The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
2 Kings 9-11, 2 Chronicles 22:10 – 23:21
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 6:Kings and Prophets: God divides the kingdom people.
Background Information: 2 Kings 9-11, 2 Chronicles 22:10 – 23:21
The sons of Prophets, sometimes called the “School” of prophets, were organized and recognized groups of men who followed the teaching of Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha. Prophets did not primarily tell the future; their main role was to call Israel back to the covenant. They did, on occasion, speak of future events, but these were mostly tied to God’s judgment on violations of the covenant. Ahab and his Canaanite wife Jezebel had institutionalized idol worship in the nation of Israel, and the downfall of his house was assured. God used the former military leader, Jehu, as his instrument of judgment. Jehu brings an end to Ahab’s house, but his violence gets out of control. The northern kingdom enters a death spiral of murder and coups that will weaken it and eventually lead to its destruction. Brutal Jehu gets his final failing grade from God. He did eliminate the Baal worship instituted by Ahab, but he failed miserably to be faithful to the covenant of God. Athaliah was the sole Queen in Judah’s history. She was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, who had married the king of Judah, Jehoram. After the death of her husband and then her son, she killed her own grandsons in order to take the throne herself. One grandson, an infant named Joash, survived and would become king at the age of seven. A priest named Jehoiada would oversee the death of the murderous queen and guide the kingdom until Joash came of age. Some believe that humanity’s greatest problem is inequity, and the solution is the redistribution of resources. Some believe it is the lack of education, and the solution is more information. There are many other faulty views of our core problem, leading to many false solutions. We know from Genesis and from experience that the core human problem is sin. The appalling history of the kings highlights this fact. The more we read, the more we see that our only hope is and has always been Jesus. He is the only solution to our greatest problem.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for our Onelink team working with Sarah and Amelia. They are halfway through their Summer trip. Ask God to give them opportunities for gospel conversation. Pray that they would persevere in the work he has given them to do.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.