Elementary Principles of the World.

2 Kings 15-16, Galatians 4

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? – Galatians 4:9 ESV

For most of us, the term, “back to basics” has a positive connotation. It carries the idea of getting back to the bare essentials, of simplifying our lives and eliminating anything unnecessary or extraneous. But in the verse above, Paul speaks of a return to the basics that is dangerous and to be avoided at all costs. He accused the Galatian believers of returning to their pagan roots. While they had been set free from their worship of false gods by placing their faith in Jesus Christ, they were once again embracing “the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world” (Galatians 4:9 ESV). Paul reminds them that, before coming to faith in Christ, they were like children, “enslaved to the elementary principles of the world” (Galatians 4:3 ESV). But they had been set free from having to live as slaves to the false concepts and empty hopes of their pagan religions. They were no longer to live like they used to live, placing their hopes in rituals and religious rights and regulations. And they were to avoid listening to the claims of the Judaizers, who were claiming that they must adhere to the Jewish laws and religious customs in order to truly be saved. In other words, Paul was warning them that going back to basics was to be avoided at all costs. The elementary principles of the world teach us that redemption is up to man. They would convince us that we play the primary role in our own salvation. Satan convinced Adam and Eve that the eating of the forbidden fruit would open their eyes and make them like God, providing them with a knowledge of good and evil. So the world would convince us that we must take matters into our own hands and do whatever we must do to become like God. We must earn our salvation through our effort and appease God with our ability to keep the elementary principles of this world.

What does this passage reveal about God?

God had given the people of Israel a set of laws to follow, not to see if they could do it, but to reveal to them just how holy and righteous He was and just how sinful they were. The sacrificial system was designed to provide sinful man with a means for receiving forgiveness from God and returning to a right relationship with Him – in spite of their continued disobedience and failure to keep His law. The sacrificial system kept the people of God dependent upon Him for their spiritual and physical well-being. God not only gave the law, He gave the sacrificial system. He not only revealed His expectation, He provided a means of expiation or redemption. The law would condemn them as guilty. The sacrificial system would cleanse them and declare them righteous. Man's inability to keep the law was envisioned by God and solved by the regular shedding of innocent blood through the sacrificial system. But this was all designed to be a temporary foreshadowing of something yet to come. The writer of Hebrews reminds us, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure’” (Hebrews 10:4-6 ESV). The sacrificial system could never remove sin completely, it could only cover it over. That “elementary principle” was temporary and incomplete. It was a stop-gap measure until “the fulness of time had come” (Galatians 4:4 ESV). Then “God sent forth his son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the way, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5 ESV). Under the old covenant, the high priest had to enter the temple year after year, offering repeated sacrifices as a payment for the ongoing sins of men. But Jesus' death was a once-and-for-all-time payment, never to be repeated. “But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26 ESV). His sacrifice was sufficient to forgive all our sins and provide us with a permanent status as righteous before God.

What does this passage reveal about man?

But for whatever reason, this “good news” just sounds too good to be true for many of us. We continue to believe that there is more that we must do. So we find ourselves falling back on the weak and worthless elementary principles of this world. We listen to the counsel of the enemy and convince ourselves that there is more that we must do to get right with God. And in doing so, we devalue God's precious gift of His Son. We attempt to add to what God has already offered, essentially declaring that Jesus' death was insufficient. It's interesting to note that the Israelites regularly added to God's established sacrificial system, incorporating the practices of the pagan religious around them. In 2 Kings 16, we read of Ahaz, king of Judah, who made an alliance with the nation of Assyria. He traveled to the capital of Assyria and brought back copies of their pagan altar, commanding Uriah the priest to build a replica in Jerusalem. In doing so, he dramatically altered God's plan for the sacrificial system. He desecrated the temple of God, re-purposing the temple furnishings and creating his own sacrificial system. In essence, he came up with his own way for getting right with God. He established his own plan of redemption. God's way was not enough for him. God's sacrificial system was not good enough. Ahaz listened to the weak and worthless elementary principles of this world, and violated the revealed will of God.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Paul would ask us, “how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?” (Galatians 4:9 ESV). Why would we want to go back to a system of rules and regulations based on man's effort, when we have been given a right standing with God based on the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ? I cannot earn a right standing before God through my own efforts. I cannot please God through sheer will power or any attempts at behavior modification. My right standing with Him is based solely on what Jesus Christ accomplished for me on the cross. His sacrificial death has made me right with God. I do not have to maintain my right standing through human effort. I do not have to earn favor with God through good behavior. Those are nothing more than the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world. They may sound logical and make all the sense in the world from a human perspective. But they are false and enslaving. They rob of us of joy. They enslave us rather than set us free. But Jesus Christ has set us free from sin and death. He has freed us from the trap of human effort and any need for self-made righteousness. The world offers basic principles. God has provided redemption through His Son. One enslaves. The other sets free. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36 ESV).

Father, forgive me for attempting to add to what You have already done. I am so easily swayed by the elementary principles of this world. It is so tempting to see my self-effort as somehow essential to my ongoing salvation and sanctification. But I must remember that my right standing with You and my transformation into the likeness of Your Son are both up to You – not me. I can no more sanctify myself than I could have saved myself. I am completely dependent upon You. And that is the only principle I need to understand. Amen

In Need Of A Savior.

2 Kings 13-14, Galatians 3

Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. (Therefore the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians, and the people of Israel lived in their homes as formerly. – 2 Kings 13:4-5 ESV

One of humanity's greatest shortcomings has been its inability to recognize its need for a savior. There is no doubt that men have always sensed their need for salvation – from war, poverty, oppression, disease, defeat, and even death. But the problem has always been that that men tend to seek salvation from all the wrong sources. Rather than turn to God, men have turned to themselves, false gods, military might, and a host of human saviors offering deliverance from whatever problems were facing them. But God never meant for mankind to seek or find salvation from any source other than Him. Yet He has allowed us to repeatedly discover just how unreliable our pseudo-saviors really are by permitting mankind to seek salvation in anything and everyone other than Him. Even God's people were guilty of turning to sources other than God for help in time of need. Yet, when things got bleak and their false saviors failed to deliver, the people of God tended to turn their attention back to God. In the 13th chapter of 2 Kings, we read of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, faced with the unrelenting oppression of Syria, who finally turned to God for help. He “sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him” (2 Kings 13:4 ESV). God saw their oppression and “gave Israel a savior so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians” (2 Kings 13:5 ESV). God didn't do this because they deserved it. He didn't save them because they were worthy of salvation. In fact, we're told that Jehoahaz “did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin” (2 Kings 13:2 ESV). And in spite of God's salvation, the people of Israel “did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria” (2 Kings 13:6 ESV). God's salvation was not conditional. It was not based on their behavior or merit, but was an expression of His mercy, grace and compassion. It was in fulfillment of His covenant promises to Abraham and David. “But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now” (2 Kings 13:23 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about God?

God is gracious, loving, compassionate and faithful. In the face of man's idolatry, spiritual adultery, and persistent unfaithfulness, He continued to show undeserved mercy and grace. That God would provide a “savior” for the people of Israel after all they had done is amazing. Over and over we read of the sinfulness of God's chosen people. Each successive king did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. On rare occasions, we read of the isolated example Amaziah, who “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Kings 14:3 ESV), but his obedience was incomplete and impartial. Nothing really changed. Yet God never fully abandoned His people. He continued to love them, watch over them, and protect them. Even when He eventually sent them into exile for their sinfulness, He never took His hands off of them. He ended up returning them to the land of promise, despite all they had done to rebel against Him. When we read of the history of God's people, it provides us with a backdrop against which to view the amazing grace and mercy presented in the Gospels. The coming of the ultimate Savior of Israel stands in stark contrast to the sinfulness and rebellion of the people of God. John 3:16 reminds us, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Elsewhere, Paul writes, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 ESV). Even thought Israel so often failed to turn to God for their salvation, God was always there, ready to provide it. And while men have consistently and stubbornly refused to seek God for their salvation from sin and death, God has so graciously continued to offer it to those who would believe.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Man has an innate need to try and save himself, or at least to determine who his savior might be. The Israelites were guilty of turning to false gods for help. They even turned to other nations, like Egypt, to bail them out of their difficulties. Sometimes they turned to representations of God, like the Ark or the Temple, to find security and salvation. But God has always wanted men to turn to Him in times of need, and the crux of the issue is just that… NEED. We must see our need for God. We must recognize our desperate need for salvation. That was the whole reason God gave the Israelites the law. It was a God-given, written code of conduct that clearly articulated God's moral standard for living. And it was non-negotiable. The law required perfect and complete obedience. It was not enough to obey partially. Perfection was the criteria for success, and no man could measure up. “But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe” (Galatians 3:22 ESV). The law was holy and good because it was given by God. It was an accurate depiction of God's righteous standard for holy conduct, but the problem was that no man was capable of living up to that standard because of the presence and power of sin. God's law revealed just how sinful man really was. When Jesus came to earth, He offered an invitation to the Jewish people. He stated, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29 ESV). He was speaking to a people worn out and burdened down a lifetime of attempting to keep the law. They were weary. They were laboring under the sheer weight of the law's righteous expectations. But Jesus offered them rest. He offered salvation. All they had to do was admit their own sinfulness and their incapacity to save themselves, and believe in Him.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Man has never been able to earn a right standing with God. Our own sinfulness makes it impossible. God's holiness and righteousness requires that man be sinless and righteous in order to stand in His presence. And while we might convince ourselves that something or someone else might save us from our predicament, it is not until we admit our weakness and sinfulness that we will realize our salvation comes from only one source: Jesus Christ. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 ESV). We can't earn our salvation. No one else can provide it for us. We must place our faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ alone. He alone can save. He alone can make us right with God. He alone can provide us with the righteousness we need to stand before God as holy, sinless and fully acceptable in His sight. “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4 ESV).

Father, thank You for the reality of salvation made possible through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for doing for me what I could never have done for myself. Now help me to realize that this new life You have saved me to live, is only possible through the power of Your Spirit. I am no more able to live righteously on my own than I was able to save myself from sin. Make me ever more dependent upon You for my daily salvation from sin and self. Amen

Partial Restoration.

2 Kings 11-12, Galatians 2

For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:19-20 ESV

Every now and then, we get a feint glimmer of light shining in the darkness that seems to characterize the histories of Judah and Israel. The house of Ahab, the wickedness of Jezebel, and the ongoing dynasty of godless kings is occasionally broken by a single individual who provides a small degree of hope that things might change – that reformation and repentance might come to the people of God. But these moments of spiritual change and national restoration are short-lived and woefully incomplete. In the midst of all the murder, insurrection, and royal intrigue going on in these chapters, we are introduced to the story of Joash, a young boy who had to be hidden from his own grandmother in order to prevent her from killing him along with his siblings. Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah, upon learning of her son's murder, decides to make herself the queen of Judah. To secure her reign, she has all the royal family murdered, but her grandson, Joash, is secreted away by the chief priest and hidden in the temple for six years. At the age of seven, he is crowned the king of Judah and given the responsibility to lead the people of God and attempt to restore them to a right relationship with Him. His reign starts off well, as they renew their covenant with God. They even “went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars” (2 Kings 11:18 ESV). Joash would reign over Judah for 40 years, and, for the most part, he would prove to be a good king who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Jehoiada, the chief priest, proved to be a worthy mentor. “Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places” (2 Kings 12:3 ESV). The temple, long neglected during the years when the people were worshiping Baal, was in desperate need of repairs. Funds had been set aside for that purpose, but after 23 long years, the priests had failed to spend a single cent on the repair of the temple. As a result, Joash had to intervene and give the money directly to the workers just to ensure that the work was done.

What does this passage reveal about God?

