God sent a prophet to Jeroboam regarding the altars he built. Jeroboam attempts to have the man seized, but his arm his seized up instead. Then God demonstrates His power by destroying the altar. The prophet also speaks of the coming reign of Josiah, who will not reign for some time.
So, does God still step in today when things are looking dire? Sometimes. I believe He does. In fact, I read a recent story concerning the war in Israel. A missile attack was launch on Israel. Had it hit, it would have been the deadliest attack on Israel to date. Israel attempted twice to shoot down the projectile, but failed. Then a strong wind blew up & forced the missile off course. It exploded in the sea. http://www.ijreview.com/2014/08/167229-rocket-cause-worst-terror-attack-israels-history-miracle-happened/
Why does God step in at times and at other times He seems to stay silent. I have no idea. But what I do know is that God has His perfect reasons. Have you ever heard the analogy of the woven tapestry? Each of us are the strings. We only know what directly touches our string, but God sees the finished product. In fact, God created the tapestry. He knows its past, present, and future. Because I have a relationship with God, I trust His decisions. That's what faith is all about.
Friday, August 15, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
2 Chronicles 10:1-11:23, 1 Kings 12:1-33
Rehoboam, Solomon's son, becomes king. The Israelites ask him to lighten their burden. See, in the later years of his reign, Solomon put the people under hard labor. Now that Solomon has died, the people are hopeful that things will change and they will go back to living in freedom. Rehoboam seeks the council of the elders, who tell him to lighten the people's load. Rehoboam doesn't like that advice. So, he asks his friends, who advise him to not only ignore the people's plea, but to punish them for asking.
Rehoboam has grown up in the lap of luxury. He is spoiled and materialistic. So are his peers. To lighten the people's load would cut into his leisure and luxury. Rather than be a king of the people, Rehoboam is following in his father's footsteps and being a king of himself. This is another side effect of Solomon's turning away from God. He had no respect for God, and his children have learned their lack of respect from him.
Notice verse 15 in 2 Chronicles 10:15, "it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word." Does this mean that Rehoboam had no choice in his answer? Is he just a pawn in God's game? Absolutely not. God has given each of us free will. We make our own decisions. However, God knows what we are going to do before we even do it. He knows the choice we will make. He knows our hearts and our minds. He also knows the natural consequences of actions because, guess what, He set up the system. As my study Bible says, "Amid all the human decisions, God's decision is being carried through."
So, Israel starts a civil war and elects Jeroboam king. But Jeroboam makes a terrible mistake. He creates gods for the people to worship so that they will not return to Jerusalem for the feasts. Notice he didn't just make altars, but gods. Oh, will people never learn? Then again, I can't say much as I make the same silly mistakes myself. I think that's why God preserved this history in such detail. So we can learn from the mistakes of others, but also to learn about the heart of God and our relationship with Him. I will never build a golden calf to worship, but I must ask myself if I have made anything a god in my own life? Am I letting myself become selfish and materialistic? Sometimes. Do I put my wants before the needs of others? Sometimes. Has God given up on me? NEVER. The Bible reminds me to reassess my life, my choices, my attitude and ask forgiveness for the times I've gone wrong. It also reminds me that God is always there. He is interested in my life. He wants a relationship with me. When I make that relationship a priority, I don't struggle as much with the other stuff. Isn't that good news?
Rehoboam has grown up in the lap of luxury. He is spoiled and materialistic. So are his peers. To lighten the people's load would cut into his leisure and luxury. Rather than be a king of the people, Rehoboam is following in his father's footsteps and being a king of himself. This is another side effect of Solomon's turning away from God. He had no respect for God, and his children have learned their lack of respect from him.
Notice verse 15 in 2 Chronicles 10:15, "it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word." Does this mean that Rehoboam had no choice in his answer? Is he just a pawn in God's game? Absolutely not. God has given each of us free will. We make our own decisions. However, God knows what we are going to do before we even do it. He knows the choice we will make. He knows our hearts and our minds. He also knows the natural consequences of actions because, guess what, He set up the system. As my study Bible says, "Amid all the human decisions, God's decision is being carried through."
So, Israel starts a civil war and elects Jeroboam king. But Jeroboam makes a terrible mistake. He creates gods for the people to worship so that they will not return to Jerusalem for the feasts. Notice he didn't just make altars, but gods. Oh, will people never learn? Then again, I can't say much as I make the same silly mistakes myself. I think that's why God preserved this history in such detail. So we can learn from the mistakes of others, but also to learn about the heart of God and our relationship with Him. I will never build a golden calf to worship, but I must ask myself if I have made anything a god in my own life? Am I letting myself become selfish and materialistic? Sometimes. Do I put my wants before the needs of others? Sometimes. Has God given up on me? NEVER. The Bible reminds me to reassess my life, my choices, my attitude and ask forgiveness for the times I've gone wrong. It also reminds me that God is always there. He is interested in my life. He wants a relationship with me. When I make that relationship a priority, I don't struggle as much with the other stuff. Isn't that good news?
