Matt's Bookshelf

Fall 2011 at SEBTS

2011-08-22T22:13:00.000-04:00

The Fall semester has finally arrived, which means that my life and schedule returns to school mode. The free time of Summer is now gone, and my life will soon be filled with many hours of reading and studying. Today was not only my first day of class, but it was also my first day of work at my new job! God has blessed me with an opportunity to work at a daycare in the afternoons, which works perfectly in my schedule. Classes in the morning and work in the afternoons will be my schedule for the foreseeable future. I am excited and cannot wait to see what the semester will hold.

My classes for the semester are Bible Exposition, Theology II, Hebrew I, and History I. It is quite a load, but so far it definitely seems doable. One thing I know for sure is that I have a lot of reading to do, which means that there are a lot of book reviews due this semester as well. I wrote a book review and a paper back in the summer for my job/class. Hopefully, they will soon find their way to the blog.

Now that life is back to what I call "school normal," I should have more time to post on here more regularly. I know I said this a few weeks ago at the end of camp, but now I am officially back in school. This blog has always been my way of expressing my ideas and views on certain issues, catch family and friends up on my life, and post reviews of books that I would recommend to others as well. I love to write, and I look forward to getting back into a routine where I can write almost daily like I was during the previous school year. Hopefully, this post is the first of what is to come.

Matt

Colts Kids Camp

2011-07-30T12:49:00.000-04:00

So it has been a while since my last post on here. I am still around, but I have fallen into my typical summer routine. Back in May, I applied for a job at a Christian camp close by. I was hired about a week later and have been there ever since. As a result, the blog has once again fallen to the wayside, as is the case almost every summer. I end up spending so much time preparing for my lessons each day, that this blog is usually the first thing that is cut out of my life. But I have a little bit of time today, so I thought I would update the blog by letting you know what I have been up to this summer.

This camp has been an 8 week camp at a local Christian school where we have done everything from basketball to treasure hunting, field trips to art camp, and many, many more camps. Sadly, the summer comes to a close next week with Lego Camp and Red Carpet Movie Camp. It has been a great 8 weeks where we have been privileged to work with well over 100 students. We have seen at least one kid come to Christ and several grow and mature over the course of the summer. God has been at work this summer through the camp!

I always dread the end of the summer, and just like the last 3 summers I spent at daycare, I am already missing the kids. This coming Friday is our last day, and then it will 10 months before I see some of these kids again. This is always the hardest part about camp, but it has been a joy to get to know and work with all the different kids who have walked through our doors this summer.

Colts Kids Camp 2012 is right around the corner, and the camp list is already finished. We will soon be revealing all the camps for next summer, and I cannot wait for the opportunity to return to camp. I am already looking forward to May when preparations will be made to re-open the doors for year 2 of this great new camp. Now, if I can just get through the next year!

I hope to be able to share several stories from the summer in the weeks to come. God has done some amazing things this summer in the lives of the children that we have worked with. I also hope to be able to continue our walk through the Bible. We left off in 1 Chronicles back in May. So I hope to start that back up soon. I will also try to post some things from the end of last semester (which I never found time to do back in May). So look for some new posts in the coming days and weeks!

Matt

Finals Week

2011-05-15T15:33:00.000-04:00

It's been way too long since I've updated the blog, but I have been quite busy these last few weeks. It's the end of the semester, and that means that there is way too much going on all at once. I have been finishing up papers, which I might eventually put on here as I have done before, and I have been preparing for finals, which begin Tuesday. As a result, this blog was one thing that had to take a backseat in life for a while.

The good news is that I have plenty of ideas about what I want to write about when I get the time to do so again. So look forward to first, a review of The Priest's Graveyard, which I have promised is coming. Then, I may begin posting some of the papers that I have written this semester. There are also a few other books that I have read and plan to read that I may post reviews for in the coming weeks. So hopefully, as this week settles down and I get back into a routine again this blog will come back to life.

Also, for a quick update on a job, I have one! I found an internship for the summer. I will be a camp counselor at a school's camp about half an hour from campus for the summer. I am looking forward to investing in the lives of many children this summer. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for the summer. This internship is also good for seminary credit, so I will have a couple assignments to work on as well. But other than that, I will not have much to do this summer, which should give me plenty of time write.

Matt

Darkest Day in History

2011-04-23T15:47:00.000-04:00

Continuing with the music theme this weekend, here is another great Easter Weekend song. This one is "Sunday" by Tree 63. The day of the Crucifixion (what we now know as Good Friday) was the darkest day in history. As Jesus died on the cross, His disciples probably stood there wondering where life would take them next. All that they had invested in over the last 3 years had come to a sudden end, and they knew that they would probably be next. What would keep the government from coming after them? Then, as they wok up on Saturday, probably hoping that it had all been a dream, they soon realized that He was really gone. Sadly, they did not remember what He had taught them. He had told them on several occasions that His death would not be the end. He had predicted His resurrection many times. Yet in the midst of their grief and sorrow, they did not realize that Sunday was coming. As I said yesterday, the reason that Good Friday is so "good" is because of the Sunday that followed. Jesus had to die, but He also gave them the promise of the resurrection. There was hope on that awful Friday afternoon! So consider the lyrics of this song that speaks of the hope that was Sunday morning!

"Sunday"

Nothing’s sacred, the days are cheap
Truth is thin on the ground
Still our prophets are crucified
Nobody believes we’re stumbling
It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming

Someone’s saying a prayer tonight
For hungry mouths to be filled
Someone kneels in the dark somewhere
And darkness is already crumbling
It’s Friday, but Sunday comes

Sunday – Hallelujah – it’s not so far, it’s not so far away
Sunday – Hallelujah – it’s not so far, it’s not so far away

Broken promises, weary hearts
But one promise remains:
Crucified, he will come again
It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming
It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming

Sunday…

Matt

Good News on Good Friday

2011-04-22T09:14:00.001-04:00

"Christ is Risen" by Matt Maher

If you have not heard this song yet, then get on youtube or itunes and find it! The lyrics to this song are powerful, reminding us of the great hope that we have in Jesus. Good Friday is easily both the worst day and best day in history. While Christ's death was devestating for the disciples, leaving them with no hope for a time, they later saw the significance of that day. Without the cross, there would be no resurrection. Without Good Friday, there would be no Easter! Thankfully, Good Friday was not the end, but only the beginning. The good news is that Christ is not dead. He is alive! His sacrificial death has also given us life, those who come to Him in faith. So I hope you find the lyrics to this song encouraging on this Good Friday.

Let no one caught in sin remain
Inside the lie of inward shame
But fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to Him who showed great love
And bled for us
Freely You've bled for us

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bowed to none but heaven's will
No scheme of hell, no scoffer's crown
No burden great can hold You down
In strength You reign
Forever let Your church proclaim

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
The glory of God has defeated the night

O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead
He's alive! He's alive!

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Matt

1 Chronicles 12

2011-04-21T09:55:00.002-04:00

1 Chronicles 12

Skipping 1 Chronicles 10-11 (where we see Saul’s death and David’s ascension to throne), we move on to 1 Chronicles 12 where we get a more detailed description of David’s mighty men. The portion skipped was previously covered at the end of 1 Samuel and the opening chapters of 2 Samuel. Now, 1 Chronicles 12 goes into more detail about who these men were that assisted David in battle.

There were 30 of these men, led by Amasai. They were some of the most skilled warriors and soldiers around who were chosen to aid David in battle. They had sworn allegiance to David, promising to fight with him and never betray him. They were his core army. As David continued to go out to battle, more and more men stood by his side. These were the early years of his reign when David was a popular king. His son, Absalom, had not yet betrayed him, and the whole country of Israel supported David entirely. As a result, his army grew, for men from every tribe wanted the honor of fighting alongside David and his mighty men. This allowed David to expand the boarders of Israel. Israel was at its highest when David was their king.

The rest of the chapter lists the numbers of men that joined the army of David. Thousands of men from each tribe were numbered, making for one very large army. What is even more interesting is the fact that the text says that they were all of one mind. They supported David’s ascension to the throne of Israel and were willing to work alongside him. Never had Israel been so unified under one common purpose

This story shows the importance of good leadership and unity. The problem with Israel throughout their history was poor leadership. While they had good kings at times, much of their history is plagued with bad leaders who turned away from God and led Israel into all sorts of evil practices. As a result, this caused a rift between those who followed after the king (which was most of the country) and the few who stayed true to God. There was no sense of unity during the reigns of these kings. As for David, he had managed to bring Israel under one common goal with one common focus. They followed God, the God of their ancestors who had proven Himself time and time again. He had always been there for Israel and helped them through some difficult situations, and He had always proven Himself to be faithful. With this as their focus, Israel experienced some of their brightest days, and it was partly due to the convictions and leadership of King David. Despite his faults (which he learned and grew from), David is a great example of what a leader ought to look like.

Matt

1 Chronicles 1-9

2011-04-20T16:26:00.002-04:00

1 Chronicles 1-9

Yes, this is 9 chapters today! If you go through and read these 9 chapters, you will quickly see why. 1 Chronicles does not just begin in 2 Samuel with the story of David. It goes all the way back to the very beginning and starts with Adam. The first 9 chapters of 1 Chronicles outline the genealogy of the human race up to the time of David. In a listing of names, these 9 chapters recount the stories of the creation, the fall, the flood, Abraham’s call, Abraham’s family, the Israelites’ time in Egypt, Moses’ leadership over Israel, the time of Joshua, the dividing of the Promised Land, and Saul’s family. Also in 1 Chronicles 9, those who returned from the Babylonian exile are mentioned, and their story is then picked up in Ezra.

The author of 1 and 2 Chronicles outlines the history of Israel through a very long list of names that can be tough to wade through. Not only do most people not know how to pronounce these names, but it can become monotonous reading through them at times. However, there are all kinds of nuggets buried within these 9 chapters. Although I am not taking the time to go through each one of them individually, thus adding to the idea that these chapters can be somewhat boring, I encourage you to read through them.

While some people are only mentioned in passing, others get a couple of verses explaining who they were and why they were important. For instance, in 1 Chronicles 4 we read the story of Jabez, who received two verses about his life and how he trusted that God could heal him. Other passages expound the roles of certain men in Israel, as some had been appointed by various kings to certain tasks. Although these stories are short, it is interesting to read about some of the other characters in Scripture that were not included in the main storyline. They were ordinary people (just like Moses and David) that God chose to use in other ways, and although we do not know much about them, it is apparent that God was able to use many of them in mighty ways.

Although these 9 chapters cannot and do not cover the entire history of Israel, they are a good summary of the first 12 books of the Bible. They outline the basic story and allude to many of the key events from Israel’s history. For those who had previously read the first 12 books, these 9 chapters serve as a quick reminder of all that had gone on before. Then, the rest of 1 and 2 Chronicles revisit the time of the kings of Israel in much greater detail. Many of these stories have already been covered in 2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings, but the Chronicler also adds new stories and new details. Writing from a different perspective, the author knew some different facts and stories from Israel’s history and includes them in these two books. Therefore, we will skip ahead and next look at a story from David’s reign as king in 1 Chronicles 12.

Matt

Introduction to the Chronicles

2011-04-16T09:48:00.002-04:00

Introduction to the Chronicles

Like the 4 Gospels in the New Testament, 1 and 2 Chronicles overlap with 2 Samuel – 2 Kings. More than likely, a different author wrote 1 and 2 Chronicles, and that author had a different perspective on some of the events that unfolded during the reigns of the Davidic kings (the kings from David to the exile). While 1 and 2 Chronicles does not contradict the stories that we have already read through, there are some details that are different. Some details are added, which gives us a fuller understanding of the story, while other details are not mentioned. Ultimately 1 and 2 Chronicles serve as a companion to the Samuels and the Kings, and all 6 books tell the same story.

If you read through 1 and 2 Kings, you may have already noticed that these two books made reference to the Chronicles on several occasions, mentioning that further details are in the Chronicles. This is especially true for the kings that reigned in Judah, for 1 and 2 Chronicles focus primarily on what happened in Judah after the kingdom split and not as much time on Israel.

I do not plan on going back and revisiting the stories that we have already covered in 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings. I have recently read through 1 and 2 Chronicles while writing a paper on some of their major themes. I noticed several of the parallels between these books, so I do not plan on talking about the same stories again. I will, however, look at some of the new information that 1 and 2 Chronicles gives us, and will try and show how these new stories fit into the much larger story. Therefore, we will move rather quickly through 1 and 2 Chronicles, but I hope you take the time to read through both books, revisiting some of the same stories. Just as it is beneficial to read all 4 Gospels to understand the much larger story about Jesus’ life, it is helpful to read the Chronicles alongside Samuel and Kings.

Matt

2 Kings 25

2011-04-15T10:55:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 25

We have reached the end of the books of Kings, and the time of the Exile begins in 2 Kings 25. The monarchy that was set in Jerusalem began with King Saul back in 1 Samuel and extended all the way to the end of 2 Kings. First the kingdom was stripped from Saul and his family and given to David. God promised that David’s line would rule as king from there on out, but in the middle of 1 Kings it seemed as if that might change. After a rebellion in Israel led to the split of the kingdom, 2 kings rose up. David’s line continued to rule the southern kingdom of Judah while various families took the throne in Israel through the years. Israel was full of assassinations and overthrows. They continued to drift further and further from God, and they found themselves taken into exile. Although Judah had fared better than Israel, they too began to drift from God, and their time of exile was at hand in 2 Kings 25.

Zedekiah was king in Judah at the time of the exile. Jerusalem had already been destroyed, and he was only a puppet of Nebuchadnezzar, not really a king any longer. While some of the destruction had already been completed in 2 Kings 24, the worst was still to come. During Zedekiah’s ninth year, the Babylonians once again attacked the land. They burned down the Temple that Solomon had built, destroyed all the items within the Temple, captured King Zedekiah, killed much of his family, and took the rest of the citizens into exile. Only a few were left to tend the land with a new ruler, Gedaliah, in charge. The people were not satisfied with this result, however, unwilling to serve Gedaliah or the Babylonians. So they revolted and killed Gedaliah. But out of fear of how the Babylonians might respond, they fled to Egypt.

Meanwhile, the rest of the people of Judah were in Babylon. Their former king Jehoiachin was the only one who received any type of blessing, as he was promoted to a high position in the king’s court. The rest of the nation had to endure 70 long years in exile, wondering if God would ever save them and take them back home.

This is where the story ends in the Books of History for now. There is a lot that happened during those 70 years, as God sent many prophets to them during that time. The exile was their punishment for their disobedience, but God wanted to draw His people back to Himself. He had promised Moses that the exile would happen, but He also promised that they would one day return to the land. This is one of those moments where it would be helpful to read some of the prophets to see what life was like during the exile. The story starts over in a sense in 1 and 2 Chronicles, recounting many of the same events that we have already seen (from the time of Solomon to the time of the exile). Then, the story continues in Ezra, 70 years later when the people of Judah begin to make their way back to the Promised Land. While we will not get to the prophets for some time, I encourage you to take a look at some of them (like Ezekiel) to see what happened during those 70 years.

Matt

2 Kings 23:28-24:20

2011-04-14T16:10:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 23:28-24:20

Josiah’s life came to an end quite tragically when Pharaoh Neco out of Egypt killed him unexpectedly. It appeared as if Josiah had no idea of what Neco’s intentions were when he went out to meet Neco (possibly for trade or alliance purposes). Nevertheless, Neco took Josiah’s life, and Judah began to drift from God again, forgetting all that they had learned under Josiah’s leadership.

Jehoahaz was Josiah’s son, and he inherited the throne after Josiah’s death, but Jehoahaz only reigned for three short months. He did not follow God, leading Judah away from Him. Neco was not pleased with Jehoahaz either, so he captured Jehoahaz and promoted another one of Josiah’s sons, Eliakim, to the throne. Neco changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim and allowed him to rule over Judah, although Neco really had control. Anything he wanted, he received, as Jehoiakim did whatever Neco commanded.

Egypt had become a major power at the time, but that was not the nation God was going to use to ultimately bring an end to Judah. For many decades God had been building up the Babylonians, preparing them for this moment. Then, during Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, God allowed the Babylonians to begin to take control of Jerusalem and ultimately Judah. Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, but the he and Judah had no chance against the powerful Babylonian army and their allies (Syria, Moab, and Ammon). God had given Judah over into the hands of the Babylonians.

Jehoiakim died, and his son Jehoiachin took the throne, reigning for only 3 months. Jehoiachin was the king of Judah when Babylon made their first attack. He was taken into captivity along with many of the leaders of Judah. The Babylonians cleaned out Jerusalem and only left behind the poorest people of the nation, commanding them to take care of the land (with farming and the like). They selected a king from among the Judahites, Mattaniah (also known as Zedekiah), and he received the throne from the Babylonians. He was basically a puppet of the Babylonians as they had gained control of Judah. He reigned for just 11 years before he rebelled against the Babylonians, and that rebellion marked the end of Judah as they knew it.

God had promised since before Josiah’s reign that this day would come. Due to the disobedience of kings like Manasseh, God was ready to wipe out the nation of Judah, punishing them for their disobedience. He used the Babylonians to accomplish this task. The only reason Judah had not been destroyed sooner was due to Josiah’s obedience and his attempt to turn the nation back toward God. But sadly, it appeared as if Josiah was only one of the few who had truly turned to God in that time. After his death, the nation was quick to turn away again, following the lead of their new king. This says a lot about their level of commitment, and is something we should consider as well. It is easy to follow God when we are surrounded by people who are doing the same. But how would we act if we were not surrounded by Christians every day, if we did not have a great support system at church, or if we were not privileged enough to have a church we could go to freely? Would we still follow God, even if it was not as easy to do any longer? The Judahites turned from God when life got hard, allowing a new king’s influence to sway them. We must consider how deep our commitment to God really is. Are we just going through the motions with those around us, or do we really have the desire to follow Him daily?

Matt

2 Kings 23:1-27

2011-04-13T16:24:00.000-04:00

2 Kings 23:1-27

After recovering the Book of the Law, Josiah set forth some major reforms in the nation of Judah. He began to reverse many of the laws that had his father and grandfather had set. For instance, he and his servants cleaned out the Temple before the people of Judah. They removed any idols that had been made for other gods and had them burned. They also tore down all of the high places (any place of worship that had been built for the worship of other gods) and deposed any priest that “worked” at these places. Anything that had been dedicated to anything but God alone was removed from the nation of Judah. Any practice that went against the Law, the commands of God, was condemned (such as male cult prostitutions).

Josiah did not stop with Judah. Although Israel had already been destroyed at this point, there was still evidence of how they had disobeyed God. There were still some people (from various nations in the area) living in the land. Josiah tore down all of the high places, destroyed all of the idols, and sacrificed all the men who were serving as priests at these false places of worship. He brought reform the land that had formally been Israel as well.

Upon his return to Judah, Josiah also reinstituted the Passover. The Passover was one of the top celebrations for the Israelites. It reminded them of how God had rescued their ancestors from the hands of Egyptians. It was a yearly celebration that reminded them of God’s faithfulness, that they could trust God. Yet for some reason, they had grown slack in celebrating the Passover. In fact, 2 Kings 23 states that the Passover had not been celebrated in this way since the time of the Judges. Josiah reminded the Judahites of God’s faithfulness as he reinstituted this great celebration.

Despite all of the reform that Josiah was able to bring to Judah, God was still going to destroy them. Now, my first reaction to this is, “That’s not fair!” But, God keeps His promises, whether it is for our benefit or not. Yes, Judah had returned to God during Josiah’s reign. But for the last several kings, they had been slowly drifting from God. They had fallen into the ways of the Israelites, and they were going to have suffer the same consequences. God promised that their destruction and exile would be their fate. However, due to their obedience, God was willing to wait. In a response to their obedience, God was not going to respond through judgment. He held back His anger for the nation of Judah and accepted their honest praise and obedience. Yet, God knew that there would be a day when they would fall back into the ways of sin, and when that day came, judgment would follow.

Matt

Riddle Time Answers

2011-04-13T10:24:00.000-04:00

Just a few days ago I posted 4 different riddles just for fun. I have always enjoyed spending time working on riddles, for they can be quite challenging at times. The 4 that I posted were not incredibly easy either. While I was able to figure out the first 3, the last one was very challenging for me. I thought that it had to go in the direction of languages or characters in languages, but I could not figure it out. You may have struggled on some of these riddles as well, and if you still have not figured them out, then here are the answers.

1. Kills the bad ones / ...and the sad ones. / Tightens to fit / So one size fits all.

Answer: A Noose

2. Steals an event, / or even a mood. / Reveals the truth / Or shatters it.

Answer: A Camera

3. The stack just might / Be sent all over. / Full of what's new, / Yet it's nearly obsolete.

Answer: Newspapers

4. Though I should be unique, / You've made most of us the same. / I would be stronger / If my characters were stranger.

Answer: A Password

Matt

2 Kings 22

2011-04-12T16:14:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 22

As an 8 year old boy, Josiah took the throne, taking over a nation that his father and grand-father had turned away from God. Josiah learned from a young age what it meant to follow God, and that carried out into his reign as king as he grew older. He was instrumental in turning Judah back to God. His first order of business was to repair the Temple. The two kings before him had destroyed the Temple, removing some of the things of God and replacing them with various idols. Josiah turned the Temple back into what it was originally meant for, and in the process found a great treasure!

While some of his servants were cleaning out and repairing the Temple, one of them found the Book of Law that Moses had written. He read it before King Josiah, and Josiah broke down in weeping. He knew that the nation had drifted from God in recent years, and knew that it was enough for God to send punishment down on them. They had not been careful to follow the laws that had been given to them. In fact, destruction was coming for Judah. God had already promised their future destruction as a result of the way that Manasseh and Amon had acted when they were the king. Josiah feared what God was about to do, knowing that although he had followed God, the nation as a whole was living in disobedience.

Some of Josiah’s men went to inquire of the prophets as to the future of Judah. They discovered that what God had previously promised about their impending destruction was still to come. He had not and would not change His mind on that matter. However, God had also seen the way in which Josiah had been able to help turn Judah back to Him. He was pleased with the way that Josiah had led as king and promised that he would not see the destruction of Judah. God will give them peace during his reign, as He had done during the reigns of all of the obedient kings. As long as Josiah continued to follow God, he would not have to worry about the destruction of Judah.

Sometimes it seems impossible for a particularly tough situation to work itself out. When the odds are stacked against us, we find it easier to give up and not try to change what seems inevitable. After 2 of the worst kings that Judah had seen, however, Josiah was willing to take a stand, despite the odds. He initiated a series of reforms for the nation of Judah and led them back to the Lord. Finding the Book of Law brought a new spirit of life to the nation as they saw where they had strayed and saw where they needed to go. So take this as encouragement. Even when it seems like there is no way out of a particularly tough situation, we can always turn to God for help. He will be with us and guide us through if we truly come to Him in faith.

Matt

Some Links for The Priest's Graveyard

2011-04-11T17:50:00.000-04:00

I know that I have talked a lot about a book that has not even come out yet, but I am really excited about Ted Dekker's latest. No, it is not part of his monstrous series that he created. It is a new stand alone. It does, however, promise to be a great story. Just reading some of the reviews out there over the last few weeks has been encouraging and exciting. Will it be his best ever? I sure hope so, but it will take a lot to top Thr3e. I do believe, however, that it is possible for this to be an even better story! So if you are as excited about this book as I am, then visit some of the links below. The first is an interview with Ted Dekker himself. The second is one of the many reviews that have already been written for this book. Also, do not forget to go out and pre-order a copy for yourself! I will be back in a couple weeks with a review once I finish it myself.

Interview:
http://fictionaddict.com/2011/04/11/ted-dekker-interview-4-11-2011/

Review:
http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=4648877&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Matt

2 Kings 20-21

2011-04-11T11:00:00.000-04:00

2 Kings 20-21

After the Assyrians had been turned away, Hezekiah became ill. He had lived a great life in service to God. Under his leadership, he had turned Judah back to God. As a result, Judah was spared from the attacks of the Assyrians as Israel was taken into captivity. So when Hezekiah became ill, he begged God to allow him to recover. He wanted to continue to lead Judah in the way of the Lord. Although Isaiah had initially told him that this illness would claim his life, Hezekiah pleaded before God. Hearing his prayers and seeing how earnest he was, God spared Hezekiah’s life. He allowed Hezekiah to recover from the sickness and gave him 15 more years to lead. Of course, God expected Hezekiah to do as he always had, leading Judah to follow His commands.

Although Hezekiah did not turn Judah away from God in those 15 years, it was 15 years Judah could have done without. Hezekiah in a way opened the door for the Babylonians. It would be Babylonians several years later that would destroy Judah, taking them into captivity. Hezekiah showed the Babylonians all that he had, which may have peaked their interest for the first time. Furthermore, when Isaiah told Hezekiah what his sons would one day endure, it did not upset Hezekiah. Knowing that he would not have to endure that tragedy was enough for him, and he showed no compassion over the future of his country. So while Hezekiah did not turn away from God or lead Judah back into the ways of idolatry, the last 15 years of his life were his weakest moments.

When his son, Manasseh, took the throne, Judah began to drift from the Lord again. Like his grandfather and the kings of Israel, Manasseh led the Judahites into idolatry. He rebuilt all the high places, built several altars, and led Judah into practices such as fortune-tellers and mediums. All these practices had been forbidden in the Law of Moses. As a result of their sin, God promised that destruction would surely come. Like Israel before them, Judah too would find exile and captivity. God was raising up the Babylonians, planning on using them to punish the Judahites.

After his death, Amon took the throne, but like his father before him, Amon continued to lead Judah astray. He worshipped the idols that his father had reintroduced into the land and did not turn to God for guidance. In the end, however, a group of men rose up against him and killed him. Then, another group rose up and killed all those who had conspired against the king. This second group also placed Josiah (Amon’s son) on the throne. Judah’s future was bright with this new king, but the exile was sure to come. They would have days where they returned to God, but God knew that they would ultimately fall away from Him again.

Matt

Riddle Time

2011-04-11T08:44:00.000-04:00

This is a "just for fun" post today. I have posted a riddle before, when I wrote about one of my all time favorite books, Thr3e. Just as a reminder, if you have not read this book by Ted Dekker, you really need to! It is one of the best books I have ever read, and re-read, and re-read. One of the unique features about the book is its use of riddles. I will be the first to say that I am typically not very good with riddles, and I did not do a great job with them when I first read the book either. I have recently found some new riddles (or at least new to me), and I did much better this time. Out of the four below, I was able to figure three of them out. The last one, I admit, I gave up on and looked up the answer. So have some fun with these four riddles below. In a few days, I will post the answers. See how you do.

1. Kills the bad ones / ...and the sad ones. / Tightens to fit / So one size fits all.

2. Steals an event, / or even a mood. / Reveals the truth / Or shatters it.

3. The stack just might / Be sent all over. / Full of what's new, / Yet it's nearly obsolete.

4. Though I should be unique, / You've made most of us the same. / I would be stronger / If my characters were stranger.

Matt

2 Kings 19

2011-04-10T09:17:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 19

Due to the uncertainty of the situation, Hezekiah truly wondered what the outcome of the impending battle would be. He wondered if the Assyrians would actually be given the ability to overtake Judah as they had done in Israel. Instead of responding to their threats and going out to war, however, Hezekiah went to Isaiah to inquire of God. He wanted to know what God’s plan was, as He was ready and willing to follow it. Isaiah assured Hezekiah that God had heard all the threats the Assyrians had made. He had heard how they had spoken harshly against Him. Therefore, God promised that they would soon return to their land, and the general that had caused so many problems would meet his death there.

This general, Rabshakeh, did return to Assyria only to find that Sennacherib was engaged in yet another battle. He sent word back to Hezekiah and the Judahites one last time, asking how they thought they would win. He again called God weak, believing that there was no way in which He could protect Judah. He again reminded them that no nation had ever defeated Assyria. Hezekiah did not respond to his outrageous threats. Instead, he began to pray. While he prayed for the protection of his country, his prayer was anything but self-centered. He began the prayer by praising God. He praised God for who He was and what He had already done. He then made his requests, but not for his own sake. He prayed that God would become known throughout the nations as a result of this battle. Hezekiah was more concerned about God’s glory than his own life. What an example! Too many times, our prayers become too self-centered. While it is important to turn to God in our troubles and ask for help, we many times forget to praise Him for what He has already done. We must never forget to worship and praise God when we pray, not making prayer just a check list of our needs (and many times wants).

God heard Hezekiah’s prayer and sent a message back through the prophet Isaiah. He promised that Assyria would surely fall. If they tried to attack Judah, they would not find victory. In the end, Sennacherib would be killed as well. God was preparing a remnant out of Judah. They would not all be destroyed (even with their upcoming exile into Babylon). They were still His people, and as He had promised Abraham and David before them, they would remain His people forever. They would be so large that they would be hard to number, and one out of the line of David would always reign over them. God was not going to allow the Assyrians threats of total destruction deter His plans that had been set in motion for hundreds of years. So when the Assyrians attacked, God destroyed them. 185,000 men died that day, and the Judahites knew that God had protected them.

Matt

2 Kings 18

2011-04-09T15:16:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 18

Although several of the kings before Hezekiah had lived in partial obedience to God and brought Judah down, and although Ahaz had lived in rebellion to God and caused Judah to drift even further from God, the reign of Hezekiah changed everything. Unlike most of the kings before him, Hezekiah chose to follow God, and he did so whole-heartedly. There was no partial obedience in his life. He removed anything and everything that led to the Judahites worshipping anything but God. All the high places were torn down, and the bronze serpent of Moses’ (that had become an idol) was destroyed. Judah was back on track, following God and experiencing His blessings once again. Their brothers, however, in Israel were going through the worst moment in their history. Hezekiah was king of Judah when Shalmaneser completely wiped out and destroyed Israel.

