The rest of the events of Elah’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. . . . The rest of the events of Zimri’s reign, along with the conspiracy that he instigated, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. ~1 Kings 16:14, 20
The drive from college to my home in Chicago was exactly 212 miles. Depending on the time of day and, of course, the weather conditions, it usually took me four solid hours of driving. Late one spring afternoon, just before dusk, I was driving north on State Road 41, just south of West Lafayette, Indiana. All alone, I had the radio cranked up to windshield-cracking decibels. The Mamas and the Papas were squealing out “Monday, Monday.”
I can’t tell you why I remember this incident so clearly, but I do. It happened just like this. The road was a double-yellow stripe, two-lane highway, and there was little traffic. The car in front of me was at least three-quarters of a mile away. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, no more than a hundred yards in front of me, I saw a little bird to my right. It looked like one of those skinny road-runner-like birds, and it was crossing the road on foot, lickety-split.
The bird crossed the gravel shoulder and scooted across my northbound lane without a problem. What he didn’t see was a gigantic, Kenworth eighteen-wheeler, bearing southward. The cab was massive—polished chrome exhaust pipes belching white smoke, wind spoilers, and dotted rows of running lights already illuminated.
Unfortunately for my little friend, the timing of his venture to the southbound lane coincided with the truck’s journey to the same spot. Tragically, the exact center of the left front wheel met him mid-stride.
In an instant, the bird disappeared. He went from a busy little creature dashing to his next destination to a wet spot on Highway 41, just south of West Lafayette. No feathers. No flopping around. Completely smooshed. Gone.
Chapter 16 of 1 Kings tells of five wicked men who ruled Israel. Except for Ahab, the last one in the chapter, these are names you’ve probably never heard before. In fact, today’s verses tell us that there is so little worth remembering about these corrupt leaders that the Bible says almost nothing about them. What a sobering thought.
If you and I had the chance to interview these mighty kings during their reigns, I’ll bet we would find that they thought they were terrific and important. “Our administration is moving right along,” they might have told us—hustling and foolish road runners, each one of them.
And when they died, there were no feathers. No flopping around. Just a small, wet spot on the long highway of Israel’s history. What a shame.
You and I must achieve more than this. Our lives must count for something more than a small wet spot in the history books of our family lineage. Relying on God, our lives can be marked with integrity and mercy, hard work, and tenderness, faithfulness, and love. His Spirit working in us will ensure that our lives will be an encouragement to those who follow, a model for our children and their children.
Run hard. Hold fast to our God. And please look both ways before crossing Highway 41 just south of West Lafayette.