In chapters 11 and 12, there is no direct mention of God's divine interaction in the events that took place. While we know He is sovereign and in control of all situations, it is interesting to note His perceived silence in all that goes on during the 40-year reign of Joash. Jehoiada, the priest, “made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord's people, and also between the king and the people” (2 Kings 11:17 ESV), but we do not hear anything from God Himself. The efforts of the people to destroy the house of Baal and eliminate the worship of this false god from their midst was admirable, but it appears to have been nothing more than an outward display of faithfulness. Their hearts were still not wholly dedicated to God. They continued to worship false gods and treat the one true God with contempt. As a result, God would allow the Syrians to besiege Jerusalem, prompting King Joash to raid the treasury of the temple and use the sacred gifts to pay off King Hazael. Rather than turn to God for help, they relied on the gifts that had been dedicated to God to buy their protection and safety. Unlike the great king, Solomon, Joash knows no peace during his reign. He is powerless against his enemies and seems to have no hope that God will intervene on his behalf. From what we know of God, He stood ready to help His people at any time, but He required that they return to Him and obey Him faithfully and completely. As long as they worshiped other gods they would find Him distant and unwilling to act on their behalf. Their attempts at reformation would prove inadequate and their redemption and restoration would be incomplete. Joash himself would end up murdered by his own servants.

What does this passage reveal about man?

The apostle Paul reminds us that self-reformation never measures up. It is impossible for man to redeem or reform himself. Joash put in a noble effort, but all his reforms proved inadequate. Regardless of the covenant he and the people made, they would find it impossible to remain faithful to their promises. Like all those who had come before them, they just couldn't muster up the energy to keep their end of the covenant they had made with God. Paul writes, “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16 ESV). The Old Testament continually reveals man's incapacity to live in obedience to God's commands. Even the good intentions of some of the best people always fell short. Joash meant well, but he could not reform the nation or restore the people of Judah to a right relationship with God. Neither he or they had it in them. But Paul realized that it was through the law that he discovered his true nature as a transgressor of the law. His efforts to attempt to keep the law only revealed his incapacity to do so. Self reform was never going to accomplish what he needed. Any attempt by man to redeem or reform himself will always fail. Which is why God sent His Son to accomplish what no other man had been able to do. Paul makes it clear that if “righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose” (Galatians 2:21 ESV). If man could reform himself, Jesus never would have had to come and would have never needed to die. But He did.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

My attempt to live the godly life does come from my own self-effort. It comes from Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 ESV). I cannot reform myself. I cannot change myself. I must rely on the grace of God and the power made possible through the indwelling Spirit of God. I must recognize that any reformation on my life is made possible by Christ's death, His righteousness and God's power. I must regularly remind myself that God not only saved me, He must sanctify and change me. I must regularly rely on His strength to do the impossible in my life. Like Joash, I will find myself confronted by the enemies of God, but I must trust in Him to deliver me. I must not attempt to bargain with the enemy or try to buy him off. God wants to give me complete victory over the enemy and reveal His power in my life. But I must continually realize my need for and dependence upon Him.

Father, self reform has never worked for me. Yet I keep trying to do it on my own. Help me to learn the invaluable lesson that the spiritual reformation of my life is a work of the Spirit accomplished through Your power. I must turn to You. I must rely on You. I must acknowledge my own human weakness and rely on Your divine power. Amen

Divinely Appointed.

2 Kings 9-10, Galatians 1

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a ‘servant’ of Christ. – Galatians 1:10 ESV

God had prophesied that He would completely destroy the house of Ahab, the former king of Israel. He had sworn to not only kill Ahab himself, but to “cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel” (1 Kings 21:21 ESV). God was not going to leave a single descendant of Ahab alive. He was also going to bring judgment against Jezebel, the queen, for all her wickedness and her worship of Baal. Her life would end in a gruesome manner. “The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel” (1 Kings 21:24 ESV). But a lot of time had passed since these dire words had been spoken on God's behalf, and Ahab's descendants were all doing fine and well. His son, Joram, was reigning over Israel and continuing in the sins of his father. Joram's mother, Jezebel, was still alive and well, worshiping her false gods and having a negative influence over her son and his kingdom. But God was not done. He would fulfill what He had promised. But He was going to do it through a man. God would appoint a human to accomplish His divine will. God could have easily eliminated Jezebel and all the descendants of Ahab on His own, but He chose to accomplish His will through the means of a man. He handpicked Jehu as His divine instrument of judgment, and Jehu would prove to be zealous in his efforts to eradicate every remnant of Ahab's household from the face of the earth.

What does this passage reveal about God?

What God says He will do, He does. He may delay. He may appear to have forgotten. It may even seem as if He has changed His mind. But God always fulfills His prophecies and promises. For those who remain faithful to Him, like Elisha, it can sometimes be frustrating and confusing to watch from the sidelines and watch as His divine word goes unfulfilled. Elisha had to have wondered when God was going to do something about Ahab and Jezebel. He had to question whether God was going to ever fulfill His divine judgment against the house of Ahab. Baal worship continued to thrive in Israel. Jezebel continued to wield her evil influence and bask in her role as the queen mother. Joram, the son of Ahab, still ruled over Israel, continuing the sins of his father. But God was not done. He had not forgotten. He was well aware of what was going on and He had a plan for accomplishing His divine will. So when the timing was just right, God chose Jehu. He raised up just the right man for the task. Jehu was not a godly or righteous man. But he was zealous and he was thorough. He was a warrior who was not afraid to get his hands dirty, which was going to be important, because the job God had for him was going to be gruesome and grim. He was going to act as God's hand of judgment against the house of Ahab, and so he was going to have to be thorough and unrelenting in his mission.

What does this passage reveal about man?

From the moment he was chosen by God, Jehu seemed to have taken his assignment seriously. He immediately assassinated Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, the king of Judah. He then rounded up the 70 sons of Ahab and had them executed. But he wasn't done. He then wiped out all the prophets of Baal and everyone who worshiped this false god with them. Finally, he destroyed the temple of Baal and turned it into a latrine. Jehu was thorough and complete in his efforts to carry out God's judgment. He was just the right man for the task. But he was far from God's man. The writer of the book of Kings tells us, “But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son Nebar, which he made Israel to sin – that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and Dan” (2 Kings 10:29 ESV). He destroyed all the remnants of Baal worship, but continued to bow down to the false gods that Jeroboam had made. Rather than worship the one true God in the right way, he worshiped a false representation of God in the wrong way. His was a counterfeit faith. Jeroboam had erected the golden calves in order to keep the people of Israel from returning to Jerusalem to worship God. He had made a counterfeit version to replace God's divine plan for men to receive forgiveness for sins. He made his own gods, his own temples, and his own priesthood. “But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin” (2 Kings 10:31 ESV).

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

God can and does use men to accomplish His divine will. Sometimes those men are not always godly men. They are not always faithful men. God used Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, to bring about His divine judgment on Judah. He used the king of Assyria to bring judgment on Israel. God is able to use any and all men to accomplish His will and bring about His plan for mankind. But His desire would be that those who call themselves by His name, would follow Him faithfully and obey Him fully. Jehu had been appointed by God to bring judgment against the house of Ahab, and he performed his task admirably and completely. But God would have preferred that Jehu lead the people back to worship of Him as the one true God. Jehu's decision to persist on worshiping Jeroboam's false representations for God would lead to the eventual downfall of Israel.

In Paul's day, there was a constant threat to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It involved those who wanted to add to the good news of Jesus Christ by requiring Gentile believers to convert to Judaism and keep the laws and rituals associated with it, including the rite of circumcision. Paul called this “a different gospel.” He saw it as a distortion of the truth and labeled it “a gospel contrary to the one we preached” (Galatians 1:8 ESV). He stood so opposed to this false gospel, that he wrote, “even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8 ESV). Paul viewed himself as an instrument in the hand of God, bringing His message of salvation and redemption through Christ to the people of his day. He was not preaching a man-made religion or some kind of human version of the truth. The gospel he preached had been given to him by divine revelation. He had received it directly from Jesus Christ Himself, and he was going to faithfully communicate that truth to everyone he met. Just as the Israelites had received the word of God on Mount Sinai, Paul had received a personal revelation from God. But unlike the Israelites, Paul was unwilling to alter that word one iota. Paul had been set apart by God. He had been called by God's grace. God had been pleased to reveal His Son to him. So Paul, like Jehu, took his divine appointment seriously and he accomplished it faithfully. Both were used by God. But the difference between these two men is stark. Paul remained true to His God and refused to accept any false version of the truth. He would not tolerate “a different gospel” or a variation of the truth. He was a defender of the gospel and a proclaimer of the word of God. He took His role seriously and accomplished it faithfully – refusing to fear men or seek their approval.

Father, I want to be an instrument in Your divine hands, faithfully accomplishing Your will and carrying out Your plan. I want to be used by You. But like Paul, I want to proclaim Your truth, not some man-made variation of it. I want to be faithful to Your calling on my life. Unlike Jehu, I don't want to do Your will partially or incompletely. I don't want to try and please men or worry about what they think of me. Rather, I want to be a faithful servant of Yours, carrying out whatever task you have for me . Amen

Seeing Isn't Always Believing.

2 Kings 7-8, 2 Corinthians 13

Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” – 2 Kings 7:2 ESV

Doubting God is almost a national pastime for many believers. We regularly hear the Word of God preached and taught, and we hear repeated messages regarding His power and faithfulness. But we still refuse to believe that what God says is true and that what the Bible teaches us about God can be trusted; especially in times of difficulty. When we are suffering, it is difficult to believe that God can and will deliver us. We can easily begin to doubt His Word and question His ability to intervene on our behalf. In 2 King 6 we read about the siege of Samaria by the Syrian army. They have the capital city of Israel surrounded and, to make matters even worse, there was a severe famine in the land. Things had gotten so bad that the people within the walls of Samaria had resorted to eating their own children. The king of Israel had lost all hope and gone into a permanent state of mourning. He wore sackcloth under his clothes and felt powerless to do anything to remedy the situation. He recognized their trouble as coming from God and didn't believe that God was going to help them in any way. He had come to the point of saying, “Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?” (2 Kings 6:33 ESV). But the king was not alone in his pessimism. Others had begun to doubt God as well. Their dire circumstances had caused them to lose hope.

What does this passage reveal about God?

But even in the midst of the extreme difficulties that Israel was experiencing, God was there. In spite of their open rebellion and years of unfaithfulness to Him, God had not given up on them. God, speaking through His prophet, Elisha, told them, “Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria” (2 Kings 7:1 ESV). This news was met with skepticism and doubt. What Elisha was telling them was unbelievable, even ridiculous. For years, food had become so scarce in Samaria, that “a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five shekels of silver” (2 Kings 6:25 ESV). Now Elisha was telling them that all that was going to change – overnight. As bad as their circumstances had become, God was telling them that He had the capacity to change those circumstances – immediately. He had the power to remedy their problem and could do so in no time at all. Their condition was going to go from famine to plenty in less than a 24-hour period.

What does this passage reveal about man?

