Wait. Stop. Don’t.
In the Willy Wonka movie, an emphasis was placed on the spoiled, rude children and their behavior. Essentially, they would demand that what they wanted, they were going to get. As a viewer, it was always a bit over the top, yet completely culturally relatable (more so today than ever). And there was a point where Willy Wonka, the founder of the chocolate factory, would say “Wait. Stop. Don’t” in a exceedingly monotone, non-urgent voice, whenever the kids would do something stupid. It was almost as if you could hear him thinking that he knows what the brats will do but he must at least suggest they not do it for their own good. Of course, in the movie, the Oompa Loompas come out to sing a song with the moral lesson the kids should have learned before then.
I am currently reading through Chronicles, and it seems that with many Kings, the same lesson is never learned.
Solomon…
“And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.’ “But if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will pluck you up from my land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.” - 2 Chronicles 7:17-20 ESV
Asa…
“The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, but when in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress.” - 2 Chronicles 15:1-6
Manasseh…
“The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon.” - 2 Chronicles 33:10-11
To be honest, it made me wonder how God could tell all these leaders that if they followed in His ways, He would remain with them (because He is sovereign), knowing that they wouldn’t? That is when I remembered being a parent and giving my son instructions knowing that he was most likely not going to follow them. As a parent, you never want your child to be hurt or be in an unfavorable situation. However, you may let less bad things happen so that your child understands the consequences of their decisions.
That is what reminded me of the movie. Willy Wonka, played by Gene Wilder, seemed to know that the kids were going to make bad decisions and go against their instructions. However, rather than shield them completely by forcing them away from the bad decision, he lets them proceed, with a warning, and have to deal with the consequences. So many life lessons to be learned.
Thank the Lord we have the Word of God to direct our behavior.
Conviction is necessary for us.
However, it would be pretty entertaining to have singing Oompa Loompas point out the bad choices we make.
