‘If your heirs take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a successor on the throne of Israel.’" (1 Kings 2:4, NRSV)
"Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards,not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God." (1 Corinthians 1:26-29, NRSV)
God does things differently. I mean really, if I was writing a story or planning to motivated a people, I wouldn’t do it they way God has done. He allows the people of Israel to try to do it they way. He allows them to try to be the King of God’s Kingdom (that phrase seems funny, to be the King of what is God’s). God didn’t want to established his throne with anybody else buy himself, because He alone is King. But he goes along with our plan, he allows us to see how it is going to work out. He allows us to live out the natural consequences of our choices.
So even in David’s remarks to Solomon as he passes on the Kingdom. David tells Solomon that if he leads the people to be faithful and if they are faithful after him, than your throne will last forever, and your family will always have succeed the throne. This is so comical, because not even Solomon can keep hold of that promise. And the history of Israel’s Kings is one of failures with a glimpse of faithfulness.
God does things differently doesn’t He? So God knew all along that our plan was going to fail, but he had the patient to see it out. Then he finally decides to put an end to it and to regain the throne that is rightful His all along. Does he send a mighty and powerful King. No, He comes as a humble baby, born with animals, poor and outcast. The King comes as what is low and despised in the world. This mighty and powerful God comes as a baby. Yet, we should be still should be frighten—because one day this babe will be the judge.
God does things differently doesn’t He? I mean wouldn’t you come as a might and powerful King, backed by a mighty and powerful and take the throne of this World by force. I wouldn’t come as a helpless baby—a helpless poor and seemingly insignificant baby.
In this season, let’s be thankful that God does things differently.
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