Sennacherib was the next king of Assyria, and a few years after their conquest in Israel, Sennacherib decided to lead an army into Judah as well. After a series of heated words between the two nations, Hezekiah commanded his men not to respond to the threats and taunts of the Assyrians. He knew where his faith was, and he knew that God would take care of them. However, he also knew that if they had sinned and done something wrong against the Assyrians, then this army might have been God’s punishment. So before they took any action, Hezekiah wanted to make sure that he knew God’s will in this situation.

The Assyrians, however, did not stop their pursuits. They wanted to draw as many of the Judahites away as they could, so they spoke out against Hezekiah. They called him a liar, saying that there was no way that they would ever be able to defeat the Assyrians. They had never been defeated by any nation and believed that they would be successful again. They spoke out against Hezekiah, saying that he was making promise that he could not keep, and they spoke out against God, claiming that He was no powerful enough to defeat them. The Judahites, however, stood their ground and did not respond, just as Hezekiah had commanded. They had given control over to God and were willing to celebrate their victory or experience defeat, whatever He had already decided.

The Judahites exemplified great faith in the midst of conflict. The Assyrians were the most powerful nation in the world at the time. They had been successful in every battle they fought. Yet the Judahites did not budge. They did not falter. Through Hezekiah’s leadership, they stood together and made a stand against the Assyrians. In the same way, we should give control of our life over to God. We can trust that He has our best interests in mind. Yes, there may be times of suffering, as He never promises that life will be easy, but the blessings that He will pour out in the end are worth so much more. God is in control, and He uses every situation (good and bad) for His ultimate good. We must learn to trust His plan, giving Him control of our lives, allowing Him to work, and giving Him the glory for all that He does!

Matt

2 Kings 17

2011-04-08T13:17:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 17

Once again, remember that more of this story can be found by reading through the prophets, but 2 Kings 17 gives us the historical account of Israel’s exile and destruction. Due to a line of unfaithful kings that had led the nation away from God, God had decided to send the ultimate punishment on His people. This should not be a surprise to anyone who has read the story thus far, nor should it have been a surprise to the Israelites at that time. This very event had been predicted in Deuteronomy when God spoke to Moses. God, through Moses, gave the Israelites two choices: death or life. They could either choose to follow God and live or turn away from Him and die. In fact, God told Moses what Israel would eventually choose. He said that they would turn from Him and that He would send them into exile. A remnant would later return to the land, but that remnant would be out of Judah, not Israel. That day of exile had finally come.

At the time, Hoshea was the king in Israel, and during his reign, God raised up Shalmaneser, king of Assyria. He gave Shalmaneser victory over Israel and took them into exile. This was a result of their disobedience. Despite God’s initial warning back in Deuteronomy and despite the warnings that came from all of the prophets that God had sent their way, they would not turn back to Him. So God destroyed them, sending them into exile, leaving only Judah behind.

As for the land, the Assyrians decided to fill it with people from all the surrounding nations. They sent people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sephravim. They were sent to take care of the land so that it would not become a waste, but these people did not know God. They did not know the law of the land, and they disobeyed God’s commands. Therefore, He sent lions into the land that killed many of them. Seeing the death toll rise, the Assyrians sent in one of the Israelite priests to teach them the Law, which is ironic because the Israelites had not been following the Law. The people listened but did not obey. They continued to serve their own gods, trying to incorporate God’s Law into their worship of other gods. So the land was not blessed, and neither were the people. They continued to live in disobedience to God for several generations to come as the Israelites slowly became nothing but a memory.

Now while this is an extreme example of God’s judgment, it should grab our attention. God hates sin, and He commands us to put no one else before Him. When people begin to worship and follow other gods, He sends judgment on them. The Israelites were completely destroyed, and these other nations that took the land endured severe plagues as well. So we should not take sin lightly. This should be an encouragement for us to turn away from our sin and do our best to follow Him.

Matt

2 Kings 16

2011-04-07T14:38:00.000-04:00

2 Kings 16

Although Judah had generally followed God, only having moments of disobedience, they too began to fall away, as we saw in their last few kings. They remained somewhat obedient to God, but their partial obedience caused them to become lukewarm. They were slowly drifting away, and when Ahaz took the throne, he led them to one of the lowest points in their history. He followed the gods of some of the surrounding nations and chose to worship them. He even sacrificed one of his children to those gods.

At this point in Israel and Judah’s history, both nations were drifting from God. They had turned their worship to other gods, and they did not depend on God’s strength when faced with various challenges. So when Israel and Syria went to battle against Judah, both sides were in essence on their own. What we do not learn from the 2 Kings is that Israel’s time was nearing its end, and this was the first step in their ultimate downfall. By reading through the prophets, we will later learn more about the warnings God had been sending to the Israelites. We will also learn that God had asked Ahaz not to turn to the Assyrians for help. But from 2 Kings we see that Judah was given the victory because the Assyrians fought with them. Both Syria and Israel were defeated, and the exile of the Israelites was about to begin.

As for Judah, Ahaz continued to turn them away from God. Seeing the altars that the Syrians had constructed in Damascus, he had Uriah, his priest, construct new altars for Judah. He removed the bronze altars that had been made for God from the Temple and replaced them with some of these new altars. He continued to sacrifice to his other gods with his new objects for worship.

I mentioned earlier that there are more details related to the background of this story in the Prophets. Since I have been trying to just go straight through Scripture without skipping around too much, we have not had any interactions with those books. However, I encourage you to skip ahead and now and begin reading through the Prophets. You will recognize many of the people in those books because they work hand-in-hand with the books of History. I have seen it put this way before:

The story of the Old Testament begins in Genesis and actually ends in Esther. The story does not historically pick up again until the book of Matthew in the New Testament. So that leaves us with the question, what should we do with the rest of the books in the Old Testament? Well, starting at the top of the above chart, the Books of Poetry and Wisdom were all written by or were about people already mentioned in the Books of Law and Books of History. Also, all the prophets lived within the time period covered from Genesis to Esther. So their writings were all reflections on and warnings to people living in that time period. When we read all three of these sections of Scripture together, we are able to gain a fuller understanding of what the situation was at the time. Therefore, when reading through 2 Kings 16-17 it is helpful to look at the opening chapters of Isaiah, who was a prophet in Judah during the time of Ahaz.

Finally, we then encounter the problem of knowing which prophets go with which story. It is not always as clear as to what time period the prophet lived in, and there are many times more than one opinion on the historical settings of the prophets. This is one reason why it is hard to put the Bible in chronological order. We just do not know for certain where all of the different poems and prophecies fit within the larger story (although there are some very well developed theories out there). There have been efforts made at providing a chronological reading of Scripture, and there are even Bibles now that try to order the story in this fashion. So if you are interested in seeing how the whole story fits together chronologically, I encourage you to pick up a copy of one of those Bibles, as they can be quite helpful.

Matt

2 Kings 15

2011-04-06T13:01:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 15

The rise and fall of kings continues in 2 Kings 15, and the chapter opens with Azariah on the throne in Judah. Like his father before him, he followed after God, but not fully. While he was not as bad as some of the king of the past, especially those in Israel, his partial obedience was still disobedience. Amaziah, his father, suffered some severe trials during his life because of his partial obedience, and Azariah found God’s punishment as well. He developed leprosy and had to keep himself away from the rest of the people of Israel (as was according to the Law). As a result, he was not able to reign over Judah like most kings. Instead, his son Jotham dealt with most of the everyday duties of the king. His situation goes to show that we should never be satisfied with our partial obedience. God calls for total commitment, and if we are not willing to surrender everything to Him, then we are not really committed to Him. God tells us in Revelation 3 that He would rather us be hot or cold (for Him or against Him), than lukewarm. Azariah was blessed by God in that he was given a long reign in Israel, but he missed out on so many of God’s blessings because he did not surrender completely to Him.

During his long reign, Israel went through 5 different kings. They continued on their downward spiral as none of these kings helped turn Israel back to God. Instead, they only drover Israel further away. As a result, Israel endured a series of trials and tribulations. The current royal line that had lasted for a few generations was destroyed as conspiracies and assassinations prompted new families to take over the throne in Israel. This was what happened to Zechariah. Then, during the reign of Shallum, Israel lost great portions of land. During Menahem’s reign, Israel suffered great financial setbacks. Pekahiah had a short reign due to yet another conspiracy/assassination. Finally, Pekah took the throne, and once again, Israel faced defeat in battle and the loss of land. This was also the first time in which some of the Israelites were taken into captivity. God hates sin, and He punishes those who live in it. His desire is that we turn back to Him, and He gives us plenty of opportunities to do so. But when we remain stubborn and continue to live in that sin, there are consequences that we must face, God’s attempts to draw us back unto Himself. God did not want to destroy Israel, but He also could not accept their sin any longer. Exile was coming.

Meanwhile, during the reign of Israel’s latest king, Pekah, Azariah died. Jotham officially became the king of Judah, and like his father and grandfather before him, he followed God but not wholeheartedly. He continued in the way of partial obedience and God began to rise up nations that would one day come against Judah as well. Although they had not drifted as far as Israel had, God wanted to get their attention as well, hoping that they would soon return to Him in complete obedience.

Matt

2 Kings 14

2011-04-05T16:47:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 14

While Jehoash (Joash) was still reigning in Israel, Amaziah took the throne in Judah, and he was careful to follow God. Although Amaziah was obedient to God’s commands, he did not keep the whole law. For instance, by punishing those who had murdered his father, he did not deal correctly with them or their children, according to laws outlined in the Law of Moses. Although he had initially followed God, Amaziah continued to drift further away, bringing Judah down with him. He went to war against Edom, and after finding victory over them, he let his pride get in his way as he next went for Israel.

Now although Jehoash in Israel was not a great example of one who followed God, he showed great wisdom in this situation. He had noticed how Amaziah was becoming a prideful man, especially due to his victory in Edom. He also warned Amaziah that if he were to go to battle against Israel that they would surely defeat him. Amaziah did not listen, however, and was defeated in battle. Even worse, he was taken captive by the Israelites. This was Amaziah’s punishment for not following God. God spoke through the king of Israel to warn Amaziah of what would come if he did not let go of his pride and turn back to the Lord. Amaziah chose not to listen, and as a result, he had to face the consequences.

Sadly, things only grew worse in Judah as Amaziah met his end much like his father. A group of men rose up against him and carried him far away from the capital city to kill him. When they brought his body back to Judah, they buried him and placed his son, Azariah, on the throne. Now although Amaziah was considered to be one of the better kings in Judah’s history, we see that it only took one sin to bring him down. Unable to get rid of his prideful nature, Amaziah faced a series of trials that ultimately led to his death. His story illustrates the importance of not allowing sin to reign in our lives. As God’s children, sin should not have control over us. Instead, we should make fight against it daily, paying attention to the sin that easily tempts us and putting an end to it. This is a daily process where we must depend on God’s strength as we seek to put to death the sin in our lives. Amaziah failed to do this, and it ultimately led to his downfall.

Meanwhile, in Israel, Jeroboam II took the throne (during Amaziah’s reign in Judah). Like most of the kings before him, Jeroboam chose to turn away from God and did not do what was right in His sight. Life in Israel was growing worse and worse. They had no allies, and they found many of their citizens as slaves. They had also lost large chunks of their lands in battles as punishment from God. Seeing their distress, God chose to have mercy on them, knowing it was not yet time for them to be destroyed. Now it was not because of their love for Him or their obedience that God chose to help them out (for they were doing neither). It was purely out of His love for His children and His desire to see them return to Him that God chose to help them out by giving them some land and relieving some of the oppression they were feeling. However, Jeroboam’s reign came to an end, and Israel had still not returned to God.

Like Israel, we do not deserve God’s love, but He has chosen to extend His love to us through His Son. He sent Jesus to die for our sins, conquer death and sin through the resurrection, and offer eternal life to us. This is the Gospel, the story of Easter (which is right around the corner). So we must decide what we are going to do with this gift. Are we going to reject Him like Israel did so many times, or are we going to turn away from our sin and turn to Him? We each have to make this decision ourselves, but know that God is waiting for all of us with His arms opened wide.

Matt

The Priest's Graveyard Trailer

2011-04-04T22:34:00.001-04:00

A trailer for a book? Some of you might wonder what is going on here. This is actually not all that uncommon. Many authors make videos about their upcoming novels in an effort to promote them beforehand. Ted Dekker has done this for years with several of his books. We are now just a little over 2 weeks away from the release of The Priest's Graveyard. The reviews that have been coming in have been amazing, and I cannot wait to get my hands on this book! Will it be his best? Time will tell. In the meantime, check out this trailer and go pre-order The Priest's Graveyard. I do not think you will be disappointed.

Matt

2 Kings 13

2011-04-04T09:53:00.000-04:00

2 Kings 13

In 2 Kings 13 the story travels back to Israel. After the death of Jehu, while Joash was still king in Judah, Jehu’s son, Jehoahaz took the throne. Although Jehu had been instrumental in turning Israel back to God, they quickly fell away after his death. They returned to the practices of some of their former kings, like Jeroboam, and did what was evil in God’s sight. Under the leadership of Jehoahaz, they worshipped other gods, and as a result, God punished them. God allowed Syria to destroy Israel, completely doing away with their army. This drove Jehoahaz back to God, and when God saw that he had returned to Him, He sent them help. Israel was able to hold off the Syrians from causing any more problems, and Israel was spared. However, they continued to follow after other gods and did not completely turn back to God, which carried over into the reign of their next king, Jehoash. Like his father, Jehoash did what was evil in God’s sight.

The rest of 2 Kings 13 looks at the end of Elisha’s life. While on his death bed, Elisha was able to have one last conversation with Jehoash, king of Israel. Once again, remember that Jehoash and Joash are the same person. We previously saw this when a Joash reigned in Judah. This person, however, is king in Israel, but there are two different spellings for the same person. So this latest king, Jehoash, was king when Elisha died.

Elisha told Jehoash that he would have victory over Syria, for God was going to give them the victory. Due to the covenant that God had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He was not going to allow Israel to be destroyed (at least not yet). So he promised that Israel, under the reign of Jehoash, would defeat Syria. But when giving the prophecy, Elisha commanded Jehoash to keep shooting arrows into the ground, and Jehoash only did it three times. Thinking that he would continue until the quiver was emptied, Elisha condemned him for not completing the task. As a result, he promised Jehoash that they would only find victory over Syria three times instead of doing away with the threat of the Syrians forever. After his death, Elisha’s predictions once again came true. Even with a change in command in Syria (as Hazael died and his son, Ben-hadad took his place), Israel continued to have victory over Syria and took back their cities from the Syrians three times.

Finally, there was one last miracle of Elisha. Even in his death, God had given him the ability to heal another man. When some Moabites were traveling through the land, they threw a body into the grave of Elisha (possibly not knowing that Elisha was in there). When their dead bodies came into contact with one another, the man was healed and made alive. Now while Scripture does not tell us anything else about this man, can you imagine what he must have thought or what the men who had thrown his dead body in must have thought? They must have realized that they were in the land of Israel, and while we will never know, it may have caused them to seek after God. They had probably heard of some of the amazing miracles that had been performed in Israel, and this may have been enough to cause them to seek after God (but we may never know).

Thus ends the life of a great man of God. Elisha was one who truly followed after God and obeyed His commands. He allowed God to use him in miraculous ways and trusted that God would be able to work through him. While there may have been times when Elisha wondered how God would be able to resolve such an “impossible” situation, he allowed God to work through his life. He knew that God had a plan, and he was only God’s servant. So when life seems impossible, we can trust that God has a plan. He is all-powerful and can work everything out for good, according to His will. We must learn to trust God, and allow Him to work through us. We cannot live this life on our own, and if we try to do so, we will fall every time. So be like Elisha and let God work in your life as you surrender to His will.

Matt

2 Kings 11-12

2011-04-03T14:35:00.000-04:00

2 Kings 11-12

The scene now shifts back to Judah. While Jehu was reigning in Israel, Judah had to find someone to take the throne in Judah. Since their former 2 kings had followed in the ways of Ahab, they had been killed (by Jehu). That meant that Ahaziah’s son would be the next to take the throne, so that the kingship would remain in the line of David. However, Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah went on a rampage, killing anyone who might have the opportunity to take the throne. She declared herself as queen, but she did not know that one of Ahaziah’s sons had been spared. Ahaziah’s sister, took Joash (one of his sons) and hid him from Athaliah. She knew that the time would come when he would be promoted to the throne, but for the time being he was safe.

Seven years later, the time finally came for Joash to take the throne, and he really was only seven when he became king. Since he was so young, Jehoiada the priest served as a type of advisor for Joash. Jehoiada gathered all of the priests from Judah together and devised a plan that would give the crown to Joash. Without Athaliah’s knowledge, Jehoiada proclaimed Joash as king of Judah, and the people recognized him as their king as well. Of course, this pronouncement angered Athaliah, and she declared it as treason. She believed that she had a right to the throne. However, God had promised that the throne in Judah was only for those in the line of David. Although she married into that line, she was not a descendant of David.

Jehoiada eventually had Athaliah killed, along with the rest of her followers. He also led Israel in the taking down of anything that had to do with the worship of Baal. This completely did away with any of the influences of Ahab that were left in Judah. Jehoiada then led Joash and Judah into a covenant between them and God. Growing up in this position of authority and this covenant before God, Joash learned at a young age what it meant to follow God. So during his 40 year reign in Judah, Joash was able to bring the nation closer to God, something that had been destroyed during the reigns of Jehoram and Ahaziah.

He was most known for his efforts at repairing the Temple. While this was not an easy undertaking and it took almost 23 years to get the project started, Joash was able to collect enough money to restore their center of worship. Think about how big of a deal this was for Judah! Not only had they successfully destroyed anything that was associated with Baal, but they were also able to restore the things of God. This was a big swing religiously for the nation of Judah, and it was evident that they were truly turning back to God (at least for the time being). This can also serve as encouragement for us. We all drift from God at some point in our life, but we can be encouraged to know that He will always take us back. He loves us and wants us to return to Him, and if we get our lives back on track, we can find forgiveness and love in His arms.

Even though Joash, with the help of Jehoiada, was able to turn Judah back to God, his life ended tragically. Some of his own servants rose up and assassinated Joash, putting a tragic end to his reign as king. This gave the throne to his son, Amaziah, who would also continue to follow God as he led Judah. One final note, if you read through 2 Kings 12, you will notice that Joash is nowhere to be found (depending on your translation). Joash is sometimes referred to as Jehoash, so recognize that they are the same person.

Matt

2 Kings 10

2011-04-02T13:53:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 10

If you read 2 Kings 9-10 without knowing the background of the story (basically 1 Kings 21 – 2 Kings 8), then you might not have much respect for Jehu. Without a knowledge of all that had gone on before under the reign of Ahab and his descendants, it would appear as if Jehu was a power hungry politician who killed anyone and everyone who stood in his way. This would also be an incorrect interpretation of Jehu’s actions. Knowing the story up to this point, we know that God had personally selected Jehu to carry out these actions. Because of the way Ahab and his family had acted, God had promised that they would all be destroyed. That included Ahab, his immediate family, and all even those in Judah who had married into his family. Although the king of Judah was a direct descendant of David, he also had connections to Ahab and his family. This was Jehu’s mission, to wipe out everyone who was associated with Ahab.

In 2 Kings 9 he took care of the big names, the kings of Israel and Judah as well as Jezebel. Then, in 2 Kings 10, Jehu began to take care of some of the smaller (yet powerful) offices throughout the land. He first sent letters to the servants and of Ahab’s 70 sons that were scattered throughout the land. He asked that they choose someone to reign as king over Israel. After seeing what Jehu had done to Joram, Ahaziah, and Jezebel, none of these men were willing to make any suggestions. They gave the kingdom to Jehu, thus fulfilling God’s plans. Jehu then commanded these men to kill their masters, all 70 of Ahab’s sons. Their heads were brought to Jehu the next day as he continued to destroy anyone associated with the house of Ahab.

From there, Jehu found some of the relatives of Ahaziah (those who had also been associated with Ahab). Discovering their relations to the former king, Jehu struck all of them down as well. Even the smallest, least influential person could have been a threat for Jehu. He had been commanded to wipe out everyone associated with Ahab, and did not matter how close they actually were. Just one person could cause a revolt against Jehu, so he faithfully did as God had commanded.

Finally, Jehu also wanted to do away with those who had blindly followed Ahab in his worship of Baal. He pretended to be a follower of Baal as well (which to me is quite deceiving). I am not sure if this was the best tactic, as this is not something I would be willing to even pretend to compromise. However, Jehu was able to convince all of the prophets and followers of Baal to gather together in one confined area. After making a great show in which he earned their trust, he had his guards kill them all. So not only were the political threats destroyed, but all who had followed after Ball (and not God) were killed as well.

So it seemed as if Israel was on the turn around. It seemed as if they were ready to turn back to God and get back in line with His commands. But sadly, that was not the case. Although Jehu had successfully taken care of the influence of the worship of Baal, he did not remove the two golden calves that had been constructed during the reign of Jeroboam. Parts of Israel may have returned to the Lord, but the nation as a whole did not. Due to Jehu’s initial obedience, God blessed Jehu and his descendants, allowing them to reign in Israel for four more generations. Due to his disobedience, however, God began taking away portions of their land, giving it to their enemies. Jehu helped turn Israel in the right direction, and he was a much better king than Ahab or his sons. Israel, however, was still on a downward trend as whole, and judgment was about to come.

Matt

2 Kings 9

2011-04-01T12:33:00.002-04:00

God’s plans began being worked out in 2 Kings 9 as Jehu was declared as king in Israel. Ahab’s family would no longer have the privilege an honor of reigning in Israel (over God’s chosen people). Because of their continual disobedience to His commands, He stripped the kingdom out of their hands and gave it Jehu instead. Jehu was commanded to kill off everyone who was associated with the house of Ahab, which would include Jezebel, his wife who had caused Elijah so many problems, Joram, his son who was the current king in Israel, and Ahaziah, the king in Judah. All of these people were in some way related to Ahab, and they had all followed in His ways. As a result, they would all die.

Jehu did not hesitate and followed the commands given to him by Elisha’s servant. Knowing that the Israelites were currently in battle with Syria, Jehu found the perfect opportunity to find time alone with their king, Joram. Joram had sustained an injury in battle and was encamped away from the battle so that he could heal. By convincing Joram’s messengers to stay with him, Jehu forced Joram to come out to meet him face to face, giving Jehu the perfect opportunity to kill him. The situation only grew better when Joram brought Ahaziah out with him (king of Judah). They had formed an alliance and were fighting together against the Syrians. This worked to Jehu’s benefits as he found both kings hiding out in the same place.

Being upfront with Joram, Jehu plainly stated why he had come. He told Joram of the sins he had committed and that he had come to deal with that issue. Joram quickly caught on and knew that Jehu was about to kill him. So he and Ahaziah both fled, hoping to escape from Jehu, but they were not fast enough. In a matter of moments, Jehu was able to kill off both kings. Not only did this fulfill the promise God had made to Ahab about the future of his family, but it also fulfilled the promise God had made to Naboth’s family. If you do not know this story, go back and read 1 Kings 21. Apparently, a promise had been made to Naboth’s family that the blood for the death of Naboth and his sons would be repaid with the blood of their enemies. Amazingly, the sight of that vineyard was close by, and Jehu had Joram’s body thrown on to that land in order to fulfill that promise made by God.

When Jehu returned to Jezreel, he found Jezebel waiting for him. She knew what he had done, but Jehu had the upper hand. With the help of his servants, he had Jezebel thrown out the window, and she died when her body hit the ground. Another prophecy God had given (through Elijah) was that the dogs would eat the body of Jezebel and she would be unrecognizable. When Jehu and his men went down to retrieve her body, they found that only her skull and a few other body parts remained. They only knew that it was Jezebel because of where the body was.

So many stories come to a close in 2 Kings 9 as we see the fulfillment of several of God’s prophecies through Elijah and Elisha. Not only did these events put an end to the line of Ahab, but they also brought reconciliation to the house of Naboth. Furthermore, Jehu would be able to reign as king of Israel, having successfully taken over the kingdom (with God’s help). It is clear from the events of 2 Kings 9 that God’s plans always come to pass. It may take years for situations to resolve themselves, but we can trust that God will keep His word. So when we find ourselves in a troubling situation, we can be confident that God will stick by our side. He has a plan, and if we will remain obedient to His commands and do as He asks, then we will see His plans work out for our ultimate good.

Matt

2 Kings 8:7-29

2011-03-31T13:05:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 8:7-29

As the story shifts its focus back to the kings, it begins by showing the power struggle that was arising in Syria. When king Ben-hadad was on his death bed, he sent his servant Hazael to inquire of Elisha. He wondered if he would recover from the sickness he had received. Elisha told Hazael that the king would surely recover from his illness but he would also die. He then began to weep knowing what the future held for Hazael, Syria, and Israel. Elisha went on to tell Hazael that because of the evil in his heart, he would be the one that would not only kill Ben-hadad but also attack Israel. Shocked at what Elisha had told him, Hazael could not believe what Elisha had predicted about his future, but after relaying the good news to the king about his recovery, Hazael murdered Ben-hadad. He was then promoted and became king of Syria.

Meanwhile, Judah was beginning to drift from God. For the most part, Judah had been blessed with several great kings. It was a rare exception when they found one that chose to turn from God. As they were all direct descendants of David, most followed in his footsteps. Jehoram, however, did not. His wife was Ahab’s daughter, and if you remember anything about Ahab, he was the worst king Israel had ever seen. The influence of her family caused Jehoram to stumble, and he followed in their ways and not the ways of God. While God could have destroyed Judah then and there, He chose to spare them due to the promise He had made with David. There was punishment, however, as the Edomites revolted against Israel, setting up their own king. Whereas kings like David and Solomon were blessed by conquering new lands and extending the kingdom, Jehoram experienced the loss of land due to his disobedience.

After his death, his son, Ahaziah, took the throne. He too had connections with the house of Ahab. His mother was Ahab’s granddaughter. So he walked in the ways of Ahab and not of God. He later formed an alliance with Israel, but not in an effort to reunite the two nations. He knew that Syria was a common enemy, so the two nations joined forces in an effort to destroy Hazael and Syria. The plan backfired, and Joram (king of Israel) was injured.

The wickedness of the house of Ahab had now spread throughout all of Judah, and they had become as corrupt as their northern neighbor, Israel. This story illustrates the dangers of associating ourselves with people such as these. While it is important to reach out to all people in an effort to share the Gospel with them, and while it is important to build those relationships so that they can see Christ living in us, our strongest relationships should be with fellow Christians. It is far easier for non-believers to bring us down than for us to lift them up. Please do not think that I am saying that we should not have strong relationships with non-believers (for we should for the sake of the Gospel). But those relationships should look a lot different from the relationships we have with fellow believers.

Thankfully, Ahab’s influence was about to come to end. God had promised Ahab that his line would find its end in Israel. Remember that whereas the kings of Judah were still from the same line of David (an unbroken line), the kings of Israel came from many different families. Due to corruption and murder, several different families had inherited the throne in Israel. So while God did not end it with Ahab, He told Ahab that his son would be the end of his line. The story continues in 2 Kings 9.

Matt

2 Kings 8:1-6

2011-03-30T13:12:00.000-04:00

2 Kings 8:1-6

As this extended section of the miracles that Elisha performed comes to an end in 2 Kings 8, a familiar family comes back into the picture. Some of the first we saw Elisha ministering to was the Shunammite woman, who had provided for him in so many ways, and her son, whom had been raised from the dead. Elisha apparently stayed in touch with this family and may have even spent more time with them in the time that had passed since we last saw them. So after receiving word that a famine was about to come on the land, Elisha warned her and her family of the coming famine. He encouraged them to leave Israel for 7 years so that they would not have to endure the famine, which they did. They traveled to the land of the Philistines and lived there for 7 years. But when they came back to Israel, they found that they no longer had their land.

Meanwhile, the king was speaking with Elisha’s servant, Gehazi. This is an interesting pairing, as the king had an on and off relationship with Elisha. While he supported Elisha in some ways, he hated Elisha at times as well. Furthermore, Gehazi was the servant who had been plagued with leprosy after he sought out rewards from Naaman for the minor role he played in Naaman’s healing of leprosy. In 2 Kings 8, however, we find them discussing the great works of Elisha. It appears as if they had put their differences behind them and were truly amazed at what Elisha was able to do. In the middle of their conversation on how Elisha had even been able to raise people from the dead, the Shunammite woman and her son entered into the room. She was seeing if there was any way that they could receive their land back. After hearing her story about what Elisha had done for them, knowing that Elisha held this family in high regards, the king restored all her land and gave back to her all that it produced while they had been away.

It seems as if these two men ended up closer to the Lord in the end. They had been through some rough times and had doubted God’s presence and ability on multiple occasions. But the testimony of Elisha finally convinced them that God was who He said He was. They could deny all that God had done through Elisha. It was clear that God had been at work. Time and time again, Elisha’s words came true just as he had predicted. That begs the question, what do others see in us? Is it evident that God is at work in our lives? Our lives should point back to God, proving that He is still at work today. When people see us, they should see God. When people hear us speaking, they should hear about God. Our lives should reflect the truths taught in Scripture, and our words should boldly proclaim His Gospel. When our walk matches our talk and we live lives dedicated to God’s service, people will not be able to deny that God is still at work. They will see God and hopefully turn to Him. It is our responsibility to share this Good News with others.

This marks the end of this extended section of Elisha. While Elisha is still in the story of the kings for several more chapters, the story will now begin to focus back in on the various kings of Israel and Judah (much like 1 Kings). We will continue down the line of kings seeing who remained obedient to God and who drifted from Him. As a side note, remember that there were 2 “Jehoram’s,” one in Israel and one in Judah. 2 Kings 8 refers to the “Jehoram” in Israel as “Joram.” He is the man who has been king during these last several chapters where the story has focused more on Elisha than Jehoram/Joram himself, and this is where the story will pick up next.