But many doubted Elisha's words. They just couldn't trust what he was telling them about God. Their circumstances overwhelmed their capacity to trust God and take Him at His word. The king's captain put their doubts into words. “If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” (2 Kings 7:2 ESV). This man expressed what everyone else was thinking. He could see no way for God to intervene and change their circumstances overnight. There is a certain degree of sarcasm in his statement to Elisha. It is as if he is saying, “Even if God could open up the windows of heaven and pour out resources from His heavenly storehouse, this couldn't happen.” It was impossible. He saw no way for their conditions to change. It would take a miracle from heaven. And he was right. Elisha told this man that he would see what God was going to do with his own eyes, but he would not get to benefit from it. God was going to work a miracle from heaven, but this man would not get to taste a single morsel of God's gracious provision. And the next morning, much to the surprise of everyone in Samaria, they woke up to find the Syrian camp deserted and all of the food and provisions left behind. “For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, ‘Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us.’  So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives” (2 Kings 7:6-7 ESV). God had intervened. He had opened the windows of heaven and poured out a blessing, but in a way that was unexpected and unbelievable. He used the very enemies of Israel, who had come intent to destroy them, to bless them. Their conditions were radically changed. Suddenly, they had an abundance of food. So much so, that the prices for flour and barley plummeted overnight – just as God had said they would. But the king's captain was in for a surprise of his own. When the king discovered the good news regarding their situation, he appointed this very same man to oversee the gate through which the people would pass as the raided the Syrian camp and brought the new-found booty into the city of Samaria. Ironically, this man was trampled in the rush of people storming out of the gates to take advantage of God's blessing.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

It is also ironic that doubt should come so easy to those of us who call ourselves believers. We say we believe in God. We claim to believe that the Bible is the word of God. But we doubt what it says. We question God's ability to work miracles in our lives. We become focused on our conditions and fixate on what we believe to be the reality of our lives. But believing requires faith and faith requires action. It is not enough to say that you believe. You must put that faith to the test, by trusting in God's love and faithfulness to provide a solution to your need. You must also have faith that God has a purpose behind every circumstance in your life. I doubt that the people of Israel saw any benefit to having their city surrounded by Syrians. They could not have seen any good coming out of a severe famine. But what they needed to understand was that God was in control of all that was going on, and that He had a purpose for what was happening in their lives. He was going to use even these dire circumstances to reveal His power and provide for their needs. The famine was a result of their own sin and rebellion against Him. But had the Syrians never have invaded their land and surrounded their city, their suffering as a result of the famine would have continued. God didn't end the famine, He simply provided them with an unexpected source of good in the midst of it – from the hands of their enemies. The apostle Paul reminds me, “He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God” (2 Corinthians 13:4 ESV). When the disciples watched Jesus die on the cross, they thought their hopes and dreams of a new kingdom had died along with Him. They couldn't understand why their Savior had to die. They couldn't fathom why their King had to be killed by the Romans. But it was all part of God's plan. He was in complete control. God would use the Romans, the enemies of the Jews, to accomplish His will and bring new life to the people of Israel. He would use death to bring about life. He would use weakness to accomplish His power. It's interesting to note that lowly lepers were the first to benefit from God's unexpected bounty that morning outside the walls of Samaria. In their desperation and need they risked everything in the hopes of receiving something that might sustain their lives. And they were rewarded with food and treasure beyond their wildest expectations. When we trust God and step out on faith, we too receive far more than we could ever imagine.

Father, forgive me for the many times I doubt You. Forgive me for the many times I express my belief in You, but fail to step out in faith and trust You to do what You have promised to do. I place way too much stock in my circumstances and not enough faith in Your power. I want to see and believe. I want to trust Your character and lean on Your promises. You can turn my enemies into a means for blessing me. You can turn even the darkest moment into an opportunity to see Your light shine and Your power revealed. You are faithful and good – all the time. Amen

Eyes Wide Open.

2 Kings 5-6, 2 Corinthians 12

When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” – 2 Kings 6:15-16 ESV

Do you see God at work around you? Is His participation in the daily affairs of life apparent to you, or do you fail to recognize His involvement in what is happening in the world today. In the Old Testament, we see a God who was active and engaged in the lives of His people. He parted water, provided food from the sky, water from a rock, and unlikely victories over more powerful foes. He did this on a fairly regular basis, and yet the people of God continued to doubt His love and His capacity to do great deeds on their behalf. In the case of Elisha, he had witnessed God's handiwork in the life and ministry of his mentor and predecessor, Elijah. Elisha had enjoyed a first-row seat from which to witness the miracles of God. Now, in chapter six of 2 Kings, we see him passing along his understanding of and belief in God's power to one of his own servants.

What does this passage reveal about God?

As a prophet of God, Elisha tended to make a lot of enemies. He spoke on behalf of God, and a lot of his prophecies had to do with the kings of Israel. He sometimes had to say the difficult things that the wayward kings of Israel did not want to hear. But in this case, Elisha had actually been giving King Jehoram some warnings regarding the less-than-loving intentions of the king of Syria. It seems that every time the Syrians made plans to attack Israel, God would let Elisha know in advance so he could warn King Jehoram. Every time the king of Syria would plan a secret raid, the Israelites would find out. He was baffled and thought there must be a spy in his court or a traitor. But when he was informed that it was all because of Elijah, he sent a large army to capture the prophet of God. But God intervened again. Elisha was in the city of Dothan, and the king of Syria “sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city” (2 Kings 6:14 ESV). Things looked bleak. In fact, that next morning, the servant of Elisha woke up to a troubling sight. The city was completely surrounded by Syrian. In a panic, he asked Elisha, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15 ESV). And Elisha simply responded, “Do not be afraid” (2 Kings 6:16 ESV). Elisha knew something about God that his servant had yet to learn. Rather than trust God, this young man was focusing on his circumstances and assuming the worst. How could they stand up against an entire army by themselves?

What does this passage reveal about man?

Elisha's servant was blind – not physically, but spiritually. So Elisha told him, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16 ESV). The text doesn't tell us what the servant's thoughts were at hearing this statement from Elisha. It also does not give us his reaction. But because of what Elisha prayed, we can assume that this young man had a hard time understanding or putting into practice what his master was telling him to do. How could he NOT be afraid when surrounded by so many hostile enemies? He could see them with his own eyes. They were as clear as the nose on the end of his face. But Elisha knew that he was blind to another reality, so he prayed, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see” (2 Kings 6:17 ESV). The problem wasn't what the man COULD see, but what he COULDN'T see. He was focused on the wrong reality. He could see the army of Syria, but not the army of God. “So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17 ESV). They had not been alone. The army of God was also there, but the young man had failed to see it. This had been a spiritual battle, not a physical one. It was just what Paul was talking about in Ephesians 6:12: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

It's interesting that the army of God did not attack the army of Syria. There was not a big, epic battle fought outside the city of Dothan that day. Instead, God struck the Syrian army with blindness. While the servant of Elisha could see, but somewhat imperfectly, God completely blinded the eyes of the enemy, and Elisha was able to single-handedly lead the entire Syrian army into Samaria, where there eyes were suddenly opened and they found themselves standing as captives before the King of Israel. Rather than have them slaughtered, God commanded Jehoram to feed them a great feast and then send them on their way. “And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel” (2 Kings 6:23 ESV). No shots were fired. No blood was spilled. But God brought about a great victory that day.

Over the 2 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul talks about boasting in his own weakness. Surprisingly, Paul took great pride in his weaknesses, not his strengths. He knew that God worked best through his own insufficiencies and weaknesses. God even allowed Paul to experience regular, ongoing attacks from the enemy, so that Paul might learn to trust in God. He was developing Paul's spiritual vision. God had even told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV). God was telling Paul that the circumstances of his life were not the criteria by which to judge God's power or presence. Paul was to see God even in his own weaknesses. Which is what led Paul to claim, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ hen, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV).

Father, I don't want to live my life with limited vision, only seeing what I believe to be is the reality of my life. I want to have spiritual eyesight that allows me to see You in the midst of anything and everything that happens in my life. I want to see Your power surrounding me at all times. You are always there. You are always in control and completely powerful enough to help me in any given situation. Open my eyes that I may see! Amen

God Provides.

2 Kings 3-4, 2 Corinthians 11

If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.. – 2 Corinthians 11:30 ESV

Our God provides. That is the story of the Bible. He provided creation. He provided man with life and a perfect, unblemished relationship with Himself. He provided Adam and Eve with an idyllic environment in which to live. But they sinned, and their actions brought death into the world. But God continued to provide. He provided Abraham with many descendants. He provided the Israelites with a liberator to help free them from slavery in Egypt. He provided them with the Law. He provided them with the Promised Land. He provided them with His presence and power. He provided them a kingdom and, in David, a king who was a man after God's own heart. But they continued to reject Him and live in rebellion to Him. And even though God would be forced to punish Israel for its unfaithfulness, He would provide them with a ticket back to the land He had promised to their forefathers. And while they would continue to live unfaithfully and disobediently, God would eventually provide them with a Messiah. God provides.

What does this passage reveal about God?

In the 3rd and 4th chapters of 2 Kings, we see God provide water for the armies of Israel and Judah. He then provides them with victory over the Moabites. He provided oil for the widow and her son. He provided a son for a childless woman with an elderly husband. And when that son died prematurely and unexpectedly, God provided him with restored life. He provided a remedy for stew that contained highly poisonous ingredients. And during a famine in the land, God managed to provide enough food for 100 men from just 20 loaves of barley bread and a few ears of grain. God is in the providing business. And when God provides, He does it far better than any man could do. He has power and provisions unavailable to us. He can do what no one else could ever dream of doing.

What does this passage reveal about man?

But one of the problems with us as man, is that we tend to want to provide for ourselves. We don't like to wait on God or to have to depend on God, so we step in and attempt to do things on our own. Our pride gets in the way and we find ourselves attempting to provide our own way and meet our own needs. But we will never measure up to God when it comes to providing. He is in a class by Himself. Paul knew that it was when he recognized his own weakness and dependency on God that he really grew stronger. Paul had gone through a lot in his life, suffering all kinds of trials and troubles in his role as a messenger of the gospel of Jesus Christ. “I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.  Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea” (2 Corinthians 11:23-25 ESV). Paul was weak and he knew it. But he found joy in boasting about his weakness, because he knew that it was in his own weakness that God's power showed up. God provided when Paul couldn't.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

God loves providing for His people. He enjoys showing just how powerful and capable He really is. But we have to allow Him the opportunity to provide. We have to acknowledge and come to grips with our own weakness. We have to be okay with our own inabilities and insufficiencies. But when we are weak and willing to admit it, we stand ready to discover just how powerful God is. Then we get the thrilling opportunity to see God provide in ways that we could never have imagined.

Father, You are the great provider. But I don't rely upon You near enough. Far too often I take matters into my own hands and attempt to meet my own needs. But it is always better to watch You work and to allow You to do what only You can do. Amen

Divine Power.

2 Kings 1-2, 2 Corinthians 10

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. – 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV

As believers, we sometimes fail to recognize the power of God in and around our lives. We read stories in the Bible that tell of His greatness and illustrate His mighty power, but they seem so distant and foreign to our everyday life experiences. But our God is the same God that Elijah worshiped. He is just as powerful today as He was then. He is just as able to perform miraculous acts now as He did in the days of the prophets. When we read of fire coming down from heaven and consuming the 50 men who had been sent by King Ahaziah to retrieve Elijah, we are amazed, and perhaps a bit suspicious of the story's validity. Two different times, God's power was displayed through His destruction of the king's emissaries, who were opposed to the work of Elijah and meant him harm. But God was not going to let a godless king bring harm to His prophet. Yet, do we believe that same God is alive and well today? Do we truly believe that His power is available to us in our lives today?

What does this passage reveal about God?

God does not change. There is no difference between the God of the Old Testament and the one we see on display in the New Testament. He is the same God. He is no less powerful, no less opposed to sin and the rebellion of His people, and no less capable of performing might acts on behalf of those who love Him and remain faithful to His cause. The first two chapters of 2 Kings remind us that God is greater than any false gods. King Ahaziah may have wanted to seek the counsel of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, but God was not going to let him succeed. God sent him word through His prophet, Elijah, that King Ahaziah would not be hearing from a false god and would not recover from his illness. We also see that God was greater than any army or potential enemy that stood against His will or opposed to His prophet. He destroyed over 100 men who had been sent by the godless king to bring harm to His prophet. But we also see that God is greater than His own prophet. There came a time when Elijah was removed from service. He had done what God had called him to do and God determined it was time for him to come home. He was replaced with Elisha, the prophet's understudy. God chooses to use us as men, but He is not obligated to do so and is certainly not required to do so. He does not need us to accomplish His will, but graciously chooses include us in His divine will. But we should never assume that we are necessary or indispensable to God's plans.

What does this passage reveal about man?

