2 Kings 13:1-14:29
Happy Birthday to the office salve – Happy 18th Joe K.
Two things struck in this mornings reading.
1) the first thing is that God is merciful, patient and faithful to his promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see 13:23). It really is a amazing that God doesn’t just wipeout both Israel and Judah. It is great to know that this it is the same God who promises eternal life through Jesus.
2) the second is more just an interesting observation. But how about Elisha? He is one weird dude, even when he is dead. The fact that the dead guy comes to life when he touches Elisha’s bones is weird (see 13:21).
Anyway keeping trusting in Jesus – the answer to all God’s promises and enjoy the cooler weather.
Hey Simon
a question for you and Pete- as I read 2kings 14:6 (“fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin” – quoting Deuteronomy 24:16), just wondering how this idea of individual responsibility for sin works together with the corporate responsibility stuff Pete was talking about a few weeks ago in 1samuel (people dying as punishment for sin generations after it happened)
Thanks,
katharine
Hi Katharine
Just saw this question and thought I’d have a crack at answering it…
I think the difference is between our accountability to each other and our accountability to God. In human relationships, we don’t have the perspective or the prerogative necessary to justifiably transfer sin or righteousness form one person to another – each person is responsible for their own sin and should be judged, humanly speaking, accordingly.
But God’s perspective and prerogative are greater than ours and so he is able to justly claim one person’s implication in the sin of another. Note however that there is always a logical connection between the two it is never arbitrary or fickle.
This side of the cross, however, we must always remember that whatever sin we or others connected to us may have committed, it has all been transferred to Jesus and paid for by his death on the cross. Is that fair? No, not really, not in the sense of Deuteronomy 24 or 2 Kings 14. But ultimately God has exercised his prerogative to transfer guilt not to our disadvantage but to our advantage and for that I for one am eternally grateful!
Didn’t know what PREROGATIVE meant so hope this helps others.
1 a : an exclusive or special right, power, or privilege: as (1) : one belonging to an office or an official body (2) : one belonging to a person, group, or class of individuals (3) : one possessed by a nation as an attribute of sovereignty b : the discretionary power inhering in the British Crown
2 : a distinctive excellence