose of illegal drugs. The stories of Belushi and Bias can be repeated dozens of times since their respective deaths, both in the lives of celebrities, and regular people. Even celebrities who are still living, such as famous Baseball star Darryl Strawberry or NFL Hall-of-Famer O.J. Simpson, have had lives in which they started out well, but are living lives of what could have, should have, or would have been. The Bible, too, is full of stories of people who started off very well, but then made a tragic mistake. In this lesson for today, we will focus on three Kings of Israel: King Saul, King Solomon, and King Jeroboam I. King Saul – The Seven Foot Failure When King Saul became the first anointed King of Israel (though he was Israel’s second King [see Judges 9], it is said of him that “from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people” (1st Samuel 9.2, 10.23). Very likely, King Saul was probably at or around seven feet tall. Along with this, he was also probably a very big, muscular man, as well, seeing that his father Kish owned mules and horses (1st Samuel 3). When he was presented to the people as king, and later, after defeating the Ammonites at the Battle of Jabesh-Gilead, King Saul had no equals. He was, in the beginning of his reign, zealous for the Lord, following him and doing the Lord’s will wherever he went. It is written of King Saul in the latter chapters of 1st Samuel and in the Book of 2nd Samuel, that king Saul made an attempt to eradicate all the witches and those who worked with familiar spirits from the land of Israel (1st Samuel 28.9) and the Canaanite inhabitants of Gibeon and her environs (2nd Samuel 21.1). But as with others who started off well only to fail and fall later, King Saul fell away fm the Lord. It was on two occasions that King Saul – after being given commands by the Lord through the Prophet Samuel – disobeyed, and when confronted with his failure, never repented (see 1st Samuel 13.1-14 and 15.1-35). The sad result is that not only did the Lord cease in speaking through or to King Saul (1st Samuel 14.37, 28.6, 15-16), but also he was tormented horribly by an evil spirit (1st Samuel 16.14-16), his kingdom was taken away and given to David, all of his sons died violent deaths, and all of his grandchildren perished except for Mephibosheth. It is interesting to note that when the Army of Israel was threatened by Goliath, that, though Goliath was a huge, tall man, King Saul wasn’t terribly smaller, yet it was teen-ager David, in the garb and carrying the weapons of a shepherd, who ultimately gained the glory for God and for Israel. The life and death of king saul is one of great tragedy, for had he remained close to God, it would have been his kingdom that would have endured (see 1st Samuel 13.13-14). Because he sinned and never repented, King saul died a tragic, violent death, and is remembered as a footnote to the reign of King David. Yet, despite this glaring example, there is even a more tragic figure. King Solomon – Riches to Rags, Wisdom to Folly Of all of the kings written of or mentioned in the Bible – yea, even those mentioned throughout all of History – there was no king that ever lived on Earth who had the wealth, knowledge, power, fame, and prestige as did King Solomon. No other king on the face of the Earth then, before, or since, could state that his father was “a man after God’s own heart” (1st Samuel 13.14, 1st Kings 11.4). Further, on two occasions, God had appeared to King Solomon, and he was given amazing and wonderful promises in each of those appearances. If this weren’t enough, because of the grace that God had on King David and King Solomon, Israel’s borders stretched from the River of Egypt in the Southwest, to the River Euphrates in the Northeast. Secular historians like to point out that the reason Israel was so powerful during these days was because Egypt and Assyria-Babylon-Mesopotamia were all too weak to interfere, and to a degree, this is true. What secular historians fail to realize though is that these two areas were weak because God’s blessings rested on Israel because of her two kings’ – David and Solomon – loyalty to Him (and these instances of blessing would repeat themselves later on with later kings of Israel and Judah). The problem for Solomon comes at the beginning of 1st Kings 11: “But King Solomon loved many strange women…” – 1st Kings 11.1 King Solomon, as it is described in the rest of the first ten verses of 1st Kings 11, had 700 wives and 300 concubines, all of these women being from foreign nations that were not only dangerous culturally and religiously to Israel, but of whom God had forbidden anyone else in Israel to marry or intermingle with. Despite his God-given wisdom, of which the entire world came and sought him (1st Kings 10.24-25), King Solomon did very foolishly: it was King Solomon – just one generation removed from is Godly father’s reign – that introduced idol worship as a national practice (1st Kings 11.4-8). As a result of his folly, just as God did with David, the Prophet Ahijah came and prophesied against King Solomon, warning him and the rest of Israel of God’s impending judgment. Despite Israel’s enormous wealth – during King Solomon’s reign, Israel was so rich, silver was treated like