As I was reading 1 Kings 15:27 – 22:14, I was struck with the long procession of kings who ruled over Judah and Israel. Some, like King Jeroboam, did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Others, like King Asa, did what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Some of those who did evil in the eyes of the Lord experienced the consequences in their own lifetime. Others, such as King Ahab, were spared the consequences of their sins in their own lifetimes. For Ahab, punishment would be visited upon his son instead because Ahab humbled himself before God.
I really struggled with this – it seemed so unfair. I imagined people who don’t believe and that criticize God, using scriptures just like this to defend their case. Certainly, many people believe that bad things happening to ‘good people’ is evidence that God is not to be trusted and many of God’s critics say, “If I could just be God for a day, I would certainly run the show a lot differently (better).”
But here’s the thing. We are humans, the created creature, reading an account that was inspired by the Holy Spirit – the One who knows the first from the last, who knows how every story turns out. When God makes decisions on what’s fair, He does it from His own eternal perspective – not ours – and He has infinite knowledge of all things. Even the most studied scholar has only a finite knowledge, a limited ability to discern what’s true and fair. Even so, that doesn’t stop most of us from saying things like, “That doesn’t seem fair” or “That doesn’t make sense” – myself included. Very quickly, I was reminded of God’s reply to Job when he voiced similar demands upon God, followed by the reply that will set any human in our proper place. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?...” (Job 38)
In 1 Kings 15:5, there’s a reference that “David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life – except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.” We all know this is far from true, yet it’s the way David’s history is being written and remembered here. In the same way that God records each one of our stories as He will, so too does He deal with others. All who believe are covered by the undeserved kindness and the ultimate sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.
One day, from the vantage point of heaven, we will have an enlightened mind to understand from God’s perspective. Until then, we are fortunate that God does not deal with us according to our knowledge of what is fair, right or just. Thank God that He remembers us according to His loving kindness and sees us through our High Priest, Jesus Christ. The next time I’m tempted to pass judgment on what’s fair or not fair, I’ll remember who I am – the created creature – and whom I serve – the Sovereign God, the Alpha and the Omega, the One Who Sees (El Roi).