Today we reached the end of 2 Kings, and read about the sacking of Jerusalem and the people of Judah being carried off into exile. And what a depressing read this has been over the last few days, much more so than previous times. There is a sorry procession of bad kings, lots of bloodshed, and complete abandonment of God, even though he never once forgets his promise to his people. All the travails and turmoil that follow are a direct result of the people turning away, and the kings are held responsible.
In our atomised, "democratic" and empowered society, it is not a comfortable thought that a whole people can suffer because of the stupidity of its leaders. We need look no further than the vitriol still being poured on Tony Blair over his decisions on the Iraq war. It seems so unfair that the ordinary person in the street is subject to judgement because of the leaders. And when we see the misfortune heaped on the civilian population, the mass slaughter of relatives of deposed kings, often as a result of God's clear judgement, it makes us wonder just what sort of God we are supposed to worship.
As so often these days, I find that Andrew Peterson has a song for the occasion. It is really a prayer for faith in the face of the sin and darkness all around us, but just as importantly within us. As I read through 1 and 2 Kings this time, I was sad, because I was acutely aware of what was coming. Even the stories of Elijah and Elishah, the good kings Hezekiah and Josiah seemed mere brief respites in a hurricane of apostasy. But just as the main character in C.S.Lewis' Till We Have Faces wears herself out while haranguing God, I found that what started off as the question, "how could God let this happen to his people, or do these things to his people", became "how could God's peole turn away from him?" and then, "how amazing and great is God's love, that after all this He still loves them enough always to leave a remnant as proof that He has still kept his covenant."
In Prince Caspian, Aslan tells Lucy that we can never know what might have been, and what might have happened to Israel and Judah if they had been faithful to God is one of the great imponderable questions. God finds a way to save his people time and again. He sends prophets to warn, exile to rebuke and finally a Messiah to die so that his faithless people can be brought back into the Covenant relationship with him.
Last year, I read the Chronicles of the Kings series of novels by Lynn Austin, which looks at the reigns of Hezekiah and Manasseh. These books are novels, but they are written by someone who loves the Lord, and manages to convey that love and joy through the books, and my mind often wandered off to those narratives to find respite from the impending storm.
We live by faith. It is a faith that points us towards the living, loving God, when everything around us would shut us off from him, when we simply have nothing left to say. But He is there. He lives. That is all we ever need.
4 comments:
Long did I hate you. Long did I fear you. I might ......make it through to the new testament yet.
Thanks for talking to me / us Adam. I have been truly overwhelmed with feelings of abandonment as I try to wrestle with this blinking awful history of God and his people and their relationship which to me seems like a record of abuse. I want to scream: "That's unfair, that's so mean, how can you be so cruel."
And "I can't possibly discuss you God, with the nice parents at the school gates. This is totally unacceptable behaviour from you, and has no place in a democratic modern society."
But, of course, I know from all the Christian homegroups and Bible studies that we are not supposed to judge God and his Holy Word - but let it judge us... I can't resolve these two positions, and so I'm left stuck in some kind of neurotic limbo.
Maybe one day I'll reach that point when I can genuinely feel God's pain as his people rebel and sense his great mercy and love in amongst his "righteousness". But right now I continue to obsess:
How can he make David chose between the punishments of war, famine, or plague - all of which will torture the people he leads - because David thought he'd have a census? Will God make me chose between awful fates on judgement day? Will he see fit to humiliate me publicly - that was part of his remedy for David?
How can he allow that woman to be gang-raped and chopped into pieces?
Why does he punish people through their children? When awful things happen to our children, is he punishing us?
Why does he send prophets to warn you that you are about to be eaten by a lion? Surely it would be more humane just to let it happen? Or is it infact kinder to tell people you are about to kill them and why - rather than leave them dying and confused?
One more question, before I wear myself out like that bitter old bag you were talking about in Till We Have Faces: I thought CS Lewis was writing about how what we think is the feeling of love can actually be some kind of self-serving possessiveness and is often a manifestation of jelousy?
It would probably be better all round if like Andrew Peterson I had nothing left to say ... I will hold on to what you say Adam and try to feel encouraged and work on persuading myself that Haiti isn't judgement or punishment - it's just everyday life outside the Garden of Eden. God is in control, not me, and so we can trust it will all work out in the end...
Pam
What you wrote made we think about how difficult it is to resolve this with our limited, sinful human minds. It is especially difficult when other people all around seemed to have a direct line to God, whereas most of the time God is silent - (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvytewIxll0).
I sometimes think we won't get any answers this side of eternity. That is one element of what it means to live by faith.
Wow, Prince Edward has joined our blog. Do you think we should contact "High" magazine - it's like "Hello" except more about jet-set christians and their exclusive international networks?
I won't profess to coming even close to understanding, let alone provide an answer to the many questions that arise from God's methods of dealing with His people. But as a father myself I think I recognise some of those feelings of hurt and disappointment when a rebellious child turns their back on you and all you have taught them. In direct opposition are those feelings of love and hope which compel you to hold them even closer to your heart despite their rebellion, simply because they are yours! We are made in His image, therefore we can know now to some degree. However, we will not know everything until that day when His Kingdom comes and all will be revealed to us.
I think the history of the nation of Israel should remind us more about the extent of God's incredible love, in spite of the unrelenting faithlessness of His chosen people. That's what we should be telling those who are seeking Him - that He is love, a love that trabscends all human understanding. And when all else had failed, He come down to dwell among us and to die as horrific a death as anyone else in history. Simply because He would not give up on us and knew that He had to restore our relationship with Him by paying the price Himself.
Have a blessed week!
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