gravel (see 1st Kings 10.27, 2nd Chronicles 9.20) – because of King Solomon’s sin, God raised up enemies against him from without (Hadad the Edomite and Rezon the Syrian) and from within (Jeroboam the Ephrathite). Though it is not written of directly in the bible, indirectly we can see a picture of the latter years of King Solomon’s regn in that to keep his wealth and a show of his fortune, the people of Israel – particularly the Northern Ten Tribes – were treated badly and were forced to work harder than normal in order to keep up the pretence of prosperity which had been lost when King Solomon’s foreign enemies rose up against him (see 1st Kings 12.1-14 for a pretty good description of what the Israelites endured. Further, such is the same today, is it not, with people who put themselves under massive debt, and try to “keep up with the Jonses”). Though King Solomon died with Israel still united under his reign, his son, King Rehoboam, promised worse treatment to the Israelites and, as a result and according to the word of God through Ahijah’s prophecy (see 1st Kings 11.26-40), the kingdom was irreparably divided between North (the Kingdom of Israel) and south (the Kingdom of Judah). Despite the promises given to King Solomon, despite the legacy of his father, King David, and despite the great wisdom given to him by God, King Solomon’s life needed with folly. Though many scholars think that King Solomon repented of his ways prior to his death (the Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes seem to give heavy hint of this), the damage done by him in the form of idol worship would culminate in the Assyrian conquering of Israel in 722 BC, and the destruction and exile of Judah in 536 BC by the Babylonians. King Jeroboam I – All the Promises of God, All the Tragedy One Could Never Want As mentioned above in the treatise concerning King Solomon, Jeroboam was one of the enemies of King Solomon, and, by all Biblical Accounts, his lone domestic antagonist. Jeroboam was a man of great talent. He was industrious, a hard worker, and seemed to be a natural leader of men (1st Kings 1128). Though more modern versions paint Jeroboam as an Ephraimite, the King James Version of the Bible states he was an Ephrathite (see 1st Kings 11.26). As is made clear by Scripture, Ephratah is another name for Bethlehem, and as such, it is interesting to note that Jeroboam and Solomon were basically and culturally from the same hometown, Bethlehem. In reading more deeply the 11th Chapter of 1st Kings, we can see that, just as with another famous Ephrathite (David), Jeroboam was given many mighty promises from God. In this chapter, God promised Jeroboam: è Reign over and a kingdom created from ten of the twelve tribes of Israel (1st Kings 11.31-36) è Reign over and with anything his heart desired (1st Kings 11.37) è A Sure and Enduring Legacy, Household, and Lineage as promised to King David (see 1st Samuel 7; 1st Kings 11.38) è Eventual Reign over all Israel (1st Kings 11.38) è God’s Presence with him wherever he went (1st Kings 11.38). These promises show clearly that God had great, mighty, and wonderful things in mind. In fact, if we take a close look at the life of David during the reign of King Saul, and the life of Jeroboam during the time of King Solomon, we can see a mirroring parallel. Much of what David endured from King Saul Jeroboam endured form King Solomon, insomuch that – as David fled to the Philistines – Jeroboam was forced to flee to Egypt. In every way, Jeroboam was poised to become a king just like David. Just as when David returned from the land of the Philistines and was anointed king following King Saul’s death, Jeroboam, when he returned from Egypt after the passing of King Solomon was made a leader of the people of Israel, and later, after King Rehoboam’s folly and the ten Tribes’ Rebellion, Jeroboam was – again, according to the word of the Lord by Ahijah – anointed King of Israel. Things were going very well for King Jeroboam I at the beginning of his reign, insomuch that God put down an attempt by King Rehoboam to recover the Northern Kingdom. However, tragedy ensued once again. Fearing that the people of Israel would resort to King Rehoboam when going to the Temple in Jerusalem to worship, King Jeroboam established idol worship as a national policy for the first time. Though King Solomon had introduced it to the nation as a practice, King Jeroboam’s sin was establishing idol worship as a national religion. Not only thus, but King Jeroboam rejected the Levites as priests (something forbidden to any other tribe in the Bible) when setting up his idols in Bethel in Southern Ephraim and Dan in the Northernmost part of Israel, even going so far as banishing the Levites out of the country. The result of this folly was that King Jeroboam and his household suffered horribly. His eldest son died, and the son who succeeded him as king reigned only two years before he was murdered. The rest of his household was killed off, and in war, he was defeated and humiliated by a smaller army from Judah, something from which he never fully recovered (see 2nd Chronicles 13). Moreover, Israel, which had once been so rich and so strong in the Lord would, as a result of this terrible decision by King