Just one of those days. Tonight as we were watching TV, I was doing something on this computer, and when I had some modicum of success, I said, "Praise God!" or words along that line. June asked, "Did you get something to work?" Put the stress on the something, and the question summarizes how most of the day has gone.

Tomorrow starts a short cycle of Dr's appointments. June has a routine check-up with Dr. N (chemo doctor), and on Thursday I get to see Dr. W (movement disorder specialist in Indianapolis).

KINGS AND KINGDOMS
	Bible Reading: 1 Kings 16:29-34
V. 30: But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the LORD's sight more than all who were before him. (HCSB)

Things can always get worse--or so it seems. Some of my readers may know my contention that this present universe is the worst of all possible worlds, by which I don't mean the "logically worst," but the metaphysically worst that God needs to allow in order to bring about what ultimately will be the best of all possible worlds.

So, imagine a world β, which is the best of all possible worlds. We surely do not live in it. We live in α, the actual world. God is going to turn α into β, but to do so he needs to allow a certain amount of evil in order to demonstrate his sovereignty, both in grace and in punishment. How much? Just as much as it takes--no more and no less. Logically, there is a world γ in which there is even more evil than in α, but God will not allow γ if it is not necessary to bring about β. There is plenty of evil to cope with in α.

Just look at how the preceding kings of Israel had escalated their evil. Jeroboam set the standard, and the next three kings all followed his example; Zimri wasn't around long enough to make a fair assessment, but he definitely showed no promise of improvement. Then Omri raised the bar (v. 25), and now Ahab is about to set a new record in apostasy. The golden calves had lost their appeal; Ahab instituted a whole new state religion, at least it was new for Israel as a state religion. He married Jezebel, princess of Sidon, and made her religion, the worship of Baal, the official religion for the northern kingdom. (See the entry of August 13 for a quick overview of Canaanite deities.)

If my previous analysis is correct, God is going to put a stop to this downward spiral, and that is precisely what will happen-- eventually. We're going to see God intervene more with Ahab than with any of the previous kings of Israel.