Leaving a Legacy: Trust God

I read a book this summer called “Team of Rivals,” written by Doris Kearns Goodwin. In the book she makes the case for Abraham Lincoln's political genius by examining his relationships with three men he selected for his cabinet, all of whom were opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860. In other words, in a time of peril, Lincoln left a legacy.

So it is with our reading this week. The books of I and II Kings have put more emphasis on Israel, the northern ten tribes, than it has on Judah, the other two tribes, which include Jerusalem. But, this is about to change. “In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria…and this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt…” (2 Kings 17:6-7). This is the end of Israel and the ten tribes. What a sad legacy.

But, the focus of the story quickly switches to Hezekiah and the people of Judah. “He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. He held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.” (18:5-6)

Hezekiah is facing a serious threat from the same Assyrians. He is making these decisions in the face of real danger and the real collapse of Israel’s ten tribes. Most of this has been brought on because of the stupidity and faithlessness of his father, Ahaz. Instead of compromising, Hezekiah diligently seeks the face of God and he finds, just like Abraham and Moses found, that God is able to defend his people against many.

This story should cause us to seek the same God today and leave a faithful legacy of trusting that God, especially when times are tough.

Tips for Reading - (Observation tip # 5)

Note: This section is help for Bible Reading in general. It has been building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to look back over past weeks to get the whole picture.

Key People WHO:

During the next couple of weeks we will study the six W’s of Bible study; who, what, where, when, why and wherefore. Now, you might be saying - this is like 7^th grade English. True! But let’s think a minute about what makes a great fisherman great (and a terrible fisherman like me so bad!). One difference (outside of the fact I am so impatient) is the tools he uses. With the right bait, a fisherman can increase his chances of catching the big one. It’s the same way with Bible study. If you ask the right questions, like a detective, you can get great answers.

This week let’s look for WHO. Look for the key people in the text. Are we being introduced to someone who will be really major later? Find out what the text is saying about who they are. For example what is their relationship with God? Are they a good character or corrupt? Have they undergone a major change? Try to imagine their appearance. Are they wealthy? Do they have connections to other important people in the story? For example, in these chapters we have a lot of Kings. Who is leaving an evil legacy? How will these actions cause the destruction of a nation?

If you know of other passages in the scriptures that describe these characters, look at them. (Isaiah is mentioned here, how does that connect with his book?) This is especially important when an Old Testament character is brought up in the New Testament. Cross-referencing gives a more complete picture. The Bible is one story and God wants to show how He changes people and how we can apply that lesson to our own lives. There is no greater way for us to see the impact of the gospel than when we study the people of the Bible.

Notes from David’s Journal

As you’ve probably been able to tell, when the northern and southern kingdoms divided, there’s not one good king that oversaw the northern kingdom. Read the list and see their actions and you can see that not one had a heart for God. I would surmise that’s why the northern kingdom quickly fell into degradation and was consumed by the Assyrians only 200 years after its inception.

The southern kingdom lasted another 200 years longer than the northern kingdom (a 400 year history), I think, largely, because it did experience several good, strong, Godly kings.

Hezekiah is one of those kings. As you read his history and life in this section of Scripture, simply note his heart for God. Note his prayer life. Note his faith, how he believed in God’s delivering power when all the odds seemed against him. I believe God blessed the southern kingdom because of the faith of its good kings like Hezekiah. I believe kings like Hezekiah helped retard the degradation of the people and God’s judgment.

What does this mean for us? We should pray every day for God to bless our present leadership, both locally and nationally. We should pray that they would seek after God’s heart in every possible way and pass legislation that promotes the heart of God. Why? Because when a king/leader seeks after God, God not only blesses the leader but the city/nation the leader oversees.

Leaving a Legacy: Reaching outside your neighborhood

One of my favorite people in the Old Testament is Elisha. I feel he captures the heart of Christ, 1,000 years before Jesus came to earth. Jesus said He came to seek and to save the lost. The book of James says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, is this: to visit orphans and widow in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” If we put the two of these verses together, we get Elisha reaching out to the poor and to the lost. Let’s look at three of the folks that Elisha thought were important to God. These stories strongly illustrate the loving and providential care of God for all His saints: young and old, rich or poor, weak or powerful.

