DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CASTING A LONG SHADOW

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – CASTING A LONG SHADOW

"Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani, against Baasha, saying:  'Inasmuch as I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over the people Israel and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people sin, to provoke Me to anger with their sins, surely I will take away the prosperity of Baasha and the posterity of his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam, the sons of Nebat.' " (I Kings 16:1-3)  

Jereboam, the first king of the Northern tribes of Israel, was the benchmark that the kings who followed him were measured against.  Jereboam did much evil, and he left a legacy.  Some of the succeeding kings did more evil, and some less.  But they followed in his footsteps.

Here is the record.  The first king of Israel following Jereboam was his son, Nadab.  He did evil and walked in the way of his father (I Kings 15:26).  He was followed by Baasha, who walked in the way of Jereboam (15:34).  He was followed by Elah, who was like the house of Jereboam (16:7).  Next was Zimri, who "walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he had committed to make Israel sin" (16:19).  The next king of Israel was Omri, who "did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all who were before him.  For he walked in all the ways of Jereboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin" 16:25-26).  Ahab followed Omri as king over Israel. "And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat….Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him" (16:31, 33).  Jereboam indeed left a long shadow.  Does it seem that the longer the shadow gets that the worse the sins become?

I think we all leave a shadow.  Future generations may not remember much about us, but will be influenced by the legacy that is passed from generation to generation.  I don't know about you, but I want my shadow to be one of blessing, so that future generations will be influenced by the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ for righteousness.  If I follow Jesus, I am in safe territory,

Love,  Dad