Evil Ways

Day 67:  1 Kings 19–22; Ezekiel 19–24; 2 Thessalonians 1–3

I love the music of Santana the Latin rock band from the 60's and 70's.  They had a hit called "Evil Ways."  Some of the lyrics are:

You've got to change your evil ways, baby,
before I stop lovin' you.
You've got to change, baby,
and every word that I say is true.
You got me runnin' and hidin' all over town,
you got me sneakin' and a-peepin' and runnin' you down.
This can't go on, Lord knows you got to change, baby.

Sounds a lot like how God feels about His adulterous people.   The evil ways of Israel reach a peak under Ahab and his Sidonian wife, Jezebel.  To this day when we use the name Jezebel, we generally mean it to be a description of an evil woman.   "There was no one like Ahab, who devoted himself to do what was evil in the LORD's sight, because his wife Jezebel incited him 1 King 21:25)."  Jezebel arranges the murder of Naboth just so Ahab could take possession of Naboth's vineyard which he coveted (1 Kg 21).

After Elijah's victorious showdown with the prophets of Baal, Jezebel issued a death warrant for the prophet.  Elijah fled and ended up at the mountain of God (Horeb/Sinai) where the ten commandments were given to Moses.  Elijah hides in a cave and the thunderous, earthshaking presence of the Lord approaches. God is not in the flashy theophany as He was in the days of Moses.  Instead God is in the still small voice (or sheer silence).

There is a great truth in this story: when evil seems to have the upper hand, the silent and mysterious plan of God is also at work to establish justice.  Evil seems to go on unchecked, but then suddenly when time has reached its fullness...BAM! Justice is done and right is restored.

Elijah feels completely alone.  He tells God he is the only one left in all Israel who still serves Yahweh.  He feels like an utter failure.  He wants to die.  But God encourages Elijah in his fear and depression.  He lets him know he is not alone. There are 7000 in Israel who still worship and serve Yahweh. He gives him direction to take Elisha as a successor and to anoint a two kings who will take down Ahab.  Jehu is anointed the new king of Israel because of Ahab's great transgressions.  And in Aram, Ahab's ally Ben-Hadad with be replaced by Hazael (1 Kg. 19:15-18).

In a strange way to bring about Ahab's end, God gives Ahab victory over Ben-Hadad who besieged Samaria where Ahab's royal city.  Ahab subjugates Ben-Hadad instead of executing him, so a prophet tells Ahab that he and all his family will be executed (1 Kg. 20:42).  This sets the stage for Aram to rise up against Ahab in retaliation in later years.

Ahab and King Jehoshaphat of Judah join forces together to go up against the Kiong of Aram to take back possession of the city of Ramoth-gilead. During the battle Ahab has Jehoshapaht wear his royal attire distinguishing himself as king while he wore a common soldiers uniform hiding himself among his men.  Ahab is pierced by an arrow through a vulnerable spot in his armor and bleeds to death.  His death is described in such a way that no enemy can take credit for killing the king (1 Kg 22:34).  God is the One who guided the arrow's freakish course to end the evil ways of the king of Israel.

Ezekiel is approached by the elders of the exiled Judahites in Babylon.  He shares God's indignation that they would consult Him when they and all the people have turned their back to Yahweh and worshipped idols.  Through Ezekiel Yahweh recounts the Jews' rebellious history. In slavery in Egypt they worshipped idols. In the wilderness and in the promised land they worshipped idols. Each time God considered destroying them for their evil, but because of His name and reputation as the God who brought them out of Egypt, He relented.  God explains that the exiles are in a "wilderness of peoples" in order that God may purge the evil from them just as all the rebels who would not trust in Him died in the desert in the days of Moses (Ezk. 20:38).

But with the survivors who have learned obedience through this new wilderness experience God will restore Jerusalem and dwell there again on Zion.  The people will remember their evil ways and be ashamed because of God's redemptive work among them.

"I have dealt with you because of My name rather than according to your evil ways and corrupt acts.” This is the declaration of the Lord God (Ezk. 20:44)."

Idolatry in essence is selfishness made into religion.  Make an idol representing something you want a blessing from.  If you want fish, you build an idol representing the god controlling the waters and make sacrifices to please that god in hope that he or she will bless you with an abundance of fish.  Idolatry breeds a selfish and evil society. 

The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans the effect of idolatry,

    "Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.  Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
     This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions. For even their females exchanged natural sexual intercourse for what is unnatural. The males in the same way also left natural sexual intercourse with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty for their perversion. And because they did not think it worthwhile to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, disputes, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. Although they know full well God's just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die —they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them (Rom 1:22-32)."

In Jerusalem under King Zedekiah idolatry has bred a society in which fornication, adultery and incest is practiced; bribery, extortion and all kinds of impurity.  They listen to lying prophets who tell them what they want to hear, rather than the truth from Yahweh (See King Ahab's attitude about truthful prophets 1 Kg. 22:8).  They steal, abuse the poor and needy and cheat the foreigner.  There is bloodshed and wickedness. Even the priests no longer teach what is clean or unclean. they do not distinguish between what is holy and common (Ezk. 22:26).

God laments through Ezekiel,Paul writes a second letter to the Thessalonians.  In it he speaks of a future time when Jesus Christ shall return (what we call the second coming) and bring a final end to all evil and establish the fullness of His kingdom in righteousness (2 Thes. 1:5-10). Some were telling the Thessalonians that Jesus had already come a second time. But Paul reminds them that evil has not yet reached its fullness.  The man of lawlessness must first appear and fool the world into believing that he is divine through false miracles and signs (2 Thes 2:9).  God sends a delusion on the unbelievers who love unrighteousness rather than truth, just like God sent a spirit to give convincing lies to King Ahab through his lying prophets to go into battle believing he would be victorious when in truth he was going to his doom (1 Kg. 22:19-23).

Whenever the evil ways of the world begin to depress you, remember that the silence and mysterious power and plan of God is also working.  We cannot see until the time is right.  Until then we must hold fast to our faith. We must walk by faith, not by sight, trusting that God is working out everything according to His good purposes.  He will purge the evil from His creation just as He pushed back the chaotic waters to form this universe. Trust and continue to live a life worthy of His name. Serve Him with love and love your neighbor and pray for your enemies in hope.

Lord, I remember that You said the gates of Hades will not withstand the church which stands on the foundational rock, the belief that You are the Messiah, Son of the living God. Help us when we feel afraid of Evil's power and Death's dominion.  It is simply dust, nothing before Your radiance and glory. Amen.

"I searched for a man among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land so that I might not destroy it, but I found no one." (Ezk 22:30)

So once again the king of Babylon will sharpen his sword and come against Jerusalem.  God will purge the evil from His people, like we might squeeze the puss out of an infected wound.