Matt

2 Kings 6:24-7:20

2011-03-29T15:53:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 6:24-7:20

Strife continued between the Israelites and the Syrians. Although the Israelites had been spared once, as they Syrians had been turned away after encountering God’s horses and chariots of fire, they found themselves in trouble yet again. After some time, the Syrians returned to Israel (or as it is being referred to in these chapters, Samaria). They lay siege to the city and caused a great famine amongst the Israelites. The famine was so severe that the Israelites were reverting to some extreme actions just to survive. For instance, two women fought over boiling their own children just so they would have something to eat. When one of the women hid her child, she caused a great uproar in the city, to which they went to the king for a solution. But the king was in just as much distress over the situation. He was mourning as well, not knowing what to do or where to turn. He felt like his only option was to kill Elisha, an order he gave out of his anger and distress.

So one of his servants went to the house where Elisha was staying with the intent of killing him, and the king was not far behind. Knowing that the men were on their way, Elisha told his men what they were up to. They held the door shut, not letting the king or his servant into the room and carried on their conversation with only a door separating them. The king wanted relief from the famine and threat of war, and Elisha promised that it would soon come. The servant doubted that God could actually provide for them in their present crisis, but Elisha assured him that they would be giving and selling food at the gates of the city the next day. In fact, he also knew told the servant that he (the servant) would not taste any of the food that was being sold.

Meanwhile, God was taking care of the Syrians with his horses and chariots. Hearing the sound of a great army approaching, the Syrians feared that the Israelites had joined forces with one of the larger countries in the area, like Egypt. They fled back to their homeland, leaving Israel altogether. In fact, they left so quickly that they did not even take the time to collect up all of their things, making their camp look like a ghost town.

There were also four guards outside the city gates contemplating how they would die. They knew that the famine would eventually kill them, but they wondered when the Syrians would come and attack. Knowing that death was more than likely imminent, they left their post and went into the Syrian camp hoping that they would find help there. They were shocked to see that the Syrians were gone, and after going through the whole camp, they reported back to the king that the Syrians had left. Wanting to make sure that the Syrians were not devising some master plan, the king sent a few men all the way to the Jordan just to make sure the Syrians had not snuck off somewhere else to prepare for a surprise attack. Those men found no trace of the Syrians and knew that the coast was clear. As a result, the Israelites were able to ransack the Syrian camp, taking all of their food (which is what they needed most). In a fulfillment of the prophecy God had given through Elisha, the food was then sold at the gates to the city and that servant did not receive any to eat. But in a surprising twist, the reason he did not eat was because he was killed in the gates when he was trampled by the men running through. He did not believe that God could actually provide for their needs and laughed at the idea that they would soon have food to sell and to eat. As a result, he found himself dead while the rest of the city was rejoicing at God’s provisions. Even when it seems impossible, God can meet the needs of His children if He so chooses.

Matt

2 Kings 6:1-23

2011-03-28T12:28:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 6:1-23

These short stories recounting the many miracles of Elisha continue in 2 Kings 6. First, the sons of the prophets prepare to find a new city in which to live. After receiving permission from Elisha, they set out to a city along the Jordan and began to build a new place to live. In the process, one of their axes fell into the river. The man was greatly disturbed not because he had lost the ax but because he had lost an ax that he had borrowed from someone else. There would have been punishment for that action according to the Law if he was never able to return the ax to the one who had given it to him. Elisha saw no problem, however, as he was able to cause the ax to float in the water. Whether he manipulated the wood or the water, I am not sure. Either way, this went against the laws of nature as Elisha exhibited the power of God (for only God can manipulate the laws of nature).

Not long afterwards, the Syrians began to prepare for battle against the Israelites. Elisha, knowing of the king of Syria’s plans because God had given him that ability, warned the king of Israel. He told Jehoram where the Syrians would be so that Jehoram could keep his armies away from that area lest they be defeated by the Syrians. This rightly enraged the king of Syria. He did not understand how the Israelites had discovered his plans. He assumed that one of his own men was secretly working with the Israelites, but he soon found out that that was not the case. Someone finally figured out that it was the prophet Elisha, and the king of Syria ordered that they surround the city he was living in and destroy it. Think about how foolish this order is. Elisha knew his plans; he had known when and where they would attack Israel. So would Elisha not know that they would be coming his way next? Furthermore, his special knowledge was a gift from God (and probably viewed as some sort of special power in the eyes of the Syrians). If he was able to know their plans, would it not be possible that he could do other miraculous things as well? The king of Syria was so focused on destroying Elisha that he did not think through all the possibilities, not realizing how foolish his actions were.

So when the Syrians approached the city of Dothan, where Elisha was living at the time, there was naturally fear in Dothan. In fact, Elisha’s servant feared that they might be overrun. Elisha assured him that there was a much larger army surrounding them that would protect them from the Syrians. God had sent His horses and chariots of fire (more than likely an army of angels) to protect Elisha and those in the city of Dothan. The servant’s eyes were later opened so that he could see them and find comfort in the fact that God had sent them help. The Syrians were then led into Israel, where Elisha told Jehoram that they had captured the Syrians. The in an act of generosity, they fed the Syrians and sent them back to their homelands. They could have destroyed the Syrians in that moment, but instead, they let them leave hoping that they would see their act of kindness and not try and attack Israel again.

God was with Elisha and his men in their time of greatest need. He was not through with Elisha, so He sent His army of angels to protect him. We never know when the end of our life may come. It could be today, or it could be years from now. So when the hard times come, we must always turn to God, seeking His help and protection, knowing that He may choose to let us suffer for a little while. Nowhere in Scripture do we see that God’s children will never suffer. Sometimes God does provide that way of escape, but there are other times in which He lets us go through the hard times. Either way, it should always draw us closer to Him, teaching us to trust Him in His infinite wisdom. He knows what is best for us, as He knows the end of the story. So whether He protects us as He did for Elisha in 2 Kings 6 or lets us suffer for a while, we can trust that He has a plan. We may not understand it all in the moment, but we can know that God is in control of our lives.

Matt

2 Kings 5:15-27

2011-03-26T14:28:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 5:15-27

Elisha was not a prophet because he wanted to receive the gifts and blessings that people might offer him as a result of his service. He was not seeking payment for the miracles he performed (through God’s strength). He knew that this was the task God had called him to, and living in obedience to God was enough “payment” for Elisha. So when Naaman offered him payment for his services, for healing Naaman of his leprosy, Elisha refused. He knew it was not his place to receive anything for something he had not done. God was the one who had performed the miracle, not Elisha. Elisha was just the instrument that God used. The fact that Naaman had declared that he would serve God and God alone from that moment forward was enough “payment” for Elisha.

However, this was not enough for Gehazi, Elisha’s servant. Gehazi was the man that had been the messenger between Elisha and Naaman in the first part of 2 Kings 5. He was the one who had explained to Naaman what he needed to do to be cured from leprosy. He also felt that they should accept Naaman’s offer, so he set out after Naaman. But he did not just ask for whatever Naaman had previously offered. Instead, Gehazi made the situation worse by lying to Naaman. He created a lie about two men who had just arrived and were in need of money and clothes. Oblivious to the situation, Naaman did as he said. He believed that Elisha had sent Gehazi with the message and did not question the situation.

The situation only got worse when Gehazi returned home. Elisha asked him where he had been, and Gehazi once again had to lie. He could not tell Elisha that he had gone to accept gifts from Naaman when Elisha had already declined Naaman’s offer. Furthermore, he could not tell Elisha the story he had made up to get Naaman to give him the gifts he had received. So he told Elisha that he had not gone anywhere. Elisha knew that Gehazi was lying and knew what he had done. So as punishment, a curse was put on Gehazi and his family, and they suffered from the disease of leprosy that had once troubled Naaman.

The lesson here seems pretty obvious; do not lie. It is such a simple lesson. Lies always lead to more lies. The more you lie, the harder it is to come clean later. We see what happened to Gehazi as he had to continue to lie in order to stay in Elisha’s good graces. However, his lies eventually caught up with him, and they always well. Even the best liars will eventually slip up, and when they do, there can be some severe ramifications.

That is not the only lesson we learn from Gehazi, however. Another is this; when we serve God, we should not expect anything in return. While it is true that God does indeed bless His children, it should never be our motivation in serving Him. Elisha refused to accept the gifts from Naaman because he saw them as payment for his service to God. Elisha served God because he loved God. He wanted to live in obedience to God’s commands. He wanted to do as the Lord asked, and he did not expect God to reward him for his service. That does not mean that we have to feel guilty if God rewards us in some way for obedience and service. Again, God does want to bless His children, and He might choose to reward us in some way. But if we ever become more focused on what we might receive from God than on our service to God, we have fallen into the same trap that Gehazi fell into.

Matt

The Magician's Nephew

2011-03-25T13:18:00.000-04:00

Did you ever wonder how it all started? No I am not talking about world. I am talking about the world of Narnia. Where did it come from? Why did people start crossing over from one world to the other? Who is Aslan, and where did he come from? Why was evil allowed in Narnia in the first place? These questions and more are answered in this 6th book of The Chronicles of Narnia series.

This is the book that they have chosen for the next Narnia movie. Now I know that I had mentioned previously that The Silver Chair would probably be the next movie, and I thought it would (as did many other people). But with this series, they really can take it any many different directions and end up with the same result. So although we will not see the continuing adventures of Eustace in the next movie, we will meet the first boy and girl from our world that stumbled into Narnia. Plus, if this movie does well enough, we will eventually be able to see Eustace's second trip to Narnia.

This news is only a few days old, and the movie itself may not come out for a couple of years. That means we have plenty of time to start talking it up. Get people excited about the latest installment of Narnia. It will be a great conversation starter as it not only provides answers to some of they mysteries of Narnia (like the lamppost), but it also has some great Christian parallels. Like the movies before it, there will be some great Christan themes portrayed that will have people talking.

Until then, enjoy the other 3 movies that have already been released. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader comes out on DVD in just a couple weeks. Be sure to pick up a copy! Then, why not read through the series. You have 2 years to do so! Read the whole story (all 7 books), and see the big picture. Hopefully production will move along quickly and we will find ourselves back in Narnia not too long from now!

Matt

2 Kings 5:1-14

2011-03-24T14:07:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 5:1-14

Moving on to 2 Kings 5 (yes, it is a new chapter!), the story shifts to a man from Syria. Naaman was a commander in the army of the king of Syria, and he was well respected by the Syrians and king. He had led Syria to victory over Israel (because God had granted the victory to Syria), and that victory elevated his status among his people. There was, however, a problem with Naaman. He was a leper. This awful skin disease, which marked Israelites as unclean, plagued Naaman, and he sought relief. Knowing of his condition, a young Israelite servant girl that Naaman had acquired ruing his battles told him that there was a prophet of God in Israel that could heal him. She believed in God’s power and knew that God spoke and worked through His prophets.

So Naaman prepared for a trip to Israel, hoping to find relief from his disease. He took with him a letter from the king of Syria asking the king of Israel to grant him healing. This story is a perfect example of why Israel had been created. God wanted Israel to be a light to the nations so that the surrounding nations would see that there was something different in Israel. This would then lead them to Israel’s God (the only God). But Israel’s unfaithfulness had distorted God’s plans, and they had not lived up to their potential. This young girl, however, recognized God’s power and because of her, Naaman set out to learn more.

The king in Israel, however, became upset with Naaman, knowing that he could not perform this miracle. He wondered why the king of Syria would ask such a ridiculous request of him and thought that it might be a set up of some type. When Elisha heard of the situation, he rebuked the king, reminding him that through God’s strength, the healing of Naaman was not impossible. So Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman with instructions on what he was to do cleanse himself of the leprosy. After washing himself 7 times in the Jordan River, he would find healing.

Naaman became upset with Elisha’s instructions. He was expecting more, something more miraculous. He did not want to have to physically do something. Furthermore, he did not understand why he could not cleanse himself in his own rivers (which were cleaner in his opinion). He was ready to walk away and continue to live in his sickness. Is this not a picture of the lost? They (do not forget that this was once us if we are believers) are given the answer to their problem, sin. They are told to trust in Jesus in order to find forgiveness and salvation. Yet, they want to do it on their own terms, find another way. They are not satisfied with God’s way and turn from Him living in their sin as they try to find healing through their own strength.

That is where Naaman was until his servants confronted him on the issue. They knew he had been given very simple and very specific instructions. All he had to do was obey those simple instructions, and he would be healed. Naaman eventually recognized his foolishness, went to the Jordan, and did exactly what Elisha had asked. In the same way, the Gospel really is quite simple. We do not really have to “do” anything. God tells us that if we believe on Him, that He sent His Son to die for our sins, that Jesus died and rose again from the dead conquering sin and death, and confess our faith in Him, then we can be saved. It is really that simple, and yet we make it so hard. We say that it is too easy or that God could never accept us. We try to fix our lives before we come to God or reject Him altogether. Like Naaman, many people turn from the truth and walk away. But unlike Naaman, there are many who never turn back. No one ever goes back to them to confront them on the issue. No one ever tries to share the Gospel with them again.

May this be a lesson for those of us who are Christians, that we do not give up on a person just because they reject Christ the first time. Continue to get to know those people, love them, and invest in their lives. Continue to share the Gospel with them. They may never come to know Christ, but what would happen if we gave up on them? There is only one way to salvation, and that is through Jesus Christ. There is a world out there that needs to hear it, and we are the ones that God chose to deliver the message.

Matt

2 Kings 4:38-44

2011-03-23T10:32:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 4:38-44

Most people know about the miracles of Jesus. If someone has had some type of encounter with Scripture, they can probably tell you a few things they know about Him: that He was a good person and teacher who did miraculous things. When people think about the miracles Jesus performed, raising the dead, walking on water, and feeding the 5,000 are probably some of the most recognized. What people do not realize is that some of these same miracles were performed in the Old Testament as well. Knowing this, the miracles of Jesus are even more miraculous. He took them all to a whole new level. For instance, He raised people from the dead like Elijah and Elisha, but He also raised Himself from the dead!

One commonly overlooked story from the Old Testament is found at the end of 2 Kings 4. First there is the story of the deadly stew, which we will come back to later. The chapter ends, however, with a story very similar to the feeding of the 5,000. After the incident with the stew, a man came up with a small portion of bread, just 20 loaves, to give to Elisha. Seeing the needs of the sons of the prophets around him, Elisha asked that it be distributed amongst them. The man questioned his instructions, realizing that it was a small amount of food for such a large group of men. He did not see how it would physically be possible for them all to be filled. Elisha persisted that he distribute the bread, saying that God had promised that there would be plenty with some left over. Then, after they had all eaten, some was left, just as God had promised.

This story parallels the feeding of the 5,000, but I can probably count on one hand how many times I have ever heard this passage mentioned other than my own reading through Scripture. I do not understand why it is overlooked. This whole chapter in 2 Kings has been amazing. It has shown God at work in miraculous ways, providing for His children. It has shown us what great faith looks like and how we should turn to God first in our time of need. We have spent 3 days in 2 Kings 4, but there has been a lot of truth packed into these three short stories.

So now look back to the story about the stew, which is another picture of God’s provision and protection of His children. Elisha and some of his men were preparing a stew for these same sons of the prophets (before the bread story). But some of Elisha’s servants unknowingly retrieved some ingredients that were poisonous. After mixing it into the stew, several of the men realized that there was a problem with the stew and were fearful for their lives. Elisha quickly responded to the problem by throwing some flour into the pot, which miraculously cured the stew, making it edible for the men.

There are some great stories in the Old Testament, and I would encourage you to read through these 39 books if you have never done so, especially the books of history. In today’s church, we seem to know a lot about the New Testament, but sadly, many people pass over the Old Testament. The New Testament is so much richer in light of the Old Testament, and you will be amazed at some of the parallels that you will find. Just because we have a “newer” section of Scripture does not mean that the “older” one is obsolete. There are some great lessons that can be learned from these great stories of the Patriarchs.

Matt

2 Kings 4:8-37

2011-03-22T18:25:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 4:8-37

Another interesting parallel between Elijah and Elisha appears in the next story in 2 Kings 4. In 1 Kings 17, after the widow’s needs were met, her son died, and Elijah was there to raise him back from the dead. In 2 Kings 4, after the widow’s oil was replenished, Elisha met a family who had no son. This family provided food and lodging for Elisha every time he passed through their town. They knew him to be a prophet of God and wanted to provide all that they could for him so that he could continue his ministry. While Elisha was grateful for their hospitality, he wanted to give back to them. This is an awesome picture of thanksgiving and a giving heart. While Elisha was glad to receive whatever they offered him, he felt like it was not enough for him to just receive great gifts. He wanted to show his gratitude by providing for them as well. This is very different from the American culture where we try to see how much we can get. The only time we ever seem to care for and provide for others is around Christmas and in times of disaster around the world.

But Elisha wanted to help them out anyway he could. At first, the woman was unwilling to tell him anything she wanted. All she had done for Elisha had been from her heart, and she had never expected anything in return. So she continued to refuse to burden Elisha with her desires. His servant, however, discovered that they had always wanted to have a son. Now old in age, they seemed to have resided to the fact that they would have no children. After hearing this news, Elisha told the woman that she would indeed have a son in a year. At first she thought he was lying, not seeing how it was possible. She did not want to get her hopes up only to have them crushed one year later. But as spring rolled back around, the woman conceived and had a son, just like she had always wanted.

This is where we see another parallel between Elijah and Elisha. Like the widow’s son in 1 Kings 17, this woman’s son becomes ill and dies. After going out to see his father one day, he returned home with what appeared to be a severe headache of some type. Moments later, he died, and she laid him in the extra room they used for Elisha. After his death, the woman immediately saddled up her donkey and set out to find Elisha, knowing that if anyone could bring her son back from the dead, he could.

This woman showed great faith, just like the widow in the previous story. She knew that Elisha was a prophet from God, and that if God so willed, He could bring her son back from the dead. Part of her motivation for going to see Elisha was her faith that he could indeed bring healing to her son. But I think there was something else as well. She went out of fear and possibly anger. Elisha had promised that she would have a son, and to lose him so early made her wonder if what Elisha had told her was true. While he had not promised how long the child would live, she probably assumed that he would have a long life. This is so much like the way we treat God. We believe that He is all-powerful and wise. We believe that He has the ability to bring healing, but when tragedy strikes we become angry. Not understanding why it happened, we wonder if God really cares for us any longer. Why would He allow tragedy to strike His own children?

What we can take away from this woman is that even though she was probably angry and upset at what happened to her son, her anger did not deter her from going to God with her problem, and in the end, her son was brought back from the dead. Although we may not always experience a “happy ending” like this, we can trust that God is still in control. No matter how the situation turns out, when we turn to God for help, He will be there for us. The first place we should turn when tragedy strikes is God!

Matt

John Waller - As For Me and My House

2011-03-22T16:17:00.000-04:00

May 3rd... that's the day that John Waller's new CD will be released. This coming month and a half is definitely an exciting time. With the release of a new Ted Dekker book, the newest Narnia film, and a new CD by John Waller, I am going to have plenty to buy and do!

The verses at the top of this blog from Deuteronomy 30:19-20 came from a previous John Waller song, "The Blessing." Many of his songs quote scripture, and that is evident on both of his previous CDs. I love contemporary music, and there are all kinds. Some songs talk about situations that we go through in life and how we can depend on God. They offer us encouragement and hope and are great alternatives to some of the more secular situations we hear from other music genres. But there is even a subsection of music within contemporary music that actually quotes Scripture extensively within the song. Many artists do this from time to time (some more than others). John Waller is one of those artists I have noticed that does it quite frequently. Pick up either of his previous CDs and you will see what I am talking about.

I expect nothing less on this new CD. In fact, the only song that has been released so far is entitled, "As For Me and My House." That is a direct quote from Joshua 24:15. At that point in Israel's history, they had a choice to make, similar to their choice in Deuteronomy 30:19-20. Would they choose life or death? choose to follow God or follow the gods of their fathers who had drifted from the Lord? While Joshua gave the rest of the Israelites the choice to consider, he declared that he and his family had already made up their mind. They would serve the Lord, following Him, trusting Him to lead them in life. We have that same choice today. In a world full of distractions, both good and bad, we have to decide how we are going to spend our time. Are we going to spend it following the gods of our world, the sins that so easily enslave us, or are we going to spend it following God and serving Him? This is a great question for us to ponder as we do a self-checkup on our spiritual lives.

While I do not know what the rest of the songs will be like on this CD (nor do I know how much more Scripture, if any, he will use in them), I encourage you to go out and buy this CD when it is released. I am confident that you will be both encouraged and challenged by these songs. Until then, look up this song on YouTube, as the music video is posted there.

Matt

2 Kings 4:1-7

2011-03-21T14:08:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 4:1-7

Elisha had officially taken over in Elijah’s place, and he had already had encounters with the kings, which was one of the prophet’s major jobs. When the prophets pop up in Scripture, more times than not, they are in the middle of some situation with one of the kings of Israel or Judah (whether for good or for bad). But their dealings with the kings were not their only jobs. They also worked with the people in the land. Think back to the widow and son that Elijah met at one point. God allowed him to work a great miracle that day when the flour and oil in her house did not run out for quite some time. Through Elijah, God supernaturally met her needs. A similar story is seen in the opening verses of 2 Kings 4. Another widow (this one, a widow of a prophet who had been dedicated to serving God) found herself in a tough financial situation. She had no way to support herself or her two children, and some men were ready to take her sons away from her to use them as slaves. She called out for help from Elisha, and God worked through him like He had done through Elijah. Elisha told the woman to collect large jars from her neighbors, as many as she could find. Then, she was to pour the little bit of oil that she had in her house into those jars. The oil continued to flow long after the small jar should have emptied out. She was then able to take the abundance of oil in all the jars and sell them, thus earning enough money to meet her current financial needs.

The woman had great faith in God, knowing that He could meet her needs. She went to His messenger first, humbly asking for help. She did not let pride get in her way. Instead of feeling shameful about her current situation, she asked for assistance. Instead of trying to resolve her situation through her own strength, she turned to God. God proved in that moment that He is faithful and can be trusted. He does not enjoy watching us suffer. He knows what is best in our life and will always be there to supply our needs. We must not confuse our desires with our needs or think that we deserve more than we are given. It can be easy to think that since we do not have all that we want that God is not looking out for us, when He is meeting our most basic needs. In this materialistic culture that we live in we have confused our wants for our needs. Following God does not mean that we will always be financially set, never to struggle again financially. It does not mean that hard times, whether financial or personal, will not come up in our lives. As I have heard some say recently, “God is not a cosmic Santa Claus.” He does, however, give us what we need to survive, and we can always trust Him to at least do that much.

This is a short passage for today, as this is a longer chapter. We will next look at the story about the Shunammite woman and her hospitality. Although we only looked at a few verses today, there was a lot of truth packed into those short 7 verses. The widow showed us what faith looks like and reminded us that we can always depend on God.

Matt

2 Kings 3

2011-03-20T18:03:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 3

Life in Israel after Ahaziah was not much different than it was when Ahaziah had the throne. Jehoram continued in the ways of the kings before him, doing what was evil in the sight of God. He led Israel down the same path that Jeroboam had begun when the kingdom first split. He then began to experience his share of troubles as king. Moab, a nation that had been a supplier of lambs and wool for Israel, decided to rebel. They had not been satisfied with the way that they had been treated in the days of Ahab, and when they got the opportunity to do so, they broke ties with Israel. Jehoram, however, was determined to rein them back into service for Israel, so he joined forces with Jehoshaphat in Judah and the king of Edom.

The three nations marched into battle against Moab, but before they ever arrived, they ran out of supplies, most importantly water. They knew that they could not survive much longer without supplies. Jehoram was ready to give up, believing that God had sent them out to battle so that they all might die because of the evil that he had done. Jehoshaphat, however, asked if there was a prophet nearby that they could speak with, knowing that he would speak the word of God. The prophet they found was Elisha.

Due to the fact that Jehoshaphat had come to the aid of Jehoram, the word God gave through Elisha was for their benefit. He was going to give them the strength they needed to survive their journey and then give the Moabites into their hands. The text alludes to the fact that this would not have been the case if Jehoram had gone up to battle by himself. Because of his disobedience, God would have probably allowed he and his men to be defeated by the Moabites. Since Jehoshaphat was with him, and he had done well in following God’s commands, however, God decided to spare both he and Jehoram, giving them what they needed.

The next morning, the men found a pool of water that had miraculously appeared for them just as Elisha had predicted. They were able to get the refreshment that they needed to continue and made their way toward Moab. The battle went in their favor, and they had great success over the Moabites. Although they did not actually take care of the king of Moab, retreating when they saw him sacrifice his son, they were able to do great damage to the Moabites.

Once again, there is a contrast drawn between the kings of Israel and Judah. Whereas those in Judah generally followed God’s commands and received blessings for it, the kings of Israel chose to turn away from Him. As a result, they experienced times of unrest, including plagues and wars. God was trying to draw His children back unto Himself, but they continued to push away from Him. Even when they saw how God continued to bless those in Judah, knowing that the only reason they were granted success in their battle against the Moabites was due to Jehoshaphat’s presence, they continued to turn away from Him. In the same way, God is reaching out to people today, and there are many who continue to ignore Him. It is hard to watch people continue to reject God, but we must remember that our job is not to convert them, for only God can do that. We must be faithful in giving them the message, showing them the truth of the Gospel. It is then up to them to decide what they will do it, and as hard as it is to watch, there will be many who choose to reject it.

Matt

Preview - The Priest's Graveyard

2011-03-20T08:58:00.000-04:00

How about a book preview rather than a book review? We are just a month away from the release of Ted Dekker's latest novel, The Priest's Graveyard, set to release in the middle of April. In the tradition of his more recent Spring novels, this book is not particularly targeted toward his Christian audience. Please do not misunderstand me though and think that there are no secular elements to this book. If this book is anything like the rest of his books, there will definitely be Christian themes woven into the story line. However, in an effort to get his books to a much larger audience, he now promotes and publishes his Spring releases through a different publisher. Furthermore, you may not find this book in the Christian Fiction section in your local bookstore. Instead, look in your typical Fiction section.

So what is the story about? From what I have gathered through the reviews so far, it is a story about love. When 2 unexpected people come across each other in a hunt for the same man, the story becomes complicated. With what is being promoted as a "twist like Thr3e," this book has definitely drawn my attention. If you have read any of my Ted Dekker reviews, then you know that Thr3e is my favorite book of his. It had the best twist I have ever read, and it was an all around good story. If The Priest's Graveyard is anything like Thr3e then it will definitely be worth your time and money.

After I read the book next month, I will post a review and let you know what I thought. Did it live up to the expectations given in some of the reviews? So look for a follow-up to this post.

Finally, this is not the end of Ted Dekker for 2011. This summer 2 new books will be released that complete what became known as The Books of History Chronicles. These books will not be in bookstores, but I will be receiving a copy of each. Through a promotion this week of facebook, 1,000 fans were given the opportunity tor reserve bundle packages that included these 2 books by purchasing multiple copies of The Priest's Graveyard to distribute, which I did. So this summer I will fill you in on the mysteries that surround The Books of History Chronicles, as we learn some of the secrets behind the series. Where did the original idea for Black, Red, and White come from, and how did it grow into such a huge series? What were some of the connections between the worlds that we never figured out? What was the origin of some of the different groups of people and beings that we encountered? Answers will be revealed in these books. While there is no guarantee that these books will ever be released again and will probably never be released in bookstores, stay tuned to this blog and to Ted Dekker's facebook page. They are currently trying to figure out how to make these books available to more people, and if any news breaks, then I will let you know as soon as I can.

So go out and buy a copy of The Priest's Graveyard next month. I really think you will enjoy it.

Matt

2 Kings 2

2011-03-19T17:07:00.002-04:00

2 Kings 2

After seeing several shifts in power amongst the kings of Israel and Judah, 2 Kings 2 offers a unique perspective on some of God’s prophets. We have seen prophets come and go from time to time, but it was never as clear as to how that transfer of leadership happened as it is in 1 Kings 19 and 2 Kings 2. One of the most recognized prophets, Elijah, came to the end of his life and ministry, but before God was done with him, He had Elijah prepare another prophet to take his place. Elisha had learned well from Elijah, and like his mentor, he was a man of God. He followed God’s commands and went where God led him. He stayed with Elijah as much as he could, trying to learn all he could before Elijah was taken away.

Then on Elijah’s last day, Elijah tried to get Elisha to stay behind and begin his ministry as he went to meet with God. But Elisha would not allow Elijah to leave him. This was the person he looked up to the most, his mentor. Elisha was not ready for Elijah to be gone for good. So as Elijah made his way to the other side of the Jordan River, where God was going to take him away in a whirlwind, Elisha never separated himself from him, supporting him and sticking by his side until the end. Elisha was truly a great friend. Along the way, the sons of the prophets tried to get Elisha to stay behind, warning him of what was to come. They knew that Elijah’s time had come to an end and tried to keep Elisha away lest it be too hard for him to endure. Despite their concerns, Elisha stood by Elijah’s side.

When the time had come for Elijah to be taken away, he asked Elisha what he could do for him in his final moments. Elisha humbly asked that the spirit that had resided on Elijah be transferred to him. Out of admiration for Elijah, he wanted to serve God as admirably as his mentor had done. When Elijah was taken away, his cloak fell from the skies, and Elisha picked it up. With it, he crossed back over the Jordan River into Jericho where he met back up with the sons of the prophets who had advised that he stay behind. They immediately noticed the change in Elisha, that Elijah’s spirit not resided on him.

The sons of the prophets wondered, however, what had happened to Elijah. They assumed that he had died on the other side of the river and Elisha had left him there. Despite Elisha’s insistence that they should not go for they would find no body, they sent 50 men to find him. At this point, his position of authority had been established, and he had assumed the role as prophet in the place of Elijah. The rest of 2 Kings 2 outlines some of his earliest miracles that he performed. First, he healed the water in the city, purifying it so that they would always have clean water in the land. Then, in a rather odd story, he called up 2 huge bears that attacked 42 young men who had made fun of him for his bald head.

