2 Kings 13:1-3 – Be sure to seize our God-given moment

Second Kings 13:1-3 introduce us to the reign of Jehoahaz. He succeeded his father Jehu and became king of Israel in the twenty-third year of Joash’s reign. Jehoahaz ruled Israel for 17 years. As immediately as he was introduced, He was said to have done evil in the sight of the  Lord by following the sin of Jeroboam that had made Israel sin.

Jeroboam, as we know, led the confrontation with Rehoboam that caused the nation of Israel to split into two. Since then Israel became two nations - Israel in the north and Judah in the south. He then became the first king of Israel in the north. In order to prevent the people from going down to Jerusalem in Judah to worship, he set up two golden calves and had one put in Bethel and the other in Dan. Besides, he also had shrines established in high places. As if that was not enough, he also appointed non-Levites to be priests, installed his own religious festivals, and even made sacrifices on the altars of the golden calves.

 

Jehoahaz had the opportunity to make a clean start with God, but he chose not to. He followed in the footstep of Jeroboam and made Israel sin. Without a doubt, this  was not pleasing to the  Lord.  So Second Kings 13:3 said that “the anger of the  LORD  was kindled against Israel, and He gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Aram, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael.”

From this passage, we learn the importance of seizing the opportunity. Jehoahaz had the opportunity to steer the nation back to God, but he missed it. Opportunities come and go. If we don’t recognize and seize them, we may not have the exact moment again. Opportunities are often God’s kairos moment. Failure to take hold of it will cause us to meander and careen down the road of life and miss God’s purpose. In Ephesians 6:16, we are urged to make every opportunity count, for the days are evil. What is God’s Kairos moment for you? Learn from Jehoahaz, don’t let it slip. Rise up and seize it and make that moment count for yourself and for the glory of God!