As confusing as all these kings and the years they reigned may be, we at least can see that what is being called the kingdom of Israel is in dire need of a good king. This chapter focuses solely on the kings of Israel. Meanwhile, King Asa was ruling over Judah, and according to the last chapter, he was doing what was good in the Lord’s eyes. During his reign, Israel went through at least eight rulers. A wonderful diagram in my Bible helps me visualize who was on the thrown in Israel during this time. The kings named in this chapter and the last are Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Tibni, Omari and Ahab. All these kings took their respective turns at the throne, and all were evil kings, while Asa ruled in Judah. We can’t assume that Judah enjoyed peace, but we can deduce that the people there had God on their side because Asa was deemed a good king. This chapter further lays out the foundations of the conflicts we see today in these territories. There was a great divide, and it unfolded in this book, and these present-day lands have yet to heal from this division. In many ways, it’s frustrating to see how history repeats itself over and over and over again. Just think, though, if we didn’t have these pages to give us some context as to why. As writers, we can appreciate texts like these because we know that someone took the time to record these events so that today we can read them and gain a better understanding of why the world is so divided today. Also as writers, it is our responsibility to continue recording history in this way. Maybe we won’t get our writings published in a book so great as the Bible. Maybe only one or two people will ever read what we write. But still, our jobs as writers are important to future generations. I watched the movie “The Dig” last night, and the main character highlighted the importance of his job as an excavator in this way: he said of some of the treasures they found during a dig that it was life they were uncovering. Even though that man (I believe) is now dead and gone, his work continues to highlight life that once existed, life that we in this day and age would have never known about if not for his efforts. Just something to think about and hopefully encourage you in your writing today.
Writing prompt: life
Write a story today that will show future generations the life that exists now.
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