Elisha shows us the importance of having a mentor(s). We all need people in our lives that can help direct us, giving us much needed advice. Having lived life before us, they can relate to situations that we find ourselves in, and we can learn from their experiences. God did not create us to live this life alone. He has given us people to live life alongside of, some of which serve in the role of mentors. There comes a time, however, when we must begin to live life on our own. We can still learn from the experience and advice given by our mentors, but we must begin to seek out people that we can pour our lives into as well. That is the place in which Elisha found himself. His mentor was gone, and he had been promoted into a great position. It was time for him to be the leader, helping to lead others in following God.

Matt

2 Kings 1

2011-03-18T16:45:00.000-04:00

2 Kings 1

As we start to look at 2 Kings we must remember that when these two books were written there was no distinction made between 1 and 2 Kings. Although we now have this division, we need to read the story as if it does not exist. The story itself picks up where it left off at the end of “1 Kings” with the reign of Ahaziah in Israel. Think back to the reign of Ahab for a moment. Due to his disobedience, God had promised that He would strip the kingdom away from Ahab’s family. As was the case with many of the kings in Israel, new families took the throne quite frequently. In Judah, they were still being ruled by the sons of David, but the kingship was transferred from family to family every so often in Israel. God wanted to take it away from Ahab during his reign, but when Ahab turned back to God for a brief moment in his life, God promised that He would wait until his son had the throne.

That day had now come, and Ahaziah had chosen not to follow God. Not only did he do what was evil in the sight of God, but he also turned to other gods for advice. When Moab came against Israel, Ahaziah found himself sick in bed. He instructed his men to consult the god of Ekron, Baal-zebub, for advice. He wanted to know whether or not he would recover from his sickness. Elijah was told by a messenger from God the situation in Israel and the mistake that Ahaziah had made. He was instructed to tell Ahaziah that he would surely die. He would not recover from his illness because he had chosen to follow after other gods rather than the true God of Israel.

Ahaziah did not want to accept the facts. His death would be his punishment for choosing to follow after these other false gods. Ahaziah sent a group of 50 men to seek counsel from Elijah. He wanted Elijah to come down from his resting place so that he could speak with him. He wanted to see if he could have his punishment wavered or changed. Elijah, however, did not budge. He proved that he was truly a man of God by calling fire down on the group of men Ahaziah had sent. Unsatisfied with the results, Ahaziah sent another group who met the same fate. When the third group of men was sent, the angel of the Lord told Elijah to go back to the king with them, and Elijah found out that the reason Ahaziah had been sending these men was to have his punishment changed. But God had already determined that Ahaziah would die of that illness, and since Ahaziah had not chosen to return to God, that was his fate.

With no male heir to take the throne, the line of Ahab had come to an end as God had promised. Jehoram became the next king in Israel. As a side note, be careful not to confuse Jehoram king of Israel with Jehoram king of Judah. The end of 2 Kings 1 shows how these two men reigned in Israel and Judah simultaneously. The Jehoram in Judah was the son of Jehoshaphat from the line of David. The Jehoram in Israel was a new line of kings that replaced the line of Ahab.

Matt

Praying for Japan

2011-03-17T21:21:00.000-04:00

An earthquake in Japan: it is hard to understand why these things happen. Why are there natural disasters? Why are they so devastating? Did the people who were affected do something to deserve that type of pain? These questions inevitably come up any time disaster strikes. I think back to my own experience with a natural disaster and the thoughts that went through my head in the days that followed. In my case, I quickly realized that we will not always understand why these things happen. These disasters do not pick favorites. They do not know who in the world is "good" or "bad." Any of us could be the victims of the next major disaster. For instance, an earthquake could strike anywhere at any time.

But when you are in the middle of the disaster, that is not always comforting to hear. First of all, you do not want to hear people questioning your morals. That happened to me after the tornado. I remember hearing someone in a local store questioning what sinful acts our university was involved in to deserve such a devastating disaster. While we are all sinners and deserve punishment for those sins, we should not immediately think that when disaster strikes, it is a result of someone's sin. But we must realize that we live in a fallen world, and the reason the world is in this state is because of our sin. Even so, this is not the way to comfort someone who is going through the aftermath of a disaster.

So how do we help those who are hurting as a result of this disaster in Japan? First and foremost, we must pray for them. It may have been a week since the earthquake hit, but the Japanese people are still hurting. Imagine losing everything you own. Imagine your world literally being shaken. Imagine living in a place that you know is your hometown but if you did not know any better, you would not recognize it. Imagine the fear of aftershocks continuing days after the earthquake. Imagine the fear of a nuclear meltdown. While most of us cannot physically go to Japan to help, we can pray. We can pray that there will be no more death as a result of this tragedy. We can pray that people will be found alive in the rubble. We can pray that people will find healing, both physically and emotionally. The emotional effects of this earthquake will carry on for years. We can also pray for spiritual healing. For those who do not know God, we can pray that they will find Him in the midst of this tragedy.

This leads to one final question that people are asking. Why would God allow this? This question arises in the midst of every earthquake, hurricane, and storm. Is God punishing them? Did they do something wrong? We have already seen how while the effects of our sin have led to a fallen world (leading to disasters such as these), these disasters are not necessarily a result of some specific sin. Although this can be true, as we see this in Scripture at times (where God allowed judgment and disaster as a result of the specific sins of different nations), it is not necessarily the norm. So instead of blaming the people for some great sin that they have committed, and instead of blaming God for this disaster, let us pray. Let us pray that healing will come, that restoration will come, and that the Japanese will recover quickly. Yes, it is hard to understand why these things happen, but instead of getting caught up in the philosophical questions that arise out of these situations, we need to take action. We can do this by sending aid to Japan, going to Japan to help if we can, and praying for them.

We never know when we might get caught up in one of these tragedies, and the last thing any of us want is someone blaming us for the disaster that we face. We would want others to reach out to us, helping us recover. So in the same way, let us not judge those who go through these hard times. Let us help them financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Matt

1 Kings 22:41-53

2011-03-11T15:59:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 22:41-53

The book of 1 Kings ends with the instillation of two new kings, one in Judah and one in Israel. However, it is important to recognize that what we now know as 1 and 2 Kings were not originally written or read that way. These two books were actually written as one. So the story does not end in 1 Kings 22 and later pick up in 2 Kings 1 when someone decided to continue the story. They should be read together, one flowing right into the next. For the purposes of closing out 1 Kings however, this will be a shorter passage today, and we will start looking at 2 Kings later on.

At the beginning of this last chapter of 1 Kings, we saw that Judah had a new king. After the long reign of king Asa, who followed God and led Judah into some great times of peace, his son, Jehoshaphat took the throne. Jehoshaphat continued in the way of his father and was careful to follow God’s commands. Although he was not perfect, he did not turn away from God, looking to Him for direction. He was able to make peace with Israel, and although Ahab was deceitful in his dealings with the Syrians (thus leading to his death), Jehoshaphat was unaware of what Ahab had been up to. Like his father, he had a long reign in Judah, and they continued to enjoy a time of peace. After his death, his son Jehoram took the throne.

Israel was a different story all together. Their long reign of bad kings continued as Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, took the throne. Like the many kings before him, he chose not to follow God, and He worshipped Baal instead. God had promised Ahab that his family would one day be destroyed. When Ahab turned back to God near the end of his life, God chose to wait, giving them another chance. But God knew what Ahaziah would be like, and He knew that like the many families before them, this family would not have control of the throne forever.

So the book of 1 Kings ends much like it began. After the kingdom split, both nations experienced hard times as they were led by kings who had chosen to abandon God. But in time, Judah returned to God, and He continued to bless them as He had promised since the time of Moses. As for Israel, they chose to turn away from God, and as a result they rarely had a time of peace. There were always wars and battles going on in their land. Furthermore, kings were murdered as new families took charge of the nation. Be careful and do not think that this means that if we follow God we will always experience times of peace without trouble. Even God’s children experience pain. The difference is that God will never leave you during those times. We have seen this time and time again as we have walked from Genesis to 1 Kings. Yes, God blesses those that follow Him, but we also live in a fallen world. Bad things happen in life, and we are not immune from pain and disaster. Still, we must choose to follow God and obey His commands, following the example of the Kings of Judah.

Matt

1 Kings 21:17-22:40

2011-03-10T14:39:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 21:17-22:40

As a result of Jezebel’s and Ahab’s actions toward Naboth, God sent word of more judgment to come for the house of Ahab. He first predicted the way in which Jezebel would die, a dog attack, and then he told Ahab that he too would be killed, as well as his family. Like many of the kings before him, his family would eventually lose the throne in Israel. The kings in Judah were all direct descendents of David, an unbroken chain. But in Israel, several families had had representatives on the throne. Because of the disobedience of so many of their kings, God had replaced them with new kings from new families, and Ahab was about to experience the same tragedy.

For what was probably the first time in his life (or at least one of the first times), Ahab humbled himself before God when he heard word of his destruction. He finally recognized his sin and knew that he should turn back to God. As a result, God spoke again to Elijah, and promised that the destruction would not come while Ahab was king in Israel. He would postpone the judgment a little longer. But destruction would come when his son took the throne.

In 1 Kings 22 Judah comes back into the story with a new king. Asa had been on the throne in Judah for years, seeing several kings come and go in Israel. He was now dead, and his son Jehoshaphat was king. After 3 years of peace between Syria and Israel, Jehoshaphat was summoned by Ahab concerning a city in Syria. Ahab believed it was their city, and he wanted Jehoshaphat to go to battle with him against Syria. Jehoshaphat viewed the Israelites as family and agreed to support him in his efforts against Syria if they received confirmation from God’s prophets. Ahab summoned 400 prophets and received approval from all of them, but when Jehoshaphat questioned whether he had any prophets of God, Ahab told him how much he hated Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord. Ahab complained how he always prophesied evil in regards to Ahab’s plans, and he did not want to hear what Micaiah had to say. Because his own prophets supported his decision to go to battle, Ahab had his mind made up.

But Micaiah would not fall in suit. Although those around him were asking him to go along with the rest of the prophets, Micaiah understood the importance of doing as God had commanded. God had given him a message for Ahab, a warning to Ahab. He told Ahab that God had allowed a lying spirit to speak through all his prophets. Although they supported his decision to go to war, the war he was headed out to would end in destruction. Micaiah’s words not only angered Ahab but the other prophets as well. Micaiah was thrown in jail, and Ahab ignored his warning and prepared for battle.

Taking Jehoshaphat with him, the nations of Israel and Judah went to battle against Syria. In an effort to protect himself in battle, Ahab disguised himself on the battlefield. Jehoshaphat was almost killed as a result when the Syrians thought that he was Ahab. Their orders had been to find and kill Ahab, so when they noticed that it was not him, they began shooting at anyone and everyone on the battlefield. Then, an arrow was randomly shot that went straight for Ahab. He died later that night, and the warnings of the prophets (such as Micaiah) came true. Ahab was killed as a result of disobedience, and his son, Ahaziah, took the throne.

Micaiah is a great example of a man who stood firm on his convictions. Even when everyone around him had turned away from God, he listened carefully to God’s commands. Men tried to persuade him to change his prophecy so that he would not anger Ahab, but he knew that his allegiance was ultimately to God. Consider the words of Peter and John in Acts 4:19-20 “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” It is far more important to serve God rather than man. That does not always mean that it will be easy. There could be severe consequences for doing so. But God will never leave us, and He will give us the strength to persevere through any forms of persecution that might come our way.

Matt

1 Kings 20:35-21:16

2011-03-09T19:09:00.000-05:00

1 Kings 20:35-21:16

After the episode on Mount Carmel, it seemed as if all of Israel (and possibly even King Ahab) had turned back to God. But by the end of 1 Kings 20, it became obvious that Ahab had not changed. He continued to live in disobedience, and that became evident by the way in which he handled the situation with Ben-hadad. Instead of killing him along with the rest of the Syrians who had come up against Israel, Ahab decided to spare his life. But even more than that, Ahab made a covenant with Ben-hadad. As a result, God sent word to Ahab through another prophet about his own upcoming destruction. Because he chose to let Ben-hadad live and chose not to follow God’s commands, God promised that he would be punished. He would be killed in Ben-hadad’s stead.

Ahab’s problems continued and his true character was once again shown in 1 Kings 21 as he encountered Naboth. Naboth owned a vineyard that was close to the king’s palace, and Ahab wanted that vineyard for his own. So he asked Naboth to give it to him, and in return he was willing to pay a hefty price. To his credit, he did not want to take the vineyard away from Naboth without giving himself something of equal value in return. However, when Naboth politely refused to sell his vineyard to the king, Ahab went away sulking. He acted like a kid who did not get his way. To make matters worse, his wife, Jezebel, babied him, asking him why he was so upset. Once he told her the story, she reminded him that he was the king of Israel, telling him he could do whatever he wanted.

Again, we can give some credit to Ahab in that he did not retaliate and take the vineyard by force, but the fact that he was pouting and upset over something as small as vineyard shows what kind of man he was. That was not a situation worthy of the pity party he threw. However, it was Jezebel who was the real culprit in this story. After Naboth refused to give up the vineyard, she set up a conspiracy that would condemn Naboth of cursing God and the king. The penalty for such an offense was death. Since the people believed that Naboth had turned against God and King Ahab, he was stoned to death, and the vineyard was free for the taking.

After receiving word that Naboth was dead, Ahab went and took possession of the vineyard without question. But even in this instance you have to wonder what he was thinking. Jezebel told him that Naboth had been stoned to death, which probably means that Ahab also knew the offense that had been charged against Naboth. Even then, Ahab took the vineyard at the expense of Naboth. Although Ahab was not directly involved in the murder of Naboth, he most certainly played a role. If he had even slightly suspected foul play in the matter then he should have left the vineyard alone and not have taken it for himself. But in the end, he did, which indicted him just as much as Jezebel. You may say that in one sense he was guilty by association (association with Jezebel), but it was really much more than that.

The point is that Ahab had never really turned back to God, and in the end he was punished for his disobedience. His life had been characterized by deceit, murder, the worship of false idols, and so much more. He was guilty of leading Israel into unrighteousness. The lesson here is that Ahab is one of those kings that we should not try to emulate in our lives. If you remember, 1 Kings 16:30 told us that he was the worst king Israel had seen up to this point in their history, as he did more evil in the sight of the Lord than any king before him. So while we can learn from his mistakes, he is not a positive role model (like David was) for us to follow.

Matt

The Unquenchable Flame

2011-03-09T15:34:00.000-05:00

The Unquenchable Flame

Michael Reeves presents a great read about the Reformation in his book The Unquenchable Flame, but if you are like most people, reading a history book is not your idea of fun. I also must admit that the idea of having to read yet another textbook about information that we had already read about in a previous textbook was not exciting either. I was pleasantly surprise, however, in the opening chapter of this book. While it is your typical history book that gives you names that you probably cannot pronounce, places you probably have not heard of, and dates that you probably will not remember, it is written in a way that is interesting and fun.

Reeves is not one of those boring historians who only presents the facts. He also provides some of his own insight and interjects in the middle of the story with what appear to be some of his own opinions and thoughts. There are quirky add-ins that make the story more interesting. Another reason why this book is not your typical history book is because it truly does read like a story. While the characters are real and the events actually happened, it almost reads like a work of fiction. The story is captivating and interesting, and although I have studied the Reformation countless times before, I found myself captivated by this story.

So what exactly does Reeves discuss in this book? Well, beginning with Martin Luther, who many would point to as the one who started what we now know as the "Reformation," Reeves walks his readers through years of history on how the Reformation developed and was carried out. He takes his readers through the lives of men such as Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin. He takes readers to the countries of Germany, France, Italy, England, and others. He introduces the conflicts that arose because of the stance that these men took. There is conflict between Rome and the Protestants. There is conflict between the Protestants and other groups that begin to arise as a result of their bold stance. But there is not only religious drama. The politics are complicated as well, especially when you have a king who takes multiple wives all because none had bore him a son yet and a queen who makes it her personal mission to kill anyone who might disagree with her religious viewpoint. While the Reformation is viewed in a positive light today by many, it was a rather dark time period. There was death, corruption, and betrayal. Even the "good guys" had their moments of weakness and did things that we would not approve of today.

Yes, this is a history book, and you could find the stories told in countless other books. But The Unquenchable Flame is a quick read, a good read, and a fun read. Whether you have never read anything about the Reformation before or consider yourself somewhat of an expert on it, I encourage you to pick up this book and see where it all started.

Matt

1 Kings 19:19-20:34

2011-03-08T08:52:00.000-05:00

1 Kings 19:19-20:34

After his moment of weakness where he had lost trust in God, Elijah got back on track and was ready to serve God again. He found Elisha and called him into service as well, as Elisha would be the next prophet to follow in Elijah’s footsteps. Elisha left all that he knew (his family and hometown) and did as Elijah requested, thus following God. As for Ahab, he was about to be tested again. After Israel’s return to God in 1 Kings 18, it was time to see where Ahab’s allegiance stood and if he would indeed trust God as well.

The Syrians were ready to attack Israel, and their king Ben-hadad requested that Ahab go ahead and turn over all his silver, gold, women, and children. He had an army ready to go into Israel and take over. At first it appeared as is Ahab was going to allow Ben-hadad to have his way, but upon the request of some of his most trusted men, Ahab decided to go on the defensive against Ben-hadad. Then God sent a prophet to Ahab assuring him of the victory. God wanted Ahab to know that through His power, Israel could and would have victory over the Syrians. But He also wanted Ahab to take the initiative. He was to go on the offensive against Syria. This was all an effort to see if Ahab would depend on God’s strength alone and in the end turn back to Him.

The war began, and the Israelites took the Syrians by surprise. They gained the upper hand rather quickly, and the Syrians had to react fast. Ben-hadad was able to escape and find safety, but the same could not be said for his army. The prophet that had been sent to Ahab gave him detailed instructions throughout the battle as to how he was to go about fighting the Syrians, and Ahab listened to every word that he spoke. As a result, God gave the Israelites the victory that day over the Syrians.

Sometime later the Syrians went on the attack again. After being defeated the first time, they were determined to make up for what they had lost. But when the Israelites heard that the Syrians were on their way, they too began to prepare for war. God sent another prophet to Ahab and once again assured Ahab that Israel would have the victory. The Syrians did not believe in God, they had their own gods that they followed. As a result, God was not going to allow them to have victory over His children. The Israelites had recently turned back to God, and God was ready to protect them.

Although Israel once again found victory in their battle against the Syrians, Ben-hadad was able to escape yet again. While his army fell around him, he found a place of safety. Then he returned to Israel to ask for mercy from the king. He hoped that Ahab would go lenient on him and allow him to live, and after humbly (or deceitfully) asking this from King Ahab, Ahab agreed and made a covenant with Ben-hadad. But this had not been God’s intention when He had given Israel the victory. They had not only been commanded to destroy the Syrians, but Ben-hadad as well. Ahab went against God’s commands when he made a covenant (alliance) with the very people that God had commanded them to destroy. Although it had appeared as if Ahab had changed, he was still living a life of disobedience before God.

Matt

1 Kings 18:41-19:18

2011-03-07T13:11:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 18:41-19:18

Now that Israel was beginning to turn back to God (at least for the time being), God decided to allow them to have rain again. It was a reminder that He was the one that could send them rain and hold it back from them if He so desired. The lack of rain had been punishment for their disobedience, but because they had chosen to turn back to Him, He sent the rain. As the story continues in 1 Kings 19, it is unclear as to how Ahab took all of these events. While it does not say that he was hostile toward Elijah, it also does not say that he turned back to God like the rest of the Israelites. Nevertheless, he returned to his home and told Jezebel all that Elijah had done. If Ahab was not upset with Elijah, Jezebel most certainly was. She sent word toe Elijah that he would die the next day just as the 450 prophets had. It is obvious that she did not turn back to God for she only grew more hostile.

In fear of his life, Elijah fled and went back to Judah, a land of safety for him. Remember that this was all taking place during the reign of Asa in Judah, a man who was following God. Judah was not a hostile place for Elijah to be, and he found safety there. But it is during this moment of Elijah’s life that we realize that he too was only human. We saw David (a man after God’s own heart and a great example for us) stumble. In the same way, we see Elijah’s struggles. For a brief moment he forgot about God’s provisions in his life. He lost his trust in God and tried to find his own place of safety. But it was in Elijah’s darkest moment that God reached out to him. God once again sent him food, as he had done when Elijah had remained by the brook of Cherith for an extended period of time. God provided for him, gave him the strength to persevere through his hard times, and encouraged him to return to Israel and continue his job.

Elijah had found refuge in a cave, and it was there that the Lord met him and gave him his new mission. This is a very famous passage as it encourages us to listen for God’s still small voice. Elijah witnessed a loud wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but God did not choose to reveal Himself to Elijah in those ways. Instead, it was in the time of peace when everything had settled down that God spoke to Elijah. Now this does not mean that God does not use major events in our lives to get our attentions, but we cannot always expect God to speak to us in this way. Sometimes He is speaking to us during our daily routines. So we must always be listening for God.

As for Elijah, he was commanded to return to Israel, even though he was the only true prophet left. He was to anoint a new king in Syria as well as a new king for Israel, Jehu. Furthermore, God had prepared another man by the name of Elisha who would become Israel’s next prophet, following in Elijah’s footsteps. Elijah was to go to him as well and prepare him for the task ahead of him. Elijah had been rejuvenated. He had been encouraged and strengthened by God and was ready to return to Israel to complete his mission. Although Elijah messed up (as we all do) and began to feel sorry for himself, he did not stay in his self-pity. He found his strength and God, left his place of safety, and returned to the heat of the battle. Yes it can be quite dangerous to be in the middle of God’s will, serving Him, but it is also the greatest place to be!

Matt

1 Kings 18:20-40

2011-03-06T22:30:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 18:20-40

Elijah wanted to make a statement in the midst of the Israelites. They had drifted so far from God that mere words were never going to convince them that He truly was their God. Although God had performed great miracles through him and even sent word of coming judgment if they continued to disobey God and worship Baal, Ahab and the Israelites would not turn from their evil ways. So Elijah gave them a challenge, a challenge that would pit their “god,” Baal, up against God (Yahweh, the Lord of Israel). He hoped to convince them that they were following after a false god that was of no use to them and that their actions were in direct disobedience to the God who had given them the land in which they lived in the first place.

So the 450 prophets of Baal chose a bull and prepared a sacrifice for Baal, making it presentable for him. In the same way, Elijah selected a bull for himself and also prepared a sacrifice for God. The prophets of Baal went first and cried out to Baal, asking him to bring down fire on their sacrifice. There was no answer. Elijah encouraged them to continue on if they truly believed that Baal was a real god, and the prophets continued to yell and shout, cutting themselves (allowing their blood to spill out on the sacrifice). But there was still no answer. It seems as if this went on for hours, and it was all useless.

After their failed attempt, it was Elijah’s turn to call out to his God (their God!). But he took it one step further. Instead of just piling the wood on the altar, he poured 12 large jugs of water over it. Of course, water would make the wood wet, which would make it harder to burn. That was Elijah’s point. He wanted to show them God’s power, even to accomplish what might seem as impossible. After he was satisfied that the sacrifice was ready, he called out to God. Imagine what this moment must have felt like. This was the moment of truth. If God failed to come through for Elijah (which Elijah knew He would not do), what would come of Elijah? He would have to abandon all he had ever taught. He would be a mockery in Israel, and he would have probably been killed. The Law of Moses stated that if anyone preached false prophecies (found to be a false prophet), then they were to be killed. This was to keep the threat of their false teachings from spreading. So this was the moment of truth for Elijah, but he exhibited great faith. He knew that God would come through for him, but not only for him, also for His children who had turned their backs on Him. It makes me wonder, do I have that kind of faith? Do I really believe that God is that powerful and that He is exactly what He claims to be? It is a question that we should ponder regularly as a type of “spiritual check-up.” God does not lie, and we can trust that He will always come through for us, but that does require a lot of faith!

So Elijah called out to God, and the fire came down. The sacrifice was consumed by fire, and the people recognized their God. They fell down and worshipped Him, recognizing their mistakes. The question was, would it last? Elijah did all he could to make this moment of truth last for the Israelites. He had the false prophets taken to a nearby town, where he killed every one of them (again keeping line with the Law of Moses). Elijah did not want to take the chance that their false teachings would spread any more. Once again, Israel found themselves at a crossroads. They could remain committed to God, obeying His Law, or they could continue to follow in the ways of Ahab. God had used Elijah to reach out to them, getting their attention, but now it was up to them continue in the faith.

Matt Brewer

1 Kings 17:17-18:19

2011-03-05T21:16:00.000-05:00

1 Kings 17:17-18:19

After seeing God’s amazing provision, the widow that Elijah had ministered to experienced great tragedy. Her son became quite ill and that illness led to his death. The woman was obviously upset, as she thought that God was going to take care of them. He had given them food that never ran out so that they could survive the drought that had ravaged the land, but now He had taken her son away from her. So she questioned Elijah as to why her son passed away. Is this not a common question today? It is still hard to understand why bad things happen to those who follow God. We think that life should go along smoothly and without trouble for those who are God’s children. But the truth is that we experience heartache just like everyone else. It is at those times that we must remember to turn to God for strength and for answers, and that is exactly what Elijah did. He carried the young man to a bed and immediately went to God for answers. He prayed, asking God to allow this child to live again. He knew that God could give this boy his life back if He wanted to. So Elijah boldly prayed to God asking Him to raise this boy from the dead. God heard Elijah’s prayers, and restored the boy to his mother. This miracle helped the widow to believe and showed what great faith Elijah had in his God, a faith that we should have as well. Sometimes God answers our prayers in the way we want, and sometimes He does not. Whatever the case, we must never lose faith in Him. He sees the larger picture, and He knows what He is doing. He knows what is best for our lives as He sees how everything fits together. So we have to learn to trust Him, that He knows what is best.

Elijah’s faith was about to be tested even more in 1 Kings 18. God wanted Elijah to return to Ahab to set up preparations for what was about to be another great miracle. God was getting ready to reveal Himself in another mighty way, and He was going to use Elijah to do so. The land had gone for years without rain, and the drought had become quite severe in parts of Israel. It was so bad that Ahab was sending men out all across the land to find the small patches of grass around the wells to feed their animals, hoping that they did not lose much more of their livestock. One of the men Ahab enlisted was a prophet by the name of Obadiah who had aided several other prophets when Jezebel went on her rampage of killing off God’s prophets. Now he was searching the land for what was little grass was left, and in the process he ran into Elijah. Elijah was on his way back to speak with Ahab, to tell him that rain would soon come. But when Elijah asked Obadiah to announce his coming to Ahab, Obadiah feared for his life. Ahab hated Elijah, and Obadiah did not want to be the one to bring the bad news to the king. Elijah assured Obadiah that he would come quickly so that the king would not take his anger out on Obadiah.

When Elijah arrived in Israel, Ahab was extremely upset with him, blaming him for the drought. Elijah reminded him that it was because of his disobedience to God that no rain had fallen over the last several years. Elijah was getting ready to show Ahab who His God really was. The gods that Ahab had been worshipping were nothing but creations in the minds of me, and Elijah was ready to prove that fact to Ahab. So he had Ahab gather up all his prophets (who were actually false prophets) for what was going to be a showdown on Mount Carmel. Elijah was about to show Ahab God’s power.

Matt

Under Construction

2011-03-04T21:22:00.000-05:00

I'm once again ready for a change. I found a really neat background through blogger tonight and thought it fit great with the theme of this blog. So I have that much changed already. I am going through and working on the rest, but it might take a few days to get it completely finished. So until then, the design of the blog will be "under construction." As for new posts, expect some over the weekend and on into next week.

Matt

1 Kings 16:29-17:16

2011-03-03T13:52:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 16:29-17:16

After going through quite a list of kings in Israel that had relatively short reigns (especially when compared to the reign of Asa in Judah), we come to Ahab. Now while Ahab was the worst king Israel had seen up to this point, even worse than Omri who had previously held that title, he was the king of Israel for 22 years. But because of his disobedience and choice to worship false gods such as Baal, God sent judgment on Ahab and his kingdom. Through the prophet Elijah, God sent word to Ahab warning him of a coming drought that would last for several years. With no rain, there would be no crops, and this was all in an effort to get Ahab’s attention.

As for Elijah, God sent him to the brook at Cherith, where God provided for him daily. There is a great contrast between Elijah and Ahab. Because of Ahab’s disobedience, he received judgment from God. The land went into a drought. Elijah, on the other hand, was given a place to stay, water to drink, and food to eat. God provided for Elijah, making sure that he had anything he needed. After some time, God spoke to Elijah again, sending him to Zarephath. The brook that Elijah had used to get his water had dried up, as a result of the drought. But God was not going to abandon his faithful prophet Elijah. He had already prepared another means of provision in Zarephath.

In Zarephath we see the extent of the drought that had plagued the land. Elijah met a widow that God had sent him to visit. Due to the drought, she had no way of providing food for herself or for her son. They had no water, and as a result they had no food. But when she was asked by a prophet of God to bring him some food, she was obedient. Elijah promised her that if she went and baked him a small cake, as well as fixing what would have been her last meal, then God would miraculously cause her flour jar and jug of oil to never run dry. He would provide for her daily until the end of the drought. The widow did as she was asked and God continued to provide for as He had promised.

These two stories in 1 Kings 17 illustrate the provision of God. We all go through rough times in life, and even those who follow God daily encounter financial difficulties. Being a child of God does not mean that we become exempt from the trials of life. However, we can trust that God will always provide what we need. We may not have everything we want, but we will always have exactly what we need to live. In the American culture, it is sometimes hard to grasp this concept. In a place and time where materialism reigns, it is hard to imagine what it would be like to only have enough to get by. We are driven by the desire to have more and more in life and feel as if we are less of a person if we struggling to make it. But consider this: would you rather be like Ahab who had everything in the world he could have ever wanted and was punished for his disobedience to God’s commands or would you rather be like Elijah and this widow who were fed daily by God (by ravens and through His miraculous provisions). They had to trust that He would be faithful every morning, sending them their food for the day, but they were also able to grow closer to the Lord as well.