The first is a widow and her two sons who had nothing. In II Kings chapter 4, we see the widow is without money to eat and the creditors are knocking at her door. Elisha provides a way for the family to work and pay off debts in order to live well.

The second example is really about Elisha facilitating a woman in ministry. This again illustrates the prominent and important place women have in the Bible, in God’s ministry and in the family. The role of women is indispensable and they can have vital ministries for which every man should have great respect and appreciation. We are very dependent upon the ministries of godly women in a multitude of ways.

The Scriptures say this woman was great, and another translation says she was wealthy, (2 Kings 4:8). She might have been prosperous, but she was also great because she wanted to promote the work of God, especially the preaching of the Word. So she provides housing for Elisha and encourages him. In turn, she is given a son from God Almighty and a rebirth of sorts for the son after a seemingly fatal accident.

Lastly, we have an outsider to the Jewish community. It is a commander of the army of Syria. This country is always an antagonist to Israel, but God calls Elisha to reach out and heal this man of leprosy. I think this is an echo of Jesus’ healings in Matthew 8 of a leper and to honor the request of a Centurion, a Roman commander.

These pictures of Elisha show the heart of God and I believe they are part of the legacy we should live and pass on.

Tips for Reading- (Observation tip # 4)

Note: This section is help for Bible Reading in general. It has been building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to look back over past weeks to get the whole picture.

Key Verses:

We have been looking at key words and people, now let’s apply that to key verses. Let’s look at 2 Kings 6:17, “Then Elisha prayed and said, O Lord please open his eyes that he may see. So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

The first thing I think of is the scene in Lord of the Rings, when Aragorn comes out of the boat seemingly outnumbered and then the undead ghosts appear to fight with him. (Obviously, if you are not a Lord of the Rings fan, you can skip this illustration, but I believe JRR Tolkien used this biblical story as a prototype for this scene in the book.)

Anyway, this is probably one of the best verses in all of scripture to illustrate the difference between how a man sees and how God sees. Since this is in our readings this week, let’s look at it.

The first key word we see is “open his eyes.” It is important because it is a contrast or a change of direction compared to what has been. It makes me look to the preceding context, which is a crucial aspect of Bible study. We read that the servant believes the Syrians have them trapped. There seems to be no hope, no way out. But, when God opens the servant’s eyes he sees the spiritual reality and how it interfaces with the physical reality. We could do much more in the area of context, but the point is, whenever you study any verse of Scripture, be sure to place it context. (Or else, as David Chadwick says, it’s a pretext.)

Another key point is to look for verbs. The main verb like we said is “open.” It’s in the future tense, so it hasn’t happened yet. And what will that do? Is it physical or spiritual? How does it change the way Elisha and the servant respond to the situation? What is the cause and effect? What’s the importance of the places mentioned? There is no limit to how many observations we can make from this one verse. Now we can really start filling up the journals. What might God do in you today to remind you of the real spiritual situation in your life through these stories? Try it for yourself.

Notes from David’s Journal

In II Kings 2, Elijah is taken to heaven in a fiery chariot. Apparently, he is one of only two Biblical characters who never faced death. The other is Enoch in the book of Genesis. They are the only two people who have not faced the reality of Hebrews 9:27: “we all are appointed to live once, die once and then face the judgment once.” Reincarnation is not a Biblical teaching.

Yet, why did these two not face death? Only God knows deep in his heart. Some have suggested they both attained a form of righteousness where they didn’t have to face death. Others have suggested they are the two witnesses in Revelation who return to earth and fight the Antichrist, doing great miracles for God then suffering persecution and martyrdom for God. If this is true, and it may be, this means that they do face death one day, as all people do, and Hebrews 9:27 is true.

Whatever may be the case, we can all rest assured that from God’s perspective Elijah (and Enoch) have a special purpose in God’s eternal plan and their going to God without facing death fits perfectly into that plan.

Personally, I look forward to it all unfolding!