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
1 Kings 11:9-43, 2 Chronicles 9:29-31
Solomon has turned from the Lord and built altars to other gods. Therefore, the Lord kept His Word from 1 Kings 9:6-9. The Lord promises to take the kingdom and give it to the other 10 tribes. Adversaries also rise up against Israel.
So, what do we learn from this? God is a God of wrath? Don't follow His ways and He will come down on you with great punishment? God is unfair?
Absolutely not. What we learn is that God keeps His Word. God states exactly what is given, what is expected, and what will happen. He gave David the kingdom. David obeyed God, so God's promises where fulfilled. God gave Solomon the kingdom. Solomon turned away from God, so God took back the kingdom.
But why such a harsh punishment? First, let'schange the word punishment. Instead, let's use discipline. A loving father watches over his children. He steps in when they endanger themselves or others. Understanding that there are natural consequences to actions, a father will sometimes allow the natural consequence so that the child learns from his mistakes. Other times the father will provide a consequence in order to teach a lesson. For instance, my child ignores my instructions to stop and is running into the street amid traffic. Do I let my child experience the natural consequence by allowing him to get hit by a car? No. I stop him, physically if need be. Because of the seriousness of the situation, I may provide a consequence of my own. Perhaps a grounding, a scolding, a spanking. Whatever the consequence, the purpose is to help the child learn to listen in order to avoid injury. God is our Heavenly Father. He has given us instructions to keep us safe. He provides us consequences when we ignore or turn away from those instructions.
Why did Solomon receive such a harsh consequence? Well, allowing altars to other gods is a big deal. Not only did it break relationship with God, it put others in danger. These altars weren't just pretty statues. They were places of worship. These gods where worshiped in terrible ways - human sacrifice, forced prostitution. By allowing these practices, people were being destroyed physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
I feel so blessed to have a Heavenly Father that loves me so much He would not only provide me with instructions to keep me safe, but He corrects me when I am wrong. It gives me the opportunity to repent, grow, and achieve a healthy, peaceful, joyful life. Isn't that what we are all seeking?
So, what do we learn from this? God is a God of wrath? Don't follow His ways and He will come down on you with great punishment? God is unfair?
Absolutely not. What we learn is that God keeps His Word. God states exactly what is given, what is expected, and what will happen. He gave David the kingdom. David obeyed God, so God's promises where fulfilled. God gave Solomon the kingdom. Solomon turned away from God, so God took back the kingdom.
But why such a harsh punishment? First, let'schange the word punishment. Instead, let's use discipline. A loving father watches over his children. He steps in when they endanger themselves or others. Understanding that there are natural consequences to actions, a father will sometimes allow the natural consequence so that the child learns from his mistakes. Other times the father will provide a consequence in order to teach a lesson. For instance, my child ignores my instructions to stop and is running into the street amid traffic. Do I let my child experience the natural consequence by allowing him to get hit by a car? No. I stop him, physically if need be. Because of the seriousness of the situation, I may provide a consequence of my own. Perhaps a grounding, a scolding, a spanking. Whatever the consequence, the purpose is to help the child learn to listen in order to avoid injury. God is our Heavenly Father. He has given us instructions to keep us safe. He provides us consequences when we ignore or turn away from those instructions.
Why did Solomon receive such a harsh consequence? Well, allowing altars to other gods is a big deal. Not only did it break relationship with God, it put others in danger. These altars weren't just pretty statues. They were places of worship. These gods where worshiped in terrible ways - human sacrifice, forced prostitution. By allowing these practices, people were being destroyed physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
I feel so blessed to have a Heavenly Father that loves me so much He would not only provide me with instructions to keep me safe, but He corrects me when I am wrong. It gives me the opportunity to repent, grow, and achieve a healthy, peaceful, joyful life. Isn't that what we are all seeking?
Monday, August 4, 2014
2 Chronicles 9:1-28; 1 Kings 10:1-11:8
Wealth and fame have come to Solomon because of his renown wisdom. The Queen of Sheba (or Saba which corresponds roughly to modern Yemen. Others believe Sheba to be Ethiopia) pays Solomon a visit to test his wisdom. Solomon is able to answer all her questions. The queen is amazed and recognizes that Solomon's wealth and wisdom come from the Lord.