It is so easy for us to assume that we are essential to God's work. But we must never forget that God is greater than we are. His power is essential to us doing what He has called us to do. Without His help, we are hopeless and powerless to accomplish anything of worth or value. Paul tells us that while we us live our lives in the flesh, in these mortal, weak bodies, we must constantly remind ourselves that what we accomplish in this life cannot be done in the flesh. “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV). We have a power available to us that is way beyond our capabilities. It is the same power that showed up as fire from heaven for Elijah. It is the same power that allowed both Elijah and Elisha to part the waters of the Jordan River and walk across on dry ground. It is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead – “the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you” (Romans 8:11 ESV). With that power, we are able “to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NLT). We have a power available to us that is beyond this world. It is greater than any man, false god, human plan, godless teaching, or strategy of Satan himself. With it, we can accomplish mighty works on God's behalf. We can display His power among those with whom we live, work, and interact. But if we fail to believe in His power, we will fail to witness it's presence in our lives. We will fail to recognize it when it is happening all around us. We will fail to acknowledge our need for it.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

The reality of the power of God is not up for debate. We can doubt it, ignore it, and even fail to avail ourselves of it, but that in no way diminishes it. God is as great today as He was in the days of Elijah. He is just as active today as He was then. He wants to reveal His power through our lives and encourage us as we experience His might revealed in real-life situations and impossible scenarios in which we find ourselves out-manned, ill-equipped, and powerless to do anything about it. We live in a world that desperately needs to see the power of God revealed in the lives of men. I want to be one of those men. I want God to reveal His power through me, so that the world may believe He truly exists and is greater than anything or anyone else they may be tempted to turn to for help.

Father, thank You for reminding me of Your power. Thank You for so graciously revealing Your power in my life so many times. I know there are many times I have failed to see it and recognize it. There are other times I have failed to thank You for it. But I am grateful, and I want to see Your power on display more and more in and around my life. Amen

Abounding Grace.

1 Kings 21-22, 2 Corinthians 9

 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. – 2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV

God loves to shower His grace and mercy upon His people. He enjoys blessing those who are called by His name and receives no joy in having to discipline us for our sins. The manifold blessings of God are available to those who live according to His ways and are willing to submit to His will. This truth is on display throughout the Old and New Testaments. Those men and women who willingly and obediently lived their lives on God's terms were blessed by God. He placed His hand on their lives and bestowed His favor upon them. This doesn't mean that their lives were always easy or free from trouble. But it does mean that they were able to see and experience His blessings in their lives in spite of the circumstances surrounding them. But those who chose to disobey God and lived according to their own terms found out that God's mercy and grace tended to be in short supply. Rather than His grace, they received His anger and judgment.

What does this passage reveal about God?

Ahab was one of those characters who had chosen to live life on his own terms, rather than God's. He and his wife, Jezebel, were wicked people who influenced the people of Israel to rebel against God, worshiping false gods instead. Their reign was marked by idolatry, murder, corruption and unfaithfulness to God. They were self-serving, selfish and unwilling to live according to God's very clear commands. As a result, they experienced God's judgment. Ahab would lose his kingdom and his life. Jezebel would eventually be taken out by God Himself. Their lifestyle of corruption and narcissism would not be tolerated by God. They could have enjoyed God's presence and power in their lives and His blessings on their kingdom, but God was not going to bless them while they continued to live in rebellion against Him.

What does this passage reveal about man?

There will always be those who are willing to tell us what we want to hear. Ahab had 400 prophets who were more than willing to tell him that battle with the Syrians was a great idea. They weren't interested in telling the truth or about speaking for God, they simply wanted to maintain their position as prophets. So they told the king what he wanted to hear. Micaiah, on the other hand would only speak what God told him to speak. He was unwilling to lie to the king just to protect his own head. His allegiance to God far outweighed any concern he might have had for his own safety or success. Micaiah told Ahab that his prophets were all liars and that their message was not from God. In fact, they had been sent by God to deceive Ahab. Micaiah's determination to speak the truth got him thrown in prison. But God would end up blessing Micaiah and destroying Ahab.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

God wants to bless us, but He also wants us to be a blessing to others. He wants us to live our lives unselfishly and with our eyes focused on His kingdom and our hearts centered on His desire to use us to bring blessing to those around us. Paul wrote the Corinthian believers, encouraging them to be cheerful givers, providing willingly and sacrificially to those in need in Macedonia. Paul reminded them that “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV). They were to give joyfully and willingly, in obedience to God. Their focus was to be on the needs around them. Their lives were not to be lived selfishly, dwelling on their own lives while ignoring the needs of others. Paul told them that their sacrifice would not go unnoticed by God, because He “is able to make all grace about to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may about in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV). They were to give without reluctance and not out of some sense of compulsion. And if they did, they would be “enriched in every way to be generous in every way” (2 Corinthians 9:11 ESV). God would bless them so that they could continue to be a blessing to others. What a difference in the way the world encourages us to live. In place of selfishness, we are to live lives of selflessness. Rather than focus on ourselves, we are to focus on the needs of those around us. And when we do, God's grace abounds. As the old saying goes, “You can't out-give God.”

Father, I want to experience Your abounding grace in my life more and more, but I know it begins with me living a life of sacrifice and selflessness. Help me get my attention off of myself and on to those around me. Make me a cheerful giver of my time and resources. All for Your glory. Amen

Putting Limits On God's Grace and Greatness.

1 Kings 19-20, 2 Corinthians 8

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9 ESV

A big part of the narrative of the Bible is its focus on the greatness of God. From the creation account found in the opening chapters of Genesis all the way to the image of God's recreation of the world and the redemption of man found in the book of Revelation, we can see His greatness on display. But one of the things we human beings tend to do is limit God. We fail to recognize just how great, gracious and good He truly is. We put limits on His capacity to love and His capability to intervene in the affairs of mankind. In the story recorded in chapters 19-20 of 1 Kings, we see even Elijah, the prophet of God, who had just witnessed an unmistakable display of God's greatness through the defeat of the prophets of Baal. And yet, this man who had displayed such unwavering faith in God suddenly finds himself faced with the wrath of Jezebel, the wicked queen. The next thing we know, Elijah is on the run and wishing he was dead. Two different times Elijah responds to a question from God with the same answer: “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away” (1 Kings 19:10 ESV). Elijah was having himself a first-class pity party, whining over his sorry lot in life. But what he was really doing was limiting the power of His God. It seems that Elijah's God was great enough to defeat the prophets of Baal, but He was not match to the revenge-seeking, false-god worshiping wife of the king of Israel.

But Elijah wasn't the only one limiting God's greatness. It seems that the king of Syria had no qualms attaching the nation of Israel, with the help of a 32-nation alliance. He saw his odds as pretty good and his army as greater than the God of the Israelites. But he was wrong. The Israelites won a great victory over the Syrians, with God's help. But then the Syrians decided that the only reason they had lost the batlle was because the “gods” of the Israelites were gods of the hills. Since their defeat had taken place in the hills, it only made sense to attack the Israelites on the plains, where their “gods” would be impotent. But they were wrong.

What does this passage reveal about God?

God is great – all the time. His greatness never diminishes. His power never decreases. His all-encompassing, incomparable strength never changes. It didn't matter if the Syrians fought the Israelites in the hills, the plains, the valleys, the forests or along the shores of the sea, the God of Israel would always prove greater than any god they might worship or any army they might muster. Elijah's God was not only great enough to defeat the prophets of Baal, He was great enough to handle the likes of Jezebel. Contrary to Elijah's assertion, he was NOT the only one left. He was not the only faithful Israelite left in the world. God was still in charge – in spite of Jezebel's threats, Elijah's doubts, the Syrian's faulty logic, and any evidence that might point to the contrary.

What does this passage reveal about man?

The greatness of God is not just a pious-sounding platitude or religious catch-phrase we use to impress one another with our apparent faith. It is a non-debatable reality. But occasionally, we have a hard time believing it. Elijah had been a witness to an extraordinary display of God's power. Fire came out of heaven, consuming “the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench” (1 Kings 18:38 ESV). Elijah himself had single-handedly killed the 450 prophets of Baal – all in the power provided by God. He even received supernatural strength to outrun King Ahab and his royal chariot. going on the way from Mount Carmel to Jezreel on foot and in record time. But in spite of all this, Elijah still put limits on God's greatness and grace. While things seemed to have turned out remarkably well that day on the mountain, they evidently didn't turn out quite like Elijah had expected them to. The death threat on his life from the irate queen left him feeling like things were worse than ever. But rather than focus on all the great things God had done through and around him, Elijah put limits on what God could do. A common trait in even the most godly of men.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

God's greatness goes hand-in-hand with His grace. His power is provides Him with the capacity to extend grace to sinful men. Paul reminds us that it was the death of Jesus Christ, provided for us by God Himself. that made possible our redemption and reconciliation with Him. But it was God's power that made it possible. Yes, Jesus had to die. But had not God's power raised Him from death back to life, the cross would have ended in nothing more than tragedy, and Jesus would have been nothing more than just another human martyr for a worthy cause. But God's incomparable greatness made it possible for Him to provide us with His invaluable grace. And Jesus displayed grace to us by sacrificing not only His life, but His very place at the right hand of God by taking on human flesh and dying a sinner's death on our behalf. Why in the world would I ever doubt God's greatness after all He has done for me? Why would I place any limits on His capacity to great things in and around my life, when He has already done so much on my behalf? Our God is truly great and His grace is greater than all our sins.

Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Father, You truly are great. Please forgive me for the many times I doubt Your greatness and put limits on Your power. I have no reason to do so. You have proven Yourself great and gracious time and time again in my life. Amen

Limping Along.

1 Kings 17-18, 2 Corinthians 7

And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” – 1 Kings 11:21 ESV

The story of the history of Israel is filled with images of indecisiveness, unfaithfulness, mixed allegiances, and self-centered motives. In other words, it is the story of mankind. But these were the chosen people of God. They had experienced first-hand the powerful hand of God on their lives, having been miraculously set free from captivity in Egypt, provided for and protected for more than 40 years as they wandered in the wilderness, and eventually, given a land of rich abundance and fruitfulness filled with cities and homes they hadn't built and crops they hadn't planted. God had proven Himself faithful time and time again over the years. He had given them a great king in David. He had made them a powerful nation. He had blessed them with a wise king in Solomon whose reign was marked by a period of peace and plenty. But despite all of God's goodness and blessing, the people of Israel could not remain faithful. They never full rejected God. Instead, they hedged their bets and worshiped other gods as well, ensuring that they had all their bases covered when it came to divine protection and provision. But the gods they worshiped proved to be no gods at all. They were impotent and non-existent. When the prophets of Baal called out to him, he remained silent. He gave no answer. “And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, O Baal, answer us! But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made” (1 Kings 18:26 ESV). It's interesting to note that the same verb is used in verse 26 to describe the actions of the prophets of Baal that Elijah uses in verse 21 to describe the people of God – they limped. The actual Hebrew word can mean “to limp, to hop, to jump around.” It is the image of someone on crutches who is unsteady, unstable indecisive, and hesitant in their actions. They were anxious and fearful, unsure if their god was going to come through for them. They lacked conviction and faith. They weren't short on effort or determination, because they even “cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them” (1 Kings 18:28 ESV). But for all their effort and energy, their god remained silent.

What does this passage reveal about God?

But in contrast, we have the God of Elijah. In the period of time leading up to this event, Elijah had been personally cared for by God, having been miraculously fed by ravens. He had seen a poor widow's meager oil and flour multiplied by God in order to keep herself, her son, and himself alive. He had watched as the widow's son became sick and died, but he had trusted God to bring him back to life, and He did. Elijah's God was alive and well. He could hear and He could respond. He was powerful and compassionate. He could be trusted. And we see in Elijah's actions that day on Mount Carmel that he believed in his God. He did not limp along in unbelief. He was not hesitant. He exhibited no doubt or indecisiveness. His actions were clear and his orders, concise. He called and his God responded – in power. “Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stone and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, ‘The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God’” (1 Kings 18:38-39 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about man?

