God Prepares Hearts

Even in societies that have forsaken God, God is gracious and faithful to preserve a remnant for Himself.  The prophet Elijah lamented he was the "only one" who was zealous for the LORD's sake in Israel, but God had reserved 7,000 who had not bowed once to Baal (1 Kings 19:18).  After Jeroboam became king over the 10 northern tribes of Israel, he was instrumental in establishing the worship of idols throughout the kingdom.  He rejected God fearing priests and Levites from serving the LORD and sanctified priests of the lowest (character-wise) of his subjects.

The priests and Levites took a stand against the king's abominable idolatry by leaving the lands given them as an inheritance and moving their families to the territory of Judah and the city of Jerusalem.  These men refused to bow the knee to the calf idols Jeroboam set up and remained faithful to the LORD.  The rise of king-sanctioned idolatry resulted in a revival of true worship in the hearts of those who took a stand to honour God all across the land as 2 Chronicles 11:13 says:  "And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him."  With one heart and mind to serve the LORD, God galvanised the faith of His faithful servants--and used a wicked ruler to set it in motion.

One might imagine the illiterate and uneducated in the land were like lambs sent to the slaughter because of Jeroboam's idolatrous ways, yet God is able to guide those who fear Him to walk in wisdom even when accountability before men is low.  2 Chronicles 11:16 reads, "And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the LORD God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers."  Like the Levites, those from all the tribes of Israel who set their heart to seek the LORD God continued to travel to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the annual feasts, and brought tithes and freewill offerings.  They rejected the lure of convenience to offer sacrifices to the LORD at the high places Jeroboam set up, for they set their heart to seek God at His temple.

Praise God He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  God has promised all who seek Him will find Him regardless of how secular a society, government or rulers might be like in Deuteronomy 4:29:  "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."  God does not weigh our worthiness but is looking for people who seek God with all their heart so He might reveal Himself according to the riches of His grace.  Those who do not prepare their hearts to seek the LORD will do evil (2 Chronicles 12:14), and God holds each person responsible to prepare their hearts to seek Him.  Any who prepare their heart to seek God can know this is evidence of His working in our hearts and lives (Proverbs 16:1).  Let us glory in our awesome God as it is written in Psalm 105:3:  "Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!"