2 Kings 14:6 Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the Lord commanded: “Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”
The right thing might seem to be a fluid concept, changing over time and place, people and culture. But there are some things that are the same no matter where they are done or observed. This is a very important truth that often gets pushed aside because of our culture’s rejection of absolute truth.
But there are some things that you might think are universal wrongs. Rape for instance is one of those things that most cultures reject. But the reality is that rape is acceptable in some sectors of certain cultures, rape of young children. Their worldview colors their perception of right and wrong to such a degree that even this heinous act is rewritten to excuse such things.
In the history of God’s people in the Old Testament Scriptures, there were so many times when right and wrong got mixed up. But there were some times when they got it right. They mirrored their lives after their Creator’s character and purposes.
Our text for today gives two contrasts of values. The first was the execution of those who murdered the new kings father. While me might bristle at the thought of killing all those involved in the plot to kill his father’s killers, this was common back then. Political regime changes were often tumultuous. We sometimes forget this here in the Unites States where we more often than not make smooth transitions. (Recent history not withstanding.)
So those responsible for the previous murder were taken to trial and found guilty. Think about the Nuremberg Trials at the end of World War II. Those Nazi leaders who had been responsible for the extermination of millions of people were brought to trial and executed for their crimes. Some sense of justice was done, although the death of a handful of the perpetrators does not truly make up for the millions they killed. The math doesn’t include an equal sign. There is no real justice until final judgment day. There are only attempts at justice here on earth.
But the second act done to bring justice was an exception to the rule in that day and age. Often when a political coup happened, everyone who was at all connected to the previous king would be chased down and murdered. Whole extended families would end up dead in an attempt to eliminated revenge killings. Not justice at all.
And that is exactly the point of the second part of this verse. The children of the king’s murderers were not killed. What a difference! The new king was paying attention to the Law given to Moses for Israel. He must have been trained in the Law and now he was obeying it!
It is one thing to know the right thing to do, but it is another thing to actually do it. This is what happened here. The new king obeyed and the blessing of the LORD was evident. But not everything that this new king did was according to the Truth. But he at least got this correct.
If you are like me at all, there are failings in your own life, failings that connect to disobedience. What do we do with our own sin? How do we handle it? Do we actually change behavior to match the Truth we know? Or do we bend the truth to fit our behavior?
The Arnold Journey 