2 Chronicles 28:1-13: a reflection

1Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn’t do that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, like David his father, 2but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and also made molten images for the Baals. 3Moreover he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. 4He sacrificed and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 5Therefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They struck him, and carried away from him a great multitude of captives, and brought them to Damascus. He was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter. 6For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed in Judah one hundred twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. 7Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah who was next to the king. 8The children of Israel carried away captive of their brothers two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters, and also took away much plunder from them, and brought the plunder to Samaria. 9But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, “Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven. 10Now you intend to degrade the children of Judah and Jerusalem as male and female slaves for yourselves. Aren’t there even with you trespasses of your own against the LORD your God? 11Now hear me therefore, and send back the captives that you have taken captive from your brothers, for the fierce wrath of the LORD is on you.” 12Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war, 13and said to them, “You must not bring in the captives here, for you intend that which will bring on us a trespass against the LORD, to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.”

In a dark chapter of Judah's history, the wicked king Ahaz brings disaster on his people, and the northern kingdom takes a great number of Judeans captive, intending to make them slaves. But the prophet Oded meets the victorious army with a warning: yes, God gave Judah into your hand in his anger, but you have slain them in a rage that reached to heaven, and now you intend to enslave your own kindred. And he asks a piercing question: Are there not sins of your own against the LORD your God? Faced with their own guilt, some of the leaders relent, and the captives are sent back, clothed and cared for.

Notice how the recognition of their own guilt turned them from harshness to mercy. They had been about to compound their victory by enslaving their kinsmen, exploiting those given into their hand. But Oded reminded them of their own sins: are there not trespasses of your own against the LORD? Faced with their own guilt, they could no longer stand in harsh judgment over the captives; they relented, and showed mercy instead. Seeing their own guilt made them merciful where they had been about to be harsh.

That is worth taking to heart, for the awareness of our own guilt should temper how we treat others. We can be harsh toward those who have wronged us or fallen into our power, quick to condemn and exploit; but the remembrance of our own sins against God should soften us, as it softened these leaders. Before you deal harshly with someone in your power, or exploit an advantage over them, remember your own guilt before God: are there not sins of your own against the LORD? The awareness that you too are a sinner before God should turn you from harshness to mercy, as it turned these men from enslaving their kinsmen to clothing and freeing them. Let the remembrance of your own guilt make you merciful toward others, rather than harsh, as Oded's reminder turned Israel from exploiting their captives to showing them mercy.

Lord, in a dark chapter of Judah's history, the wicked king Ahaz brought disaster on his people, and the northern kingdom took a great number of Judeans captive, intending to make them slaves. But the prophet Oded met the victorious army with a warning: yes, God gave Judah into your hand in his anger, but you have slain them in a rage that reached to heaven, and now you intend to enslave your own kindred. And he asked a piercing question: are there not sins of your own against the LORD your God? Faced with their own guilt, some of the leaders relented, and the captives were sent back, clothed and cared for. Show me how the recognition of their own guilt turned them from harshness to mercy. They had been about to enslave their kinsmen, exploiting those given into their hand. But Oded reminded them of their own sins; and faced with their own guilt, they could no longer stand in harsh judgment, and showed mercy instead. Take that to my heart, for the awareness of my own guilt should temper how I treat others. I can be harsh toward those who have wronged me or fallen into my power, quick to condemn and exploit; but the remembrance of my own sins against you should soften me. Before I deal harshly with someone in my power, or exploit an advantage over them, help me remember my own guilt before you: are there not sins of my own against the LORD? Let the awareness that I too am a sinner before you turn me from harshness to mercy, Lord, as it turned these men from enslaving their kinsmen to freeing them.