Good morning friends! Happy Saturday. I hope you enjoy your weekend. Maybe it's a day to be seized with projects and adventure or maybe it's a day of rest and renewal. Whatever the case I want you to know that it is God that will provide you with the means. So whatever you do, your living is a witness and testimony to God. I think that's a pretty special way to think of each day. Anyways, today brings us to the end of Solomon's reign as king and some more drama in the land.
Scripture to Read
Audio Bible
Questions to Consider
What does this teach me about God?
What does this teach me about humanity?
What is the common falling point of all the kings / source of conflict in the land? Is it different today?
- My Thoughts - (Teaching Moment)
I'm going to share my official commentary on this whole situation in tomorrow's blog because it will make more sense to talk about the whole Game of Thrones fight for the iron throne situation when you've read the whole thing. But, I just want to take a teaching moment to explain the significance of what you are reading today.
Alright, so up until the now the people of Israel have been 1 united "country". United under the banner of "Freedom" (from Egypt) But what happens today is the division of Israel into a northern and a southern kingdom. The northern kingdom breaks off because they find the king to be cruel and they don't want to pay higher taxes for a cruel king. Noble, yes? Well, they fail to follow the law of God and they are labeled as the "bad guys" for the rest of the Bible. Soon enough the northern kingdom will be centrally located in Samaria. yes, the same Samaria as the Good Samaritan. It's extremely important to know that the people of the Southern Kingdom were the "winners" of history and they were the ones to write the accoutn we are reading today. Try to sympathize with the Northern kingdom now and it will change how you read the Bible moving forward.
The southern kingdom lives a cruel and difficult life but spiritually still have God on their side because the cruel king at least worships God correctly. God promises that the line of Jesse will continue not with the North but with the South. Hence, Jesus, is a part of the Southern Kingdom many moons later.
Tomorrow is going to be rapid fire King's and will be a little hard to follow. Read slowly, or visually map it out on a piece of paper to realize who is part of the north and the south. Israel is the South and Judah is the North.
Commentary to come tomorrow. See you then!
Prayer
Blessed Savior, born of Mary, come to us again this Advent season. Be born anew in our hearts. Incarnate within us. Lead us to go, to go to the people in need, to go to the lands we fear, to go to the conflict and be a healing balm of light. A beacon of hope, peace, joy and love. In these things we pray now and always, Amen.
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