Jeroboam, go through terrible upheaval, having several different houses and dynasties reign as kings (whereas David’s household was the lone ruling household for Judah, through which the Lord Jesus Christ would eventually be born), suffer through murderously evil and idolatrous kings and queens, eventually falling to the Assyrians less than 200 years after crowning Jeroboam as king. What If…? Though it is always hard to do so, let us ask “What if…?” What if King Saul had, despite his sin on two occasions, repented and been restored by God? What if King Solomon had followed and emulated the righteous life of King David, his father, and followed the word of the Lord completely? What if King Jeroboam, instead of giving in to fear, had left his problems of religion in God’s hands, and never erected the Golden Calves in Bethel and Dan? Quite possibly, much of the Bible and much of history would look very, very different. As with these three kings, we could ask ourselves the same questions: what if I’d made a different choice in this or that area? What if I’d done God’s will instead of my will? What if I’d spoken to my friend about Jesus Christ before he died? What if I’d mended that broken relationship before the person in question had moved away, never to be heard from again? The questions are endless. But the real tragedy of these three kings is the fact that their lives started out so very well and great, yet ended in such terrible tragedy. King Saul could have had his house established over Israel as David’s was. King Solomon’s wealth and riches and wisdom cold have endured in a far greater capacity and manner than they already have. King Jeroboam I could have also had the exact same life and outcome that King David did and the same fulfilled promises that David and his house has had. It is the “Coulda’, Woulda’, Shoulda’” that always makes for the worst of tragedies, especially with regards to rejecting or accepting Jesus Christ and his will and way. The real tragedy, however, doesn’t just end here... Sin Never Affects Just One When we look at these three king’s lives, we see something that is glaringly and abundantly clear: sin never affects just one person. The result of King Saul’s sin was not only that he died a violent death, but al of his sons were killed either in battle or murdered. His grandchildren also suffered: Mephibosheth was crippled as a direct result of being dropped as a toddler when the news of the death of his father, Jonathan, had come. Several of his grandchildren were killed as a direct result of King Saul’s murdering of some of the inhabitants of Gibeon. King Solomon’s son, Rehoboam – who later become king of Benjamin and Judah – was a spoiled brat who, by his harsh words and harsher attitude towards the Israelites, lost forever the ten northern tribes of Israel. For a time, as well, King Rehoboam followed in his daddy’s footsteps and worshipped idols…until Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt invaded Judah, sacked Jerusalem, and plundered the Temple Treasures. The good news for Rehoboam is that 2nd Chronicles records that he came back to God and served him in his older age, a direct opposite result when compared to his father, King Solomon. However, King Solomon’s sin of idolatry would take root from his time, as people began worshipping in high places rather than coming – as the Law of Moses commanded – to the temple in Jerusalem. This false worship would carry on until the destruction of Jerusalem, and even for a time thereafter in Egypt (see the Book of Jeremiah). Finally, the establishment of idol worship by King Jeroboam affected his entire life. King Jeroboam never recovered from his crushing defeat tat the hands of King Abijah (Abijam), the son of King Rehoboam. Further, all but his eldest son suffered and died violently, King Jeroboam’s house being totally wiped out less than a generation after he passed away. Further, and even more tragically, when the Good kings of Judah are remembered, they are remembered as “following in the footsteps” of their “father David”, not turning to the right or to the left. However, every evil king mentioned in 1st kings, 2nd Kings, and 2nd Chronicles are remembered for “following in the sin of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat”. The legacy that could have been a righteous one for King Jeroboam, turned out to be an unholy one. Finally, the sin of Jeroboam is mentioned for being the sole reason for the destruction of Israel by the Assyrians as mentioned in 2nd Kings 17. What Jeroboam instituted as King brought Israel its final, total destruction less than 200 years later. Sin never affects just one. Judas - A Final Example Though it probably isn’t necessary to mention one more example, there is probably no greater tragedy than that of Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles initially appointed and chosen by Jesus Christ. There isn’t much known about the life of Judas before his being chosen as a disciple, but we do know that he was an active part of Jesus’ ministry. He was one of the twelve appointed to preach in the cities, and later one of the seventy who carried out the same mission some time later. He was with Jesus everywhere he went, ministering and helping and being part of the