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.
Matthew 28:19–20 contains what has come to be called the Great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the...
Modern Christians often view the Old Testament Law as a restrictive burden or a condemned system of "works" that has been replaced by grace....
The book of 1 Timothy is full of challenging, confusing, and (in some cases) controversial content. Readers often have questions about some of them....
