Legacy

The books of 1 & 2 Kings tell the story of how the nation of Israel is divided between north and south.  The northern kingdom is Israel and the southern is called Judah.  During the time of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, a godly man named Jehoshaphat becomes king of Judah.  First Kings 22:43 says that “In everything Jehoshaphat walked in the ways of his father and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” 

At the same time, Ahab and his wife Jezebel are rulers in the northern kingdom, Israel.  In First Kings 16, the word describes Ahab as “someone who did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him."  He considered it inconsequential to commit the sins of idol worship and rebellion.  He did more to provoke the Lord to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.

Do you see the very distinct differences here?  However, it soon gets very messy for the kingdom of Judah.  You see, Jehoshaphat eventually grows old and hands the kingdom over to his son, Jehoram who is married to Ahab’s daughter.  Her name is Athaliah and she ardently promoted Baal worship and brought the evil religion into the throne room.  Jehoram may be king of Judah but he proves to be a terrible ruler as a result of his conversion to Baal worship.  He is known solely for introducing the evil influences of Ahab’s household into the southern kingdom.   In fact, 2 Chronicles 21 says that “he passed away to no one’s regret.”

So I think about the impact one family can have on other people.  As years passed, the sins of Ahab drag people into a cesspool of idolatrous worship.  Sin had so saturated Ahab’s immediate and extended family that God had to put an end to his family line just to preserve the nation of Israel. I want to leave a different legacy.  How about you?

Your family may not influence the course of a nation, but it can have significant bearing on your community, schools and workplace.  So our challenge is to follow Jesus' command in Matthew 5:16 and "let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."