Matt

1 Kings 15:25-16:28

2011-03-02T18:20:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 15:25-16:28

Now it is time to take a look at the kings of Israel that followed Jeroboam. Remember how the timelines work in the book of Kings and you will not get lost. When Jeroboam died, Asa was king in Judah. He remained the king in Judah through the reigns of Nadab and Baasha (the next 2 kings in Israel who we have already met). Nadab, like his father Jeroboam, did not follow God’s commands. Instead, he led Israel down a path of sin. He was only on the throne for 2 years before Baasha took over.

God had promised Jeroboam that the kingdom would eventually be stripped from his family. Although his son would be allowed to rule over Israel for a time, destruction was part of his punishment for not following God’s commands. Then, when Nadab decided to follow in the steps of his father and not help lead the nation back to God, God used Baasha to overthrow Nadab. Nadab was killed in the heat of battle, and Baasha took the throne.

Although God used Baasha to fulfill His purposes in removing Jeroboam and his family from the throne of Israel, Baasha did not continue to follow God. Instead, he followed Jeroboam’s example, who had also been used by God in a similar situation but in the end turned from God and did things his own way. Therefore, God responded in a very similar fashion. He sent Jehu, a prophet, to Baasha and warned him of his coming destruction. Because of his disobedience and his decision to follow in the ways of Jeroboam, God decided that He would destroy the house of Baasha as well.

After his death, Elah took the throne in Israel (while Asa was still reigning in Judah). Like those before him, he did not follow God. As a result, another man by the name of Zimri rose up seeking to overthrow him, which he did. Elah had a short reign of only 2 years, and Zimri took the throne after him. Zimri also destroyed anyone and everyone associated with the house of Baasha, once again fulfilling the prophecy that God had made. Zimri took the throne (while Asa continued to reign in Israel), but he too had a very short reign. Hearing that Zimri had gone out and killed their king, the Israelites revolted against him, choosing a man by the name of Omri as their new king. They sent him to go in and confront Zimri, but when Zimri heard of their revolt, he shut himself up in his house, set it on fire, and let it fall on top of him, thus killing himself. This gave the throne over to Omri.

Omri did not get the throne easily, for Israel was split on who to promote as king. Although he eventually received the honor, he had to battle it out with another man, Tibni, first. But even after he was chosen to lead Israel, he chose to disobey God, and 1 Kings 16 tells us that he was the worst king Israel had seen up to that point. He was worse than any of the kings that had come before him. Although he had a fairly long reign of about 12 and ½ years, he eventually died, and the throne was given to his son, Ahab.

Do you feel like you are reading the same story over and over again? 1 Kings 15-16 seem to be quite repetitive, but that is due to the sinfulness of these kings. You would think that after seeing how God had consistently dealt with the kings that had come before them, that they would decide to actually follow God. But instead, they continued to do things their own way and led the nation of Israel further away from God. But before we cast too much judgment on these kings (although they deserve it in some ways), we are not that much different. We have the advantage of reading their stories, seeing how God dealt with them thousands of years ago, and yet we do some of the very things. We have our own idols, things that cause us to turn away from God today. We have our own sins that trap us. And do we turn back to God or do we try to do things our own way? The truth is that we are all sinners, and we all have times in our lives where we drift from God. So we must let these tragic stories be a warning to us. We must decide to not allow sin to control us. We must decide to live for God daily, giving our lives over to Him. May we follow in the ways of Asa (king of Judah) who followed God. While all this turmoil was going on in Israel, and they were replacing their king every few years, Judah was in a time of peace as they continued to follow God.

Matt

1 Kings 15:1-24

2011-03-01T18:22:00.000-05:00

1 Kings 15:1-24

After the death of Rehoboam, which happened before Jeroboam’s death, his son, Abijam took the throne. Like his father before him, Abijam chose not to follow God’s commands. He did what was evil in God’s sight, and as a result, he did not experience peace in the land of Israel as his grandfather Solomon had. Like his father, Abijam had to deal with the constant problems from the north, Israel. Rehoboam’s reign was full of strife between the Northern and Southern kingdoms, and Abijam inherited all of those problems when he took the throne. He had to deal with Jeroboam, and during his 3 short years as king, they were in constant battle. After his death, his son, Asa, took the throne in Judah.

Now God remembered the covenant He had made with David (that the kingdom of Judah would always be in the hands of his descendants), and that is why He did not take it away from Rehoboam and Abijam (although they deserved it). But when Asa took the throne, he turned the nation back to God. He understood the importance of following God and did away with all of the idols and other objects of worship that were scattered throughout his kingdom. He was truly devoted to God and began to lead Judah into that way as well.

At the beginning of Asa’s reign, Jeroboam was still the king in Judah. You may have already noticed that there are time gaps in this book. Remember that the kings did not rise and fall in both kingdoms at the same time. So the different kings overlap each other, which can make the reading of this book somewhat confusing. It constantly shifts back and forth between Israel and Judah. So as for Jeroboam, he was king in Israel while Rehoboam, Abijam, and Asa reigned in Judah. Then, Asa was king in Israel while Jeroboam, Nadab, and Baasha reigned in Israel.

One of these time gaps occurs in the middle of 1 Kings 15. It immediately jumps to when Baasha reigned in Israel, but we have not yet heard what happened with his father Nadab. Instead, we see that Baasha had come against Judah, building a city on the boarder to prevent travel in and out of Judah. When Asa heard what he was up to, he sent men out to fight against Baasha, ultimately pushing him out of their land. He gained victory that day and continued to follow God for the rest of the time that he was king. After his death, Jehoshaphat, his son took the throne in Judah.

I am afraid that this summary of the first part of 1 Kings 15 is choppy. I feel like I have jumped from story to story just mentioning the high points and moving on. But Scripture really does not tell us much about the reigns of Abijam, Asa, and Nadab. They only get a small section of the story. However, there is one theme that should already be evident. As was true with the various leaders and judges of Israel, these kings were faced with a choice. They could choose life by choosing to follow God or they could choose death by choosing to follow after false gods and idols. God had promised back in Deuteronomy 30 that if they chose to follow Him, then He would continue to bless them, as He did for David and Solomon, and most recently Asa. But if they chose to create other gods and turn their back on Him, then He would send trouble their way. Rehoboam, Jeroboam, and Abijam experienced this in the form of constant war and plagues. One of the themes we saw back in the Books of the Law was the importance of obeying God’s Law, and in the midst of what can be some confusing time lines, hard names to pronounce, and odd situations, that theme stands out here as well. We must decide which option we are going to choose. We must decide if we are going to follow God’s Law.

Matt

1 Kings 14

2011-02-28T12:41:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 14

Due to Jeroboam’s disobedience, he had previously been punished. That was the role of the first prophet that had been sent Jeroboam’s way. When he decided to continue to ignore God and lead the kingdom in his own sinful ways, God sent more judgment his way. His son fell ill and Jeroboam wanted to know if his son was about to die. So he sent his wife to the prophet, Ahijah, and she was to inquire as to what would happen to their son. As she was making her way to the home of the prophet, disguised so that she would not be recognized, God told Ahijah that she was on her way. He also gave Ahijah the message that he wanted delivered to Jeroboam and his family.

When she entered the house, Ahijah (who was actually blind) knew it was her. He gave her the message from God and declared that their son would surely die. He condemned Jeroboam for not following God’s commands. God had blessed Jeroboam tremendously, choosing to give him the kingdom after it had been torn away from the household of David. God had been with him every step of the way, and yet Jeroboam chose to reject God and create false gods. Because of his disobedience and his unwillingness to turn back to God, God declared that He was going to now tear the kingdom away from Jeroboam and his family as well. Not only this, but God also promised that a day would come when the nation of Israel would be overthrown, and they would be scattered “beyond the Euphrates.” Later in Israel’s history, they were conquered by the Assyrians and taken into exile, to a place beyond the Euphrates. This promise was a fulfillment of the condition God had made back in Deuteronomy under Moses’ leadership. He promised Israel that as long as they obeyed His commands, He would bless them. But if they decided to do things their own way and became disobedient, then He would send judgment upon them. He even mentioned then that judgment would come in the form of an overthrow.

After 22 years as king, Jeroboam’s reign came to an end, and his son, Nadab, took the throne. Israel was once again faced with the choice as to whether they start to follow God again, and they knew the consequences if they decided not to. Meanwhile, Rehoboam was still king in Judah (that is the Southern Kingdom). They continued to live in disobedience to God as well, and God allowed the Egyptians to come in and take away much of their treasures. Whereas much of Solomon’s reign was characterized by times of peace (because of his faithfulness to God), Rehoboam’s reign was filled with war. Not only did he have to deal with the Egyptians, but he was constantly fighting Jeroboam and his brothers to the north. God did not grant the people and the land peace during times of disobedience. So Rehoboam’s reign came to an end as well, and his son Abijam took the throne.

Matt

Today - 33 Miles

2011-02-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

One of the songs off of 33 Miles latest CD is "Today," and its lyrics can apply to all of us. We all have hard times in life, times when we stress out, worry, and wonder if we are going to make it through. Life is hard, and we all experience troubling times. But in the midst of those times, we have a choice. We can either let them control us, or we can turn to God, trusting that He will see us through. We can either let our lives be ruled by worry, fear, and doubt, or we can turn to God and find our joy in Him as we have faith that He will see us through and give us peace in life because of His great love. Now, this does not mean that life will be perfect, we will not experience any more pain, and we will go through life with no more problems. It does mean, however, that there is One we can always turn to when life is hard, and He will work things out for our good, according to His purposes! So here are the lyrics:

Today

Worry keeps waking me up
Calling me at 3 am
Fear wants to shut me down
Telling me what might happen
Doubt plays with my mind
Trying to twist the truth
All these distractions, beg a reaction,
So here's what I'm gonna do

Right here, right now
I'm living for You and nothing else
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow's gonna write itself
All I got is the moment I'm in
And I don't ever want to waste
This gift, this chance, right here, right now
Today

Joy is what I choose
When my blue turns to gray
Faith is where I turn
When the world says there's no way
And peace is what I find
Resting in your hands
And Your love is more than enough
To keep my heart content

CHORUS

I know that You hold
The things I can't control
So I am letting go

CHORUS

So go out and life life to the fullest. We do not have to let life control us because we have the One who controls the world living inside of us. That alone should drive us to proclaim His Word to the nations. We never know what day might be our last. So remember that all you have is "this gift, this chance, right here, right now, TODAY."

Matt

1 Kings 13:11-34

2011-02-27T16:33:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 13:11-34

One point we did not cover in the opening verses of 1 Kings 13 was what God had commanded the prophet out of Judah to do. While his mission was to go and confront Jeroboam, he had also been commanded to return home immediately and not stay with anyone or eat or drink with anyone during his journey. Jeroboam was not following the Lord, and He did not want His prophet to get caught up in the practices of those from the north. But when the prophet was on his way home, he ran into one of the so called prophets from the north. He was invited to eat with this older prophet, but he quickly denied the offer explaining what God had commanded him to do. However, the older prophet told him that God had given him a different message, and the young prophet from Judah disobeyed God by staying with this other prophet.

As a result of his disobedience, God spoke through the older prophet, predicting the younger prophet’s death. He was told that he would not return to the land of his fathers to be buried. Then, once he left the home of the older prophet, he was attacked by a lion and killed. Many men walked by and saw his dead body, and news eventually traveled to the older prophet that the young man was dead. He then set out and retrieved the body and buried it near his own home.

So what is the lesson from this story? Follow God’s commands. But even more than that, we never have to worry about God giving conflicting stories to separate people. God would not have told the younger prophet not to eat or drink with anyone from the Northern Kingdom and then turn around and tell another prophet differently. God does not lie, and His stories are always true and consistent. The younger prophet should have recognized this and continued on his way home. But he lost trust in God, questioned his beliefs, and paid for it in the end. We can trust God in what He says. His words are true. Scripture is true. If we ever hearing someone saying differently, saying that they have received a new word from God, then we need to question them. Anything that contradicts what God has already stated is a lie, and we must be careful to guard ourselves against them.

As for Jeroboam and the Northern Kingdom, they were continuing to turn away from God. The split in Israel came as a result of Rehoboam’s disobedience, but those who followed Jeroboam were not much better. Although God had ordained for Jeroboam to take the throne in the north, He did not approve of the way they were acting. That is why He had sent the young prophet in the first place, to warn them of the judgment to come if they did not turn back to God. But instead of listening to the words of the prophet, they continued to worship false gods.

Matt

1 Kings 12:25-13:10

2011-02-25T08:55:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 12:25-13:10

In the beginning of 1 Kings 12 we saw Rehoboam turning away from God, and as a result, the kingdom was split in two. Jeroboam became the king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, but he did not fare much better. Although God had chosen him for this specific moment and set him up as king, Jeroboam chose not to follow God’s commands. Instead, he became worried that if his people continued to travel to Jerusalem to worship God in the Temple then they would eventually turn back to God and accept Rehoboam as their king again. He feared that the nation would be unified, which would leave him with no place to rule. So instead of allowing his people to worship God as they had all been commanded, Jeroboam created two golden calves (similar to what Aaron had done in Exodus). He told them that these were the gods that had rescued their fathers from Egypt. He then kicked out all of the Levites that were in the north and set up his own priests to serve in this false religion that he had created.

At this point in Israel’s history, neither kingdom was truly following after God. They were not that far removed from the days of David and Solomon, the greatest days in their history. But they allowed sin to creep into their lives. They turned away from God and decided to work things out on their own strength. As a result, Israel experienced some of its darkest days (up to that point in their history). But God had not given up on His children. He rose up a prophet in the South and sent him to Jeroboam to confront his sinful actions. The prophet called him out and warned Jeroboam that if he did not turn back to God then punishment would come. The altars he had built for these false gods would be destroyed. Furthermore, he spoke of a future king of Judah through the line of David that would exercise power and authority over Israel. To show that what he spoke was true, God struck Jeroboam’s hand, and it dried up, and destroyed the altar as He had promised. God had made His point, warning Jeroboam of the things to come.

It appears as if Jeroboam initially understood that he had messed up. He knew that he had sinned against God and asked the prophet to pray that God would heal his hand. His hand was restored to him, and he was allowed to continue to his reign over Israel. This had been a warning for Jeroboam. He now had the choice to take heed to what God had told him. He could either turn back to God or continue to reject Him, but he knew the consequences of turning away. God was trying to get Jeroboam’s attention before something worse came upon them. In the same way, God speaks to us today. Through the Holy Spirit we too are convicted of our sins. He shows us what is right and wrong, and we are then left with the choice to remain in our sin or turn back to God. We must never forget that while God is a personal God, as He lives inside us, He is also the Almighty. He can still bring judgment on us; there are still consequences for our sins. This should be a lesson to us to learn to follow God.

Matt

1 Kings 12:1-24

2011-02-24T18:06:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 12:1-24

One of the darkest events in Israel’s history came on the heels of the greatest era in their history. The reigns of David and Solomon were some of the best years for Israel, but when Rehoboam took the throne, it all went downhill. Hearing that Solomon was dead and his son Rehoboam was being anointed as the next king, Jeroboam left Egypt and traveled back to Israel. He knew that God had promised that he would inherit part of the throne, for the nation was about to be divided. So in order to fulfill the word of God, Jeroboam traveled to Israel and confronted Rehoboam.

He and many of the Israelites asked for Rehoboam to lighten up on some of the strict laws Solomon had placed on them. As we saw in 1 Kings 11, Solomon turned from God near the end of his life, and everything went south at that point. Apparently, life became quite hard for the common man in Israel, and they were hoping for relief from Rehoboam. So Rehoboam wisely asked for a few days to think over what he should do. He went to the men who advised Solomon throughout his reign and asked them for advice. They told him to listen to the requests of the people, lighten their load, and they would remain obedient to him for as long as he reigned. But Rehoboam was not satisfied with their advice, so he went to his peers whom he had grown up with. They advised to him to make life harder for the people, and he listened to them.

When Rehoboam gave his report to Jeroboam and his followers, they were obviously upset. They were afraid of what life would be like if it got much worse. They rebelled against Rehoboam, killing men that were close to him and causing him to flee to the safety of Jerusalem. They then turned to Jeroboam and declared him as their king. The only people who chose to remain with Rehoboam were those who lived in Judah. Thus the kingdom had been divided. There were now 2 kings in “Israel:” Rehoboam, who ruled the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and Jeroboam, who ruled the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Rehoboam became upset at the turn of the events and desired to reunite the kingdom. He wanted the honor of ruling over all the tribes of Israel, so he prepared for war. He gathered men from his country and prepared them for battle, but before they set out God stopped them. He commanded them to remain at home and not fight against their own brothers. He told them that this was His doing and they were not to interfere. Ultimately, this was punishment for their disobedience: for the way that Solomon had turned from God at the end of his life and the way Rehoboam had treated the Israelites. Let it be a lesson to us that God punishes sin. When we turn our backs on God, we can expect the consequences. We are called to be holy, to live for God, and to obey His commands. When we choose to turn away from Him, there will always be consequences. May this passage teach us to follow God.

Matt

1 Kings 11

2011-02-23T10:22:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 11

Life was great in the nation of Israel under Solomon’s reign. Through his humble attitude and obedience to God, he had helped Israel become a very wealthy nation. They had no financial worries, they had no political adversaries, and there was peace in the land. The Temple was built during his reign, and God had truly blessed Israel. However, Solomon was not a perfect man. Just like every other person that has ever lived (other than Jesus), Solomon struggled with sin. If you remember, David faltered during his time as king as well.

For Solomon, his struggle was with women. He accumulated 700 wives, not counting his 300 concubines! While the number of wives is definitely an issue that would have most certainly caused problems, an even greater issue was the fact that Solomon was breaking a very important commandment that God had given the people of Israel. God did not want His children taking wives from other nations, knowing that their influence would lead His children astray. By marrying people from other nations, they would be influenced by the gods and customs of those foreign lands. They would be pressured to turn away from God and turn to these false gods that their spouses worshipped. That fear became a reality in Solomon’s life. Since many of his wives were foreigners, he was influenced by their customs and practices. He began to worship these other gods, building altars to them. He turned his back on the one, true God, the God of Israel, and that led to some severe consequences.

Remember that God had continuously told Solomon that as long as he obeyed God’s commands, God would continue to bless him and give him peace in the land. However, if there ever came a day when he turned his back on God, judgment would come. As a result of Solomon’s disobedience, God promised him that the kingdom would be split. While He could not tear the entire kingdom away from Solomon and his sons (for He had promised David that it would always remain in his family), God did promise that it would be split. Solomon’s son would inherit the throne in Jerusalem as promised, but he would not rule over the entire country of Israel.

Opposition began to rise up all around Israel. Nations that David had thoroughly dealt with during his reign began to retaliate, still bitter that they had been defeated by David. Two of these were Edom and a man named Rezon. But there was also opposition from within Israel. God raised up Jeroboam as the one who would help in the division of Israel. He would be given 10 of the tribes of Israel and would reign as their king over what would be known as Israel. Solomon’s son would take what was left, which would include Judah with Jerusalem as its capital. Although this was judgment for Solomon’s actions, God promised Jeroboam that if he would obey God’s commands, then God would bless Jeroboam during his reign as king of Israel.

For Solomon’s reign to have begun so well, he did not finish the race. He stumbled in the end, turning from God, and bringing great judgment on his nation. It is hard to understand how someone who had personally met with God and done so many great things for God could have fallen so hard in the end. But instead of pointing fingers at Solomon, we must think about our own lives. Are we truly following God? Are we keeping His laws as He commanded us? It is easy to blame Solomon, but instead of focusing on him, we must consider where we stand. We should have a spiritual check-up, making sure that we are not faltering at the end of the race as Solomon sadly did.

Matt

1 Kings 10

2011-02-22T16:38:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 10

As Israel continued to prosper under the leadership of Solomon, word spread throughout the world of the riches that were in Israel. Solomon’s fame became a worldwide phenomenon, and stories were being told of all he had done for Israel. Furthermore, the world knew that God was the one who had blessed Israel, and people began making their way to the small nation to see the blessings God had given them. One of these people was the Queen of Sheba who had heard the stories about Solomon, but she was not so sure that they were true.

She went in wanting to test Solomon in order to make sure that the stories she had heard were true. She questioned him constantly, and at the end of their meeting she discovered that the stories did not even tell half the story. She was amazed at Solomon’s wisdom and the riches he had accumulated. She knew that Solomon had truly been blessed by the Lord. While she blessed God for all He had done for Solomon, Scripture is not clear what her standing with God was. Did she become a follower? Did she trust Him in her life? We really do not know. However, she is a prime example of what God wanted out of Israel. When they chose to follow Him, He blessed them. He made them a great nation that stood out, and the other nations took notice. The Queen of Sheba was one who came to check things out, and she was amazed at what she saw, possibly drawing close to God in the process. In the end, this was one moment in Israel’s history where they were doing things right, and the world was taking notice.

The Queen of Sheba left Solomon with great riches that she had brought from her land. In the same way, people from many nations were bringing in gifts to Solomon. The Queen of Sheba was not the only person to travel a great distance just to hear his great wisdom. People from several nations traveled to Israel for that reason alone, and in the process they heard about the Lord.

This leads me to question what our lives look like. Do our lives so stand out in this world that people come to us just to see what is different? Do people take notice of the different type of life that we live (living for God) or do we just blend into the world? Like Israel, our lives should reflect the Lord, and if they do, people will take notice. They will see that we are different, and it may lead them to question why. But we should never leave it up to them to come to us. Jesus commanded us to go. We are to be the ones who initiate those conversations, sharing the Gospel with those around us. Then, when our lives back up what we are preaching, people will take notice, and hopefully they will come to know Christ in the process. So while it is important that we live a holy life that is separate from the world, we must also take the initiative to go and spread the Good News as well.

Matt

1 Kings 8:54-9:28

2011-02-21T12:37:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 8:54-9:28

As the dedication of the Temple came to a close, Solomon ended it the same way he had begun. He blessed God once again for all He had done for the nation of Israel and led Israel into another time of worship. Solomon then offered his sacrifice to God, as the Israelites had done the day that the Ark was taken into the Temple. Solomon had been given great wealth by God, and in return Solomon offered up a great sacrifice to God, killing thousands of oxen and sheep. He then sent the Israelites away back to their homes, where life returned to normal. Israel had been on a spiritual high for several days at this point (remind you of a church camp experience?) and were now faced with how they would incorporate this worship and dedication into their everyday lives.

Speaking of church camp, I remember the feeling. After a week of nothing but fellowship, worship, and devotion, you could not help but be fired up for God (if you were a Christian that is). It was a great time to draw near to God, be encouraged and challenged, and make great decisions on how we would go home and live for God. While we would put these ideas into practice, they typically did not last. The world would get us back into our normal routine of life, and we would soon forget all that God had taught us at camp. That is where Israel stood at the end of 1 Kings 8. Would they carry on this desire to follow God and allow it to direct their lives, or would they once again fall to sin and allow it to lead them to destruction?

After the people had returned home, God appeared to Solomon personally, giving him a personal challenge. As king of Israel, Solomon was their great example. His life was in the spotlight, and the people of Israel paid attention to how he lived his life. Therefore, there was a great responsibility resting on his shoulders that he lead Israel down the right path. God reminded Solomon of the promises He had made to Moses, Joshua, David, and the other great leaders of Israel: if they followed His commands, He would bless them, and if they turned away from Him, He would send judgment. He not only reminded Solomon of these two promises but also personally challenged Solomon to make that decision in his own life. If Solomon turned from God, then his example would spread throughout Israel, and it would ultimately lead to God sending judgment on Israel. But if Solomon continued to follow God, so would the Israelites, and God would continue to bless them. While everyone is ultimately responsible for their own actions, God wanted Solomon to understand the importance of his obedience (as it would ultimately influence the direction of his people). So like Israel, Solomon too had a choice. Would he let the spiritual high disappear when life went back to normal, or would he continue to live for God?

The rest of 1 Kings 9 outlines some other accomplishments that Solomon had as king. He was able to rebuild cities, conquer lands, and take control over several of Israel’s enemies. Remember that during Solomon’s reign, God had granted peace to the land of Israel, and they were free from war (as long as they remained obedient to God). Solomon’s wisdom, wealth, and fame were great. God continued to bless Israel, and as we will see in 1 Kings 10, news was spreading about the nation of Israel.

Matt

1 Kings 8:12-53

2011-02-20T09:10:00.001-05:00

1 Kings 8:12-53

After the construction was finished and everything had been brought into the Temple, Solomon spoke to the people of Israel, blessing God. He was thankful for all God had done for them. God had promised since the time of Moses that Israel would have a land in which they would dwell, a land that He was going to give them. He kept His promise, and Israel had prospered in that land for generations. David then wanted to build a Temple, a permanent home for God, to replace the Tabernacle. Although God would not allow David to build the Temple, He promised that Solomon would, and once again, He was true to His word. Solomon led Israel in praise to God grateful for the fact that God always keeps His promises.

Solomon then dedicates the Temple, first acknowledging again that God keeps His promises. But that extends beyond the blessings we typically think of. If we are honest, we would probably say that we are quite thankful that God keeps His promises when it is for our benefit. But what about those times when He promises consequences for our disobedience? We tend to not want to think about those instances, but if God keeps His promises, then we must understand that He will not be slack in punishment either. Solomon understood this truth, and he in a sense warned the people of living in disobedience, talking about how it could lead to defeat in battles or hard times for their nation. However, he also knew that if they humbled themselves and turned back to God, then He would hear them, forgive their sins, and return to them. This passage in the middle of 1 Kings 8 seems to parallel the famous verse 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Solomon referred back to the Law of Moses and warned the people of some of the dangers they faced. This Temple was a place of worship and called for obedience. It was a sign of their relationship with the Lord, for that is where He would dwell. Therefore, they should pay careful attention to how they live their lives. They were a people called to be holy, a light to the nations. But if they drifted from God’s Word, there would be consequences. Solomon alluded to defeat in battles, droughts, and famine, stressing the importance of their obedience.

We are quite similar to the Israelites. We too are called to be holy, and God (through His Spirit) dwells inside of us. We are called to be an example to the nations as we go out and preach His word to others. So we must be careful to follow His word, lest we too face the consequences. Although we may not see famine or drought in the ways that Israel faced it, God still judges sin. As His children we should never desire to take His gift of salvation for granted and use it as a license to sin. Instead, we should have an increasing desire to live a holy life as we strive not to sin.

Matt

1 Kings 7:1-8:11

2011-02-18T10:36:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 7:1-8:11

After completion of the Temple, Solomon went to work on building his own house. Now you might be shocked to see that it took him 13 years to complete, but I think part of that is due to the fact that Solomon did not live alone. He probably had countless servants, and we know that he had many wives (probably several at this point). So he had to make accommodations for all that lived with or around him. Whereas the Temple was just one main building, extravagant as it was, Solomon’s dwellings were probably much larger. One person that he made provisions for was Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had taken in previously.

One of Solomon’s final tasks was to make all the various instruments and furnishings that belonged in the Temple. In Exodus, when God outlined how the Tabernacle was to be built, He also gave Moses instructions on what was to go into the Tabernacle (such as instruments that would be used for sacrifices and altars and tables). Solomon once again hired Hiram to help him in constructing these various instruments and furnishings for the Temple. Once they were all completed, Solomon had them all brought inside the Temple, and the Temple was not only built but also ready to use. The people of Israel had a permanent place in which they could go and worship and sacrifice to God.

The final step in this long project was to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple where it belonged. Solomon assembled a great number of men to retrieve the Ark and bring it from the Tabernacle to the new Temple. Along the way, the people of Israel entered into a time of worship as they sacrificed to God. 1 Kings 8 says that the people sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could not count how many had been sacrificed. The people of Israel were truly thankful for all God had done for them, and they knew that they were a blessed people. Once the Ark was put in its place in the Holy of Holies, God’s glory filled the room, as He found His place in the Temple.

This scene is such a beautiful picture of what it means to follow God. Although we may encounter various trials in life, we know that God is always with us. He will guide us through any situation in life. He blesses us in ways that we sometimes fail to recognize in the moment, but we should never forget all that He does for us. The people of Israel were so grateful for what God had done for them that they were willing to sacrifice countless sheep and oxen. What are we willing to sacrifice to express our gratitude to God? Do we realize how much He blesses us each day, or do we take those blessings for granted? Just as God dwelt among the people of Israel in the Temple, He dwells inside each of us who are His children. He has sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of us to help guide us through life. Think about that! We have an amazing relationship with our Lord! He dwells within us, guides us through lives, and blesses us beyond measure. Sure life is hard, but we must never forget to praise God and thank Him for all that He does for us on a daily basis.

Matt

1 Kings 5-6

2011-02-17T18:30:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 5-6

Preparations for the Temple were finally made in the beginning of 1 Kings 5, and for the people of Israel, the Temple was finally becoming a reality. God had promised David that his son would be the one to build the Temple for the Lord, and God began fulfilling that promise when Solomon began to collect the supplies that he would need to build. Recently, I read through 1 and 2 Chronicles for a project for one of my classes, and as a result, I saw these same stories that we are about to walk through from a different perspective. Like the Gospels, which tell many of the same stories about Jesus (from different perspectives), 1 and 2 Chronicles track the kingship of Israel and Judah. They give us new details that the author of the Samuels and the Kings did not mention. For instance, many of the preparations for the Temple were made by David in his final days. Nevertheless, there was still work to be done before construction could begin, and that is the process Solomon was beginning in 1 Kings 5.

One of the main reasons construction could begin at this point in Israel’s history was due to the fact that there was no war around them. Because of Solomon’s obedience and humility, God had blessed Solomon beyond measure. He gave Solomon a very peaceful reign, free from war, and Solomon used that time to build. Some of the surrounding nations offered to help, like Hiriam who wanted to send Solomon a group of workers. The nations saw the great land that Israel had. They saw that Israel was a people who had been blessed by their God. In some ways, I think these nations wanted a part of what Israel had, which was God’s plan all along. Through Israel, God was trying to reach out to the rest of the nations of the world. So when Israel followed God, the nations took notice and saw God’s blessings as He poured it out on His faithful children.

