We sometimes worry that what we’ve done in the past will catch up with us. Even if we hold a position of power now, what youthful indiscretion will bring us tumbling to the ground?
Can’t the world just wipe the slate clean every now and then?
Dennis Hastert finished a run as the longest-serving Speaker of the House, and in May 2015, he was indicted for lying to the FBI about paying hush money to a former acquaintance. For years Hastert was lauded as an example of the best of our nation’s politicians, and now? His name is covered with mud.
Let’s turn to Ben-Hadad, a man of antiquity. He was quite a guy. Really, he was. Three thousand years ago, he was king of Aram-Damascus for nearly twenty years.
Even the American president, arguably the most powerful leader in the world, only gets to stay in power for eight years, ten tops if circumstances permit. Ben-Hadad got twice that time in office.
He nearly came to a bad end.
Ben-Hadad was the power of his day, commanding great authority. 1 Kings 20:1 tells us he had a coalition of 32 kings with him, and they journeyed forth with horses and chariots to take what they wanted from Ahab, the king of Israel.
Ahab agreed to give him what he demanded, up to a point. When Ahab agreed to Ben-Hadad’s first demands, the invading king got pushy and demanded more. Ahab rose up against Ben-Hadad and defeated him not once, but twice! At one point, the people of Israel struck down 100,000 of Ben-Hadad’s foot soldiers in one day.
Yet, Ben-Hadad managed to get away unscathed. He pleaded with Ahab, and he and the king of Israel wiped the slate clean.
We know more of Ahab, of Jezebel his wife, and the evil that brought her to a bad end. Elijah the prophet stood before Ahab and pronounced a curse from the Lord on Ahab’s house. At those words, Ahab pleaded with the Lord. 1 Kings 21:29 tells us the Lord saw his humbled spirit and promised not to bring his curse upon the house of Ahab while the king lived.
Ahab and God wiped the slate clean.
We have the same God, and when we come to him, no matter how we have lived, he will wipe our slate clean. He will wrap his love around us, and we will dine with him in his glory and majesty; and a place in his eternal kingdom will be ours.
When we come to God with repentance in our hearts, all is forgiven, each and every time.
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Code: FGO.D.16.15b.vp