Leaving a Legacy: Have Courage

I don’t remember experiencing this, but my mom has recounted the story to me. One day while I was at an amusement park, a child (not me) got pinned under a carousel car. My dad immediately rushed up to the car and lifted it off of the child. I don’t think he even processed whether he would be injured or not, he just jumped in and helped. Bravery seems to be a quality that is just present and comes out in times of need.

Such is the story with Elijah in our reading this week. It’s crazy to think this story even needs to happen. This is the people of God. Just a couple generations removed from the pinnacle of their story with David and Solomon. As a nation they have now turned their backs on God. So, God sends Elijah to interrupt their rebellion.

I don’t know what you thought when you first read the story, but if I put myself in Elijah’s shoes, I would start off very shaky. Look at the words King Ahab says to Elijah as they meet; “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” Instead of pulling back Elijah goes forward in the confidence that God has called him. “I have not troubled Israel, but you have and your fathers house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat the Jezebel’s table.” (I Kings 18:17-19)

I visited this very same area a couple of years ago. Mt. Carmel sits astride the International Highway (sometimes called the Via Maris), and among significant routes of travel in the ancient world. Mt. Carmel was most significant in ancient times as a barrier to traffic along the coastal plain. The 1,500-foot high limestone mountain impeded armies and merchants traveling to the Jezreel Valley.

Mt. Carmel is also in sight of Nazareth where Jesus grew up. You can also see the valley of Meggido where major battles where fought and where Armageddon is prophesied to be.

When I looked toward Mt. Carmel, only one thought came to my mind; this is where a faithful man of God had courage against an evil king and his false prophets. That’s what Mt. Carmel stands for today. In fact, there is a statue of Elijah at the Carmelite monastery, which reflects the Lord's victory over the prophets of Baal. What a legacy Elijah left in courage for us to follow.

What is God calling you to take a brave stand for today?

Tips for Reading- (Observation tip # 3)

Note: This section is help for Bible Reading in general. It has been building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to look back over past weeks to get the whole picture.

Understand the imagery:

Let’s continue our examination of personal Bible study methods. Last week, your assignment was to look for repeated words. Did you find some? Were you able to make some connections? Again, just to remind you, ask yourself “what do I see?” (Observation), “what does it mean?” (Interpretation) and “what does it mean to me?” (Application)

Here’s another observation tip. As you go through daily readings, make sure you can visualize what you are reading. If you are reading about Elijah, remind yourself what you already know about the Prophets of Baal he is fighting against (the ones who are cutting themselves and sacrificing children).

Also, ask yourself questions like what was it like to live in this time? How did the prophets of Baal affect the community’s connection with God? The point is, these were real images to the original listeners and to make sense to us, we need to hear it like they heard it. Understanding the author’s original intent of the words is so important.

If you are wondering how you are going to figure out the imagery – here are a few suggestions:
1. You can Google these images and get a better picture of what the situations looked like as the authors described them.
2. Use a study Bible as a reference. Zondervan has recently published an amazing resource called the Archeological Study Bible.
3. Find the Bible Atlas or maps at the back of your Bible. They will tell you things like how far it was from Nazareth to Mt Carmel.

I know this sounds like some work. Remember that knowing God is a day-to-day effort. Take it at a good pace. Look up one thing a day and see if you don’t become hungry for more!

Notes from David’s Journal

One of the most fascinating Biblical figures is Elijah. He is considered one of the great (if not the greatest) prophet of God. John the Baptist comes in the spirit of Elijah. On the Mount of Transfiguration in Mark 9, it was Moses and Elijah who appeared to Jesus, Peter, James and John. I think this was very purposeful from God’s perspective. He wanted Jesus’ inner circle to experience the two great divisions of the Old Covenant: the Law (from Moses) and the prophets (of whom Elijah is the greatest). God then says to the inner three, “Listen to Jesus,” not Moses or Elijah, but Jesus, who is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament/Covenant.

Therefore, as you read about Elijah, note how closely he walks with God, how much God loved him and used him, how special he is! God uses Elijah to raise a widow’s son in I Kings 17. He defeats the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel in chapter 18. He goes through a serious time of discouragement in chapter 19 (yes, even God’s best do!), but overcomes it through rest, nutrition, water and a return to ministry.

