Human Response 425: Do Evil and Walk in World’s Ways

1 Kings 22:52, 53 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked on the way of his father, and in way of his mother, and in way of Jereboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the Lord God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

The reign of Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, is summarized the way most of the kings of Israel were summarized. They did evil, walked in the way of the world, and served other gods. He lived like his father and mother and in the way of Jereboam, whose influence carried through to the succeeding kings. The singular sin that provoked the Lord was: “Thou shalt have no others gods beside me.”

The World tempts us with other gods from whom we may find good. The first sin is looking to another source for our highest good instead of to the one true God, who is revealed to us in the Son, the Word, of God. This was the sin of Adam, and all of us who were born with the same sin nature.

We also see here the strong influence of fathers upon their children and the following generations for good or for ill. A jealous God “punishes the children for the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.” When parents ignore God the children tend to do the same. But generational bondage can be broken any time a person turns to the Lord. This God also “shows love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” We love God and keep His commandments by faith in Christ. By word and example parents pass the faith on to the next generations.

Ignoring God is hating God. Believing God is loving Him.. Blessings follow. But woes come to him who leads others into sin and unbelief.