As long as the people continued to share their allegiance between God and a host of false gods, they would continue to limp along, living lives marked by powerlessness, hopelessness, and physical, as well as spiritual drought. Placing their trust in anyone or anything other than God would continue to prove unproductive and, ultimately, destructive. For all their expended effort and religious zeal, the prophets of Baal only ended up doing harm to themselves. Their blind faith in a false god would result in their own deaths. But the people of Israel were like a lame person on two crutches. Their faith was unsteady and their spiritual walk was unstable. They limped about between the one true God and a host of false gods. They staggered between truth and falsehood. But Elijah challenged them to choose. “If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings 18:21 ESV). But they were indecisive. They were unsure. They had long ago begun to doubt in the power of the one true God. As a result, they had begun seeking out the potential help of any and all gods who might meet their needs or fulfill their desires. If God couldn't or wouldn't come through, perhaps they could find another god who would meet their needs. As is usually the case, they were seeking a god would would accommodate their wishes. They wanted a god of their own making, who would take care of them according to their own standards. But because their gods were powerless and silent, they wavered back and forth between a host of gods, waiting and watching, hoping that one of them would prove to be the god they were looking for.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Paul has already reminded us that the people of Israel were the chosen people of God. He had promised to dwell among them. He had promised to walk among them. He had promised to be their Father and treat them as His own children. All they had to do was live like who they were: the children of God. They were to separate themselves from the rest of the world and live distinctively different lives, according to God's standards, not their own. And Paul reminded the Corinthians, that as followers of Christ, they were also to see themselves as holy and distinct, children of God. He pleaded, “beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1 ESV). In other words, they were to make the pursuit of holiness their primary focus. Rather than waver in indecisiveness, they were to do everything in their power to “make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without” (The Message). Paul was wanting to see them live with a singular focus: pursuing holiness and Christ-likeness. But far too often, as believers, we can find ourselves limping along, like someone trying to navigate life while leaning on two crutches. We are unsteady and unsure of ourselves. We are placing our hope and leaning our lives on things that can't deliver. We are relying on things that, in the long run, will prove themselves unreliable. Only God can be trusted. Only God can come through for us. Only God can deliver what it is we need. How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him.

Father, I want to follow You. I want to lean on You, rely on You, trust in You. I am tired of limping along in indecisiveness. You have proven Yourself faithful and true time and time again in my life. The things of this world have proven themselves unreliable and unworthy of my allegiance. Help me to stop wavering and begin trusting You more. Amen

Unequally Yoked.

1 Kings 15-16, 2 Corinthians 6

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God. – 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 ESV

The people of Israel had been set apart by God to be His special possession. Moses had told them, “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6 ESV). He went on to tell them that their choice by God was “because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers” (Deuteronomy 7:7 ESV). They had been the recipients of God's undeserved mercy and grace. But God's special favor required that they live faithfully. “You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today” (Deuteronomy 7:11 ESV). As long as they obeyed, God would bless. As long as they lived as who they were – God's treasured possession – they would experience God's continued love and abundant blessings. But 1 Kings is a sad reminder of just how poorly God's chosen people lived up to His expectations. Rather than remain set apart and distinct from the nations around them, they slowly compromised their convictions and became increasingly pagan in their practices. A long line of kings for both Israel and Judah reveals a predisposition on the part of God's elect to do “what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (1 Kings 16:34 ESV). The list includes Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Abijam, Asa, Nadab, Basha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab. All but one would have a reign marked by unfaithfulness, idolatry, and rampant evil.

What does this passage reveal about God?

But in the midst of this written history of the unfaithfulness of the people of God, we see a glimpse of God's unfailing faithfulness. We read that Abijam inherited the throne of his father Jeroboam in Israel. Abijam is described as a man who “walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father” (1 Kings 15:3 ESV). But the author quickly reminds us, “Nevertheless, for David's sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem, because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” (1 Kings 15:4-5 ESV). God continued to keep His hand on the city of Jerusalem out of love for David. God had promised to give David a descendant who would help preserve the Davidic line. He would have a future heir who would rule and reign in Jerusalem as King of Israel. God would keep His promise. He would fulfill what He had committed to do. In spite of the rampant unfaithulness of the people of Israel, God would remain faithful and true. Yes, He would punish them. He would not tolerate their sin and open rebellion against Him, but He also would not completely give up on them. Their sinfulness would not stop His faithfulness. Their adultery and unfaithfulness would not keep Him from showing them continued love, mercy and grace.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Over and over again we read about men whose hearts were not wholly true to the Lord. Unlike David, who “did what was right the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything he commanded him all the days of his life” (1 Kings 15:5 ESV), these men regularly and repeatedly lived as if God didn't even exist. They worshiped other gods. They mimicked the pagan practices of the nations around them, leading the people of Israel and Judah to forsake God. And their actions provoked God to anger. This doesn't mean that God stopped loving them, but He would not and could not tolerate their blatant rebellion against His commands. He would not put up with their spiritual adultery and unfaithfulness. Their worship of other Gods, in spite of all that God had done for them over the years, was a slap in the face to the One who had chosen them in the first place. Their actions illustrated their lack of respect for and fear of God. Each king did what was right in their own eyes. God had become and afterthought.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Over in 2 Corinthians 6, Paul quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures in order to make a point to his Gentile audience. Just as God had chosen the people of Israel as His special possession, believers in Christ are also the recipients of God's special attention. Paul reminds them that they are the temple of the living God. They share the same unique, one-of-a-kind relationship with God that the peoples of Israel and Judah had enjoyed and spurned. Paul writes, “as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord’” (2 Corinthians 6:16-17 ESV). God had promised to be a father to the people of Israel. He had promised to treat them like His own sons and daughters. All He asked is that they live separate and set apart lives that reflected their distinctive position as His precious possession. And Paul is reminding the Corinthian believers to do the same. They are not to be “unequally yoked” with unbelievers. Paul uses terms like “partnership,” “fellowship,” “accord” and “portion” to describe the kind of relationship believers are to reject when it comes to the unbelieving world. He is not telling them to have nothing to do with the lost of the world, but to refrain from intimate and closely personal relationships with them. To be unequally yoked is to be in a close relationship with someone else where their actions and conduct end up having a potentially negative influence over your own life. If you were to put two different kinds of animals in a yoke and expect them to pull a load together, the results could be disastrous. Their different sizes, temperaments, and strengths would end up causing them to work against one another. There would be a lack of harmony and unity. When we attempt to unite ourselves with this world, we find that our efforts for God are hampered and hindered. We become easily distracted and forced off course. We are called to be separate. We are called to be distinctively different. We are the temple of the living God. We are his sons and daughters. And our lives should reflect our unique and undeserved position as His precious possession.

Father, we need to live as who we are – Your children. We desperately need to live distinctively and differently. Forgive us for blending in with the world and losing our uniqueness. Forgive us for trying to accomplish Your will as Your children while being unequally yoked with the world. Continue to call us apart. Open our eyes so that we can see the difference between compromise and conviction. Amen

Pleasing God.

1 Kings 13-14, 2 Corinthians 5

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. – 2 Corinthians 5:9 ESV

Solomon failed to please God. He lived in disobedience to the will of God, worshiping false gods and making the pursuit of his own personal pleasure and satisfaction his highest priority. His son, Rehoboam, would follow his example, reigning over Judah for 17 years, and failing to please God the entire time. “And Judah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins that they committed, more than all that their fathers had done” (1 Kings 14:22 ESV). Jeroboam, God's hand-picked king of the northern tribes of Israel, also failed to please God. He developed his own gods, temples, and priesthood. He led the people of Israel into apostasy and encouraged them to disobey God's commands. God said of Jeroboam, “…but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back” (1 Kings 14:9 ESV). These men all looked like kings. From the outside, their kingdoms may have looked successful and their reigns may have had all the appearances of power, prestige and earthly success. But they had failed to please God, and as a result, God was forced to deal harshly with them. He split Solomon's vast kingdom in half. He predicted the future fall and eventual deportation of the northern kingdom of Israel. He allowed the Egyptians to attack the city of Jerusalem and ransack the Temple, taking as plunder all the treasures of the house of the Lord that David and Solomon had so painstakingly collected. The history of Israel and Judah will be marked by kings who, for the most part, failed to live lives that were pleasing to God, instead, doing “what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (1 Kings 14:22 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about God?

God requires obedience. His commands were just that – commands, and not suggestions. He expected His laws to be obeyed. When He told the young prophet to go to Jeroboam and speak a word against the king and his false gods, He also told him “You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came” (1 Kings 13:9 ESV). But the young man disobeyed. Yes, he was tricked and deceived, but the bottom line is that he failed to obey the word of the Lord and as a result, his actions failed to please the Lord. His own untimely and violent death was the outcome. God takes His word seriously and He expects His people to do the same. God had given Jeroboam the kingdom of Israel to rule over. But He had also told Jeroboam, “And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you” (1 Kings 11:38 ESV). But Jeroboam, like Solomon and Rehoboam, would fail to live up to God's expectations. He would not walk in God's ways. He would end up doing what was right in his own eyes. His kingdom would last 22 years, but it would be marked by sin and rebellion against God. From all appearances, Jeroboam's reign would have looked successful. Twenty two years would have been quite a long reign for any king during that period of time. But his kingdom would lack God's blessing. His rule would fail to please God. Any success he experienced would have been short-lived and just as short-sighted. Having failed to please God, he would learn first hand what it was like to reign without the pleasure of God.

What does this passage reveal about man?

The apostle Paul made it his aim to live a life that was pleasing to God. He lived with an eternal perspective that focused on something other than the temporal pleasures of this life. He knew that there was life beyond this one. He understood that eternity was real and that, as believers, “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV). There will be an accounting one day for every Christian. We will have to own up for every word spoken and action committed while we lived on this earth. Paul tried to live his life in such a way that he would not have to be ashamed of anything he said or did while “at home in the body” (2 Corinthians 5:6 ESV). He made it his goal to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV). In other words, he lived his life motivated by the as-yet-unseen promises of God. He didn't let the temptations of earthly pleasures or temporary trappings of this world lure him into doing anything that would be displeasing to God. “We make it our aim to please him” (2 Corinthians 5:9 ESV). For Paul, the issue was heart change. He knew that external actions or outward appearances mattered little to God. He looked at the heart. There were those who were influencing the Corinthian believers “who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart” (2 Corinthians 5:12 ESV). These people wanted to appear spiritual, but there hearts were not pleasing to God. They were focused on how they were perceived by men, and failed to worry about whether the condition of their hearts were pleasing to God. They lived for themselves. They focused on the flesh. But Paul reminded them, “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV). We have been made right with God. We don't belong to this world anymore. We are eternal creatures with a future reserved for us in God's kingdom. We are to live like citizens of that new kingdom, not this earthly, temporal one.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

I am to live a life that is pleasing to God. He has given me the Holy Spirit as a down-payment, a sort of guarantee of what is to come in the future. He has placed His Spirit within me and provided me with a source of power that I could never have manufactured on my own. I have the capacity to live in such a way that my life pleases God. The Holy Spirit, using the Word of God, shows me just what that life should look like, and also provides me with the power to pull it off. Paul put it this way: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 ESV). I want to make it my aim to please God. I want to live my life on this earth in such a way that my words and actions will be pleasing to Him when I stand at the judgment seat of Christ one day. But I must keep an eternal focus. I must realize that this life is temporary. I must live, not for myself, but for Him who died and was raised for my sake (2 Corinthians 5:15).

