ISAIAH 20 At that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot (Isaiah 20:2). It was bad enough that Isaiah, son of one of the leading families in … Continue reading “THE METHODS OF THE PROPHET”
THE ROLE OF THE PROPHET
1 KINGS 13 By the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering (1 Kings 13:1). When Jeroboam set up his false religion, God immediately sent a prophet to confront him. Friday we shall look in more detail at … Continue reading “THE ROLE OF THE PROPHET”
THE KINGDOM OF JEROBOAM
1 KINGS 12 Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites (1 Kings 12:31). The apostasy of humanity at the Tower of Babel provoked God to scatter the people into many nations. Similarly, the apostasy of Solomon provoked God to divide the kingdom … Continue reading “THE KINGDOM OF JEROBOAM”
THE FALL OF KING SOLOMON
1 KINGS 10 The weight of gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents (1 Kings 10:14). Before he became king, David collected wives in violation of the laws of kingship found in Deuteronomy 17:16–17. Yet, God did not allow these sins to disqualify David or destroy the order of the kingdom. God sent Nathan … Continue reading “THE FALL OF KING SOLOMON”
THE TEMPLE OF GOD
1 KINGS 8 But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain You. How much less this temple I have built! (1 Kings 8:27). When God instituted the Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7, He told David He would work with David’s son when that son became king. The … Continue reading “THE TEMPLE OF GOD”
THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON
1 KINGS 3 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern Your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours? (1 Kings 3:9). During the century between the time the tabernacle was destroyed and the temple erected, the people of Israel worshipped properly … Continue reading “THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON”
DAVID’S CHARGE TO SOLOMON
1 KINGS 2 Be strong, and show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires (1 Kings 2:2b–3a). When David was old, his son Adonijah plotted with Joab and Abiathar the high priest to become king. He made the mistake, however, of letting this become known before David died. Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, … Continue reading “DAVID’S CHARGE TO SOLOMON”
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN
2 SAMUEL 12 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised Me [the Lord] and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own (2 Samuel 12:10). God forgives us when we repent of our sins, but if those sins have impacted the lives of other people, other … Continue reading “THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN”
DAVID’S PSALM OF PENITENCE
PSALM 51 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me (Psalm 51:3). When we left our study of the life of David, he had committed adultery with the wife of Uriah the Hittite, a Gentile convert serving in his army. To cover up his sin, David saw to it that Uriah … Continue reading “DAVID’S PSALM OF PENITENCE”
THE GREAT PROMOTER OF SIN
1 CHRONICLES 21 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel (1 Chronicles 21:1). The Bible teaches that Satan is an angel, a creature of God, and that he led part of the angelic host in rebellion against God. In his hatred of God he has enlisted the human … Continue reading “THE GREAT PROMOTER OF SIN”