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.
In a reflection on the wisdom of Ecclesiastes, we traverse the annals of history, gleaning insights from the stories of the Greeks, Abraham Lincoln,...
God always has a remnant that continues to serve Him even when others have forsaken Him. A remnant returns from Babylon and under Ezra’s...
The prophetic book of Joel speaks of the promise of a spiritual outpouring, linking physical restoration with the coming divine spirit, suggesting a holistic...