Father, I want my life to please You. And I know that when I live in submission to Your Spirit and in obedience to Your Word, my life DOES please You. I am grateful that my obedience is not mandatory for remaining in a right relationship with You. I don't have to obey to be made righteous. That was taken care of by Christ on my behalf. My obedience should be in response to what He has done for me. It should be an outward expression of the Spirit's presence within me. As I submit to His will and obey Your Word, my life will be pleasing to You. Amen

Things Are Not As They Seem.

1 Kings 11-12, 2 Corinthians 4

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 ESV

Chapters 11 and 12 of 1 Kings mark a dramatic turning point in the life of Solomon. His troubles don't begin here, but things take a marked turn for the worse in these passages. All along the way, we have been given a glimpse into Solomon's ongoing struggle with unfaithfulness. He loved God, but he also loved fame, prosperity, power and pleasure. In fact, Solomon himself records his mindset at this time in the book of Ecclesiastes.

4 I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. 7 I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. 8 I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!

9 So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. 10 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. 11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. – Ecclesiastes 2:4-11 NLT

Solomon had it all. But he was dissatisfied. And one of his many “loves” ended up turning him away from God. Chapter 11 opens up with the foreboding words, “Now King Solomon loved many foreign women…” (1 Kings 11:1 ESV). What an understatement! Solomon had more than 1,000 wives and concubines. His “love” could be better classified as an obsession. And as a result of his addiction to the opposite sex, Solomon would allow his heart to be turned away from God. He would end up constructing idols and places of worship for his many wives to worship their various false gods. All in disobedience to God's commands. His many earthly “loves” would cause his love for God to grow cold, “…for his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God” (1 Kings 11:4 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about God?

What Solomon did was evil in God's eyes, and God would not tolerate it, so He split Solomon's kingdom. God would allow Solomon's son, Rehoboam, to keep the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, but the other ten tribes would break away to form the nation of Israel, under the leadership of Jeroboam. Everything that happened as a result of Solomon's unfaithfulness was “brought about by the Lord that he might fulfill his word” (1 Kings 12:15 ESV). God had warned Solomon what would happen if he failed to live in obedience to His commands. He had made it perfectly clear what the consequences of unfaithfulness would be. And yet, God did not fully destroy Solomon or his kingdom. Why? Because God had made a promise to David that one of his descendants would reign from his throne forever. God was going to raise up a future king from the tribe of Judah and so He was going to preserve and protect David's tribe at all costs. In all the bleakness surrounding this story, there is a glimmer of hope and light because of the faithfulness of God. He was not done yet. God had told Jeroboam, “Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes (but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel)” (1 Kings 11:31-32 ESV). In spite of the sins of Solomon, the unfaithfulness and subsequent sins of Jeroboam, God was still in full control of the situation. He was still working His divine plan of redemption, setting the stage for a future time when the one true king would establish His kingdom.

What does this passage reveal about man?

The events recorded in these two chapters of 1 Kings are filled with less-than-flattering portrayals of mankind. We don't come across too well. Solomon had an obvious sexual addiction. He was driven by his own physical appetites and allowed his lusts to control his actions. Rehoboam, his son, rejected the wise counsel of his elders, and chose to listen to the foolish advice of his peers. Jeroboam, literally handed a kingdom by God, quickly revealed his true heart, by setting up his own gods, his own sacred cities, and his own priesthood. He led the ten tribes of Israel into spiritual apostasy right from the start. Over and over again, we see the sinful disposition of man on display. Solomon, the wise, proves to be a fool. Rehoboam, the undeserving heir, reveals that wisdom is not an inherited trait. Jeroboam, the undeserving recipient of a kingdom, shows just how quickly gratefulness can turn to unfaithfulness. But we must remember that these men were simply “vessels of clay,” weak, fragile, ordinary men who, when left to their own devices, quickly revealed just how worthless and sinful they really were. But their unfaithfulness is juxtaposed with God's unwavering faithfulness. Their infidelity is contrasted with God's unfailing love. Without God, all of these men were helpless and hopeless. They were weak and powerless to battle their own sinful dispositions and inclinations. Driven by their own self-centered desires and motivated by their sinful passions, each of them paints a vivid picture of man's moral bankruptcy.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

But God was far from done. While He would end up punishing Solomon for his sins and split the once-powerful kingdom in two, God was still going to fulfill every promise He had ever made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David. The amazing thing is that God uses “jars of clay” like us to accomplish His will. Paul knew this reality well. He reminded the Corinthians believers, “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT). Paul knew that he was no better than anyone else. His life was a product of God's incredible mercy and grace. He knew that, left to his own devices, he was fully capable of the same sins as Solomon, Rehoboam, or Jeroboam. But because of what Christ had done in his life, Paul knew that his human weakness was like a canvas on which God was painting a beautiful image revealing His own glory and power. Paul's life was anything but easy. “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10 NLT). Yes, he was weak. Yes, his circumstances were less-than-ideal. But he understood that God was at work, revealing His power through Paul's own human weakness. Which is why he could respond, “So we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:16 ESV). Paul knew that his current circumstances were merely a precursor to a future glory that God was going to reveal at some future date. Rather than dwell on the visible, physical realities of his circumstances, Paul chose to focus on the unseen, as yet unfulfilled, promises of God. Solomon, Rehoboam and Jeroboam had no idea what God was doing behind the scenes. Their focus was on “the things that are seen” which “are transient” (2 Corinthians 4:18 ESV). When we love sight of the eternal, we find ourselves focusing all our attention on the temporal. Like Solomon, we can find ourselves seeking all our hope and fulfillment in the things of this world. “Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NLT). We are vessels of clay – weak, helpless, fragile, and without value – apart from the redemptive work of Christ in our lives. But it is through our inherent weakness that God has chosen to reveal His surpassing power and glory. It is through our struggles and trials that God wants to prove Himself faithful and strong. Things may appear desperately bad, but things are not always as they seem.

Father, You are always at work. You are always faithful. You are always strong. Help me focus on the reality of Your presence and power, the undeniable fact of my own weakness, and the unwavering promise of Your love for me as proven through the death of Your own Son on my behalf. Thank You that things are never quite they appear to be. May I learn to see You in the circumstances of my life. I want to see Your power through my weakness. Amen

Blind Optimism.

1 Kings 9-10, 2 Corinthians 3

Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. – 1 Kings 10:23-25 ESV

Solomon was a rock star – an international celebrity who drew admirers from all over the world. He had a reputation that attracted attention and led to increased fame and fortune. He was wealthy, wise, and enjoying the lavish lifestyle of a powerful king. But for all his power and popularity, Solomon was blind to the consequences of his lifestyle. Yes, it appeared as if God's hand was all over him. He seemed to be enjoying the blessing of God. After all, a big part of his reputation was based on his God-given wisdom. The visiting queen of Sheba said of Solomon, “Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard” (1 Kings 10:7 ESV). But Solomon had been warned by God that His blessing was conditional, saying, “if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father” (1 Kings 9:4-5 ESV). Notice that God was calling Solomon to live with integrity of heart. That phrase has to do with moral wholeness or completeness. The Hebrew word is tom, and it carries the idea of being fully devoted to God in every area of life, with no compartmentalization. Solomon was to live his entire life before God's all-seeing gaze with nothing hidden or kept secret. He was to live in obedience to all of God's commands. But Solomon was gradually ignoring what God had commanded him to do and wrongly assuming that his great wealth and unbridled success were signs of God's blessings and satisfaction with his life.

What does this passage reveal about God?

God had warned the people of Israel that when He finally gave them a king, he would be required to reign according to God's terms. “Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold” (Deuteronomy 17:16-17 ESV). It was God's desire that the king of Israel be a man who regular time immersing himself in the law so that he might live according to it. “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them,  that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel” (Deuteronomy 17:18-20 ESV). He was to be a man of the Word. He was to live obediently and humbly, not driven by pride and hungry for power. He was to recognize his role as God's representative, ruling on His behalf, and subject to God's divine will.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Solomon was a man, just like any other man, and was subject to the same temptations we all face. He was susceptible to the same sinful tendencies that every great leader encounters. He let his fame, power and fortune go to his head. He was surrounded by great wealth. He was constantly bombarded with flattering words and feigning admirers who told him how smart, successful and gifted he was. “This King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom…” (1 Kings 10:23-24 ESV). Solomon was living the dream life, but he didn't realize that his dream was about to become a nightmare; all because of his subtle disobedience. He had compromised. He had rationalized. He had intermarried when he shouldn't have. He had amassed great quantities of gold when God had told him not to. He had bought horses and chariots from Egypt, in direct violation of God's command. He had made an alliance with Egypt, marrying Pharaoh's daughter, also in disobedience to God's will. Solomon grew wealthy beyond belief, personally benefiting from his God-given wisdom and enjoying the fruit of God's favor. But he was blind to his own sin. He was ignorant of his own subtle rebellion against God. Palaces, gold, silver, chariots, horses, ornate thrones, powerful friends, and a growing reputation all blinded the eyes of Solomon, preventing him from recognizing his own disobedience and inevitable downfall. God had told Solomon that if he failed to obey, then God would be forced to end his rule, destroy his kingdom, level the temple, and cut off the people of Israel from the land. While Solomon was enjoying the blessings of God for a season, the time was coming when God would deal with his disobedience in a sobering way. Solomon had wrongly made it all about himself. In spite of his effort to build the temple, he had spent far more time and money building his own kingdom. He had placed himself at the center of his own universe and left God as an afterthought, a convenient resource to be used in times of trouble.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

The apostle reminds us that our sufficiency is to be found in God. We are never to assume that we bring anything to the table that gives us worth or value. “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5 ESV). We live and breath based on the grace of God. We enjoy the promise of eternal life solely because of the grace of God. Solomon lived during the era of the law. He was part of a different dispensation in which obedience to the law was non-negotiable and undeniable. Paul calls it “the ministry of condemnation” (2 Corinthians 3:9 ESV). The law, which was impossible for any man to keep perfectly, ended up condemning all. It was a constant reminder of man's incapacity to live righteously. Yet God was constantly revealing His glory to men in an effort to remind them of His power and to create in them a holy fear. But they lived as if their eyes were veiled. They couldn't see God's glory or recognize His holiness. They were unable to understand that even their obedience was dependent upon God, not their own self-effort. A big part of the giving of the law was to reveal just how holy God really was. His standard was so high that no man could keep it. That insufficiency should have driven them closer and closer to God for help and hope. But they were blind. Paul says, “For to this day, when they read the old covenant that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed” (2 Corinthians 3:14-16 ESV). Unlike Solomon, I have an “unveiled face.” I am fully capable of seeing and comprehending the glory of the Lord. I am fully cognizant that it is His amazing grace that gives me the capacity to live wholly, completely in obedience to His will. I can't do it in my own strength any more than Solomon could. Without His help, I would be in the same state as Solomon. In fact, too often, I find myself living just as Solomon lived – surrounded by the blessings of God, given access to the wisdom of God, but living as if I was my own god. My eyes have been opened, but it is so easy to live as if I was blind, ignorant of God's grace and still trying to live the godly life in my own strength and self-sufficiency.

Father, I want to constantly remember that my sufficiency is found in You, not me. I want to live with my eyes wide open to the fact that I am incapable of living the Christian life without Your Spirit, Your Word and Your help. My sufficiency is from You. Do not let me fall back into the trap of trying to live this life in my own strength. It is impossible. But You have made my holiness a reality. You have provided for me what I could have never provided for myself. Amen

The Fragrance of Christ.

