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.
This is a replay of an episode first broadcast in August 2021. Who is Theophilus? This is unclear in the Scriptures. However, he is...
The earliest church leaders—some of whom knew and learned from the actual apostles themselves—were left not only with the responsibility of teaching their own...
The book of Joshua spans about 25 years. It begins with bloody battles, after Israel crosses the Jordan. But then there is peace in...
