Scripture
34It was during his reign that Hiel, a man from Bethel, rebuilt Jericho. When he laid its foundations, it cost him the life of his oldest son, Abiram. And when he completed it and set up its gates, it cost him the life of his youngest son, Segub. This all happened according to the message from the Lord concerning Jericho spoken by Joshua son of Nun. 1 Kings 16:34
Observation
First and Second Kings is all about fathers and sons. In Judah, there were 19 Kings and only 8 of them served the Lord. Hezekiah was a revivalist for the Lord and yet his son was Manasseh, the worst of the worst against the Lord. Yet, his grandson Josiah brought restoration and followed the Lord. This gives me hope that even though the percentages from the parentage in these books are largely abysmal God can restore a family line. An example of one of these evil Kings is Ahab who “did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him.” (vs. 29) Everything Ahab did was an affront to the Lord. From his marriage to Jezebel that brought the worship of Baal to Israel. This was his way of erasing the worship of the Lord completely. So, it’s not a surprise that Ahab would order Hiel to rebuild on the ruins of Jericho even though God had clearly prohibited it. We don’t know how the sons of Hiel died, but it fulfilled the prophecy of Joshua saying, “Cursed be the man before the Lord who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest, he shall set up its gates.”(Josh. 6:26) “Archaeological excavations have uncovered evidence of a practice in ancient biblical times called ‘foundation sacrifices’ in which children were buried, maybe alive, in the foundations of buildings.” Father of the year? Not by a long shot.
Application
As I read 1 Kings 16 in horror I tried to wrap my head around a father who could sacrifice his sons for the sake of personal ambition. Then this question came to my spirit, “Are you building a foundation for your sons or upon your sons?” Instantly I was forced to look at my own life and career and I wondered how many times I have sacrificed my relationship with my boys in favor of strategic advancements, “vital meetings”, and a crowded calendar? During the quarantine, the ministry calendar emptied and my boys had my full attention. This was the first time this had ever happened and I noticed things about my boys that I had been missing. Their unique senses of humor, the way they hear the Lord when they journal, their creative projects to pass the time (cardboard boats, homemade parachutes for action figures, and packing tape buddies). Now, as the calendar is rapidly filling up again I come upon this scripture as a warning from the Lord. I want to be like King David who spent his life setting up his son Solomon for success through personal sacrifice. I don’t want to be like Hiel who was so consumed by his own sense of self-importance that he sacrificed his son's lives to achieve his own goals. I’m not trying to be father of the year, I just don’t want to look back on this new season, in a new place in this new church and miss the new thing God is doing in my boys. Yesterday, each of them was serving in different areas in the church yesterday and it made me so happy to be doing ministry together again. I have to make sure that regardless of their level of involvement at church they know they have my undivided attention and my whole heart. These boys are a part of my 5%. No one else can be their father. This cannot be delegated to someone else or relegated to the bottom of my priority list.
Prayer
Thank You for Fathering me and asking me the tough question this morning. Aden is going to be starting his senior year at a brand new school. Elijah is going to be starting college and internship at Daybreak. Ben, Justice, and Jaxon are going to Middle School at a brand new school. I’ve only got 2 months of summer before everything hits a whole new speed. Let me not miss this time. I’m so excited about what You are rebuilding at The Fathers House, but I know you aren’t like Ahab. You aren’t asking me to lay my family on the altar of ministry. Quite the opposite. It’s the strength of my family that will strengthen the foundation of the church You’ve called me to serve.
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