Wednesday, January 20, 2021

“He (Josiah) did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right.” (2 Kings 22: 2) 

                There is an old Chinese saying that goes, “We live in interesting times.”

                I have the Inauguration of Joe Biden running in the background as I write this. CNN keeps incessantly making the point that this stage at the Capital building was the same site of the mob attack just two weeks ago. I am not too sure what CNN is going to do once they don’t have Donald Trump to bash around. Even today, they are savaging the soon-to-be former President, and justly so. Still, the commentators seem hard-pressed to turn away from the sins and evil of the former and instead focus on the possibilities and potential of the new.

                This modern scenario reminded me of the opinions of the writers of biblical history regarding their succession of their kings. You could argue that there were two categories. The first was describing a king as one “who did right in the sight of the Lord”. The other condemns any king “who did evil in the Lord’s sight.” Josiah was an example of the former. King Omri was an example of the latter. In fact, he was accused of doing evil “even more than any of the kings before him.” (1 Kings 16: 30, NLT)

                Feel free to make your own comparisons.

                It was even said of  Josiah that, to his credit, he followed the example of his ancestor King David. David was the role model for Jewish Kingship. It feeds the image of Messiahship in Jewish hope. David has always been lifted up as the ideal of a good king.

                But David was far from perfect. He was adulterous. He arranged for his lover’s husband to be killed in battle. He had a unstable family, as evidence by his son Absalom’s violent coup attempt.

                Any leadership role is tough. Good leadership is even tougher. Godly leadership may be nigh impossible.

                Whether one is a pastor of a church, the mayor of a city, the premier of a province or a national leader, or the chairperson of the local stamp club, stumbles are always a part, too, of our legacies. In this day and age of Social Media, our gaffs, mistakes, sins and bad choices are given instant celebrity or notoriety. Criticism and outrage, censure and contempt, are but a Tweet away.

                Joe Biden started his day in church. That’s a good start. But it means nothing if his faith does not shape, inform and support him as he now exercises his leadership role. I pray that he will do what is right in the sight of the Lord. But it won’t be easy. He will make mistakes. To err is human, to forgive is divine. He, as any and all leaders do, needs our prayers.

 

Dale