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What Kind of Decisions Are we Making?
We have many examples in God's Word of folks that made VERY BAD DECISIONS. Also examples of those who made good ones. But let us examine a few of those who made BAD DECISIONS., and the consequences of doing so.
When God instructed His prophet Jonah to go to the capital city of Assyria (Ninevah) and charge the people with their wickedness, Jonah resisted and fled many hundreds of miles away. He thought he could run away from God, and hide in order to not do what God asked of him. His decision to run and try to hide from
God only led to great hardship.
"But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord." (Jonah 1:3)
Although this took him hundreds of miles away, he found God was there. Man cannot put limits on God. He is all-seeing, all knowing, and all powerful. As the book continues, we find God teaches him a lesson that we might well listen to. God's will is always accomplished, and our attempt to interfere will always fail.
Another example of a man, King who God had appointed over His people Israel, made a BAD DECISION. When King Saul was instructed by Samuel to destroy the Amalekites (for their treatment of God's people), Saul made a very BAD DECISION. Instead of following God's instructions he did not complete the task as asked.
"Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy ALL THAT HE HAS, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey." (1 Samuel 15:3)
"But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed." (1 Samuel 15:9)
As you read the rest of the story in 1 Samual 15, you see how Saul's disobedience not only caused great distress and trouble for him, but for many others.
He tried to place the blame on the people, and argue his case with Samuel (verse 20). His sin caused him to lose the position of being King over Israel (verse 26). "Because you have REJECTED THE WORD OF THE LORD." (1 Sameul 15:23)
Another example of one who made BAD DECISIONS was another King of Israel -- King Solomon. As the son of David, he was given the task of building the temple and leading the nation in a time of peace. In the beginning of his time as king, he made a decision to take as his wife the daughter of the Pharaoh king of Egypt. He also built up his military strength with many horses and chariots, something God had warned the kings against earlier.
"Moreover, he SHALL NOT MULTIPLY HORSES FOR HIMSELF, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the Lord has said to you, "You shall never again return that way." (Deuteronomy 17:16) One of God's specific commands given to the kings.
"And Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue; the king's traders procured them from Kue for a price." (2 Chronicles 1:16)
Finally, later in his life, his heart was turned away from God by his love for foreign women, and by turning to idolatry. (1 Kings 11)
"Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, "You SHALL NOT ASSOCIATE WITH THEM, NEITHER SHALL THEY ASSOCIATE WITH YOU, FOR THEY WILL SURELY TURN YOUR HEART AWAY AFTER THEIR GODS." Solomon held fast to these in love. " (1 Kings 11:1-2)
We find many examples of folks making BAD DECISIONS in God's Word; but also we find those who made GOOD DECISIONS. These are there for our learning and to pattern our lives after... those who made good decisions. (Romans 15:4)
"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for OUR INSTRUCTION, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures WE MIGHT HAVE HOPE" (Romans 15:4)
"For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sakes of you, who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead, so that your FAITH AND HOPE ARE IN GOD." 1 Peter 1:20.21)
What kind of decisions are we making? All decisions have consequences. Let us be careful to consider the outcome of our decisions, and do our best to make GOOD ONES. God will help.
Ross
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