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.
Our world is groaning under the weight of environmental crisis—pollution, deforestation, climate change, and the destruction of ecosystems. As followers of Jesus, we must...
We begin our study of the book of Numbers and begin to explore how the people reacted to God’s calling on their lives. Scriptures...
The story of Cain and Abel, set against the backdrop of humanity’s exile from Eden, vividly portrays the devastating effects of sin and the...