With the help of Hiriam, Solomon had gathered together thousands of men who would help cut down trees and bring in the wood needed. He also drafted thousands of Israelites who would begin cutting stones and making other preparations for construction. By the end of 1 Kings 5, they were ready to begin construction. The foundation was the laid in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, and 1 Kings 6 outlines the construction of the actual building. Solomon paid careful attention to the details. Each room was built and decorated according to God’s plan. Although His plans are not as laid out like they were for the tabernacle in Moses’ day, some of the characteristics between the two setups were the same.

The most important part of the Temple was the room in which God Himself would dwell, the Holy of Holies. This is where Moses met with God on occasion in the tabernacle, and it would serve the same function in the Temple. In fact, God promised Solomon that if he would continue to remain obedient to God’s commands as he had done, then God would remain with them forever. He would watch over the people of Israel and continue to bless them as long as they continued to follow Him. This is the same message that we have seen from the days of Moses. When God’s people followed Him, he poured out His blessings, but when they turned their backs against Him, punishment was sure to follow. There would be dark days in Israel’s future, but at this point, Israel was at one of its highest points because they were following God.

Matt

1 Kings 3:16-4:34

2011-02-16T13:20:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 3:16-4:34

Although we have seen Solomon handle some tough situations already, the second half of 1 Kings 3 is the first situation we see after God gave him the wisdom he desired. Two women, prostitutes from the same house, came to Solomon in dispute over a young child. They had both given birth within days of one another, and one night, one of the children died (due to the mother sleeping on top of him). That mother switched the babies, so that she would still have a child, and the other mother knew that the dead baby in her arms the next morning was not her child. So they went to Solomon to get the situation resolved.

Solomon listened carefully to the story and knew that there was no way of figuring out who the true mother is. Think about it, they did not have tests that they could take in those days that would tell them who the real parents were. So Solomon commanded that the baby be divided in two, half given to each woman. Now while this seems barbaric, and catches the reader off guard, Solomon got the reaction he was looking for. The real mother spoke out in fear that her son would be killed and offered to give the child up to the other woman in an effort to save his life. The other mother, however, went along with Solomon’s commands and asked for the child to be divided in half. Now, which is the true mother? It is pretty obvious by their reactions, and that is what Solomon was looking for. He gave the child to the woman who spoke up first, knowing that she was the true mother, and the situation was resolved.

This situation brought Solomon closer to his people. They were amazed at the wisdom of Solomon and knew that it had come from the Lord. As a result, Solomon’s kingdom began to flourish just as God had promised. He was able to set up his various officials, who were mostly new people (as he had previously killed off most of the officials that David had used). He was also able to extend the borders of Israel, even beyond what David had done. God gave him the lands surrounding Israel, and there continued to be peace in the land. His riches began to accumulate as well. Not only was Israel prospering as a nation, but Solomon was prospering as well. There was nothing that he did not have. God gave him the wisdom that he had desired but also decided to bless him with riches, wealth, fame, and peace as well, because Solomon had chosen to follow and obey God.

Finally, the closing verses of 1 Kings 4 show the kings of the surrounding nations coming to Israel to hear the great wisdom of Solomon. Israel was finally where God had wanted them all along. They were a light to the world, and the nations were coming to them, seeing the great nation that they possessed. As a result, the kings of these surrounding nations could not help but encounter God, the God of Israel. They were able to see all that God had done for Israel, and if they had truly turned to God, He would have provided for them as well. Remember that God was not just the God of Israel. He was the God of all the nations even in the Old Testament, and He was reaching out to all the peoples of the earth then as well. This was one of those great moments where Israel was truly seeking God, and the world took notice.

Matt

1 Kings 3:1-15

2011-02-15T17:54:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 3:1-15

As Solomon’s reign really begins in 1 Kings 3, we receive a glimpse into the personal life of Solomon. Up until this point we have seen his interactions with his family and friends. He struggled to gain control of the throne, having to first contest with his brother Adonijah. While grieving the death of his father, David, he also had to make tough choices on what to do with the men who had betrayed him and his father in that struggle for the throne. In the end, he cleaned house and got rid of all the men who had stood by Adonijah’s side. So 1 Kings 3 is the first glimpse we get of Solomon in his everyday life as king of Israel.

Solomon regularly traveled to Gibeon to sacrifice to God, for there was still no Temple in Israel (construction had not yet begun). The magnitude of the sacrifices he made is evidence of the great wealth Solomon had, even at the beginning of his reign. But it was not the magnitude of the sacrifice that mattered. Solomon could have been a peasant giving up one animal and the sacrifice would have meant the same. What was unique about Solomon was his devotion to God. He continued to follow God, even after David’s death. Like young adults today who move away from the home for the first time, we have to decide if our religion is something of our parents or something we have truly taken hold of as well. What role will God play in our life when they are not there to make sure we are still attending Church? The same was true for Solomon. He could have easily strayed from God, not having his father there to make sure he followed the Law. However, this was not true for Solomon (at least at the beginning of his reign). He was truly devoted to God, and that is shown through his sacrificial spirit.

While at Gibeon one day, Solomon received a dream from God where God told Solomon that He would give him whatever he desired. Solomon could ask for anything, and it would be given to him. I cannot help but wonder what I would have asked for. What would have been the first thing that popped into my mind, and it would it have been something that would have glorified God? For Solomon, there was only one choice. He could have asked for money, but as we have already seen, he was pretty much set in that area. Solomon instead asked for wisdom. He knew that his role as king was a tough spot. While it was a prestigious role to have, it also brought on a lot of hard decisions. He had already had to make some of those tough choices when dealing with those left over from David’s reign. So he asked God for wisdom, so that he would be able to discern what the right course of action was in the future.

God was pleased with Solomon’s response, so he granted Solomon’s desire for wisdom. But God went one step further, rewarding Solomon for his humble attitude. Since Solomon did not ask for riches or for his enemies to be taken care of, God promised that He would continue to provide in those areas as well. This would give Solomon a comfortable, peaceful reign as king of Israel. He would live a long life, and ultimately, Israel would be what God had always intended, a lighthouse to the rest of the world. The nations around Israel would see how their God provided for them, and God would be able to reach out to these nations as well. But there was also one condition on Solomon’s request. God told Solomon that he must also be careful to continue to follow the Law, as he had done. When we get comfortable and have everything we need (as Solomon did here), it is easy to become complacent. That is when we are in the most danger, and we must be even more careful to make sure we are continuing to follow God.

Matt

1 Kings 2:28-46

2011-02-14T11:49:00.000-05:00

1 Kings 2:28-46

Another person Solomon had to remove from a position of power was Joab. Now if you remember, Joab was one of David’s must trusted men. Joab had come to David’s aid on numerous occasions, and he even confronted David at times when David had drifted from God. But most recently, Joab had killed two men without David’s knowledge. He had been sent out on a task by David, but he did more than David knew. Furthermore, Joab supported Adonijah when Adonijah attempted to take the throne from Solomon. So although he was one of the most trusted men in the kingdom, Solomon could not afford to keep him around. It was too dangerous to keep a man who no longer showed loyalty to Solomon and his men. So Solomon sent Benaiah to kill Joab and ultimately promoted Benaiah to take over control of the army (what was once Joab’s position).

The final person Solomon had to take care of was Shimei, a man who had continuously been disloyal to David. He was upset from the start, blaming David for Saul’s death. He then rejoiced when Absalom declared himself as king. He was glad to see David on the run. Then, at one point during David’s exile, he cast stones at David. So Solomon did not want Shimei anywhere near him and the throne. He commanded Shimei to build himself a house and remain there, never leaving the city. But when two of Shimei’s servants left to go to Gath, Shimei went out after them and brought them home.

When Solomon heard of Shimei’s trip, he summoned him to himself and questioned him. All Solomon knew was that Shimei had been in Gath. So Solomon really had no idea why he had left. Could he be aligning himself with the people there? Was he trying to gain support in order to take out Solomon? Solomon did not know what Shimei was up to, and since Shimei had made a promise in the Lord’s name that he would not leave, Solomon knew that he could no longer trust him.

Once again, Solomon had Benaiah go out and kill Shimei, and with his death, Solomon had cleaned out all the disloyal men and established his own kingdom. David’s reign was nothing but a memory at this point, for many of the men that had served alongside David were dead or had been killed due to their disloyalty. Solomon had a clean start with a whole new batch of men, and he was dedicated to serving God and leading Israel into obedience to His commands. With this fresh start, Solomon was finally prepared to begin construction on the Temple.

Matt

1 Kings 2:1-27

2011-02-13T09:08:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 2:1-27

As David approached death, he poured some words of wisdom into Solomon. He understood the importance of following God, obeying the commands He had set forth in the Law of Moses. Furthermore, God had promised David and his descendants that if they would remain obedient, He would continue to bless them, and they would continue to have the throne in Israel. God’s plan all along was to use Israel to reach the nations, and as we continue to walk through 1 and 2 Kings, we will see examples of this (whether for good or bad – mostly bad). But God had selected Israel, made them His people, and wanted to use them as an example for the nations, so that they too would know God. That is why it was so important for the king of Israel to remain obedient to His commands. He was the example for Israel, who was ultimately the example for everyone else.

David’s final requests to Solomon were for Solomon to take care of those who had betrayed David in his final days. Some of David’s closest friends and allies had turned on him or betrayed him when times got tough. Although David had promised not to retaliate and had offered forgiveness, he told Solomon that he did not have to hold to those same promises. Solomon could react in whatever way he saw fit. Afterwards, David died, after reigning as the king of Israel for 40 years.

But it was not long into Solomon’s reign before the trouble began. From the start Adonijah thought that he should be the next king of Israel. He was the older brother, and he felt that throne was his. However, God had chosen Solomon to be the next king. So he went to Bathsheba to ask her to ask Solomon if he would grant a certain woman to be Adonijah’s wife. Now I must admit that I am not sure who this woman was or how she was key to this situation, but for some reason this bothered Solomon. First of all, Adonijah knew that it would be hard for Solomon to deny a request made by his mother (and Solomon knew this). Secondly, Solomon feared that he would ask for the kingdom as well, possibly convincing Bathsheba to support him. Whatever the fear may have been, Solomon denied the request and sent Benaiah out to kill Adonijah, removing that threat to the throne.

Another problem Solomon had to deal with was Abiathar, one of the priests. When Adonijah declared himself as king, trying to take the throne before Solomon had a chance, he had gained the support of both Joab and Abiathar. Solomon knew that Abiathar had been faithful to God, even helping in bring the Ark back to Jerusalem, but he did not need a man near him who had been disloyal to him or his father, David. So while Solomon chose not to kill him, he sent him away, back to his home.

1 Kings 2 is filled with situations such as these, and they show the hard decisions Solomon had to make during the first few days of his reign. Solomon is known as the wise king, because he asked God for wisdom (1 Kings 3), but even at the beginning of his reign we see the wise decisions he was making. I am sure it was hard for him to have to clean house in the way he did, removing many men who had been so loyal to David in the past. But when they chose to go against Solomon, and ultimately against David and God, Solomon knew that he could not keep them around. He had to break ties with these men lest they stir up more problems.

Matt

A Look at the Kings

2011-02-11T15:03:00.000-05:00

So as I have read through 1 and 2 Chronicles over the last week, I have been able to take a quick glance at the kings of Judah. We began 1 Kings last week, and I will be picking back up there this weekend, but first I wanted to give a list of the kings from the 2 kingdoms Israel and Judah. The books of 1 and 2 Kings trace the history of the split monarchy. 1 Kings begins with Solomon's reign, but after his death, the kingdom divides. Israel is limited to the northern tribes, and Judah is created in the southern tribes. Jerusalem remains the capital city, but of Judah, not Israel. These 2 books then shift back and forth between Israel and Judah (and it can be confusing at times). 1 and 2 Chronicles, on the other hand, only follow the kings of Judah. They start with David and Solomon and then follow their descendants in Jerusalem. Many of the kings of Israel are mentioned, but only as they interact with the kings of Judah. As we begin to take a look at 1 and 2 Kings, here is a listing of the kings of Israel and Judah after the death of Solomon. This list will be a point of reference in the future.

Judah:                           Israel:

Rehoboam                   Jeroboam
Abijah                         Nadab
Asa                             Baasha
Jehoshaphat                Elah
Jehoram                      Zimri
Ahaziah                       Omri
Athaliah (Queen)          Ahab
Joash                          Ahaziah
Amaziah                      Joram
Uzziah                         Jehu
Jotham                       Jehoahaz
Ahaz                           Joash
Hezekiah                    Jeroboam
Manasseh                    Zechariah
Amon                          Shallum
Josiah                         Menahem
Jehoahaz                     Pekahiah
Jehoiakim                   Pekah
Jehoiachin                   Hoshea
Zedekiah

Some of these kings (in both kingdoms) followed God and were blessed, as God had promised them back in Moses' day. Others decided to abandon the teachings from the Law of Moses and followed other gods. As a result, they were punished, and they endured the consequences, whether it was a defeat in battle, a plague, or death. In the end, both kingdoms would meet their end as they would all be taken into captivity.

Matt

Green Bay Packers - Super Bowl Champions!

2011-02-07T21:29:00.000-05:00

Last night was amazing for Packers fans across the nation! It has been 14 years since our last Super Bowl win, and it was great to return to the title game and take the trophy home again!

I have been a Packers fan for as long as I can remember. My grandfather has always been a Packers fan, and I picked it up from him when I was a kid. I still remember the Super Bowl win in 1997 and the close game in 1998, but it was nothing like last night. I am lot older now, more interested in football. I understand the game so much more than I did 14 years ago (because I was just a kid then). So this win was so special! Couple that with the fact that two guys from my hometown and high school play for the Packers, Chad Clifton and Justin Harrell, and it was the set up for a great moment!

The road to the Super Bowl was not easy this year. Although we were a pre-season favorite, and the team was confident that they could make it to Texas, injuries killed us in the opening weeks. We lost several of our key players in the first few weeks of the season, like Justin Harrell, and we all began to wonder if it would slip through our fingers yet again. We were 3-3 at the end of Week 6, and with losses within our division, we knew we would have to fight to stay alive. Knowing our backs were up against the wall, we came out with a streak of wins and helped lead to the firing of 2 coaches... oops!

But injuries were the story of the season, and after his second concussion, Aaron Rodgers was out for half of the Lions game and all of the Patriots game. Both resulted in a loss, but one key to this season is that we never lost by more than 4 points. In fact, we never trailed by more than 7 in any of the 20 games! At that point, we were in playoff mode. Although we were not in the playoffs yet, we had to win out, beating both the Giants and the Bears (the big rival)! And we did!

So the playoffs began, and we were at the bottom of our conference. We had to take the long road, and beat the 3 best teams in the NFC: Eagles, Falcons, and Bears, which we did. That set us up to play the toughest team from the AFC, the Steelers, placing the NFL's top 2 defenses in the biggest game of the season. That match-up led to an epic Super Bowl, and as expected, some of the games key moments were results of big defensive plays.

But the Packers could not have made it without #12 Aaron Rodgers! He put up numbers in the playoffs that were out of this world. He was calm, focused, and had his eyes on one prize. Nerves did not get to him. The hype of the game never bothered him. He went out last night, as he did throughout all of the playoffs, and played his game! He led the team to victory and earned his first Super Bowl... along with the "Championship Belt!"

Last night was epic, amazing, and one night Packers fans will never forget. Championship #13, Super Bowl #4, belongs once again to the Green Bay Packers, and the trophy is back home where it belongs! The 2010-2011 season is one that I will not soon forget. There were some amazing plays, amazing moments, and it all culminated in one last amazing game!

Matt

Remembering February 5, 2008

2011-02-05T12:03:00.000-05:00

It is that time of year again, the day when I sit back and remember all the events that unfolded the night of February 5, 2008. What was easily one of worst and scariest days of my life turned out to be one of the greatest. It was an extremely warm day for West Tennessee. When we are used to cold weather, and possibly even snow, throughout much of January, February, and March, the 80 degree weather was quite concerning. We all knew that storms were on the way, but we did not know what would transpire that night. No one ever thinks that the big storm is actually going to hit the city in which you live, much less the block that you live on. But for those of as Union University that night, our worst nightmare came true. One of the EF-4 tornadoes spawned from that monster storm system tore right through our campus, through the heart of our resident life section.

So many thoughts went through my head at that moment. There was fear. There was peace. There was the concern for the loss of life as well as injuries. I did not know where some of my closest friends were. I was with a roommate that I had only know for about a week, and he has now become a very close friend. We did not know if all we had was destroyed, for my room was just above my head at the time. Then, we had to go to into survival mode. Where do we go now? Where will we find safety? Are there any buildings left on campus that we can take refuge in? As we began to meet up with friends and realize that they were safe, we also began to worry about those we had not yet heard from. Some were trapped under the rubble. Some had not made it to safety yet. Some were still in their rooms.

But God protected us. He saw us through the entire night. No lives were lost that night thanks to Him! He provide us with safety in the largest building on campus. He sent our professors and members of our churches to campus to take us to their homes for the night. He sent the system on through, and the cool temperatures that followed were amazing! The storm was over. But then, a million more questions came. Now what? What's left? Will we have school again? Is the semester over? What did I lose tonight? The next morning began a massive recovery project led by our president, Dr. Dockery. Under his leadership, plans were put in motion. Personal possessions (what was left) were retrieved and distributed. Dorms were torn down. Construction began. The semester restarted 2 weeks later. Then, by August, we had our dorms back, and now 3 years later, there is no evidence of the storm on campus.

There is so much to be thankful for through the events of that night and the days that followed. All those who had been trapped and injured recovered. By the middle of the semester, everyone was out of the hospital, and no lives had been lost. God truly protected us. Although it has been 3 years, the events of that night seem just as real today as they did then. I can still see it in my mind, hear the sounds, feel the emotions, and remember the fear as well as the peace. It is something I will never forget and do not want to forget. I do not want to forget how great God was to us that night. I do not want to forget his love, power, and protection. I do not want to forget the strength he gave us to make it through the night physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

This blog is a direct result of the events that happened that night. It is the reason I began writing. What started as a website where I could post updates about the storm and the rebuilding project that followed has transpired into so much more. And for a walk down memory lane, take a look at this old post where I compiled my writings from the last 3 years (2008-2010)...

February 5, 2008

Matt

A New Semester

2011-02-04T17:16:00.000-05:00

Well it is a new semester out here at Southeastern, and I think it will be a much busier semester as well. I have multiple papers to write this semester, ranging from personal thoughts on theology to biographies about historical figures and from research papers to exegetical papers (involving a close study to the original Greek). I hope that it is not too overwhelming, but there is always that fear in the first few weeks of class. On top of all of that, I also have several books to read. One positive aspect about the semester is that several of my books do not have a reading schedule, so I can take it at my own pace. I am currently in the middle of several of my books, having read the first few chapters of 3-4 different books already.

On top of school, I am also involved in a local church. Between Sundays and Small Group, I should stay fairly busy there as well. Plus, I hope to see about helping out on Wednesday nights in the coming weeks as well. Then there is the job search. I have currently applied to a few jobs in the area and will probably be applying to a few more in the coming days, hoping to find a simple part time job that can help pay my rent. That will be the "last piece of the puzzle," and I should be set once a job falls into place.

So it is an exciting semester. School should be great, and I enjoyed all of my classes so far. I really enjoy the church I have been attending and cannot wait to see what God has in store as I continue to go there and get involved in various ways. And when a job falls into place, I will finally be settled in here in Wake Forest in a more comfortable financial situation.

A quick heads up for those of you who have been following along with my daily thoughts on Scripture (Biblical Reflections): Although I started 1 Kings yesterday, I cannot say when I will return to that text. One of my projects this semester is to write a paper on 1 and 2 Chronicles, looking at two main themes: God's sovereignty and human responsibility. I have read several chapters of 1 Chronicles today, and will be working my way through my initial reading of these two books this weekend. I hope to be done by mid-week, and then I will pick back up with 1 Kings 2 and continue working my way through that book. So do not think that I have given up on 1 Kings, I just have to take a break while I work on this other project for a few days.

So that is my life right now. School, church, and work (hopefully). The good news is that Spring Break is about a month away! It will be a great week of rest and work, but a good break is always needed.

Matt

1 Kings 1

2011-02-03T21:55:00.002-05:00

1 Kings 1

It was time for the power in Israel to shift, and a new king was about to take the throne. David was an old man at the beginning of 1 Kings, and his death was just around the corner. From the opening verses it seems as if David had contracted some type of illness. Furthermore, he was unable to take care of himself. So some of his men sought out a young woman to stay with him, to be his servant and be a source of comfort to him. Although this situation could have been a great source of temptation for David, as it is somewhat similar to his situation with Bathsheba, David did not fall to temptation. Their relationship appeared to be a woman taking care of an old, sick man.

While David lay in bed, unable to get out like he once had, chaos was brewing in Israel. Knowing that the king was about to die, Adonijah, another one of David’s sons, decided that it was time for him to step up as the new king. Although God had chosen Solomon to follow David, Adonijah felt like he should be the one to take the throne. He was able to convince powerful men to support him, some of David’s closest men. One of these men was Joab. But there was another group of people who were not happy about Adonjiah’s instance on taking the throne. The priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, Bathsheba, and the mighty men mentioned at the end of 2 Samuel, were all in support of Solomon taking the throne. They knew that he was the one God had chosen.

So Nathan and Bathsheba went in to see David and tell him of what had happened. They explained how Adonijah had set himself up as the new king of Israel and expressed their concern that they would all become outsiders in the kingdom. They knew that God had chosen and Solomon and that David had declared Solomon as the next king. They wanted to make sure that those plans had not changed. David understood their concerns and assured them that he had not changed his mind. Solomon would indeed be the next king of Israel. So he gathered together those whom he trusted the most, such as Zadok and Nathan, and told them to send Solomon out into the city and declare him as king. They were to anoint him to make it official, and then Solomon would take David’s throne over Israel and Judah.

Adonijah and his party heard the commotion in the city and wondered what was happening. After they received word that David had chosen Solomon to be king, and not Adonijah, they all dispersed and went their separate ways. Adonijah was really upset, and he feared that Solomon would seek his life because of what he had done. But Solomon made a deal with Adonijah, promising that he would not hurt him as long as Adonijah proved himself to be a worthy man. Solomon was willing to give Adonijah a second chance, forgetting all that Adonijah had done to him, how he had excluded him and tried to take the throne from him. While this could have been a dangerous move, allowing someone who was in a sense an enemy to live, it showed Solomon’s loving and forgiving nature. He was willing to trust that Adonijah would keep his word, but if Adonijah broke that promise, Solomon also promised that he would be killed.

In the end, David was proud to see his son, Solomon, take the throne. He thanked God for allowing him to see that day and rejoiced that God had once again kept His promises. Again, let us not forget to thank God for the blessings He gives us each day. David never ceased to praise God for what He had done. May our prayers not be so inwardly focused on what we think we need, but outwardly focused as we praise God, the One who is always by our side giving us exactly what we need each day.

Matt

2 Samuel 24

2011-02-02T13:34:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 24

There are times in all of our lives when pride gets the best of us. We become proud of our accomplishments and we want everyone to know how great of a job we have done. David experienced a similar time in 2 Samuel 24. Near the end of his reign, David was curious as to how many people were in the land, so he had Joab go out and number the people. Joab questioned David on his intentions but in the end did as David had requested. It took Joab a little over 9 months to travel through all the tribes of Israel, and when he returned he reported that there 1.3 million people living in Israel and Judah. Now the word that is used here is “men,” and it speaks of men who could draw up a sword. So there is a strong possibility that Joab only numbered the men. If that is the case, we can then assume that there could have been as many as 3-4 times as many people. That number could easily jump to over 4 million Israelites at this point in history. So we see that during the time of David’s rule, Israel had not only conquered large portions of the Promised Land (land they were supposed to conquer when they first entered), but they also grew by a large number. As king during this time period, David was proud of his accomplishments.

However, God was not pleased with what David had done. God had been the one who had poured out His blessings on the land of Israel. He had chosen David to rule, and He had given David everything he needed to do so effectively. It greatly displeased God to see David taking credit for something that He had done for not only David but Israel as well. David also recognized his mistake and knew that he had had the census taking to boost up his own pride. So he went to God in repentance, and God came back with punishment. But what is interesting in this story is that God gave David a choice of three different consequences. He could choose between a famine that would affect the whole country for 3 years, a plague that would affect the whole country for 3 days, or he could flee for 3 months once again being pursued by some of his enemies.

In the end, David left the choice up to God but did ask that He not punish the others for his mistakes. 70,000 Israelites died as a result of the plague that God sent to the land, but He spared Judah and the city of Jerusalem upon David’s request. David then went and offered sacrifices to God in a spirit of worship and repentance. He asked God to life the plague from the land and spare the rest of his kingdom. David was truly broken before God over what he had done, and by coming in the right attitude to God, God heard his requests and lifted the plague.

Like so many of our lives, David’s life was filled with spiritual highs and lows. There were times in which he obeyed God completely. He did everything that he was commanded to do, and he was a great example to his people. Then there were times when David allowed sin to control his life. He faltered when he saw Bathsheba, did not make wise decisions when dealing with his children, and he let pride control him near the end of his life.

You may wonder how a man who was so close to God could fall so quickly. I have wondered the same thing in my own life. We have these great moments where we draw so close to God, we begin following Him so closely, and then we allow sin to creep back in and take over. We eventually find our way back to God, but then we regret the time we wasted. There really is no answer to this problem except to say that we are human, and as long as we live on this earth, we are going to struggle against sin. But one last lesson we can learn from David is the importance of repentance. We are going to sin, but we should strive not to; however, when we do mess up in life, we should always turn to God in repentance. He is always there waiting for us to turn back to Him, and He will forgive us of those sins. But remember that repentance is not just saying “sorry” for what you have done and doing it again the next day. Repentance is making a choice to turn away from that sin as you try to live for God.

Matt

2 Samuel 23

2011-02-01T13:16:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 23

The next to last chapter of 2 Samuel begins with what it calls the last words of David. Now this does not mean that the story of David is over. David will be around for the first few chapters of 1 Kings, and later when we begin reading the Psalms, we will see him again. But the opening verses of 2 Samuel 23 record what was known as his last words, where he again shows his gratefulness to God for all He had done for him in his life. David was thankful that God had made the everlasting covenant with him, and although he did not know what the ultimate result of that covenant would be (Jesus), he did know that his son, whom God had already chosen, would be the next king in Israel.

The rest of 2 Samuel 23 lists David’s mighty men. These 37 men were those who stood by David throughout the many trials he had endured. Some were eventually killed themselves, like Uriah, whom David had murdered. But these were men that David trusted at different points in his life. During times of trouble, such as when the Philistines began to attack Israel near the end of his life, David depended on men such as these to lead his men into battle. Whether it was due to his need to go into hiding or the fact that his age had caught up to him, David had at times given these men charge of his armies. He trusted that they would do the job and do it correctly, and these men were able to accomplish great things for David and for Israel.

Although we have come across many of their names during our read through of 2 Samuel, some of these names I do not recognize. It is possible that this is the first and maybe even only time that they are ever mentioned in Scripture. In comparison to David, they were not big names in Israelite history, but that does not mean that they were any less important. David would never have been the great king that he was had it not been for great men like these. He needed men who he could trust, men who would be willing to lay their life down for their country and their king. It was because of these men that David was able to do some of the great things he did as king.

These men should be a great encouragement to us. For one, even the greatest people need help. So we should never think that we can live life on our own. We need close friends that we can depend on, friends that will have our back when life is hard, but also friends who will be willing to confront us when we are in the wrong. Secondly, we should never be ashamed of our position in life. Most of us will never have a great position of authority, but that does not mean that we are any less significant. God has a plan for every one of us, and He can use all of us in mighty ways. We just have to be willing to obey His commands and follow Him. God uses ordinary people all the time, and He can and will use us if we are willing. Think about David, who has become known as one of the greatest men to ever live. He was a young shepherd boy in an ordinary family in Bethlehem. His family was just an ordinary family, and yet God called him at a very young age for a monumental task. Why was David such a great king? Because he listened to God and obeyed His word. As a result, God was able to use David in mighty ways.

Matt

2 Samuel 22

2011-01-31T10:25:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 22

I have noticed in my prayer life before that there was one major problem in the way that I prayed. I was really good at asking God for many different things, whether it be for healing of someone who was sick, help in a tough situation I was currently in, or just general requests about life. However, one thing that I neglected to do was praise God for the many gifts He had given me. Or when a prayer request was answered, I would forget to thank Him for helping me out in that situation. Our prayer lives should not consist of just making a list of requests to God. If we truly have a relationship with Him and desire to get to know Him better, then that is not the way to communicate with Him. If someone were to ask us for various things constantly, and that was the extent of their conversations with us, I do not think we would want to keep that friendship. After a while, it would get annoying as there would be no substance to the relationship. In the same way, we should not be so limited in our prayer life. We should talk with God, which requires listening to Him as well. We can still ask for help and guidance, for He wants to be there for us, but we must also learn to not limit our prayers to only requests.

In 2 Samuel 22 we see a song from David explaining how he went to God in his time of need, one of the many times in which he had been pursued by his enemies. While David initially went to God asking for help (deliverance), he later returned to God with a spirit of thanksgiving and praise. He took the time to sit and think back on all God had done for him, how God had protected him and delivered him. Remembering God’s provision led David to a spirit of thankfulness for all God had done, and he made a point to thank God.

This song also shows how God looks out for those who follow Him. David mentions that he was a righteous man and had followed the commands of the Lord. As a result, God was sure to look after him and take care of him in his troubles. In the same way, God will look out for us. Like David, we too are God’s children, and He loves us. He will look out for us in the same way He looked out for David. Does that mean that hard times will not come? Of course not! Look at the life of David. Except for the mistake he made with Bathsheba, David lived a fairly righteous life, after all Scripture says that he was a man after God’s own heart, but even David experience hard times. However, the purpose of those trials was to draw David closer to God. In the midst of his pain, he reached out to God, and God was there for him every time. So yes, hard times will come, but we can always depend on God to be there for us.

