“Abijam began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel. He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom. He committed the same sins as his father before him, and he was not faithful to the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had been. But for David’s sake, the Lord his God allowed his descendants to continue ruling, shining like a lamp, and he gave Abijam a son to rule after him in Jerusalem. For David had done what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and had obeyed the Lord’s commands throughout his life, except in the affair concerning Uriah the Hittite.”
1 Kings 15:1-5 NLT
David was a righteous man. This wasn’t because his actions were perfect but because when he failed, he confessed, and he returned his eyes to the Lord. God’s favor upon his heart is an everlasting favor. David’s great grandchildren continue to be evil men who choose not to reacclimate themselves to God. Yet, because of David’s faithful orientation, the blessing is endless. We should always remember this about legacy. The spoils of sin may be quick, but so is the destruction and despair they bring. But though the rewards are hard fought, a faithful life produces a legacy that overflows and can become a blessing for several generations to come. Indeed, though David’s familial line is ripe with sin and sinners, it will also be that of the messiah, and by extension, all of us. It is easy to despair as we read the history of Israel, but we must hold the hope of the righteous seed within that infertile soil. We too can be that righteous seed in our own lineages.
JOSH McGARY. COM 