As a die-hard Steelers hater it was painful to learn they had advanced past the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2016 NFL playoffs, even in the middle of my almost total disinterest in football. What made it worse was the way Cincinnati just gave them the game at the very end. Ahead with seconds left the Bengals blew it with two exceptionally stupid personal foul penalties that put the Steelers in range for a game winning field goal. But the Bengals deserved to lose considering the first penalty was for a head-hunting hit by a player described by many as one of the dirtiest in football.

Players like him are part of the reason I quit watching years before the protests started by Colin Kaepernick. Full disclosure, I resumed watching Monday Night Football last season, but with an ulterior motive. Football is a violent sport. Every play is legalized brutal assault as 22 men line up and attack each other. That’s why it’s so difficult to talk about football without using military terminology. Words like war, battle, and kill, fall from our lips when discussing the game because of its physical brutality.

The self-defeating head hunting action of the Bengal’s player serves to illustrate an event in the history of Judah. As noted yesterday, when Jehoram became king in Jerusalem he played dirty and became a literal head-hunter by killing all his brothers and anyone who might oppose him (2 Chronicles 21:4). Foolishly he bought into the paganism of his wife, and like his in-laws, Ahab and Jezebel, believed literal head hunting that took out his own family and teammates would establish his authority.

It had the opposite effect. Instead of establishing a lengthy rule and impressing legacy, it led to his downfall. Like the Bengal’s player who apparently thought the rules didn’t apply to him until the flag flew and the penalty was imposed, Jehoram forgot that Jehovah, the ultimate umpire, had ultimate authority and would penalize him for his despicable act. In Jehoram’s case he lost his family and his life (2 Chronicles 21:12-20). Verse 19 says “he died in great pain” and verse 20 added “he departed with no one’s regret”.

Well, the Bengals departed with my regret because it meant the Steelers continued. But the headhunting player missed the playoffs and a few more games, along with a lot of money, which he deserved, but hopefully he learned to play by the rules before it was too late. Jehoram was removed from the playing field of life through a horrifically painful death. Our penalty will be even worse unless we learn this important lesson – play by God’s rules or pay the price. Eternity is a long time to regret refusing to obey God while on the field of life.