nascent leadership of the church. He saw Jesus walk on water, calm the storm, raise the dead countless times, feed the 5,000 and later the 4,000, and bring Lazarus back from the dead after he’d been in the tomb for four days. Every miracle that Jesus did, Judas was a part of it. He ate with Jesus, slept with him, worked beside him, traveled with him, and served the Lord in every way. Judas was one of the disciples whom Jesus’ washed feet prior to the last supper. In every way, Judas Iscariot was an essential part of Jesus’ ministry. However, Judas made a choice that would forever condemn him to an eternity without Jesus Christ. Judas chose to betray Jesus to the Pharisees. It is interesting to note the similarity of Judas and Peter during the last hours of Jesus’ life. Both men rejected, betrayed, and denied Jesus Christ. Both men felt remorse later. Both men were overcome by guilt. Both men took action following their respective betrayals and denials. But whereas Peter wept with the tears of repentance, and was later restored, Judas went out and hanged himself. Where Peter was able to see the risen Lord, to touch him, to see the empty tomb, and to be restored to his position, Judas lost it all, and his name is forever remembered as one for “traitor”. Though he rose so high, Judas Iscariot fell further and deeper than any other person in history. Only the devil himself was higher, and will fall lower. King Manasseh - The Opposite Side of the Coin Now many may ask, “Where are the Spiritual Rags-to-Riches stories? Why are just the bad examples posted?” But one answer to this is the story of King Manasseh. King Manasseh was the son of King Hezekiah, perhaps the godliest king of Judah during the time of the divided kingdoms. King Manasseh had very likely lived through the siege of Jerusalem that had taken place while his father was King, when Sennacherib, with the as-yet-undefeated Assyrian Army had taken all of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deported her people, killed her king, and demolished the Israelite Capital of Samaria, and had marched South to do the same to Judah. As the Story is told in 2nd Kings, 2nd Chronicles, and Isaiah chapters 36 and 37, God miraculously rescued Israel, killing 185,000 of Sennacherib’s soldiers as they besieged Jerusalem. King Manasseh, as a child, had very likely lived through this and seen it happen. Yet, King Manasseh became literally the worst, most idolatrous and murderous king Judah -- yea, all of Israel -- had ever known. He sacrificed his eldest son to Molech, reared idols and images for worship in the Temple, is recorded in some rabbinical writings to have been the king that ordered the death of the Prophet Isaiah (traditionally believed to have been sawn in half inside a hollow log), and encouraged the people to conduct themselves in horrible fashions of worship. As 2nd Kings and 2nd Chronicles record, no other King of Judah aroused God’s Anger as Manasseh did. Somewhere in his reign, however, Assyrian King Esarhaddon captured King Manasseh and threw him into prison. It was during this harrowing time in his life that King Manasseh humbled himself before and turned his life back over to the Living God. Being given back his throne, King Manasseh returned to Jerusalem, and encouraged the demolition of all the idols he’d reared, urged and taught the people to return to God, and he lived out the rest of his life and reign as a follower of the Lord. It is said in both 2nd Kings and 2nd Chronicles that the people -- though they still burned incense in the high places -- did so to the Lord only. No other King fell so far yet turned so beautifully. Though King Manasseh’s evil is recorded to have been the reason for God’s destruction of Judah and Jerusalem several generations later, King Manasseh’s long reign (55 years) undoubtedly played a large role in the formation of the life and eventual reign of his grandson, King Josiah, the last godly king of Judah. No other king fell so far into sin, yet turned and became one of the godliest kings in Israel or Judah. This is the “Coulda’”, “Woulda’”, “Shoulda’” of the lives and reigns of Kings Saul, Solomon, and Jeroboam I. Conclusion – What About Your Life? The above is an important question. How will you be remembered? Will you be remembered as one of today’s lesson’s four men, one who could have, should have, and would have done something for Jesus? Is your life now one of regret after regret after painful regret? If you but turn your life to him, Christ will restore you, forgive you, and make you whole. Your life can be one of the countless lives that, though having been full of sinful choices, was redeemed, saved, and restored. Accept Jesus Christ today! Prayer – Father, what a set of examples of failure! Help us, Lord, in times of difficulty, to stay close to you, and to make the right, righteous, Godly choice. Help those out there who read this lesson today, who may have “Coulda’”, “Woulda’”, and/or “Shoulda’” as a label in their lives, to come to you and be restored, so that their lives may reflect the glory, forgiveness, and grace of Jesus Christ. We bless thee, and we thank thee, in Jesus’ Name, Amen. Verse of the Day: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. --Matthew 11.28 |
