An Emperor's Forgotten Story

Everybody loves a good story. Some of the most nostalgic pictures portray children sitting at the knees of their grandparents, listening to tales of the past.

Stories outlive the lives they tell about. They teach truths. They remind us that generations and ages gone by were no different from today.

God is the Author of stories. He sovereignly weaves them together and omnisciently knows their end from their beginnings.

But the stories God elevates the most are the ones that teach of His power. He highlights those that tell of His love and that point the next generations to Him.

This is why the story of an emperor, named Yu, lies forgotten. 

Yu was one of the few emperors in China to be given the title, “the Great," yet very little is recorded of this ancient life.

Around 2000 B.C., while Yu the Great ruled a dynasty and built flood control systems in China, the Creator of the universe turned His eye toward a young shepherd.

Jacob, poor and unfavored, lived a life of deception. But God chose to bless this man and give him twelve sons. From this one man’s story, God created a nation. God sent His Son to be a part of that nation. And many promises in Scripture center on the purposes He had for this man He later named, Israel.

God preserved Israel’s story in a Book, read by many generations. Some count Emperor Yu’s story fictitious, possibly passed down by oral tradition.

One man depended on his God to bless him with children, a land, and a name. The other ruled an ancient dynasty, and some wonder if he really existed.

While Emperor Yu lived a forgotten story, God wrote the history of a shepherd. His legacy tells of the reach of God’s power, highlights His love, and points future generations to the God who is their only hope.

Some think it strange that God would look to a poor man and take no notice of an emperor.

But when you belong to a King who chose to call you His child, your story does not go unnoticed.

The rulers of the world live and die. They leave legacies or lie in graves forgotten.

But the stories God writes for His children never go unnoticed. No hour of the day is forgotten. No hope is ignored. No need escapes His attention.

While Emperor Yu earned the title, “the Great,” God changed Jacob’s name to “Israel.”

And your story will not be forgotten by the same God who chose you.

“The LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people." (1 Samuel 12:22)

Next post (April 30):
"Three Reasons Why Tomorrow Helps Us Live Today"