I encourage you to really think about the way you pray. Do you bring a list before God of requests that you want answered? Do you take the time to praise God? Do you think back to the ways He has provided for you in the past? I challenge you to incorporate all of these different types of prayers into your prayer life. That is the example that David gives us, and it is a great example to follow.

Matt

2 Samuel 21

2011-01-30T15:09:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 21

Even though the wars with both Absalom and Sheba were over, there were still problems in the land of Israel. A three year famine had come over the land, and the people cried out to God for relief. David himself went to God and questioned why they had not been spared of the famine. God explained that there was still some strife in the land. From the days of Saul, there had been problems between Israel and Gibeon, and if you recall, there were problems when Joab traveled through that land in 2 Samuel 20 on his way to find Sheba. What had happened was that Saul had desired to kill the Gibeonites back during his reign when the nation had already decided to spare the Gibeonites. From that point forward there were hurt feelings between the two nations, and God wanted that conflict to end.

So David went to Gibeon to see what could be done, seeking a resolution. Through much talk he discovered that were really no problems between the two nations themselves. The only problem that still existed was between the people of Gibeon and the family of Saul. There were still hurt feelings from what Saul had done them several years before. So they asked that David bring them 7 of Saul’s sons so that they might be killed in order to restore the relationship between Israel and Gibeon.

David did as they requested, and he gathered together 7 direct descendants of Saul. One man that was spared from this number was Mephilbosheth, Jonathan’s son. He was the one that David had taken in from the very beginning, promising to look out for and protect him as long as he reigned over Israel. Although he was a direct descendant of Saul, and although many would have viewed him as the enemy, David vowed to protect him and provide for him. Even when Mephilbosheth had sought to take the throne away from David during David’s absence, David sought reconciliation and their relationship had been restored. So David did not even consider adding Mephilbosheth to the number of men who would be handed over to the Gibeonites. After the 7 men were taken to Gibeon and killed, the two nations were able to find common ground again. Israel took Gibeon in as one of their own and all was well in the land again. The famine eventually came to an end.

An almost forgotten enemy of Israel, the Philistines, were rarely mentioned in the book of 2 Samuel (especially recently). Earlier in David’s life, he had had many battles with the Philistines, and God had given him great victories in those battles (such as Goliath). But near the end of his life, the threat of the Philistines returned, and 4 great men, descended from the giants (like Goliath) began to attack Israel. On 4 separate occasions, David and his men went out to battle against the Philistines, but in the first battle, David almost lost his life. His age was finally catching up with him, and some of his servants realized that he could no longer physically go to battle. From that point forward they fought the battles for David and put an end to the threat of the Philistines. So just like the early days of David’s reign, God was giving him the victories. God was still in control, and He still protected Israel. There had been many hard times, and mistakes had been made along the way. But the nation had returned to God, and God continued to bless Israel.

Matt

2 Samuel 20

2011-01-29T19:07:00.000-05:00

2 Samuel 20

Although the political system of the day was beginning to shift more in David’s favor after the death of Absalom, 2 Samuel 20 introduces yet another setback for David. This time it was Sheba who decided to stand in his way, claiming that he and his tribe (Benjamin) had no part in the kingdom of David. He did not want to submit to David’s rule, so he spoke out against David and took with him many of the same people that had previously followed Absalom. What is interesting is that two forces were created as a result of this rebellion. First were parts (and probably most of) every tribe of Israel except Judah. The largest tribe of Israel was Judah, and they stood by David, for the capital city was in their land. These two opposing forces, although they would soon be reunited, would play a key role in the political system at the end of Solomon’s life. For there came a time in Israel’s history when they did split into two separate “countries,” and there were two separate kings in the land.

But as for 2 Samuel 20, a complete separation would not occur. For David it was just one more setback. So he assembled his men together yet again and sent them out to pursue Sheba. Their orders were to stop Sheba at any cost. When David told them to go after Absalom he asked that Absalom’s life be spared. David did not make this type of request with Sheba. He did not give them any real specifics either. Ultimately, David wanted Sheba stopped before he found refuge and was able to gather together a great force of people that could fight against Judah.

So Joab and the rest of David’s men set out, and along the way they encountered problems. Their first problem was in Gibeon, where they had trouble getting through. Joab took care of that situation by killing Amasa, their leader. This sign of power gave them a chance to pass on through Gibeon without any further problems. Then they entered the land of Abel, the city where Sheba had taken refuge. They were beginning to batter down the walls of the city when a woman stopped them. I must admit that at first reading I was wondering if this woman could be trusted. There have been several examples already in Israel’s history where men have fallen to the false words of various men and women. I was especially concerned when she was begging them not to destroy the city. It appeared as if she might actually be trying to protect Sheba. However, this woman was not a false prophet, she was concerned about the welfare of the men and women in her city. Once she discovered that Joab was after Sheba, she promised that she would bring him Sheba’s head if he promised not to destroy their city. Joab agreed, and the woman threw Sheba’s head over the city walls to Joab.

In the end, it did not take brute force to stop Sheba. Although Joab and his men were prepared to go to battle for David and Judah, they were able to settle matters with the woman in Abel, and another force of opposition was stopped. While most situations such as these, when nation rises against nation, must be resolved by force, talking it out usually is not the best option. But for most of us today, if we are not part of the military in some way, we never encounter situations such as these. We do however face opposition quite frequently, and many times those situations can be resolved through conversation. Although it is hard to confront someone who has hurt you, and it is hard to find it within yourself to forgive them, that is what we are called to do. We should not let conflict divide us from others, especially when it is our brothers and sisters in Christ. There is always a resolution to be found, and instead of remaining divided or stirring up an even bigger problem, we should confront the issue and seek a resolution sooner than later.

Matt

2 Samuel 19:16-43

2011-01-27T18:26:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 19:16-43

The second half of 2 Samuel is a great picture of forgiveness and love. If you recall from the very beginning of Absalom’s rebellion, there were several men that betrayed David in those first few days. As he fled from Jerusalem, some of his closest friends and servants either remained in Jerusalem, betraying David, or turned on him after he had left. One of these men was the last remaining son of Saul, Mephilbosheth. This is the same man (who was lame) that David took in after Saul’s death. David made Mephilbosheth as if he were one of his own and provided for him whatever he needed. Yet when David left Jerusalem, Mephilbosheth was one of the men who turned on him and sought the throne.

So why would David forgive these men who had betrayed him in his greatest time of need? Why would he act as if none of it had ever happened and be willing to move on and start over? To me, it is a picture of the love God has for us. While David had every right to sentence most of these men to death or at least have them sent out of the country, he chose to forgive them. In the same way, none of us are good enough to inherit eternal life with God in Heaven. We have all messed up and turned our backs on God at some point in our life. All it takes is one sin. So that one time you lied to your parents or that one bad thought you had was enough to separate you from Him forever. However, God sent His only Son into this world to die as a sacrifice for our sins, and thanks to His resurrection, His triumph over death, we can now live with Him forever. We can turn from our sin, turn to God, and inherit eternal life. Although we do not deserve it, and although God has every right to send us to Hell, this is His gift to us. It is because of His great love for us that we can live for Him and with Him.

So in a way, this picture of forgiveness given to us by David is very similar to what God does for us. But 2 Samuel does not only focus on those who had rebelled against David. It later shifts its focus to those who had been of great help during those trials. There was one 80 year old man in particular, Barzillai, who had helped take care of David while he was in hiding. He had given David anything that he needed during that time. So when David reinherited the throne, he extended an offer to Barzillai to come back to Jerusalem with him to live in his palace. Although Barzillai was honored to be considered, he politely refused, requesting that he be able to remain in his hometown. He knew that he did not have much longer to live, and he wanted to be at home when he died. So at Barzillai’s request, David took one of his servants, Chimham, and blessed him instead.

Israel was still in a time of readjustments by the end of 2 Samuel 19. There were hurt feelings between the tribes. There were still unresolved conflicts stemming from who had supported David and who had deserted him. Although life was beginning to get back to normal in the nation of Israel, there was still a lot of work to be done. David was back on the throne, but that did not mean that everyone was happy with the way things had turned out. It is sad to see how a once unified nation became a divided nation, and there was no quick or easy resolution to this conflict.

Matt

2 Samuel 19:1-15

2011-01-26T13:29:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 19:1-15

In 2 Samuel 18 we questioned the actions of Joab. We looked at his disobedience to David’s command about how to deal with Absalom, and then we looked at how he dealt with telling David the news about his son. So was Joab in the wrong? I think it can be argued either way. In one instance, he disobeyed David’s commands and tried to deceive him into believing that Absalom was not dead (at least not yet). On the other hand, it can be argued that Joab was protecting David from himself. Joab remembered how much grief David felt when he lost Amnon, and maybe Joab did not want David to go into that state of mourning again. 2 Samuel 19 gives us more insight into this situation, for now that Absalom is dead, we do see David’s reaction. He goes back into a deep state of mourning and depression over the death of his son, and it almost seems as if he had forgotten what it was Absalom had tried to do. Did he not remember that Absalom was trying to take the kingdom away by killing David and his men?

Joab picked up on this and scolded David for the way he was reacting. While Joab probably understood that David was suffering a great loss, he was upset at David’s reaction. For Joab and the rest of David’s men, they felt as if they were the enemies, that David would have preferred for Absalom to have succeeded, killing all of David’s men just so Absalom would still be alive. Now while David probably did not feel this way and was grateful that these men had defended him in battle and brought victory back to Israel, his actions did speak differently. In the eyes of his servants and the people of Israel, many might have had the same concerns that Joab raised before David.

In the end, all was restored to the way it once was. David sent a message to the men in Jerusalem asking for his return. They were quick to accept his offer, realizing their mistakes. They had not only lost their king when he fled in fear of his life, but they had also lost their new king in battle who they had placed over Israel themselves. They recognized their mistakes and were ready to once again bring David back to Jerusalem to reign over Israel until his death. So what started in 2 Samuel 11 when David first saw Bathsheba was finally resolved in the middle of 2 Samuel 19. He was back on the throne as the king of Israel. He was back in good standing with God, having repented of his sins and turned his life around. Israel was once again ready to support him, although there would still be days of healing ahead for all of them. And even though he had lost a few children in the process, he still had other children, one of which had already been chosen to be the next king of Israel.

I must admit that this section of David’s life has been one of the most challenging to work through. At times I am not sure that I read the story right. The lines are blurred between who we should consider the “good guys” and who the “bad guys” are at several points throughout these 9 chapters. I hope I have stayed accurate with what the Scripture is saying, and as always I hope you actually read the Scripture yourself and do not depend on my observations alone. While I do try to summarize the main points of the story, I do not hit every little detail. I love the story of David and the book of 2 Samuel, but it is not always an easy read. So if you have not already, I encourage you to go back and read these chapters for yourself. From here on out we will look at the last few chapters of David’s life as we finish the Samuels and enter the Kings.

Matt

2 Samuel 18

2011-01-25T16:35:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 18

As 2 Samuel 18 opens, David’s men are preparing for war. David gathered all his men together and then divided them into three separate groups. He also prepared himself for battle, and told his men where he would be. But those closest to David asked him to remain away from the heat of the battle lest he die. They understood his worth and knew that they needed his guidance once they regained the throne of Israel. So David listened to their requests, gave them further instructions, and remained by the gate of the city as they went out to battle.

At first glance it might appear as if David was retreating from the battle. Some might even think that he was frightened to go out to battle his son. But I do not believe that is the case here. An example of David selfishly remaining home away from battle was the time when he saw Bathsheba. As the king he should have been out with his men, and yet he stayed at home, and that one bad decision led to a series of bad decisions. In this case, David was prepared and willing to go, but his men persuaded him to stay. In this case, David was the target, not the entire nation of Israel. All Absalom was really concerned about was killing his father. Therefore, it was much better for Israel as a whole to allow David to remain away from the battle.

David’s men went out to battle against the rest of the Israelites, and it was a quick battle. The Lord was with David and his men, and He gave them the victory that day. The battle was widespread, and the death count was great. One of the many who were killed was Absalom. Now when David had given his men instructions for battle, he asked them to deal kindly with Absalom. In other words, David did not want them to kill him. So when one young soldier saw Absalom hanging in a tree (for he had been caught in a tree while riding his mule, and his mule ran off away from him), he ran to Joab to tell him that he had seen Absalom in battle. This angered Joab, and he asked the young man why he had not killed him, fearful of what Absalom could and would do as long as he was alive. The young man reminded Joab of what David had told them prior to the battle, but that is not what Joab wanted to hear.

Joab then went out to the place where the young man had seen Absalom, and along with then of his men, they killed Absalom as he was hanging in the tree. Knowing that this went against David’s commands, Joab did not want David to know about Absalom’s death yet. Furthermore, he knew that David would be upset with the one who brought the news. So first Joab did not allow anyone to leave and give David news of the victory, knowing that they would also have to give him news of Absalom’s death. So when one of David’s trusted men said he would go anyways, Joab also sent another soldier to go as well. The first man lied to David about Absalom’s death. He knew that Absalom had been killed, but afraid to upset David he hid that news from him. The other young soldier was truthful with David and told him all he knew. This sent David into another state of mourning, for he had lost yet another son.

So who was right in this situation? Absalom had to die or be contained if David ever wanted to regain the throne, but the cover up that surrounded Absalom’s death seems as if it could have been controversial. Should Joab have killed Absalom when David had asked them not to? Although it would help his king take the throne back, it was disobedience to his commands. Furthermore, should he have tried to cover up Absalom’s death? David would eventually find out, and would it not have been better to be truthful rather than David to find out that Joab had kept it from him? Finally, what about the first man that brought news to David? Why did he lie when he knew that Absalom was actually dead? In the end, Absalom’s death was the key to helping David return to power in Jerusalem. And although it would hurt David to know that his son had been killed, that was news that he needed to know. Even if it is hard, we should always tell the truth. Although that seems like such a simple lesson to draw from this passage, we all know how serious the consequences for lying can be. Think about some of the scandals we hear in the news. Many times the truth does not come out for years, but it does come out! We cannot hide from our lies and secrets forever, and when the truth does come out, it can be devastating. So although it may seem like such a simple lesson, one thing we can learn from this passage and from much of 2 Samuel in general, is to just tell the truth.

Matt

2 Samuel 17

2011-01-24T10:00:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 17

With roles reversed, David found himself in hiding while Absalom sat on the throne in Jerusalem. In order to gain full control, Ahithophel presented a plan to Absalom that would ultimately lead to David’s death. He planned to gather a group of men who would set out and find David. Without harming anyone else, they would kill David and bring the rest of his men back to Jerusalem, hopefully leading to a reunification of Israel. When this plan was presented to Absalom, he initially approved, but he also wanted the approval of Hushai. Now remember that Hushai was in a sense a mole left behind by David to serve Absalom. So of course Hushai did not approve of this plan. But the problem was that Hushai could not come right out and give his disapproval for fear that Absalom might figure out where his true allegiance was. So he also set forth a plan that would ultimately lead to David’s death just to make Absalom think that he was still supporting Absalom’s decisions. In reality, his plan would ultimately save David’s life.

The amazing thing about this part of the story was that it was all part of God’s plan to leave Hushai in Jerusalem and have him put in this predicament. It would be one of the pieces that would ultimately lead to David’s ability to regain the throne in Jerusalem, but it was also God’s way of promoting Hushai above Ahithophel. As God continued to work the situation out for David’s good, He also began setting up obstacles for Absalom that would lead to his demise.

As Absalom began to prepare for battle, people once again began to scramble. Ahithophel was distraught because his plan had not been accepted. As a result, he fled to his hometown where he hung himself. Meanwhile, Hushai was secretly aligning with the few Israelites in Jerusalem who still supported David. He prepared two men to travel to David that very night (the night before Absalom would leave) and warn David about what Ahithophel and Absalom were up to. However, some of Absalom’s men heard about what these two men were up to, and their chance at saving David was almost shot. Thankfully, there was a woman who was able to hide them while Absalom’s men passed by. They were finally able to complete their journey and get David across the river and into safety for the time being.

In 2 Samuel 16, it seemed as if David’s time as the king of Israel was over. With the circumstances the way they were, it seemed doubtful that David would ever regain the throne. Absalom was gaining more and more control, and he had successfully gained the approval of a large portion of Israel. Yet while many Israelites spent their time cursing David, David did not give up. He was on the run in fear of his life, being pursued by his own son, but he knew that no matter the outcome, God was in control. If he had the opportunity to regain the throne, he would be grateful, but he ultimately knew that God had to make that decision. He sent men back to Jerusalem who were able to help him from the inside, and in 2 Samuel 17, the power began to shift back to David thanks to the efforts of Hushai. We never know how God is going to work, but one lesson we can learn from Hushai is to be ready to be God’s instrument. We must always be willing to allow God to use us for whatever He needs. Hushai had remained faithful to David and most importantly to God, and as a result, God was able to use Hushai to further carry out his plans. May we, like Hushai, remain faithful and be willing to do whatever it is that God has called us to do.

Matt

2 Samuel 16

2011-01-23T19:35:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 16

Once David left Jerusalem, the political scene was shaken. Not only was Absalom a threat to overtake the throne, but Saul’s son, Mephibosheth, was also seeking to take the throne from David. As David began his journey out of Jerusalem, one of Mephibosheth’s servants met him to give him some animals, food, and wine for the journey. After all David had done for Mephibosheth and his family and servants, this servant was expressing his gratitude to David in the middle of David’s struggles. But when David asked about Mephibosheth’s whereabouts, he learned that Mephibosheth had chosen to remain in Jerusalem with hopes that Israel would declare him king.

As David journeyed toward the Jordan, another man, Shimei, came out to curse David for all that he had done. He was upset that David had been promoted to the throne after Saul’s death, and he was glad to see that David was being pressured by Absalom. The man truly thought that these recent events were a result of mistakes that David had made. Even though he was being attacked verbally and physically, David chose not to respond. He did not know if the man was responding out of anger or if he had been led by God to curse David. For that reason, David restrained himself and those with him from responding to this man. David knew that in the end, if he continued to remain faithful to God, God would see him through this situation. Although he did not know how it would all be resolved in the end, and he did not know how many more trials he would have to endure, he still showed great faith in the One who was guiding him every step of the way.

Meanwhile, Absalom was preparing to make his home in Jerusalem, taking the throne from his father. The young man that David had sent back to Jerusalem at the end of 2 Samuel 15 was Hushai, and when Absalom made his way into Jerusalem, Hushai was there to meet him. He was what we might consider an insider or mole, planted by David. He had been instructed to serve Absalom just as he had David, and Absalom took him in without question.

So as the political control began to shift, the situation began to look a lot worse for David. He had been forced to flee from his home city, and he had no idea where he was going. Many Israelites who had once trusted and followed David in every decision that he had made were beginning to question their allegiance to David. While some remained dedicated to him, many turned away and began to follow Absalom. As Absalom began to take control in Jerusalem, the allegiance of several key figures was also thrown into question. Who could David trust? And in the same manner, who could Absalom trust? The good guys and bad guys were not black and white, and the allegiance of many shifted back and forth. But in the midst of all this turmoil, it was still evident that David was trying his best to remain faithful to God, knowing that He would carry him through these troubling times. In the same way, even when life seems as if it cannot get any worse, we must hold fast to God. We will all encounter hard times, but God loves us, and He will always be there for us in the midst of the storm.

Matt

2 Samuel 15:13-37

2011-01-22T14:33:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 15:13-37

Due to the threat that Absalom posed by declaring himself as king in Hebron, David knew that he would soon begin to make his way back to Jerusalem. Because of the fear of what Absalom could do to David and his people, David thought it best to get out of Jerusalem while he still could. He had received reports of what Absalom had done, and he also knew that the people of Israel were being swayed by Absalom. Although David was the king of Israel, he saw that some political powers were shifting, and once again, he found himself on the run. Yet even as David was leaving Jerusalem, there were those around him who mourned his departure. No one knew where David was going (not even David knew), and they all feared their uncertain future. So there were still many people who were faithful to David, but Absalom was still a major threat.

In the midst of these tragic events, there was one young man who stood out above the rest. He had joined David’s staff just the day before David made the decision to leave Jerusalem. He was dedicated to David and was ready to do anything that was asked of him. So when the rest of David’s servants began to pack up and head out with David, this young man left as well. Seeing this, David questioned why he was leaving. David knew that this young man had just left his home to come and serve in Jerusalem, and he did not want to ask him to pack up and leave again to an uncertain future. But the young man replied by showing his dedication to not only David but God as well. He knew what he signed up for from the start, and even though his time in Jerusalem had been short, he was ready for whatever and wherever God was leading him.

As 2 Samuel 15 came to end, the political tides were shifting. Absalom began to make his way toward Jerusalem, and by the end of the chapter he was entering the city. David on the other hand was trying to get everything in order. He left his priest with the Ark of the Covenant in the city. He also moved around some of his most trusted men, sending some back to the city so that he could receive reports from them. Others remained with him, as he began his journey away from Jerusalem. At the same time, he received word of some conspirators among him, other than Absalom. So he went to God for advice and for help. David was prepared to do whatever God commanded. If that meant that he would never return to Jerusalem, then he was prepared to accept that. If it meant that he was to prepare for battle against his son, he was ready. Amidst all of the confusion and turmoil, David showed what it meant to trust in God. Even though he had no idea where he was going, what he would be doing, or if he would ever regain control of the kingdom, he knew that God had a plan. God would get him through this challenging time, and it was up to him to depend on God.

Matt

2 Samuel 15:1-12

2011-01-21T18:26:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 15:1-12

All of David’s mistakes, although he had sought repentance and found forgiveness, bore bitter consequences by the time 2 Samuel 15 began. In Jerusalem, Absalom was secretly conspiring against his father, and many of the Israelites were beginning to look to Absalom for advice and help. He did it subtly, but after four years of lying to Israel by saying that there was no one to hear their requests (which was David’s job, and David would have done had he been given the opportunity), Absalom had won the hearts of the people. Although he was not the king, he was subtly letting the idea of him having the throne work its way into the minds of the Israelites.

But how could this happen? David was back on track, following God, allowing God to lead him and guide him in his decisions. David was back where he was supposed to be, and his mistakes with Bathsheba and Uriah were now a thing of the past. This portion of David’s life shows us that even though we can move on from our past, finding forgiveness and getting right with God again, there are still sometimes consequences. Just because we have brought ourselves back into good standing before God and have gotten our life back on track does not mean that the people around us that we might have hurt in the past have put it behind them. They may still be hurting from our past mistakes. They may still harbor resentment or anger. Sometimes it takes years for a situation to resolve itself, and we have to endure the consequences in the process. As for David, he was still facing some pretty hard times, but even in the midst of another struggle, he continued to show his faithfulness to God.

So after winning the hearts of Israel, Absalom went to David and requested permission to travel to Hebron where he would make a sacrifice to God out of thanksgiving. He wanted David to believe that he was still faithful to God, knowing that a relationship with God was something David cherished in his own life. David of course agreed, unaware of Absalom’s true intentions, and Absalom traveled to Hebron, ready to declare himself as king. On his way, Absalom gathered several men who would spread the announcement (that Absalom was now the king of Hebron. He also gathered up two hundred other men to travel with him and help him along the way, but these men were unaware of his true intentions as well, and they were about to get caught up in Absalom’s conspiracy.

Again, how could this happen? How did David miss it? I wonder if I would not have reacted in the same way. From David’s perspective, Absalom had come back around and moved on past his mistakes. David’s desire was for Absalom to return home, and in the end, David wanted their relationship to be restored. He had longed for the day when Absalom would get his life back on track. So when Absalom requested to travel to Hebron in order to sacrifice to God, David was probably proud to see that Absalom had turned his life around. There are times when people put on really good acts (that is what Absalom was doing here), and it is not until after the fact that we notice what their true character was. I can think of several people that I thought were truly godly men and women who have since fallen away. I sometimes wonder if they were ever truly committed to God or if it were all an act. That is something we can never know, for it is between them and God, but it does show us that we can all be fooled. So to close out this section of the story, here is 1 John 4:1-3: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

Matt

2 Samuel 14

2011-01-20T09:43:00.000-05:00

2 Samuel 14

Three years had passed since Absalom left Jerusalem, and David still mourned over the tragedies that had occurred amongst his children. Seeing his distress, Joab decided to step in and help bring the two men back together. He knew that David longed to see Absalom, so he went and found a woman from Tekoa and devised a plan with her. Joab instructed this woman to pretend to be a mourning widow who had been through a situation very similar to David’s. She tells him of a story about two men, who she claims to be her children, and explains how one rose up and killed the other. She then discusses all of the repercussions that came about as a result of this tragic event. The people of her city were now seeking the life of her other son as a form of punishment for his actions.

David was very sympathetic to her story and was willing to aid her with whatever she needed, but that is when she turned the tables on David. Although David had truly mourned over the tragic events in 2 Samuel 13, he had not initiated reconciliation with Absalom. Yes, he needed to be patient and wait for Absalom to return to him in repentance; however, three years had now passed. Although David wanted Absalom to return, he also needed to assure Absalom that he still loved him and wanted to rectify the situation. In 2 Samuel 13 we saw a parallel between God’s love for His children and David’s love for Amnon and Absalom, but this is not a perfect parallel. Although God does wait us out, He also lets us know that He is there waiting for us. He reveals Himself to us through many ways such as creation, His Word, and the people He places in our lives. So in one sense, David was expressing the same type of love that God shows us to his son Absalom, but in another sense, David was harboring resentment. By not reaching out to Absalom, he left Absalom wondering if his father really cared.

Out of love for his friend, Joab stepped in and developed this crafty plan to help David see the need to make that first move. Since three years had now passed, it seemed pretty obvious to Joab that Absalom would not come back to Jerusalem on his own. The story from the woman of Tekoa helped David see that he needed to take the initiative in rectifying his relationship with his son. So after the woman left, David sent word to Geshur, the city in which Absalom had been living, for Absalom to return home.

After Absalom’s return, it seemed as if all would be well again. David and Absalom would figure things out and move past the tragic events of the last several years, and Israel would continue to prosper under his kingship. But the problems did not end with Absalom’s return. In fact, they only grew worse. When Absalom returned, David gave him a home of his own and Absalom was commanded to remain there. Furthermore, David refused to allow Absalom to enter into his presence. So again we see that David was still having problems reconciling with Absalom. He was obviously upset that Absalom had killed Amnon, his brother and David’s son, but that had now happened over three years ago, and it was time to move on. Another two years passed by, and although Absalom was in Jerusalem, he had still had no contact with his father. But before we place all the blame on David, it should also be noted that Absalom did not take the effort to speak with David during those two years either. However, the time finally came when Absalom wanted to speak with his father, and he sent word to Joab to set up a meeting. When Joab continued to ignore his requests, time and time again, Absalom had Joab’s field set on fire. Catching Joab’s attention, Absalom once again gave his request to see David, and the two men were finally reunited.

Matt

2 Samuel 13:23-39

2011-01-19T18:53:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 13:23-39

After Amnon’s sin against Tamar, Absalom harbored hatred in his heart for two years. After what Amnon had done, Absalom could not stand him, but by sitting on it for two years and not seeking any resolution, that hatred had grown. Furthermore, Absalom had plenty of time to plot out his revenge. So when the time came to put his plan into motion, Absalom requested that his father David and all David’s sons take a trip with Absalom. It would be during that trip that Absalom would plan on having Amnon killed. David declined Absalom’s offer, but he did allow the rest of his sons to go. After they were away from David’s presence, Absalom had his servants kill Amnon, sending fear into the rest of the men. They all fled, and when word got back to David over the tragic death of Amnon, many believed that all of David’s sons were dead.

There was one man that did not believe the report about the deaths for he knew about Absalom’s hatred toward Amnon. Before jumping to the rash conclusion that they were all dead, which would only lead to depression and stress, he encouraged David to not lose hope. He did not believe the reports and suspected that only Amnon was dead. Now although he did not know that he was actually right, his positive attitude was a help to his hurting friend. That is not to say that every time we find ourselves in a tough situation we should look for the positives and remain oblivious to the real pain we or someone close to us might be experiencing. However, we can never focus on the negatives. If we do, we will only bring ourselves down and that is not healthy physically or spiritually.

In this situation, the young man had actually been correct. His suspicions about the presumed deaths of David’s sons were true. For it was not long after their conversation that David’s sons rode back into the city, all of them except Absalom. David was relieved to find that his sons were alive, and although he was still grieving the loss of Amnon, that bit of good news helped. Now one thing you may want to question at this point is why he had ever grieved the loss of Amnon after what Amnon had done to Tamar. Although Amnon had been in the wrong, he was still David’s son, and like any loving father, David grieved his death. A father’s love looks past their children’s mistakes, and although they do not condone their actions, they love them regardless. David’s expression of love for Amnon is a reflection of God’s love for us. We might question why David would still choose to love Amnon after his mistakes, but David had already been in Amnon’s situation. After his tragic fall into sin, he had been given the opportunity to return to God. Although God was not pleased with what David had done, nor did He accept David’s sin, He did offer David forgiveness and a second chance. Like David, we are all given that second chance from our Heavenly Father. He will not approve of our sin, but if we are His children, then we can always repent of our sins and ask for His forgiveness.

So we learn a lot about David in this situation. We see him growing in God once again. Having moved on from his mistakes, he is now offering that same type of love to his children. First, he expresses that love to Amnon, and then he does the same with Absalom. 2 Samuel 13 closes with David beginning to find peace in Amnon’s death, and in the same moment, he is also beginning to grieve the loss of Absalom. Although Absalom was not physically dead, his actions and the fact that he had fled the kingdom sent more grief David’s way. But like Amnon, it proves the change that had happened in David’s life and shows the unconditional love that he had for his children. His desire was for Absalom to return, but he knew that it would be up to Absalom to make that decision, a choice David could not make for him. In the same way, our decision to come to Christ is a choice that we must make, and like David, God is always waiting for us to turn to Him.

