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 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul reminds Timothy that God has given believers a spirit not of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. This...
Solomon’s exhortations: “Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you instead let these qualities define you.” We cannot be kind, merciful, or...
Moses sent 12 spies into the land of Canaan. God commanded this to happen so that the Israelites could know about the land and...
