Costly Career Goals

In I Kings 17:34 there is an obscure Scripture that beckons our attention. Out of the blue, the following verse appears: “In his days, Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the Word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.”

Now what are we to make of that?

The answer might not be what you think! Let’s take a closer look at this verse. First, we find that Hiel pursued a career opportunity that cost him the lives of his oldest and youngest sons. We also see that Hiel’s two sons died as a result of something spoken by Joshua. The next question that would naturally follow is—what did Joshua say? Let’s go to the book of Joshua and see if we can find anything that relates to this passage.

Sure enough, in Joshua 6:26-27 we find an oath that forbids anyone from rebuilding Jericho or its gates. The price of this building project would be the lives of both the oldest and youngest child. 

So, what can we learn from this unusual Scripture? Before we pursue our career goals and choose the teachers who fill our minds, we must be sure that these choices align with Scripture.

Additionally, we need to seek God’s counsel and the wise counsel of others before we move forward. If God’s Word does not give us the clear direction that we are praying for or if our soul does not have peace about the decision, then we need to wait on the Lord. Although at times we can get frustrated and feel like we need to have all the answers, God promises: "He has made everything beautiful in its time" (Eccl. 3:11).

We can trust that God is working things together for our good.

However, there’s a fine balance here between faith and folly. Certainly, if we sense God is leading us to do something and others don’t see it, we need to obey God rather than man. If, however, the wise counsel of others and the Word of God align against us, we need to be very careful before moving forward because our decisions may indeed be harmful to the lives of others, especially those we love the most—as we learned from Hiel’s ill fated choices.

My friend Charlie Jones taught me that one of the greatest weaknesses of mankind is indecision. Conversely, God delights when we walk by faith. Yet He will never ask us to figure things out on our own. David writes in Psalm 16:11 that "God will make known unto us the path of life. In his presence is fullness of joy, and at his right hand are pleasures forever more."

 In conclusion, if your career decisions are not in conflict with the Word of God—are not self-seeking or for the purpose of self-profit or greedy gain—then courageously follow the desires God has placed in your heart, and enjoy His presence. As you gain new career skills, knowledge and wisdom, you can look forward to His pleasures that are waiting for you!