“As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
A couple of things stand out here to me. This verse is an indictment of Eli as well as a commentary on how tragic his family situation was. Both of these are things we want to avoid being said about us. Read the rest…
“At that time Hanai the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, ‘Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. . . .Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Asa’s is really a sad story, but one that is repeated far too often in the lives of the people around us. Nearly all of his life he sought the Lord faithfully and the nation prospered for it. God led him to achieve incredible victories that would not have otherwise been possible. He elevated the spiritual lives of the people and the spiritual climate of the nation. He was a king in the model of David in nearly ever way. Until he wasn’t. Read the rest…
The Nexus 