1 Kings 7-8, 2 Corinthians 2

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. – 2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

The Temple was a magnificent edifice. It would appear that Solomon spared no expense on its construction. He used the finest materials and expert craftsmen to erect this “house” for God. It was filled with exotic woods and covered with gold and precious metals. It would be a testament to God's presence among them and a reminder of God's holiness and glory. But the writer of 1 Kings makes an interesting aside in his description of the temple's construction. He writes, “Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished his entire house” (1 Kings 7:1 ESV). What is striking is that the last verse of the previous chapter indicated that Solomon had spent just seven years building the temple. So he had taken nearly twice as long to build his own palace complex as he had to build the temple. Two houses had been built and they stand in distinct contrast to one another. While Solomon had finished the basic construction of the temple, it seems that he had yet to complete the interior. It is not until the end of chapter seven that we read, “Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the Lord was finished” (1 Kings 7:51 ESV). And until the temple was complete, inside and out, no worship could take place. And it was not until the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Holy of Holies that the presence of the Lord filled the temple. Without God's presence, the temple was just another building. Its value was not to be found in its architecture or trappings. Its value was in the abiding presence of God that dwelt above the mercy seat on top of the Ark of the Covenant. But God's presence among them was dependent upon their obedience to Him. As long as they remained set apart to Him, He would remain among them. It was their lives that were to be a testimony to God's abiding presence. His power was to be manifested in their lives. His law was to direct and guide their lives. His abiding presence was tied to their abiding faithfulness.

What does this passage reveal about God?

At the dedication of the temple, Solomon prays a lengthy prayer that is an interesting mixture of divine worship and self-adulation. While he goes out of his way to acknowledge God's holiness, he can't seem to stop promoting his own accomplishments. Over and over again, he refers to the temple as “this house that I have built” (1 Kings 8:27 ESV). It is as if he is reminding God and the people that this magnificent structure was all his doing. It is almost as if he believes that God is somehow obligated to dwell in this house that Solomon has so graciously constructed for Him. But God didn't need a temple in which to live. He hadn't required David or Solomon to construct Him a house. The temple, while an important fixture in the lives of the Israelites, was never intended to become the focal point of their religious lives. God was to be the sole focus of their attention and the object of their worship. In his prayer of dedication, Solomon begs God to hear their prayers and forgive their sins. He uses a variety of likely future scenarios in which the people may find themselves in trouble due to sin, and call out to God for help. Solomon wants to obligate God to hear their cries and answer their prayers, providing forgiveness and deliverance from whatever trouble that is plaguing them.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Solomon knew that his reign was dependent upon God. He fully understood that his future success as king was directly tied to God's abiding presence. He also knew that the people were going to sin against God and live in disobedience to His laws. He even weaved in a reminder to the people to remain true to God. “Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day” (1 Kings 8:61 ESV). But Solomon needed to take his own advice. He would prove to be one of the biggest violators of God's commands. You can see in these two chapters his own struggle with pride, self-promotion, affluence, and self-will. While the dedication of the temple was a great occasion and Solomon and the people walked away “joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness the Lord had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people” (1 Kings 8:66 ESV), the real threat to God's abiding presence was going to be their ongoing obedience. It was their lives, lived in obedience to God's commands, that were to be the real testament to God's presence and power among them. As they lived for God, they would be a visible testimony regarding God's reality. Paul seemed to know this better than anyone. His perspective was that his life was a constant advertisement of God's presence. He wrote, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal processions, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV). Paul's life was a living, breathing billboard for God's divine presence and power. Paul viewed his life as “an aroma of Christ to God” (2 Corinthians 2:15 ESV). Some found Paul's life attractive, desiring to have what had he had. Others were turned off by what they saw, viewing his life as distasteful and repulsive. But his only concern was that his life would be pleasing to God.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Solomon built a temple for God. But what God really wanted was a man after His own heart. He desired that Solomon live in obedience to His commands and in keeping with His divine will. But over and over again we will see that Solomon, while wise, still struggled with sin. He made unwise decisions and willingly violated God's commands. It was as if he saw himself above God's laws. He seemed to think that he had God's blessing and that God was somehow obligated to hear his prayers and forgive his sins, all because he had built God a house. But God desires obedience rather than sacrifice. He wants followers who live their lives in order to bring glory to His name. My life's ambition should be to live in such a way that I am an aroma of Christ to God. If I make that my focus, then others will see God in me. Some will be attracted by what they see and desire to know more. Others will be repulsed and find my life offensive to their self-centered sensibilities. But as long as I make it my life's goal to live in obedience to and for the glory of God, I can leave the results up to Him.

Father, I want my life to be a pleasing aroma to You as I live in obedience to Your Word and in submission to Your Spirit. As I model Christ-likeness, I will become a walking testimony to Your power and presence in my life. I am Your temple. Your Spirit dwells in me. May I live my life in such a way that the world will know that You are Lord. Amen

Living Within God's Will.

1 Kings 5-6, 2 Corinthians 1

For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. – 2 Corinthians 1:12 ESV

Solomon was going to have the unique opportunity to fulfill the lifelong dream of his father, David, and build a temple for God. At one point in his reign, when David had established his kingdom and was living in a palace made of stone, he determined to build a suitable house for God, so that the Ark of the Covenant would no longer have to be housed in a tent. But God denied David the privilege of building the temple. Instead, God reminded David that it was He who had made David great. He had called him, established him and would continue to make his kingdom significant. God would raise up a son who would fulfill David's dream of a temple to house the Ark of the Covenant and become the dwelling place for the presence of God. Now Solomon was going to fulfill that promise. This was all part of God's divine will. And chapters 5 and 6 of 1st Kings go into great detail describing just how Solomon went about fulfilling the will of God regarding the construction of the temple. But God also makes it clear that His main concern regarding Solomon and the people of Israel was their obedience. God had told David, “Would you build me a house to dwell in?  I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.  In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’” (2 Samuel 7:5-7 ESV). God didn't need or demand that David build Him a house. But He would allow a house to be built. On one condition. “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel” (1 Kings 6:12-13 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about God?

God's ultimate will for Solomon and the people of Israel was their obedience. The building of a great temple was not going to replace that obligation. While a great deal of detail is given about the intricate design and expensive trappings of gold and exotic woods that went into the construction of the temple, God's real concern was the people live in obedience to His laws. It was their obedience that would set them apart as His people. God knew that the temple would become a symbol of God's presence and would even tempt the people to believe that God was always with them, whether they lived in obedience to His laws or not. This impressive structure would almost become a status symbol, providing them with a false sense of God's presence and blessing. But God made it clear that it was their obedience to His laws that would determine and guarantee His presence among them. In his speech before the Sanhedrin recorded in Acts 7, Stephen reminded them, “…it was Solomon who built a house for hi. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’” (Acts 7:47-50 ESV). God did not require that Solomon build the temple. But he did require that Solomon live in obedience to His commands.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Stephen went on to tell the Jews of his day, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51 ESV). The people of Israel would continue to live in rebellion against God, in spite of having a magnificent building in which they worshiped the presence of God among them. They never seemed to understand that it was their hearts that God wanted. Stephen would die as a result of his scathing words. He would be stoned to death for speaking truth to the people of Israel. Their response to his words revealed the true condition of their hearts. “They were enraged and they ground their teeth at him” ( Acts 7:54 ESV). The amazing thing is that Stephen was doing the will of God and it resulted in his death. He lived obediently to God's will and died as a result. In his second letter to the believers living in Corinth, Paul speaks a great deal about comfort and affliction. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ESV). Paul knew from first-hand experience what it meant to suffer for Christ. He knew what it meant to endure affliction. But he also knew what it meant to receive comfort from God in the midst of that affliction. Paul's afflictions made him increasingly more dependent upon God. “On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again” (2 Corinthians 1:10 ESV). For Paul, living in obedience to God was the most important thing in his life. The way he lived his life may not have always made sense to those around him. In fact, the Corinthians were accusing him of indecisiveness because he kept saying he was going to come visit them, but then he wouldn't show up. But Paul assured them that he did not make his plans according to the flesh. In other words, he was not the one who was in charge of his life. He depended upon God and viewed any perceived setback or delay as the will of God for his life. His main concern was “that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God” (2 Corinthians 1:12 ESV).

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Paul didn't want his life to be marked or characterized by hypocrisy or insincerity. He wanted to live honestly and openly in obedience to God's will for his life. He wanted to live in godly sincerity or purity, motivated by the grace of God, not the wisdom of men. He knew that he was completely dependent upon God's grace, as made available through Jesus' death on the cross and the indwelling presence of God's Spirit. He was incapable of living the godly life without God's supernatural help. Yes, he longed to visit the Corinthian believers again. But he longed more to live in obedience and subjection to the will of God for his life. And that is how God wants me to live. God is less concerned about all my accomplishments for Him, than He is with my obedience to Him. He wants me to live without hypocrisy and in godly sincerity, completely dependent upon Him. Building “temples” for God may impress others, but God is much more concerned with our hearts. He knows that our accomplishments mean nothing if our hearts are far from Him. Obedience and submission to His will are still the object of our existence and the ultimate expression of our love for Him.

Father, You didn't need Solomon or David to build You a house. You don't need me to accomplish great things for You. All You really want is my heart. You desire my obedience and submission to Your will for my life. Help me to live without hypocrisy and in godly sincerity, completely dependent upon You. Amen

Ken Miller Grow Pastor & Minister to Men kenm@christchapelbc.org

Wasted Wisdom.

1 Kings 3-4, 1 Corinthians 16

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. – 1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV

Solomon was given the opportunity of a lifetime. God spoke to him in a dream and basically told him that He would grant Solomon one wish. It was as if God was saying, “Name it and you can have it!” But instead of asking for more money, fame, power or military success, Solomon asked for “an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people” (1 Kings 3:9 ESV). Given the chance to have God grant his one wish, Solomon asked for godly wisdom. And as a result of his request, God also granted Solomon what he had not asked for: “both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days” (1 Kings 3:13 ESV). While this had been a dream, it had real-life implications. God gave Solomon great wisdom and blessed him with great wealth, incredible success, and a reign marked by peace rather than war. But God's provision of wisdom came with a condition. Solomon was required to live obediently according to God's statutes and commandments. This was going to prove to be a real challenge for the king, in spite of his wisdom. God made Solomon wise, but Solomon was going to have to choose to be obedient.

What does this passage reveal about God?

Chapter three of 1 Kings opens up with the seemingly innocent statement: “Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt” (1 Kings 3:1 ESV). But this one sentence speaks volumes regarding Solomon and his struggle to remain faithful to God's commands. In Deuteronomy 17:16, God had made it clear that the king of Israel was not to “return to Egypt” and make alliances of any kind with that nation, because God had told the people of Israel, “You shall never return that way again.” Not only that, God had commanded that the king of Israel “shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold” (Deuteronomy 17:17 ESV). In Deuteronomy 7:3, God had warned the people of Israel against intermarriage with foreign nations because He knew that these marriage alliances would end up in idolatry and unfaithfulness.

In Deuteronomy 12, God had commanded the people of Israel to destroy all the high places in the land of Canaan, where the pagan nations had worshiped their false gods. God had said, “You shall tear down their altars and dash to pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way” (Deuteronomy 12:3-4 ESV). God went on to tell them that they were to seek a solitary place and establish it as their only center of worship. And yet we read, “Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places” (1 Kings 3:3 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about man?

Solomon loved God. He also knew that if he was to rule the people of God successfully, he was going to need the wisdom of God. And while God would grant his wish, and provide Solomon a wise and discerning mind, this did not completely eliminate his tendency to make unwise choices. Wisdom still requires obedience. Knowing what to do and doing it are two different matters. Solomon's wisdom was indisputable. He was world-renowned for his wisdom and displayed it on a regular basis for all to see. The people “stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice” (1 Kings 3:28 ESV). But Solomon was going to struggle with obedience. His God-given wisdom was not going to prevent him from making unwise choices and self-destructive decisions. God was clearly blessing Solomon, providing him with incredible wisdom and discernment, as well as peace and prosperity. But Solomon amassed for himself thousands of chariots and horses, in direct violation of Deuteronomy 17:16: “Only he must not acquire many horses for himself.” In the midst of great peace made possible by God, Solomon was building up a might army. The psalmist would later write, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7 ESV). It seems that Solomon had a trust problem. It would also appear that he had a pride problem. And it is painfully clear that he struggled with an obedience problem.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

In the closing paragraphs of his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul writes, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV). These were people who had placed their faith in Christ, who had received the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God, and who were assured eternal life. But Paul still reminds them to be on the lookout against sin and to remain steadfast in their faith. He knew that they were going to continue to face difficult days ahead, so he told them to stand firm and act like men. He encouraged them to remain strong. And then he added, “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV). They had been saved. They had the Spirit of God within them. They were assured of future life with God. But in the meantime, they were going to need to live obediently, faithfully, and firmly grounded on the Word of God. They had the wisdom of God residing within them in the form of the Spirit of God, but they were still going to have to obey what He told them to do. They were going to have to live in faithful dependence upon God's Word. We have available to us the wisdom of God in the form of the Spirit of God and the written Word of God. But all the wisdom in the world, if not obeyed, will never do us any good. A Bible that is read, but not applied, will never change us. A Spirit residing within us, but regularly ignored by us, will never transform us. Solomon had received a great gift from God, but it was up to him to avail himself of it. I have been given a great gift from God, but I must choose to be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like a man and be strong.

