Broken

“In the latter period of their rule

when the transgressors have run their course,

a king will arise,

insolent and skilled in intrigue.

“He will be mighty,

but not by his own power,

and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree

and prosper and perform his will;

he will destroy mighty men and the holy people.

“And through his shrewdness

he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence;

and he will magnify himself in his heart,

and he will destroy many while they are at ease.

“He will even oppose the Prince of princes,

but he will be broken without human agency.”

~Daniel 8:23-25

This passage from God’s Word describes Antiochus IV

who rose to power by intrigue and deceit,

but the throne was not rightfully his to occupy.

I can’t help but wonder

what training this Antiochus IV had as a child.

Imagine with me for a moment...

Pretend that little Antiochus IV was buckled into the cart of a modern day grocery store.

Was he allowed to grab and eat all the candy he could reach?

Did everyone jump to soothe his every screech and squawk and hissy fit?

Didn’t anyone ever spend any time teaching him to use tools?

Did anyone care enough to monitor how much time he spent on the internet,

or oversee what music he listened to or what books he read?

Did he ever experience having his mouth washed out with soap for swearing

or for speaking God’s name in vain?

Did he ever receive loving discipline for hitting his sister

or breaking grandma’s teacup on purpose,

or for sassing back to someone in authority?

Did he bully other kids or treat girls with shameful behavior?

Did his daddy buy his tires?

This is all simple speculation, of course.

Yet, if his will had been broken in his childhood,

would he have acquired a heart of compassion,

an awareness of the needs of others,

an ability to give and receive love?

…which seems to infer that his parents or society bore the responsibility

of his righteousness, his goodness, his acceptability.

Is it God’s will that some remain in evil?

If someone is not broken as a child,

will he be broken in the end, as was Antiochus IV?

 “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.

And His disciples asked Him,

‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,

that he would be born blind?’

Jesus answered, ‘It was neither that this man sinned,

nor his parents,

but it was so that the works of God

might be displayed in him…

…I am the Light of the world.”

~John 9:1-4

Matters of the mind may be trained in many skills, good or evil,

the ability of the body is, at best, incapable,

and the heart, in its naivety, is easily deceived.

Each one, mind, body, heart,

may be molded, transformed, remade by the hands of God,

for each one is His creation.

But matters of the soul belong to God alone.

There is no act of will, no physical alteration,

no heartfelt sincerity within my power

to command my soul to be whole;

just so, every soul is at His mercy.

It is not for us to know how or why;

it is enough for me to know that God is loving

and that He is just.

Perhaps the better question is…

How is it that the Almighty God of mercy chose 
to care for me,

when the core of my heart was evil,

... to cleanse me from all unrighteousness,
to occupy my soul,

and to make me His own child?

“…but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in (me)”