Matt

David Review

2011-01-18T14:24:00.000-05:00

So it has been about a month since we last left David and his children. At the time, David was beginning another very hectic time of his life. If you remember back to the middle of 1 Samuel when we first met David, he was chosen by God to be king of Israel. The only problem was that Saul was the king at that time, and he had a son. But due to Saul’s unfaithfulness, God took the kingdom away from him and his family and promised it to David. Knowing what the future held, Saul did everything he could to find and kill David. Not only did he want to preserve his kingdom, but he wanted his children to have the opportunity to rule over Israel as well. So Saul spent many years tracking David, but David was continuously protected by God. During those years on the run, David had two opportunities to kill Saul, which would have relieved a lot of stress from his life. But David knew that it would not be right for him to be the one to kill the king if he were to then take the throne. He decided to leave vengeance to God, and in time, God followed through on His promise.

Saul was eventually killed in battle, and the kingdom fell right into David’s hands. This led into a very peaceful time for Israel and for David. The kingdom expanded as David added conquered new lands, and Israel experienced some of its greatest days under his leadership. God had truly blessed Israel on account of David. However, David was human, just like all of us. After seeing Bathsheba bathing on a nearby roof, David let temptation get the best of him, and he fell into a series of sins that destroyed his reputation. He committed adultery, murder, and acted as a coward as he tried to cover up his sin. In the end, he lost a child as punishment for his actions. The good news was that God is and has always been a forgiving God. Through Nathan the prophet, God sent word to David that eventually led him to repentance. He was truly sorry for all he had done, and he asked for a second chance, a new start.

While God gave David that second chance, his life did not necessarily improve. There were still consequences for his actions, but unlike Saul, who continued to turn away from God when life sent him challenges, David only grew closer to God. The second half of 2 Samuel is the story about the struggles David experienced after his great mistake. He will once again be on the run, fearful for his life, running from one of his children. 2 Samuel 13 introduced this story showing how a fight arose between two of David’s sons, Amnon and Absalom. This conflict would escalate into something much worse. So as we continue the story of David we will see the importance of clinging to God, allowing Him to have control of our lives. Life will always throw us challenges, and we have two choices when it does. Will we choose to become angry with God and turn away from Him (as Saul did) or will we choose to turn to God for help, trusting that He can be our support, our comfort, and our hope in those hard times (like David)?

The story continues in 2 Samuel 13…

Matt

Reason for the World

2011-01-16T15:02:00.000-05:00

At the end of last year, Matthew West released his newest CD, "The Story of Your Life." Spending some time by himself in a cabin in Tennessee, he looked over hundreds of stories he had received from fans about real stories from their lives. Over the last few years, Matthew West transformed love stories into songs by partnering with K-LOVE, and this CD seems to be an extension of that project. All 11 songs come from someone's real life experience, and that is what makes this CD amazing. After listening through the CD the first time, each song hit me in a different way. While some situations do not apply to my life specifically (for instance, I have never had to deal with the struggles of divorce), they all provide glimpses into the real life problems that people are facing every day. These songs also offer hope, and the underlying theme throughout all 11 songs is that we can find that hope in Christ. He is the One we can go to no matter what is going on in our life, and He can give us the hope and strength that we need during those hard times.

"Reason for the World" is the song that stood out most to me. It expounds on this idea of hope. Life is hard, and at some point we are all going to experience a very difficult and trying situation. Some of us may be in the middle of one of those tough situations right now. But when those hard times come, there is always someone we can turn to, and that is God. All we have to do is call out to Him for strength and help, and He will give it to us. Does it mean that the hard times will go away and be solved immediately? No. But it will help us realize that He is in control, and even when life is hard, we can always trust in Him. In the end, this world is not our home. It is only a stop along the way to our eternal home.

So here are the lyrics to what I felt was the most powerful song and my favorite song from Matthew West's new CD:

Reason for the World

There are no words in times like these
When tears don't hide the tragedies
And all you want is a reason for the world

No comfort in the greeting card
Cause God is good, But life's still hard
and your heart just wants a reason for the world

Maybe the reason for the pain
Is so we would pray for strength
And maybe the reason for the strength
Is so that we would not lose hope
And maybe the reason for all hope
Is so that we could face the world
And the reason for the world
Is to make us long for home

For God so loved your broken heart
He sent his son to where you are and he died
To give a reason for the world

So lift your sorrows to the one
Whose plan for you has just begun
And rests here in the hands that hold the world

Maybe the reason for the pain
Is so we would pray for strength
And maybe the reason for the strength
Is so that we would not lose hope
And maybe the reason for all hope
Is so that we could face the world
And the reason for the world
Is to make us long for home

Well I know your past the point of broken
Surrounded by your fear
I know your feet are tired and weary
from the road that you walked down here
But just keep your eyes on heaven
and know that you are not alone
remember the reason for the world

No ear has heard, No eye has seen
Not even in your wildest dreams
A beauty that awaits beyond this world
When you look into the eyes of grace
and hear the voice of mercy say
Child, welcome to the reason for the world

Matt

2 Samuel 12:26-13:22

2010-12-14T10:52:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 12:26-13:22

If you have read the last few posts, I hope you have not received a negative impression about David. I do hope that you have realized that he was human, just like us. And although we all sin and mess up, I hope you understand the hope we have in God. Although He cannot accept sin in His presence, He did provide a way of forgiveness through His Son, Jesus. Just as David received forgiveness from God when he recognized and repented of his sins, we too can find forgiveness. So although the story of David took a turn for the worse, he rebounded. He turned to God and set things right, and God was able to use David again in many more great ways.

Now we enter into the second half of 2 Samuel, and these closing chapters will present more struggles for David. Even though he has put his past behind him and moved on, there are still consequences for sin. The same is true for us. Yes, we can receive forgiveness for our sins, but that does not mean life goes back to normal. There may be consequences for what we have done. Whereas God forgave us, it may take others more time to do so. So we have to understand that life may still provide challenges. For David these problems began with his children, but before we get to that part of the story, take a look at the end of 2 Samuel 12. After the situation with Bathsheba was over, David and Joab set off for the Ammonites again, and as before they found victory. David took over all the cities of the Ammonites and these closing verses show that in one sense, David had been restored to his position as king over Israel. God was giving him victory in his battles again.

Then, in 2 Samuel 13, the trouble began. Part of the problem was the fact that David had several wives. As a result, he had children with these different wives, and that caused problems. Absalom and Tamar were David’s son and daughter from one marriage, and Amnon was their half-brother from another marriage. The problem was that Absalom was a very protective brother for Tamar, and Amnon lusted after her. Amnon desired to have Tamar so much that he was willing to lie and trick his entire family into just having a few moments with her alone. First, he consulted one of his best friends, and together they developed a crafty scheme. Then, he faked an illness to convince David to allow Tamar to see after him while he was sick. Finally, when she brought food into him, he ordered everyone else out of the room so that he could be alone with her. He then told her of his desires, and when she objected, he overpowered her and raped her.

Of course Tamar, having been a virgin, was greatly upset with what Amnon had done to her. Furthermore, after the fact, he despised her and ordered her to leave, which was worse than what he had originally done. She was forced out of his presence, and she went into a state of grief, upset over what had happened. When Absalom and David heard of what had happened, they were quite angry at Amnon. Absalom refused to speak with him, and he took care of Tamar, allowing her to stay with him. This situation will grow worse as the chapters continue, but all of a sudden the promise God made to David through David is coming true. He said that trouble would arise as a result of what he had done to Uriah and Bathsheba, and He said that it would come out of his own house. This situation between Amnon and Tamar is just the first problem to arise.

Matt

2 Samuel 12:1-25

2010-12-13T09:15:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 12:1-25

After David’s moral downfall, God sought out Nathan the prophet and sent a message to David through him. Nathan told David a story about a rich man who took a sheep from a poor man. The rich man, who had probably four times more (or maybe more) than the poor man, was expecting a visitor. To welcome the visitor, the rich man decided to prepare a sheep for him, but rather taking one of his own, he took the poor man’s only sheep. When Nathan had finished, David saw the problem in the situation and immediately ordered that this man be punished and the poor man be repaid for all that he had lost in this deal. That is when Nathan pointed out to David that the story had been about him. He was the man who had taken the only sheep, Bathsheba, from Uriah.

As a result, God was upset with what David had done. After all that God had given David, protection from Saul, great riches, and the kingdom of Israel, God was upset that David had turned from Him. As punishment for his sin, God declared that David would find turmoil within his own family in the future. He would lose wives to other men, his own family would rise up against him and there would be great fights within them, and he would lose the child that Bathsheba was carrying. Immediately, David realized what he had done, and he was truly sorry for his sin. It is easy to harp on David in 2 Samuel 11, but to see the turnaround in 2 Samuel 12 shows what kind of a man he was. He did not deny the fact that he had sinned. He did not try to cover it up any longer. He took responsibility for what he had done, and although he asked that God reconsider the punishment so that his child would not die, David understood why God was taking that child from him. David repented of his sins and found forgiveness from God, and David was restored. So while this is really is a tragic story in the life of David, he shows us the right response to our sin. We must accept it, repent of it, receive forgiveness, and move on. Ultimately, it should lead us back to God so that we might grow closer to Him.

David was upset that his child was destined to die, and although he held out hope that God might change His mind, he knew that the child’s death was inevitable. When the child eventually died, David moved on with his life. Instead of entering into a state of mourning and grief, he began anew and allowed the situation to draw him closer to God. We all have or all will go through situations such as this, and it is easy at those times to question God. Why does He allow pain and suffering? For David, it was a result of his sin, but that is not always the case. But instead of blaming God for the pain that we experience, we should turn to God for help. He will comfort us. He will be with us through those tough times, and we should allow those situations to deepen our faith and trust in Him. As for David, in the end, God blessed him again, and gave him another son through Bathsheba. That child was named Solomon.

Matt

2 Samuel 11

2010-12-12T14:46:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 11

After all the great stories about David, after his many victories, after all of the sacrifices he made for others and the glory He gave to God, 2 Samuel 11 shows us that David was human. There was only one man in all of history who lived a perfect life, and that was Jesus. Therefore, we have to know that David sinned at times. However, for David, it seemed as if it all happened at once. How could such a righteous man fall so far? This story about David is not just one small example of how David sinned. It is a downward spiral for him. The good news is that 2 Samuel 12 will set things straight, but for now, let us look at what caused David to stumble.

It began while Israel was out to battle, and for the first time mentioned in Scripture, David did not go with them. David had led his men in battles for quite a long time. Even before he was king, he was leading groups of men into battle. But for some reason, he decided to stay at home for this particular battle against the Ammonites, and that innocent decision cost him greatly. For while he was at home, enjoying the day on his roof, he noticed a woman bathing on a roof nearby. That was Bathsheba, the wife of one of David’s men who was out to war. Finding her beautiful, David decided to inquire about her and pursue her. Sometime later, she sent word back to David that she was pregnant, and since her husband Uriah was at war at the time, David was the father.

This realization frightened David and he knew that he had to figure out a way to resolve this situation. What would people think if they knew what he had done? Although David had never encountered a problem of this kind before, he had been faced with several tough situations in his life. 1 and 2 Samuel have shown us how in every situation, David always turned to God for guidance. Although he might initially try to devise a plan of his own, he always found it best to let God lead him. In this situation, however, David did not turn to God.

Instead, he first sent for Uriah to return to Jerusalem, in hopes that he would stay with his wife and it would appear as if he had been the one that caused her to be pregnant. When Uriah felt guilty about having the privilege to be with his wife while his fellow soldiers were at war, Uriah slept near David’s door. When questioned, Uriah explained how he did not feel right about having such a privilege. Again, David had the opportunity to turn to God for guidance, confess his sins, and set things straight with Uriah, but instead, he developed a second plan. This time, he invited Uriah to meet with him, and in the process Uriah became drunk. David hoped that Uriah’s thoughts would be clouded and he would return home. But again, Uriah did not do so. Finally, David was so upset that things were not working out that he sent word to Joab, through Uriah, ordering Uriah’s death on the battlefield. Uriah did not know the king’s plan, but when he returned to the battle, he was killed by the enemy. Furthermore, Joab and his men struggled in the battle, and while they were not defeated, the battle itself was not won as easily as they expected.

Although David had not rectified the situation in the way he had originally intended, Uriah was now out of the way, and he was able to take Bathsheba as his wife. She bore him a son, and in David’s eyes, all was well. However, God was upset with David. He had not only lusted after another woman who was married (and David was married as well), but he also tried to cover up his mistake, and killed a man in the process. Although David did not see it at the time, all sin has consequences. Think back to what Moses and Joshua had taught Israel about obeying God’s commands. There would always be consequences for their disobedience while there would be blessings for their obedience. David’s actions in 2 Samuel 11 would lead to some hard times in Israel’s future, and the rest of 2 Samuel will show how this happened. But even though this is such a negative story, there was hope for David. Although sin does separate us from God, God also offers us forgiveness for that sin. The next chapter will show how God reached out to David, and although He punished him for his sins, He also offered David forgiveness.

Matt

"Our House" and Scripture Memory

2010-12-12T13:14:00.002-05:00

Have you ever found yourself singing along with a random commercial on TV before? Or have you ever found yourself quoting the dialogue right along with the actors of that commercial? Without even trying to, we learn the lyrics to our favorite and sometimes our not so favorite commercials. I know that I have found myself sitting in front of the TV before quoting a commercial without even realizing what I was doing. This actually happened just a few days ago. I do not even remember what I was watching now, but I was sitting in my chair working on my laptop when I heard a new commercial come on. After singing “Jingle Bells,” the commercial broke off into “Our House.” Immediately I thought it was a Maxwell House commercial again because I have grown accustomed to associating that song with that brand of coffee. I was singing the lyrics of that song when I looked up at the TV and realized that they were not advertising Maxwell House. It was a Verizon commercial! I then realized how quickly these commercials can become integrated into our lives, which prompted me to write this new post.

If you have been a regular reader of this blog, and not necessarily of the posts that have been walking through the Bible, you might have noticed that I am a big believer in the importance of memorizing Scripture. Just about two or three years ago, I thought I had done a great job at memorizing Scripture, participating in Bible Drill and knowing verses from several books of the Bible. But as I got into college, I learned that Jews (at least in earlier times for I am not sure about today) were required to memorize the entire Pentateuch during their childhood. That means that they would know by heart the first five books of the Bible! Then, professors required Scripture memory in some of my classes, and they required passages, not verses. I began to see the importance of memorizing chunks of Scripture and not just single verses, although both are beneficial. Now, I have begun to make the commitment to memorizing whole books.

But before this post becomes a pedestal for me to stand on so that I can showcase all my accomplishments, let me say that that is not my intention at all. In previous posts I have mentioned my desire to memorize a book, at the time Philippians. But that plan fell through, I became discouraged, and it never happened. I have told you about the encouragement I remembered gaining from David Platt who came to Union and quoted Romans 1-8 in a chapel service. That encouraged me to get back into memorization and I finished learning 2 Timothy, which I had done most of a few years before that service. But for some reason, I could not get back into it and find the commitment to learn Philippians from start to finish. My problem was a lack of commitment.

Finally, back in the spring I told you about a commitment I made with some students on a recent mission trip about Scripture memory. We committed to learn Philippians, and I was able try this again. About 10 weeks later, I finally accomplished this task, and it was because I made a commitment to God, and He gave me the strength and ability to do it. I have since been working on 1 John, and am amazed at how easy it has become. But it has only come by commitment and sacrifice. There is a method I found thanks to the leader of that mission trip, and by setting aside 20-30 minutes each day, I gradually worked my way through these books. I will not go into detail about that method now, but if you would like to know more, leave a comment, and I will get back to you. Basically though, by learning two verses a day (I now do three) and reviewing each day, you can work your way through any chapter or book. Once you have reached your goal, review it for 100 days, and you will have it down almost perfectly. Then, by studying it about once a week, you will be amazed at how well it sticks with you.

I share this method with you today because it worked so well for me. While there is no magic in the different methods you can use, for me having an organized plan was much better than me trying to figure out what to do and how much to do each day. If you commit yourself to it and are willing to sacrifice a little bit of your time each day, you can learn a chapter of Scripture, which might be a great first goal. Who knows, you may even be able to memorize your favorite book. We all probably know hundreds of songs and hundreds of commercials that we could quote at any time. So why do we not put more time into memorizing God’s Word? I encourage you to find a method that works for you and start today. As I said, if you would like to learn more about the method that has worked for me, just let me know below and I will send it to you. Most importantly, I pray that if you decide to do this that you will not do it for your own glory but for God’s glory.

Matt

Voyage of the Dawn Treader

2010-12-11T18:03:00.000-05:00

"There was a boy named Eustace Clarence Scrubb and he almost deserved it."

That is the opening line from C.S. Lewis's book, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and it fits the character of Eustace quite well. The movie was just released yesterday, and during the first showing around midday yesterday, I was at the theater ready to watch it. Thankfully, I was very pleased with the movie. It did not let me down like Prince Caspian had done a couple years ago. While there were changes to the main story line, the key scenes from the book and the main themes were left in the movie. One of the biggest differences between the book and the film was the ordering of the events. Since Lewis wrote the book in a very episodic format, casually hopping from island to island across the Narnian sees, this would not translate well into the movie. So the producers had to reorganize the scenes in order to make the storyline flow better on the big screen.

I for one did not have a problem with this reorganization. While minor things were changed in the process, the movie still held true to the book. Eustace was a pain from the start, and it was not until later in the movie that Narnia changed him into a much better person. He also kept his diary, showing his skepticism of the whole adventure, which is true to the book. He and Reepicheep did not get along, and Reepicheep exhibited his great faith that there was something at the edge of the sea at Aslan's country. Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace all faced their temptations and showed how we are to overcome them. While there was a mysterious power out on the sea, Narnia itself was in a time of peace, which allowed Caspian to set sail in search of the 7 lost lords.

One of the major additions to the movie was the quest for their swords as well. While this is not in the book, I felt it was a great addition as it helped tie their various journeys and encounters on the different islands together in a more cohesive way. They had a mission and a reason to get to Aslan's table. Another addition was Edmund's temptation with the White Witch. While Edmund did face his temptation of greed (which Lewis placed in the book), he also had to face the White Witch again, but not in the way you might think.

For those of you have read the book, I really do think you will love this movie. Understand that it is not a word-for-word interpretation of the book. But if you are looking for the salve traders, the dragon, the gold water lake, the magical book, the dufflepuds, Aslan's table, and the trip to Aslan's country, it is all there! If you are looking for the spiritual elements: the struggles with temptation and the importance of having faith in God, they are there as well. Aslan is amazing in this movie, and the closing scenes are very moving!

Finally, for all you avid Narnia fans, if you have also read The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, which would be the next book, you get a little taste of it at the end of this movie. I will not spoil the surprise, for this comes from a scene that is not in the book. But when Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace return to Eustace's home, be sure to listen carefully to his mother. Like the movies before it, this movie prepares you for the next one, but you will have to see the movie to figure out how.

So go out and support this movie. While I still like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe the best, and mainly because it is closest to the book, this movie now takes second place. It is far better than Prince Caspian. However, if I were to judge these movies on the visual aspects and the special effects, the 3D carries this movie far past the other two. I hope you all find the time to check this movie out before it leaves theaters, and hopefully in a few years we will be heading out to see the next one.

So that is all until... The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair.

Matt

2 Samuel 9-10

2010-12-11T13:01:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 9-10

If you can remember back to some of closing chapters of 1 Samuel you might remember a conversation that David and Jonathan had about their future. David and Jonathan had been best friends, and Jonathan knew that David would one day be king of Israel, even though he was the son of the current king. Although Jonathan was Saul’s son, he knew that his father had made several mistakes and that God had pulled the kingdom away from them. But Jonathan was not bitter. In fact, he was very supportive of David. Jonathan fully expected to still be alive when David took the throne, and so he asked David to not forget him and his family when that time came. David promised to do so and was determined to not leave his friend Jonathan to suffer. But Jonathan was killed unexpectedly in the battle that also killed his father.

Now, several years later, David remembered the promise that he had made to Jonathan and began to inquire about Saul and Jonathan’s descendants. He asked around to see if there was anyone still alive that fell in their line. That is how he found Jonathan’s son Mephilbosheth. This young man was a cripple who was lame in both feet. Most people might have even viewed him as the enemy, knowing that he was the grandson of Saul. To David, however, Mephilbosheth was his best friend’s son, and he wanted to look out for and take care of him. So David allowed him to eat at the king’s table and gave him a group of servants so that all his needs would be taken care of as long as he lived. So once again, we see the good heart of David. He could have easily forgotten the promise he made to Jonathan, since no one but Jonathan knew about it. He could have kept it all to himself and not worried about figuring out how to take care of a crippled man. But that is not how David lived. He knew that God still loved Mephilbosheth. As God had provided for David in 2 Samuel 7, David provided for Mephilbosheth in 2 Samuel 9.

David then continued to add victories to his name, but in 2 Samuel 10 he was not looking for a battle. The king of the Ammonites had died, and David sent them help in their time of grief. The Ammonites had never been any trouble, and Israel had gotten along with the Ammonites under David’s rule. But when David sent some of his men to help them, some of the new king’s servants became suspicious. They thought that David was sending spies into their land so that he could take over. So they dealt harshly with David’s men and then went to Syria to recruit some help, knowing that David would most definitely retaliate.

David waited them out for a time, giving his men time to heal. He then put together an army under the leadership of Joab and sent them to fight against the Ammonites and the Syrians. These two groups of people soon learned how powerful David and his men were, and those that did not flee the battle were killed. After the battle was over, not only had David successfully defeated these two nations, but he also caused the Ammonites and Syrians to break ties. The Syrians vowed to never return to the aid of the Ammonites again. So God gave David the victory again, and all was going well in the nation of Israel.

But as mentioned yesterday, things would soon turn for the worse. So far we have seen all the positive aspects of David’s character. Even in times of temptation, he has been able to overcome it and move on. There were times when it seemed like he would falter, but always came out victorious. But we must remember that David was indeed human, and like us, he had his moments of sin. That is the next part of David’s story.

Matt

2 Samuel 7:18-8:18

2010-12-10T18:48:00.000-05:00

2 Samuel 7:18-8:18

David’s humility and servant heart is seen even more in the closing verses of 2 Samuel 7. After God made all these promises to him about his future and the future of his family, the first thing David asks is “why?” He does not get excited and dance around. He does not accept God’s gifts and go on with his life. David sits in the presence of God and humbly asks why it is that God would bless him and his family. He knew that he is insignificant in the grand scheme of the world for he is only one man. He also knew that God could have accomplished all that had been done through his life with anyone else. God did not need David, for all the great things that had happened were done by God alone.

This understanding of God’s power led David into a spirit of worship. He praised God for all that He had done and all that He was going to do. He thanked God for who He was and declared that there was no one or nothing like Him. All of David’s prayers, whether in the form of questions or praise, were completely directed toward God. It was as if he had not yet realized all that God had promised to do in his life. Those things did not matter to David because he was amazed by God. Then once he realized all that God had promised, He asked that God come through. Yet even in this request, David was not selfish. He did not want to have a great family and great fame for his sake. He asked that God do all that He had promised so that He might be glorified for it.

David exemplifies what it means to follow God. He was humble, willing to serve, obedient to God’s commands, and did not want to take any of the glory for Himself. He praised God in the hard times, like when he was being pursued by Saul, and in the good times, such as God’s promises to him in 2 Samuel 7. While we have yet to see David’s mistakes, showing that he was indeed human and struggled with sin just like the rest of us, David was truly a man after God’s own heart.

As a result of his faithfulness to God, God continued to give David victories over his enemies. In 2 Samuel 8 we see David heading back out into battle, first taking on the Philistines. Everywhere David went and against all who pursued him, God gave David victory after victory. During the reign of Saul, David became well known amongst the people of Israel and the Philistines. They all knew that he was a strong opponent and how successful he had been. Then, during his reign, his fame spread to the surrounding nations as God allowed him to conquer more land. But even in these victories, David did not want to keep the fame to himself. Instead, he dedicated the battles and the victories to God, giving the credit to him. David knew that it had been God who had allowed him to be victorious. 2 Samuel 8 ends by listing some of the men that worked closest to David.

Matt

2 Samuel 7:1-17

2010-12-09T09:18:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 7:1-17

After all the chaos settled down in Israel, David found himself ruling over a very peaceful nation. The battles against the surrounding nations, such as the Philistines, were over. Saul and his legacy were nothing but memories of the past. The Ark of the Covenant was finally back where it belonged in the capital city of Israel. The land was peaceful, and because of David’s faithfulness, God had allowed him to have this time of peace. But even in the midst of peace, David was not satisfied. Now you may be thinking that by not being satisfied, David desired more material things or more power, but that was not the case. David’s dissatisfaction was not about what he lacked or did not have, it came about because he felt like God was not getting all that He deserved. David was a very selfless man, and he was not as concerned about himself as he was about God. He knew that it had been God who had put him in this position. God had driven out all of his enemies, and he had only been God’s instrument. So in the lap of luxury, David was struggling with the fact that he had so much in his palace and God had so little in the tabernacle.

David was distressed that God’s dwelling was so small and that He did not have a permanent place to dwell. He did not want to live in a more extravagant building than the God that he worshipped. He knew in his heart that God deserved more. So when he confronted Nathan the prophet about his desires to build a nicer dwelling for God, Nathan initially gave him the go ahead to do whatever his heart desired. But that night, God spoke to Nathan asking that David not worry about building Him a nice place to dwell.

God’s place was with the Israelites. It did not matter to Him that there was not a permanent place for Him to dwell. He had traveled with Israel for years, and He was more concerned about providing them with their security in the Promised Land. Now we know that God is a spiritual being, and although He came to the earth in human flesh in Jesus for a time, He does not actually physically dwell among us. Jesus is still fully God and fully man, but He will not be on this earth again until His second coming. So He did not actually need a physical building in which to dwell. However, such a building can be a symbol of worship, giving people a specific place to go where they know that they will encounter their Lord. So why would God have forbidden David of building such a place for the people to go? And why would He later ask David’s son, Solomon, to go ahead with construction when He had told David not to build it?

I think He was using this moment as a teaching moment for David. David had always done so well in depending on God. He rarely did anything without consulting God about the matter first. Now that the nation was in a time of peace and stability, God did not want David to forget his dependence on Him. God did not need David to build a house for Him, but David most certainly needed God, even in those times of peace. Although there was nothing wrong with what David asked of God, God did not want him to become complacent and forget where his need for God. So God did not allow David to build a temple for Him at the time, but He did promise David that one day his son would build it. So like David, we must never forget our need for our God. He is our only source of strength, and when troubles come, we can always turn to Him. Yet even in those times of peace, when everything in life seems to be going great, we must never forget to continue to grow in God, praying to Him, and reading His Word.

Matt

2 Samuel 6

2010-12-08T15:50:00.000-05:00

2 Samuel 6

In 2 Samuel 6 David continues his reign as king of Israel by recovering the Ark of Covenant and bringing it into the new capital of Jerusalem. The journey itself, however, was filled with several complications. First, as the Ark was being taken from Baale-judah, one of the oxen carrying the ark stumbled, and it appeared as if the Ark was going to fall off the cart. So one of the men traveling beside the Ark, Uzzah, reached out to catch it and put it back on the cart. The problem was that no one was allowed to touch the Ark of the Covenant under any circumstances. Like the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, and later in the temple, the Ark of the Covenant was one thing that God had strictly prohibited anyone being near or touching. If you remember from the laws listed in the Books of Law, there were strict laws surrounding the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark had led the Israelites for generations, guiding them into the Promised Land and protecting them during battles. Some of Israel’s most treasured possessions, such as the tablets that held the 10 Commandments, were inside. So when Uzzah touched the ark, God struck him dead immediately, which sent fear through the rest of the men around him.

David was one of those men, and he was upset with what God had done. He was so upset and fearful of what had happened that he refused to finish the trip to Jerusalem. Instead, he took the Ark to the house of Obed-edom, and he and his men returned to Jerusalem. The Ark had traditionally blessed those with whom it rested. As Israel traveled into the Promised Land, it had been the Ark that went ahead of them as God split the Jordan River. It was the Ark that went with them into battle when God would give them the victories. So when the Ark stayed with Obed-edom at this time, he and his family were blessed as a result. Word eventually got back to David on how the house of Obed-edom had been blessed, and this caused him to go after the Ark again, to finish the journey. Now whether David was just encouraged to finish the journey or if jealousy sparked his sudden interest again is unclear, but it appears as if jealousy could have been a key in getting the Ark into Jerusalem. I mean if I heard that someone else was being blessed by it, and it had been my mission to bring it to my city, that might motivate me to finish the task. While this might not be the proper motive for doing something for God, it might not have been David’s motive either.

As the Ark entered into Jerusalem, David led the people in celebration. Because of the significance of the Ark to the Jewish people, David was extremely excited to have it in the capital of the nation. He danced before the Lord, praising Him for allowing them to have this privilege. The Ark had been the place in the tabernacle where Moses had received direction from God. It had played such pivotal roles in their history, and David felt blessed to have it back in the center of their life as a nation again. In the midst of this celebration, however, another source of jealousy arose. This time it was David’s wife Michal who exhibited jealousy. Seeing David dance around the streets in the way he was, she felt like he was showing off for the people around him, especially the women. But I do not think she was only jealous of them. It also appears as if she might have been jealous of God, that He was getting more attention from David than she was. Furthermore, when she confronted David on this issue, he assured her that he was not trying to show off for the women, and that he would continue to praise and worship God.

We all like to be on top. That is just part of our human nature. We all like attention, and none of us want to be ignored by others. We all want the best in life, and I do not think many of us would say that we would desire less than excellence in all that we attempt. We strive to be the best. Because of these motives, when we see someone doing better than we are, whether that be them making more money, earning a promotion, or just doing better in life in general, jealousy arises. But there is no place for jealousy in the life of the Christian. We have all that we need in God, and even if we do not have as much “stuff” as someone else, we do have God.

Matt