By Elizabeth Prata
Reading through Chronicles is a ping pong ball of emotion. Yay, they got rid of the altars and high places! Oh no, they established altars again…Yay, they tore them down again…oh no…and back and forth through all the kings who did evil in sight of the Lord.
There were so many evil kings in Israel and Judah. But the people have their part in doing evil, too.
The Lord in His wisdom likens us people to sheep.
Isaiah 53:6 famously says, “All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all To fall on Him.”
Why have we all gone astray? We have a sin nature that wants to lead us away from holiness. Since we are easily led, we are like sheep. It is hard to stay on the path of righteousness and we constantly want to turn away. Just a few words will do it.
In Deuteronomy 30:17 they were warned about this- But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but allow yourself to be led astray and you worship other gods and serve them… (underline is mine)
Here are several examples of how the People easily and quickly followed their evil leaders’ example and sank into depravity again. They were only too ready to do sin when their leaders modeled it-
Thus Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray in order to do more evil than the nations whom Yahweh destroyed before the sons of Israel. (2 Chronicles 33:9 LSB).
Ephesus was a huge city and attracted thousands because the temple of Artemis was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. Four times bigger than the Parthenon in Greece, it served not only as a worship center, but housing for persecuted fleeing refugees, and a place where people securely stored their valuables, earning it the nickname the Bank of Asia.
For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing considerable business to the craftsmen; he gathered these men together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “… When they heard this and were filled with rage“, (Acts 19:24-25, 28).
In Ephesus it was easy to rile up enough people to form a critical mass, fill the stadium, and go on for hours in a riot of anger to protect their ‘goddess’.
Sheep easily follow. Here is what a Montana sheep rancher says,
Sheep huddle in a tight mass, watching what the others do.
Their defense is safety in numbers.
They thrive in the crowded, urban flock.
Sheep are curious, yet afraid.
They respond to a strong leader – they might hesitate momentarily, but they will jump off a steep bank if the leader insists.
Sheep are gullible if they are led with the promise of treats.
The rancher ended with this:
Critics might be right: Sheep might be dumb, but the reflection from the mirror of humanity makes it difficult to throw the first stone.
THAT is the animal Jesus likened us people to. We should always submit to our leaders but should always watch out for who we follow elsewhere. Be discerning.
And always remember… Jesus is the Great Shepherd to whom the good leader always points. Follow Him.
“Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the One with us is greater than the one with him. With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. (2 Chronicles 32:7-8).
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