Oded, A Man of Faith, Stands Alone Against Many
Lesson Text: 2 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28
A wicked king and a kingdom divided—sounds like a movie, doesn’t it? Well, this was no movie, but I bet movies have been made based on this account.
When Rehoboam, Solomon's son, ascended the throne, the kingdom split into two. After Solomon's death, Rehoboam, his son, came to Shechem to be pronounced king of Israel.
Jeroboam and all of Israel went to Rehoboam with a condition for serving him as king. They wanted him to make their labor easier, which Solomon had made difficult. Rehoboam asked for three days to think about their request.
Rehoboam checked in with the older men first. They advised him to give the people what they wanted so they'd be loyal to him. But Rehoboam wasn't into that. He wasn't elected - he was a king by birthright and could rule however he pleased. Then he turned to his childhood buddies, and they egged him on to embrace a tyrant style of dictatorship.
On the third day, Rehoboam told the people he planned to increase their workload instead of reducing it. He said that those who didn't work hard would be whipped with the cord of scorpions.
When Israel heard Rehoboam's harsh words, they rejected him as king and rejected the house of David. David was no longer alive, and they did not feel the need to remain loyal to one of his oppressive sons.
So, all of Israel, except for the tribe of Judah, rejected the house of David and made Jeroboam king.
Rehoboam's personal desires outweighed sound advice from the older councilors. Look at the mess he made because he refused to listen to guidance! His actions have had long-lasting consequences.
Keep reading to see how the actions of one man impacted so many people and how this relates to us today.
King Ahaz and his Deplorable Example
Fast forward many years and kings to a man named Ahaz. He reigned as the king of Judah for sixteen years and was known for his idolatrous practices. He not only burned incense to idols but also committed the horrific act of sacrificing his own children to these false deities. His sacrilegious rituals took place in high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. His egregious behavior set a horrible example for his people.
Because of his actions, God delivered him into the hands of another nation. In 2 Chronicles 28:5 and 2 Kings 16:5, we learn that the Lord God allowed King Rezin of Syria to defeat King Ahaz and take many people as captives to Damascus.
Then, King Pekah of Israel, the nation that was once one with Judah, defeated King Ahaz in another fierce battle. If Rehoboam had listened to the elderly men so many years before, these two nations would have been one. These people were blood! They shared history. They shared ancestors. Even so, Israel attacked Judah without any care that they were of the same people.
Why?
The Lord suffered Judah to be slain by Israel “because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers” (2 Chronicles 28:6).
In this battle, Judah suffered a devastating loss of 120,000 men in just one day! Along with defeating the soldiers, King Pekah and his army captured 200,000 women and children from Judah and took them captive, along with much spoil, to Samaria.
In 2 Chronicles 28:9-10, we see that a prophet of the Lord named Oded was in Samaria. He went out before them that came to Samaria with their captives and spoils, not to relish in the victory but to confront them. Alone.
He said, “Look, because the LORD God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. And now you propose to force the children of Judah and Jerusalem to be your male and female slaves; but are you not also guilty before the LORD your God?” (NKJV)
He stood fearlessly before them, his unwavering faith in God giving him the strength to confront the army alone. He admonished them for their sins and transgressions, conveying that their slaying and capturing of the people of Judah had deeply displeased God. Oded, undeterred by the risk of being killed, demanded that they release the captives taken from their own brethren, warning that the fierce wrath of the Lord loomed over them.
Witnessing Oded's bravery, other princes of Israel rallied alongside him, daring to oppose the army and prevent them from bringing the captives any further, for they had already greatly offended the Lord.
They rightly accused the group of planning to compound their sins and transgressions, as their offense was truly grave, and the anger of God was intense against Israel. As a result, the armed men left the captives, and the spoils to the leaders and the people assembled there.
The people who had followed Oded in standing up for what was right then clothed the captives, gave them food and water, put the weak and old on donkeys, and carried them to Jericho as free people.
How this applies to us today
Do we close our eyes and ears to the plight of those around us, thinking that we are somehow better? Do we think to ourselves, “They should have made better choices in life” so we can feel good about ourselves? Do we take comfort in our little happy space, oblivious to things and the plight of those around us?
Many live in a virtual world where life seems to be just peachy. Social media and the internet are not necessarily bad things, but they can be if our lives revolve around them. We need to shut our computers, lay our phones down, disconnect from our tablets, and look at the world around us.
It’s time to open our eyes to the direction the world is headed in and to the plight of the poor, the needy, the vulnerable, the lonely, and the downtrodden around us; it’s time to have compassion and get involved. It is time to make a difference. This doesn’t have to be some grand thing. We should focus on making a difference how we can, where we can, and when we can.
Let’s look at 6 simple ways we can make a difference:
Go to a nursing home and ask the administration if there’s anyone there who rarely gets visitors. Then, introduce yourself and get to know the person(s). Take 15-30 minutes out of every week to drop by and say hello. Paint their nails, brush their hair, and be a friend to them.
Spend 30 minutes a week writing get-well/encouragement cards. Drop them off at the hospital. Mail them to the sick/bereaved/the homebound/those who miss services.
Get involved with Operation Gratitude. Ask a few friends (kids are great) to write thank you cards to our soldiers who are deployed far from home. Spend 30 minutes a week writing these cards. Ship them weekly or monthly. Send a small box of snacks with a personal prayer for them.
Volunteer to read for 15-30 minutes per week to people at your local Senior Citizens Center. Find out the one(s) who have needs and help with groceries/medicine, if you can. Ask the church to help you in this endeavor. Ask friends you work with to help. A few dollars can go a long way!
Visit our elderly. Find out if there’s anyone in your neighborhood or from church who is lonely, homebound, or struggling in some way. (Medicine, groceries, etc.) Take them a basket of muffins, cookies, a card of encouragement…etc. Spend 15 minutes getting to know them. Make this a weekly occurrence.
Mentor a foster child or someone who has lost a parent. Be there for them. Listen. Show love and care for them. Study the Bible with them.
Do you see how easy it can be for us to follow Oded's example, even today? We should have faith in God to do those things that will bring honor and glory to His Name. We don’t have to stand up to an army. But we do have to stand against evil in the world.
Take a stand, make a stand, even if you are alone!
Blessings,
Leah
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