OUR DAILY BREAD : THE GOOD AND THE BAD

[cimi]

September 22
Sunday


THE GOOD
AND THE BAD

READ:
1 Kings 14:7-16
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My servant David...
followed Me with all
his heart.
__1 Kings 14:8
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Recently, I began studying the kings of the old Testament with some friends. I noticed on the chart that we were using that a few of the leaders of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah are labeled good, but most of them are labeled bad, mostly bad, extra bad, and the worst.

King David is described as a good king who "followed [God] with all his heart" (1 Kings 14:8) and is an example to follow (3:14; 11:38). The bad kings are noted for their willful rejection of God and for leading their subjects into idolatry. King Jeroboam, the first king to rule Israel after the kingdom was divided, has the legacy of being remembered as one of the worst kings__" who sinned and who made Israel sin" (14:16). Because of his bad example, many kings who came after him are compared to him and are described as being as evil as he was (16:2,19,26,31;22:52).

Each of us has a unique sphere of influence, and that influence can be used for evil or for good. An unfettered faithfulness to God is a light that will shine brightly and leave a legacy of good.

It's our privilege to bring glory to the Lord. May others see His light shining through us and be drawn to His goodness. __Cindy Hess Kasper

`````````````````Oh, make me, Lord, so much like Thee,``````````````````
```````````````````My life controlled by power divine,````````````````````
`````````````````````That I a shining light may be```````````````````````
```````````From which Thy grace may ever shine. __Robertson`````````````
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The smallest light still shines in the darkest night.

********************Today's Bible Reading __ 1 Kings 14:7-16***************************

7 "Go, tell Jeroboam, 'Thus
says the LORD God of Israel:
"Because I exalted you from
among the people, and made
you ruler over My people
Israel, 8 and tore the kingdom
away from the house of
David, and gave it to you'
and yet you have not been as
My servant David, who kept
My commandments and who
followed Me with all his
heart, to do only what was
right in My eyes; 9 but you
have done more evil than all
who were before you, for
you have gone and made for
yourself other gods and
molded images to provoke
Me to anger, and have cast
Me behind your back__

10 therefore behold! I will
bring disaster on the house of
Jeroboam, and will cut off
from Jeroboam every male in
Israel, bond and free; I will
take away the remnant of the
house of Jeroboam, as one
takes away refuse until it is
all gone...." '

12 "Arise therefore, go to
your own house. When your
feet enter the city, the child
shall die.. 13 And all Israel
shall mourn for him and bury
him, for he is the only of
Jeroboam who shall come to
the grave, because in him
there is found something
good toward the LORD God
of Israel in the house of
Jeroboam.

14 "Moreover the LORD will
raise up for Himself a king
over Israel who shall cut off
the house of Jeroboam....

16 And He will give Israel up
because of the sins of
Jeroboam, who sinned and
who made Israel sin."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Because of Solomon's unfaithfulness (1 Kings 11:4-11), God took away
part of the kingdom from his son Rehoboam and made Jeroboam king
over the 10 northern tribes (14:7-8). Jeroboam led his people into
gross idolatry (v.9). Read his story in 1 kings 11:26--14:20 and
2 Chronicles 10:1-13:20.