Topic: Danger of Backsliding [Sunday January 10, 2016]
Text: 2 Kings 1:1-6
Key Verse: “And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease” (2 Kings 1:2).
Bertrand Russell was boo into a Christian home and taught to believe in God, but he rejected his training and became an outspoken atheist. His daughter, Katherine Tait, said of him, “Somewhere at the bottom of his heart, in the depths of his soul, there was an empty space that once had been filled by God, and he never found anything else to put in it.”
In the days of Elijah, Israel continued in the sins of Jeroboam, a well-celebrated index case of SUNDAY JANUARY 10 backsliding in the northern kingdom. Ahaziah, the ninth king to rule this part of Israel continued in the sins and wickedness of his fathers when he ascended the throne. The consequence of his sinful reign was terrible. First, the economy suffered a recession when Moab, a tributary nation, rebelled against Israel. His health equally took a downward to when he accidentally fell from his upper chamber. His attempt to seek solution from the gods of the Ekronites was rebuffed by God through Elijah the prophet, who communicated God’s judgment on him through his messengers: he will die of the disease for failing to seek the God of Israel.
We learnt a lot from this passage. Those who knowingly depart from the teachings of God’s word to seek refuge in darkness must be prepared to cope with the evil that lurks in dark places. And when we already know that our problems are caused by our iniquities, we must repent and return to God rather than seek help from places where there is no help. Those who continue to seek solution from the wrong sources must realise that they are on a wild goose chase. Seeking help from a woman with familiar spirit brought down the kingdom of Saul and contributed to his eventual death (1 Chronicles 10:13). Retuning to God for mercy still remains the only viable option.
Thought for the day: Hard is the way of transgressors.
Bible Reading in one Year: Genesis 29-31
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
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