Solomon builds a temple to honor the Lord. In the prayer of dedication, he anticipates a time when foreign peoples will journey to the temple in Jerusalem because the God of Israel is famous for answering the prayers of all people. Yet the final chapter of 2 Kings describes a foreign nation coming to Jerusalem, not to worship there but to destroy the temple and take the people of God into exile. The tragic history that unfolds between the dedication and destruction of the temple shows how God’s people and God’s kings fail in their commission to reflect his character among the nations. Scriptures referenced include 1 Kings 8:23 ; 2 Kings 25:8–21; 2 Kings 10:12-14; Proverbs 14:12; 2 Kings 11:1–3; 1 Kings 19:17-21.
God is a god of abundance. We see evidence of this in how He moved in the lives of people throughout the Bible. And...
The word “woke” sparks strong reactions in our world today. For some, it means being aware of injustice and committed to change. For others,...
The core of Jesus' teaching in the Parable of the Lamp (Matthew 5:15) is a profound call for visible, influential discipleship that rejects spiritual...