Father, Your incredible wisdom is available to me every day. I have access to wisdom beyond that of even Solomon. And yet, far too often, I ignore it or simply disobey it. I choose to live based on my own ignorance, driven by selfishness, and motivated by my own sin nature. Help me see the reality of my own condition and turn away from living life on my own terms. I want to apply Your wisdom to every area of my life and live in obedience to Your Word and in submission to Your Spirit. Amen

The Ultimate Victory.

The Ultimate Victory.

1 Kings 1-2, 1 Corinthians 15

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 ESV

Ultimately, David had to die. Death is the eventual and unavoidable outcome for all men. David had reigned as king of Israel for 40 years, but that reign had to come to an end. And even as David prepared to pass from the scene, the soap-opera-like atmosphere continued to take place all around him. His son, Adonijah followed the example of his late brother, Absalom, and determined to make himself the next king of Israel. Sin continued to raise its ugly head in the household of David, resulting in an eventual confrontation between David's two sins, Adonijah and Solomon. To prevent Adonijah from splitting the kingdom, David has Solomon anointed his successor and transfers the kingdom over to him. But the influence of sin continues to impact the lives of those who will outlive David. Solomon eventually is forced to have Adonijah executed because he poses a continual threat to his kingdom. Solomon also has Joab, the former commander of David's army, executed for having taken the lives of two innocent men. Shemei, the man who cursed David as he was fleeing Jerusalem after Absalom had taken over his kingdom, is eventually executed for having violated his house arrest. Sin and death continue to rule and reign even after David has disappeared off the scene.

What does this passage reveal about God?

Sin is a constant reality for all of us on this planet. David experienced it. His son Solomon would soon recognize its undeniable influence not only over his kingdom, but his own life. God, who had created mankind to have an intimate, uninterrupted relationship with Himself, knew that sin would continue to cause chaos, confusion and destroy any chance of men having a right relationship with their Creator. But God had a plan. He had a solution to the problem of sin. David was simply a conduit through whom God would eventually bring a descendant who would conquer mankind's greatest enemies: sin and death. David had been a mighty warrior, but he could never defeat the sin in his own life and he was totally incapable of conquering death. His son, Solomon, would be one of the wisest men who ever lived, but he would still find himself susceptible to sin and prone to living in broken fellowship with God. Paul told the Corinthians, “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:50 ESV). Man, in his natural state, is infected by sin and, therefore, so contaminated that he is unworthy to live in the presence of God. Just as Adonijah could not live as a citizen in Solomon's kingdom, no man can be allowed to live in God's kingdom. Our sin and propensity for insurrection make us unworthy and unacceptable.

What does this passage reveal about man?

David was a man after God's own heart, but he still struggled with sin. He still failed to successfully live up to God's righteous standards. His son, Solomon, was filled with wisdom, but he wasn't smart enough to escape the influence of sin over his life. His disobedience and rebellion would eventually result in God's division of the kingdom. Man's only hope was going to come in the form of regeneration and resurrection. Man had to be completely renewed from within. He required a new nature, not a slightly improved version of the old one. God would have to give man a new heart and place a new spirit within him. God's solution to man's problem was a Savior. He sent His own Son to solve the sin problem by having Him live a sinless life in perfect obedience to the righteous commands of the Law. Jesus did what no man had ever done before – live without sin. His sinlessness made Him an acceptable sacrifice and substitute for man. Someone had to pay for the sins of mankind, and that someone had to be sinless. Jesus met the criteria and He gave His life so that God's righteous judgment might be satisfied. God had to deal justly with the sin and rebellion of men. He couldn't just overlook it or ignore it. Jesus had to die. Paul states it clearly. “…that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5 ESV). Christ's death was not enough. If all He had done was died, then He would simply have been a martyr. But Jesus died and was given back His life by God the Father. He was restored to life, proving that He was not just another man whose life ended in death. He actually conquered death. He proved that God was more powerful than death itself. Peter said of Jesus, “But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip” (Acts 2:23-24 NLT).

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

David's death didn't change anything. The world he left behind was just as screwed up as when he lived in it. His sons would continue to feud and fight over the kingdom he left behind. Sin would still influence and infect daily life. But the death of Jesus accomplished something incredible. It not only provided me with forgiveness of sin and payment for my penalty. It guarantees me eternal life. I no longer need to fear death. Physical death will eventually come to all. But eternal death, or permanent separation from God the Father, is not something I ever need to fear again. Because Jesus was raised again to new life, I will be given new life as well. “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.  When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” (1 Corinthians 15:51-55 ESV). There is a day coming when I will leave this sin-filled world behind. I will leave my sinful nature behind. I will be renewed, regenerated and remade in the likeness of Christ. My sin nature will be done away with. This old body will be replaced with a new, spiritual body that will no longer be susceptible to sin, sickness, or death. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57 ESV).

Father, thank You that I no longer need to fear death. There is a future for me and it is because Your Son has made it possible. I am undeserving of it, but I am grateful for it. Help me live my life on this earth with my focus fixed on the reality of heaven. This life is not all there is. There is more to come and it has been guaranteed by the death, burial and resurrection of Your Son. Amen

To Build Up.

2 Samuel 23-24, 1 Corinthians 14

So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. – 1 Corinthians 14:12 ESV

As David neared the end of his life, it appears that he was somewhat reflective, and felt compelled to do something to evaluate the success of his reign. He was a warrior and as such, part of his perceived worth would have been based on the numbers of his victories and the size of his army. So David determined to conduct a census in order to ascertain just how large his fighting force really way. It appears that the sin David committed in doing so was in placing his trust in his army rather than God. Actually, the passage doesn't tell us exactly what David had done to deserve the anger and punishment of God, but it is clear that he had sinned. Perhaps part of David's sin was that he had become focused on his own reputation rather than God's. It is interesting that the previous chapter speaks of “the mighty men whom David had” (2 Samuel 23:8 ESV). These mighty warriors were part of David's inner circle. They were valiant fighting men who had accomplished great deeds on behalf of David. But the passage makes it clear that their exploits were actually the result of God's actions. “And the Lord brought about a great victory that day” (2 Samuel 23:10 ESV). “And the Lord worked a great victory” (2 Samuel 23:12 ESV). It would have been easy for David to lose sight of the fact that his reputation, reign, and apparent success as a king were all the result of God's divine influence over his life. Numbering his troops could have given David a false sense of self-accomplishment and independence. It seems from the passage, that David was driven by a self-obsession that focused more on himself than on God or the people over whom he reigned.

What does this passage reveal about God?

When God determined to punish David for his sin, he gave the king three options from which to choose. He placed David in a very difficult position, forcing him to decide between three equally unattractive forms of punishment: Famine, the sword or pestilence. It would appear that whichever one David chose, the end result would be similar in its outcome. While the famine would last three years, it would take longer for its full impact to be felt on the lives of the people. The sword and pestilence, while shorter in time, would be swifter in their devastating influence on the lives of the people. No matter which one David chose, there was going to be innocent people who died as a result. David's selfish sin was going to have a significant impact on the lives of others. Unable to choose, David told God, “I am in great distress, Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man” (2 Samuel 24:14 ESV). In essence, David chose NOT to accept the sword as an option, but rather asked that God would choose between the other two. David was willing to accept the punishment of the Lord and count on Him showing mercy. So God chose to bring pestllence for three days, resulting in the deaths of 70,000 men. While we may struggle with the events recorded in this passage, we must understand that God acted righteously and justly. His actions were well within His rights as God. Sin had been committed, and the degree of the punishment reflects just how great David's sin really was.

What does this passage reveal about man?

In chapter 23, we read the last words of David. It is interesting to note what he said. “When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes the grass to sprout from the earth” (2 Samuel 23:3-4 ESV). A king who rules justly, in the fear of God, has a positive, healthy influence on the lives of those over whom he reigns. It would appear that David's decision to take the census was done without any fear of God. He didn't think about what he was doing. He was too focused on his own life and interested in his own reputation.

Over in 1 Corinthians 14, we see an apparently different scenario at play. Paul is writing to the Corinthian believers about spiritual gifts and their role within the body of Christ. It would appear that the Corinthians were struggling with pride and jealousy over the allocation and use of the spiritual gifts. Evidently, there was some belief that the gift of tongues was superior to any of the other gifts. It was more flamboyant and extraordinary. Perhaps they believed that those who practiced this particular gift were somehow linked in significant to the apostles because that is the gift they exhibited at Pentecost. But Paul repeatedly warns the Corinthian believers to remember the whole point behind all the gifts: the building up of the body of Christ. He tells them to “strive to excel in building up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:12 ESV). He warns them that, while speaking in tongues, they may experience some personal satisfaction and benefit, “but the other person is not being built up” (1 Corinthians 14:17 ESV). Paul makes it clear: “Let all things be done for building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26 ESV). This is a continuation of his theme in chapter 13. The point behind all of the gifts was mutual edification motivated by selfless love. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1 ESV). The gift of tongues, practiced without love, was worthless and completely non-beneficial. God was the originator of the gifts and He handed them out according to His divine will and wisdom. They were intended to build up, not divide. They were to be selfless, not selfish. Like David, the Corinthians had taken their eyes off of God and placed them firmly on themselves. They had turned the spiritual gifts into a competition.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

I love the line Paul writes to the believers there in Corinth: “Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind” (1 Corinthians 14:20 NLT). Don't act like children, selfishly focusing on your own desires. Don't make it all about you. Think like adults, remembering that God gave you your gift for the good of the body, not just for your own personal pleasure or to satisfy your ego. It's interesting to note that in his opening to this letter, Paul writes the Corinthians and reminds them, “you are not lacking in any spiritual gift” (1 Corinthians 1:7 ESV). The church in Corinth had every spiritual gift represented. God had given them exactly what they needed to build up the body of Christ. But they were jockeying for position, fighting over the gifts and selfishly attempting to one-up each other by comparing and contrasting the significance and value of their particular gifting. And in doing so, they were missing out on the whole purpose behind the gifts: to build up the church. Had David kept his focus on God, he would have spent less time worrying about his own significance and reputation. Had he remembered and lived by the words he wrote, he would have ruled justly, in the fear of God, having a positive impact on the lives of his people. But instead, his self-centered actions brought death. It's interesting to note that the Corinthians, in attempting to practice the very gifts God had given them, were having a negative influence on not only the local fellowship they were called to build up, but on the lost community around them. Nothing harms the name of Christ more than believers who can't get along. Nothing damages our witness as believers like infighting, pride and jealousy. But if our focus is on building up the body of Christ, and our motivation is mutual love, the church prospers and the lost are attracted like moths to a flame.

Father, may our churches be increasingly more recognized as places where the building up of the body is more important than the building up of our own reputations. Forgive us for making more of ourselves than we make of You or of the well-being of Your people. Open our eyes so that we might see You more clearly. Help us to love You more by loving others more than we love ourselves or our own reputations. Amen