2 Kings 13:22-23
You and I have inherited the glorious blessings of God in part by those who have gone before us. Whether it is material blessings that have been passed on by our parents or grandparents, or it is the spiritual blessings of those who have blazed the trail of God’s Word before us, we are blessed today by the way others have lived before us.
I have a guitar that has been passed down to me from my father who received it from my grandfather. It was actually handcrafted by him. He made 5 or 6 of them in his lifetime so one can only imagine how precious it is to me. As I learn to play the instrument, the investment of my grandfather becomes an even further blessing to me.
In the times of the kings in which we read today, we see this powerful statement come forth boldly:
And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23But the Lord was gracious to them, had compassion on them, and regarded them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence.
2 Kings 13:22-23 (NIV)
God demonstrated favor for His people Israel even though Israel was not living like it should have been before God. In three distinct ways, God demonstrated this favor:
• His grace.
• His compassion.
• His regard.
They did not earn this favor of God; rather, they were receiving it because of those who had gone before them—namely, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
God still functions this way today. Even for those who are not living for the Lord, but perhaps come from a family that has invested much in this world for the Kingdom of God. No, heaven is not their guarantee, but they have received God’s blessings because of those who have gone before them. May their eyes be opened to the spiritual blessing God has brought because of godly people before them. And for those who are living for the Lord, how much more a blessing it is to be a recipient of God’s favor from your ancestry who have blazed a strong spiritual trail for you.
This leads us into a challenge for our own lives. What type of spiritual heritage will we leave behind for those who are following us? For my son, I will more than likely pass on my grandfather’s guitar to him. He is learning to play guitar and so this will be an even greater blessing. He doesn’t have to do anything to earn it, but it will be a gift from my life to his. In the same sense, he doesn’t have to do anything spiritually but my living for the Lord can be a blessing for Him. It won’t save his soul, but he will receive certain spiritual blessings because of what I have allowed the Lord to do through my life. He will be shown the example of Christ. He will learn right from wrong. Solomon received these blessings of David. You and I have received blessing from spiritual giants before us. And today it has come down to us. Our decisions today will have an effect on those who live tomorrow. And may we not only live in such a way that we allow them to be recipients of God’s favor, but may we teach them to live for the Lord under this same principle. May we teach them to be a blessing to those who will come after them.
