“But he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He followed the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. So the Lord was very angry with Israel, and he allowed King Hazael of Aram and his son Ben-hadad to defeat them repeatedly. Then Jehoahaz prayed for the Lord’s help, and the Lord heard his prayer, for he could see how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. So the Lord provided someone to rescue the Israelites from the tyranny of the Arameans. Then Israel lived in safety again as they had in former days. But they continued to sin, following the evil example of Jeroboam. They also allowed the Asherah pole in Samaria to remain standing. Finally, Jehoahaz’s army was reduced to 50 charioteers, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Aram had killed the others, trampling them like dust under his feet. The rest of the events in Jehoahaz’s reign—everything he did and the extent of his power—are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. When Jehoahaz died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Jehoash became the next king.”
2 Kings 13:2-9 NLT
The character of God is not determined by the people he lives but by the fact that he loves. He is self determining in his transcendence and infinite in nature. This fact makes him utterly reliable. Though we have seen that God’s patience will run out and he will eventually allow consequences come to bear, here we see it spelled out that God’s grace always works for those he loves. This passage illustrates that God, like the parent of a wayward child, always keeps his heart open and his eyes searching for ways to bring comfort, safety and blessings to those he loves. He does this, often while staying back the winds of destruction. This fact is part of the reason he has come to be known as a personal being. He can be reasoned with and pleaded with. These things are true, despite the fact that he cannot be swayed or bought out from his judgments. As we think about our desperate situations, we should always remember that we can trust a god whose grace is there for all. If he listens to his enemies on the basis of his own character, how much more will he listen to those who love and obey him?
JOSH McGARY. COM 