A Game of Thrones: 1 Kings 16.1–28 (Day 286)

Pray

Lord, open my ears to hear what you have to say to me; open my heart to love your word, and open my mind to understand your truth.

Read

1 Kings 16 Colossians 3 Ezekiel 46 Psalm 102

Daily reflection: 1 Kings 16

We often open our Bibles looking for uplift and inspiration, but this bleak and depressing chapter in the story of Israel is more like Game of Thrones. Judgement is pronounced on King Baasha and his family; they will die and be eaten by dogs and vultures (verse 4). His son Elah is assassinated by one of his officers, who murders all his family. Zimri in turn is attacked by another commander, Omri, and dies in a dramatic suicide (verse 18). After a brief but doubtless bloody civil war, Omri emerges victorious and rules for a respectable 12 years. He is given only a few verses, but his rule was actually very significant; Assyrian inscriptions in the ninth and eighth century BC refer to Israel as the 'Land of Omri'. Omri himself 'sinned against the Lord more than any of his predecessors' (verse 25); more idolatry.

Games of thrones, though, are about power at the highest levels – though government policies and ideologies can filter down through the rest of the population. Omri sinned by 'leading the people into sin and idolatry' (verse 26). However, as we'll see, some of the people refused to be led and remained faithful to the God of Israel. Leaders – of nations, churches or anything else – are never perfect, and often in history we can see how they have led their followers into terrible sin. But believers always have a choice about whom to follow. We don't have to play the game, because the only throne that matters is occupied by a Lamb.

Pray

God, help me to be true to you even when it feels as though I'm in a tiny minority. Keep me from trusting those who don't deserve my trust, and keep my eyes fixed on you.