Theological Commentary: Click Here
Discipleship Focus: Character
- Character: Having the interior life that is necessary to support the work that God sets before a person. It is hearing from God and obeying. It is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.
There is
a part of me today that wants to focus on the end of this chapter, which is
largely anecdotal evidence. In the last
two sections of text we hear the brief stories of two insignificant kings of
Judah. All we really know about them is
that Judah fell away from God during their reign, largely because they more
interested in the ways of the kings of Israel than the ways of the kings of
Judah.
To any
Bible scholar, this is no surprise.
Judah will slide further and further away from God. It’s just a historical fact. That’s why these stories are largely
anecdotal. They are just telling us how
it happened.
But I believe
there is a lesson to be learned here about the character of leadership. Leaders always influence the people. Sure, no leader can be held completely
responsible for the actions of their constituents. But when leaders don’t stand up for the right
ways of God it is true that the constituents will be even faster to flee
obedience to God.
So today
I find myself pondering the nature and character of leadership. Do the leaders of this world have a godly
character? What about the leaders of my
country? What about the leaders of my
state? What about the leaders of my
community? What about the leaders of my
church? And here it gets pretty
personal. What about the leaders of my
family? Am I displaying the character of
God as I lead my family? Or am I making
it easier for those underneath me to fall away from God?
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