James 5 says that Elijah was a man just like you and me but he believed in persistent prayer. Because of his righteousness before God (something we all have because of our faith in Jesus), his persistent, fervent prayers brought rain amidst drought. The Scripture says we too have that kind of power in our prayers!

May Elijah be an example for all of us as we strive to love and serve our Lord.

For further LifeGroup study content and discussion questions, visit the RTB Study Blog.

Leaving a Legacy: A good marriage

This section of reading has got to be some of the most important and tragic. Here’s the wisest and richest man who is connected with God and is leaving a wonderful legacy to his family and his country. And then this…

“King Solomon, however loved many foreign women beside Pharaoh’s daughter…he held fast to them in love…As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been.” (I Kings 11: 1-4)

The end result of Solomon’s compromises is the nation and country is ripped apart. 12 tribes become 10 and 2 and it is because of Solomon’s rejection of God’s leadership, which goes back to his compromises with his wives. It matters a great deal how our marriages are going, it connects us to the bigger picture of legacy.

John Ortberg made a comment in his book, “Doubt and Faith”, that our lives are a vote for or against the kingship of God in our lives. Ultimately, Solomon cast a vote against. It is almost incomprehensible that he did this. He had everything because God had given it to him, but because of serious moral compromises, he lost his connection with God and left a legacy to his family and the nation of brokenness. This is the beginning of the downfall for the country, which will end in being displaced from their homeland and a major breaking of the Covenant relationship with God.

Most likely our marriages will not individually shape our entire country, but the point is that it always impacts at a higher level than we can imagine. David Chadwick has said, “You can always leave your spouse, but you can never leave your best friend.” This story of Solomon challenges me to keep my sweet girl as my best friend. Now what steps do I need to take to leave a good marriage legacy?

Tips for Reading- (Observation tip # 2)

Note: This section is help for Bible Reading in general. It has been building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to look back over past weeks to get the whole picture.

Observation Tips

How are you doing with observing? Remember, the key questions in Bible study are –What do I see? (Observation), What does it mean? (Interpretation) and What does it mean to me? (Application). I would like to give you an easy observation tip. As you read this week, look for repetitive words. Repetition is not because God needed to take up space to fill the entire Bible, but because a concept is important. This week as you read through I Kings 8-14, see how many repeated words and concepts you find. Maybe write a note or two about the significance of those very words.

Notes from David’s Journal

I Kings 12 is the first chapter written after Solomon’s death. The question was obvious: who will be the next king of Israel? Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, seemed logically to be the obvious choice. However, there were problems. Many people in the northern part of Israel still felt some loyalty to King Saul. They felt David had wrongfully stolen the throne. They therefore leaned toward a person from their own tribes to be their king, a man named Jeroboam.

However, they also knew that David’s line was fairly well established through Solomon. So the leaders from the north go to Rehoboam, ready to pledge loyalty, but asking for one request: please take away the yoke of taxes that Solomon had imposed on them. They felt these taxes were too great.

Rehoboam asked for a few days to think and pray about the situation. He went to some older, wiser man in Israel and asked their opinion about this request. These elders felt like the request was valid. They encouraged Rehoboam to reduce the taxes and become a servant to the people. Rehoboam wasn’t satisfied with what he heard (sometimes leaders will only listen to what they want to hear). He then went to some younger leaders and asked their opinion. They encouraged him to increase the taxes and show the people who is boss. That’s what Rehoboam decided to do.

He refused to be a servant of the people. He used the people to get what he wanted, higher taxes, more wealth for him to oversee.

The result? The people in the north rebelled. They appointed Jeroboam, their choice for king, as king. Israel is now divided into a northern and southern kingdom, never to be united again.

Those who are younger would do well to learn from those who have walked the road of life. Often, nothing teaches us like experience. If you are confronted with a very difficult decision, find someone who is older, who has walked with God for years, and ask for their counsel and insight. Most often, they hear and know the heart of God.

