I Kings 15:25-26 "And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin." Setting a Precedent I and II Kings-as the name suggests-give us a sweeping history of the kings of Israel and Judah. If you are like me, it's hard to keep all of the names straight and remember who is who. But the Lord had good reason for recording each of these men and the legacies that they left behind. The Scriptures sometimes give only one or two verses to a king's entire reign. The Lord's view is very broad, spanning many years in one verse about a king; but His view is also very narrow. He simply states whether the king was good or evil. "Good" or "evil" had nothing to do with the kingdom's prosperity or with his relationship with other rulers. What really mattered about the reign of each king was his relationship with God. We see this principle illustrated throughout the Kings.
Jeroboam was the first king of the divided Kingdom. If you remember, the children of Israel became two divided kingdoms during the reign of Rehoboam, Solomon's son. This man, Jeroboam, a man out of nowhere with no royal legacy, led ten of the tribes to establish their own kingdom called Israel. (The remaining two tribes became known as Judah.) About Jeroboam, God says,
"He walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father." (15:3) As you continue reading in the Kings, you will see a distinct pattern. If the king was an evil king, almost without exception, the Scriptures will say that the king "walked in the way of Jeroboam." (see 15:25-26, 33-34, II Kings 15:8-9, 27-28, etc.) If the king was a good king, the Scriptures say he walked in the ways of David. Why does God keep referring back to these two kings? It is because they both set a precedent, one for good and one for evil. No one lives or dies unto himself. What we do with our lives affects generations to come. I am sure Jeroboam never dreamed that his life would set a precedent for so many generations after him. Precedents are so important! Each one of us is standing between the generations that came before us and the generations that will follow us. We are both following a precedent and setting a precedent for those we leave behind. Let's quickly look at three important truths about precedents that can help us live as we ought. First, the power of precedent is a force to be reckoned with. In other words, we should live in the light of the good precedent set before us. There is nothing wrong with asking what godly men have done about something in the past. Even though we are not obligated to follow everything that they did, we do need to carefully consider it. On the flip side, we must remember that a bad precedent is a strong force as well. Once a bad precedent is set, breaking free from it can be very difficult. Secondly, setting a precedent is a privilege and a responsibility. Whether we like it or not, we will be setting a precedent for those who follow us. Setting a good precedent is a wonderful privilege, so take advantage of it! Like Jeroboam, I am sure David never dreamed of the blessings that would follow him long after he died. The Bible says God gave some kings mercy only "for the sake of David his father." What a privilege to have mercy given to others for your sake! But what a shame to be the evil king who only received mercy because of someone who had gone on before. Recognize the weight of responsibility you have to set a good precedent, and see it as a privilege. Lastly, a bad precedent can be set actively or passively, but a good precedent is only set actively. You can leave a bad precedent simply by not doing what you ought to do. Leaving a bad precedent is not hard to do-ignore God's way and go your own way. On the other hand, setting a good precedent requires you to make the choice and walk a purposeful path of righteousness. This does not come easily, but the blessings will far outlive you. Choose to actively follow God and His way. Just as precedent shaped kings and kingdoms, it will shape your life and the generations that follow you! |
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