Are They Not Written in the Book?

When we read about the kings of Israel after their deaths, the Bible says, “Now the rest of the acts of _______ and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?”

As if to say, he is just a man— here’s what he did and didn’t do—if you want further readings, go to chronicles.

I tried that verse once and placed my name in there. Not that I’m a king or queen, but because it struck me concerning our frailty.

And Bonnie (Tekoa) Manning and all that she did, all her past with her sins, her shame, wrong choices, and bad mistakes, the date of her rebirth, her good and the beauty she brought, yes, it’s all there.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass.” (Isaiah 40:7).

When a flower fades, we don’t grab Botox and start injecting it. We don’t grab paint and try and make its petals vibrant again. We let it naturally go back to the earth from which it came.

Whatever Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, did, good and bad, is recorded in His Book. We can look back and see how things were under his leadership. In 1st Kings 14, we read that the people built for themselves high places and sacred pillars and Asherim poles. There were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They acted wickedly like all the other nations.

Turn the page, and we read about another king, King Abijam, who walked in sin. Notice below in the passage why he was even given the authority and title. It was the same reason as the last king. It was due to David. We affect our seed and others even after death by how we live now.

“Abijam became king over Judah. 2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. 3 He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, like the heart of his father, David. 4 But for David’s sake, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise his son after him and to establish Jerusalem; 5 because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. 6 There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.”

I Kings 15:1-6

It says, “Except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.” David fell into adultery and had Uriah killed. He was a man after our Father’s Heart. He wrote words so powerful we are still meditating on them, reading, singing, and praying those words. He wrote while being chased by his enemies. He wrote about Adonai.

Peter’s story tells us he walked on water, laid hands on the sick, and swore he’d never deny Yeshua, yet he did three times. He went on to be a great apostle.

Everything we do here, all the work of our hands, one day will be over. Every day we wake up, we are closer to death. We are a flower quickly fading. Our lives tell a story.

My Grandchildren will probably never know or hear much about my grandmother, who has been gone for over 30 years. But Abba knows Daisy and her story— both the good and the bad. Yes, all she did and didn’t do in her time under the sun.

“Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.” Ecclesiastes 9:10.

One day, on that Great Day, Paul and Yeshua said the dead in Messiah would come up out of the grave first. We wait for that day, but in the meantime, our lives are precious.

Paul said, “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.” These temples are fading fast and going back to dust. They are temporary dwelling places.

What we do while here— is it not recorded in a book? The Slander, gossip, suspicion, idols, wasting the time He has given us, jealousy, anger, lust, and so forth, all recorded along with the good, the alms, the prayers, the helping the widows, the poor, the orphan, the love for humankind, the desire to love ourselves with all our flaws and press on towards the mark of the high calling in Messiah— that’s the HIGHEST CALLING!

It’s not the NBA— it’s not Hollywood, a best-selling book, the number of followers or esteem of a man, or becoming a rock star. There is a star giver in the heavens. He gave us those lights in the sky. What a blessing. He gave us the Moon and all the heavenly hosts that pour forth wisdom and knowledge. We look up towards the heavens. We keep walking out our salvation with fear and trembling.

He places our tears in His Wine skin. We keep washing in His Word. Until one day, the book about us is closed. In the meantime, “Make the most of your story!”

The things in the background that nobody sees. The prayers that happen with groaning in private. The hands that wash children, prepare meals, and embrace loved ones.

Now, the rest of the acts of _______ and all that he or she did, are they not written? What will be written about us?

If you enjoyed this short blog, check out my devotionals HERE.

And HERE.