Two Gates, Your Choice

“Ahab found it easy to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, Nebat’s son.” 1 Kings 16:31 (CEB)

As I was reading 1st Kings, this verse really jumped out at me as it says Ahab found it easy to basically follow in the footsteps of Jeroboam, one of Israel’s most evil kings. In reading on, I discovered that kings other than Ahab did evil in God’s eyes by also walking in the sins of Jeroboam.

The sins just seemed to cycle around and around as I finished the book. It brought to mind our current condition in America today. Evil abounds, and I’d bet if we could trace it from our government officials for instance, we would find a similar situation. There were those years ago that did evil in God’s eyes and to this day have been followed by others that have done likewise. There have been intervals I think in which we could say there were those that were Godly men and lived their faith.

Jeroboam did not start out to do evil, in fact he “was a strong and honorable man” as we can see from 1 Kings 11:28. Solomon even appointed him over a group of workers. Further on, in verse 38 we find that Jeroboam had been promised great blessings and a continuing dynasty if only he would follow the Lord. However, Jeroboam did not obey the Lord. Instead, he had two golden calves made for the people to worship in the northern kingdom and made priests and celebrations for them. This idolatrous act is referred to as “the sins of Jeroboam” in later chapters of 1 and 2 Kings.

It seems hard to imagine men (or women) purposely doing evil, however; we know that the author of evil, Satan himself, will blind the eye and make the wrong seem right. This doesn’t just happen to people in high places. I bet we have all known someone who got caught up in “the wrong crowd” and found the easy and well-travelled, wide road.

It is so important to keep our eyes on the Author of Life, Jesus Christ to ensure that we don’t get off track. Remember that we are warned about the broad way…”Go in through the narrow gate. The gate that leads to destruction is broad and the road wide, so many people enter through it. But the gate that leads to life is narrow and the road difficult, so few people find it.” Matt. 7:13-14 (CEB)

Keeping our eyes on Jesus and the Word in our minds we can stick to the difficult road that will result in our eternal life with God.