Solomon was the wealthiest and wisest king that ever lived. In one year, he amassed 666 talents of gold, which equals 22 tons. His house and his kingdom were very opulent. Others sought out his wisdom, his advice, and his help. But notice the tone here. The people of Israel are not mentioned, only Solomon's servants. Back in chapter 4, there was an emphasis on the benefit of Solomon's wisdom for all the people. Here, the emphasis is on Solomon and his court officials. There is a strong leaning toward luxury goods and pride. He is sought out by kings of the earth, he drinks from gold cups, he imported horses, spices, chariots - but what of the people?
Our reading ends with the consequences of Solomon's choices. He allows himself to marry many women - 700 - from all over. Women that God specifically told the Israelites not to marry. These people worshiped false gods. The Lord warned Israel not to marry into these cultures, for their worship of false gods would corrupt. Yet, Solomon did not listen. He allowed his loyalty to his wives to pull him away from true worship of the One True God. And then he did the unthinkable - he build altars of worship to these false gods and allowed his wives to make offerings and sacrifices. Chemosh was an underworld god associated with drought, plague, and death. Molech is associated with child sacrifice. Ashtoreth, also known as Ishtar and Astarte, is the goddess of the moon, sexual love and fertility.
As the Bible states, "Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord." He allowed wealth, pride, and love of himself and his wives to pull him away from God. God warned him and the people over and over to guard their hearts, to obey His ways. Solomon, the wisest king to ever live, got so caught up in his wisdom, that he forgot to follow God's wisdom. We do the same things. We are so independent. We live in the wealthiest country in the world. We have food and luxury items in abundance. It is very easy to forget that all of these things are a blessing from the Lord. We begin to go our own way, make decisions based on our wisdom, seek out relationships that pull us away from the Lord. And then we wonder why things are so difficult for us. Why do we struggle? Why do we live lives full of strive and stress and hardship? Because we are not making God the number one priority in our lives. We are not following His rules and statutes. We are making it hard on ourselves.
I just completed a week of VBS in which we learned of Moses and the Israelites in the desert. We spoke of God's rules every day. The emphasis that we need to keep in mind is that these rules are not there to spoil our fun or to keep us in bondage. They are there to keep us safe, healthy, and free. They are there to help us foster good relationships, to keep us whole, and focused on the big picture rather than our selfish wants. When we grasp that understanding, that the rules are good for us, when we turn to God and follow His ways, we will finally find the peace and joy we have been searching for.
Solomon was the wealthiest and wisest king that ever lived. In one year, he amassed 666 talents of gold, which equals 22 tons. His house and his kingdom were very opulent. Others sought out his wisdom, his advice, and his help. But notice the tone here. The people of Israel are not mentioned, only Solomon's servants. Back in chapter 4, there was an emphasis on the benefit of Solomon's wisdom for all the people. Here, the emphasis is on Solomon and his court officials. There is a strong leaning toward luxury goods and pride. He is sought out by kings of the earth, he drinks from gold cups, he imported horses, spices, chariots - but what of the people?
Our reading ends with the consequences of Solomon's choices. He allows himself to marry many women - 700 - from all over. Women that God specifically told the Israelites not to marry. These people worshiped false gods. The Lord warned Israel not to marry into these cultures, for their worship of false gods would corrupt. Yet, Solomon did not listen. He allowed his loyalty to his wives to pull him away from true worship of the One True God. And then he did the unthinkable - he build altars of worship to these false gods and allowed his wives to make offerings and sacrifices. Chemosh was an underworld god associated with drought, plague, and death. Molech is associated with child sacrifice. Ashtoreth, also known as Ishtar and Astarte, is the goddess of the moon, sexual love and fertility.
As the Bible states, "Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord." He allowed wealth, pride, and love of himself and his wives to pull him away from God. God warned him and the people over and over to guard their hearts, to obey His ways. Solomon, the wisest king to ever live, got so caught up in his wisdom, that he forgot to follow God's wisdom. We do the same things. We are so independent. We live in the wealthiest country in the world. We have food and luxury items in abundance. It is very easy to forget that all of these things are a blessing from the Lord. We begin to go our own way, make decisions based on our wisdom, seek out relationships that pull us away from the Lord. And then we wonder why things are so difficult for us. Why do we struggle? Why do we live lives full of strive and stress and hardship? Because we are not making God the number one priority in our lives. We are not following His rules and statutes. We are making it hard on ourselves.
I just completed a week of VBS in which we learned of Moses and the Israelites in the desert. We spoke of God's rules every day. The emphasis that we need to keep in mind is that these rules are not there to spoil our fun or to keep us in bondage. They are there to keep us safe, healthy, and free. They are there to help us foster good relationships, to keep us whole, and focused on the big picture rather than our selfish wants. When we grasp that understanding, that the rules are good for us, when we turn to God and follow His ways, we will finally find the peace and joy we have been searching for.
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