For further LifeGroup study content and discussion questions, visit the RTB Study Blog.

Leaving a Legacy: Involved in the Work of God

David Chadwick is doing a sermon series about Legacy right now. This blog will follow the readings and the topics from that sermon series.

This week is all about being involved in the work of the Kingdom. The main character of our readings this week, Solomon, knew about investing in God’s work. Look at I Kings 5:5 and 6:11-13:

“I intend therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God as the Lord told my father David, when he said your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name…The word of the Lord came to Solomon; As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father.”

This building of the temple in Jerusalem connects the people both backward with the heritage and forward with the future of God’s redemptive history. The structure is an exact reproduction of the original tabernacle. Thus, the rites prescribed by the Mosaic Covenant continue in a permanent way. This means the people are not transitioning any longer, but they have a home. Also, when the ark of the covenant has been transported to it’s new resting place and the priest withdraw, the glory of the Lord, manifested in the same type of cloud that signaled the Lord’s presence in the tabernacle, fills the temple. Thus, it is a connection with God Almighty in a way that foreshadows the permanent presence of the Holy Spirit taking residence in the temple of our bodies after the cross.

To this day, the Temple, which no longer exists, is still referred to Solomon’s Temple. What a legacy he provided for his people. When we invest our lives in the work of God, which is really like making His name famous and making Him the point of the legacy, we connect with this history of faith in a similar manner. It reminds us that God’s work has been going on way before us and way after us. In this process, we can actually pass on to the next generation the priority of finding out where God is moving and giving our lives to that. So what are you investing your time and money in today?

Tips for Reading- (Observation tip # 1)

This section is to help you learn how to Study the Bible for yourself. It will be building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to keep looking back over past weeks and the tips that have gone before as you begin to work through the Old Testament to get the whole picture.

You begin by asking God to open your heart, to increase your knowledge and change your life through the insights of His word.

Let me help you ask a couple of investigative kinds of questions to get you going for this week’s reading. What is the most important event in these first few chapters? What makes Solomon’s request different from what most people’s requests would have been? How does that affect the storyline?

I hope you see the point of this exercise. Especially when it comes to the Bible, we have some preconceived notions about what we are reading. Careful observation is required to get to the good stuff. Simply put, observation answers the question, “What do I see?”

We will spend the first third of the year asking this question. I will help you create questions as we go on, but for now make sure you take a minute and write down one thing you learned through observation in your journal.

Notes from David’s Journal

I Kings 3 is one of the most interesting chapters in the Bible! Can you imagine God granting you any one wish? If so, for what would you ask?

So many in our culture would probably ask for power...or money...or prestige...or security. For what would you ask?

After David’s death, Solomon ascended to the throne of Israel. God then granted him the privilege of asking any one thing he wanted as king. I’m certain Solomon felt tempted to ask for power, money, prestige, security...or any one of a number of other personal things. Yet he didn’t. After much prayer and contemplation, he asked God to give him wisdom. Solomon knew that wisdom was absolutely essential for thoughtful, successful leadership to occur. God was pleased with this request and answered Solomon’s request. By the way, I think the Proverbs, written during Solomon’s early leadership years, is the culmination of all the wisdom God gave him. In fact, the book of Proverbs is a great daily Bible reading strategy, especially if you’re just beginning to study the Scripture. There are 31 chapters that you can read daily!

What is wisdom? We especially need to ask how wisdom differs from knowledge. I think knowledge is knowing a fact, knowing something to be true. Wisdom, however, is the practical application of that fact or truth. I know a lot of people who have much knowledge. They populate politics, education and other professions. But, they don’t seem to have much wisdom. They don’t apply the fact in their own lives. Bottom line: they don’t understand obedience. And, you can’t really love God if you don’t want to obey God. Wisdom is the practical application of obedience.

That’s why God was pleased with Solomon’s request. Every leader, to lead effectively, needs knowledge and wisdom. This wisdom was used by God to allow Solomon to lead Israel to the zenith of incredible success. Nations from all over the world came to learn from Solomon.

If you had one “ask” from God, would you ask for wisdom? If so, it would please the heart of God.