1 Kings 14:6-16: a reflection

6So when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, he said, “Come in, Jeroboam’s wife! Why do you pretend to be another? For I am sent to you with heavy news. 7Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘The LORD, the God of Israel, says: “Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you prince over my people Israel, 8and tore the kingdom away from David’s house, and gave it to you; and yet you have not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in my eyes, 9but have done evil above all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods, molten images, to provoke me to anger, and have cast me behind your back, 10therefore, behold, I will bring evil on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam everyone who urinates on a wall, he who is shut up and he who is left at large in Israel, and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweeps away dung until it is all gone. 11The dogs will eat whoever belongs to Jeroboam who dies in the city; and the birds of the sky will eat whoever dies in the field, for the LORD has spoken it.”’ 12Arise therefore, and go to your house. When your feet enter into the city, the child will die. 13All Israel will mourn for him and bury him; for he only of Jeroboam will come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. 14Moreover the LORD will raise up a king for himself over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam. This is the day! What? Even now. 15For the LORD will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and he will root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their Asherah poles, provoking the LORD to anger. 16He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he has sinned, and with which he has made Israel to sin.”

As the prophet pronounces judgment on the wicked house of Jeroboam, whose sins had led Israel astray, he adds a poignant exception. Of all Jeroboam's house, one child alone would be mourned and given a proper burial; for in him, the prophet says, there is found some good thing toward the LORD, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. Amid a house given over to evil, God had noticed some good in this one child, a good thing toward himself, and marked it out.

Notice what God noticed even in the midst of a wicked house: some good thing toward himself in one child. The house of Jeroboam was given over to evil; and yet God did not overlook the good in this one child, but noticed it, marked it, honored it. Even a small good, in the midst of surrounding evil, did not escape God's notice; he saw the good thing toward himself in this child, and set it apart. God notices and values even a little good in a person, even amid much that is not good.

That God notices and values even a small good in a person is a comfort. We can feel that our small goods, our faltering steps toward God, our little acts of faithfulness, go unnoticed, especially if we are surrounded by much that is not good, or feel our own lives are largely a mixture of failure. But God noticed the good thing toward himself in this one child, amid a wicked house; he sees and values even a little good. Your small goods, your faltering steps toward God, your little faithfulness, are not overlooked by God; he notices and values even a small good toward himself, as he noticed it in this child. Do not think your small goods go unseen, or that they are worthless amid your failures; God sees and values even a little good toward himself. Take comfort that God noticed the good thing in this one child of a wicked house; he notices and values the good in you too, even the small and faltering, and does not overlook it, but sees and honors even a little good toward himself.

Lord, as the prophet pronounced judgment on the wicked house of Jeroboam, he added a poignant exception: of all Jeroboam's house, one child alone would be mourned and buried, for in him there was found some good thing toward the LORD. Amid a house given over to evil, you noticed some good in this one child, and marked it out. Show me what you noticed even in the midst of a wicked house: some good thing toward yourself in one child. Even a small good, in the midst of surrounding evil, did not escape your notice; you saw it, marked it, honored it. That you notice and value even a small good in a person is a comfort. I can feel that my small goods, my faltering steps toward you, my little acts of faithfulness, go unnoticed, especially if I am surrounded by much that is not good, or feel my own life is largely a mixture of failure. But you noticed the good thing toward yourself in this one child, amid a wicked house; you see and value even a little good. My small goods, my faltering steps toward you, my little faithfulness, are not overlooked by you. Keep me from thinking my small goods go unseen, or that they are worthless amid my failures; you see and value even a little good toward yourself. Let me take comfort that you noticed the good in this one child, Lord; you notice and value the good in me too, even the small and faltering, and do not overlook it. Thank you that you see even a little good.