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STT: 1 & 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles

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1 & 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles detail the history of Israel from the end of David's reign until the Babylonian captivity. If history isn't your thing, these may be difficult books to study. The unfamiliar (but often similar) names and different spellings for those names add an extra challenge. But don't get discouraged. We are used to names changes- When I was a kid the capital of China was Peking. Now it's Beijing. The names in Kings reflect that same cultural shift in spelling between the generations of historians.
 
These books form the framework for the rest of the Old Testament since the prophetic writings fit in between the narratives in these books. For instance, Lamentations is Jeremiah's poem written after he witnessed the devastation of Jerusalem's fall. Knowing the history gives a better insight into the prophets.
 
Details aside, there are three great threads that run through these books-
 
God's promise to David. Notice how God reiterates His covenant and preserves David's line.
God keeps His word - including the promises of judgment. The messages delivered by appointed prophets underscores this.
Obedience matters. Each king's reign includes an assessment of where he stood before God. Notice how the people responded to the king's obedience (or disobedience) and the consequences.
 
 
If you want a quick survey hitting some of the highlights and notable people, check out the following chapters in Kings and their Chronicles cross references.
 
 
 
Do you like reading the history books in the Bible?
 
Next week's study tip – Romans
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STT: Now, Then and When

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Trail MarkerStudy Tip Tuesday is back! Often little words carry great weight, and today's tip looks at some important small words that can be a big help during our study time.

One key to understanding a passage of Scripture is getting a handle on the sequence of events presented. Some signposts to watch for are "now", "then" and "when".

For instance, I flipped open to Matthew chapter 2. Here's a sample of sequence markers (the "trail" markers):
V.1 "Now after"
V.3 "when Herod"
V.4 "when he had gathered"
V.7 "Then Herod"
V.9 "when they heard the king"
V.10 "when they saw the star"
V.11 "when they had come into the house"
"When they opened their treasures"
V.12 "then being divinely warned"

While these sequences are especially important studying the narrative sections of Scripture like the Gospels or some of the Old Testament books, they also figure in other books as well.

1 Corinthians 15:54 "So WHEN this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, THEN shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."

1 John 3:2 "Beloved NOW we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that WHEN He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."

Other times they introduce a condition or a contingency:

Jeremiah 29:13 "And you will seek Me and find Me WHEN you search for me with all your heart."

Ezekiel 36:23 "…[A]nd the nations shall know that I am the Lord, WHEN I am hallowed in you before their eyes."

2 Chronicles 7:14 "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.

Watch for these trail markers as you read, and take a moment to consider what truth they are highlighting.

Do you have other examples?

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Writing Update: Proofreading

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CB108042CB108042Writing this week: I made all the adjustments and corrections to Contingency and just completed what I hope I the last read-through. Proofreading. I hate it. Probably because I’m not very good at it. Part of the problem is I know what it’s supposed to say, so that’s how my brain reads it- with a built-in auto-correct. I don’t catch my mistakes.
The reader doesn’t have that advantage of reading my mind. (Except Amanda- She’s worked with me on this for so long, she reads what I ‘meant’ not what I typed.) To all of you who have read for me in these early stages, I can’t thank you enough for helping me out. You assured me that the ideas were coming across, that the emotions were being touched and connections were being made.
My plan is to submit it all on Monday. (The 8th. It’s a good day- divisible by 4. Yeah- it’s my biggest superstition. Born on 8-24, married on 4-4… The manuscript is 428 pages… Monk has 10. I have 4.)
Reading: Finished Doubting by Alister McGrath. Quick easy read, but some profound statements and observations. I also read Jacob Have I Loved for school.
No nerd stuff this week. Jon has a plan to scan ALL (yes, ALL) his mother’s family photos so we’ll have a digital record of everything. He got a kickin’ hi-res scanner to do the job. I’ll let you know how that progresses.
Other lessons: God IS there. He DOES listen. I knew that anyway, but I LOVE it when He shows Himself.

Writing this week: I made all the adjustments and corrections to Contingency and just completed what I hope I the last read-through. Proofreading. I hate it. Probably because I’m not very good at it. Part of the problem is I know what it’s supposed to say, so that’s how my brain reads it- with a built-in auto-correct. I don’t catch my mistakes.

The reader doesn’t have that advantage of reading my mind. (Except Amanda- She’s worked with me on this for so long, she reads what I ‘meant’ not what I typed.) To all of you who have read for me in these early stages, I can’t thank you enough for helping me out. You assured me that the ideas were coming across, that the emotions were being touched and connections were being made.

My plan is to submit it all on Monday. (The 8th. It’s a good day- divisible by 4. Yeah- it’s my biggest superstition. Born on 8-24, married on 4-4… The manuscript is 428 pages… Monk has 10. I have 4.)

Reading: Finished Doubting by Alister McGrath. Quick easy read, but some profound statements and observations. I need to go back through it and soak it in a little more. I also read Jacob Have I Loved for school.

No nerd stuff this week. Jon has a plan to scan ALL (yes, ALL) his mother’s family photos so we’ll have a digital record of everything. He got a kickin’ hi-res scanner to do the job. I’ll let you know how that progresses.

Other lessons: God IS there. He DOES listen. I knew that anyway, but I LOVE it when He shows Himself.

The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9

PS: My mother got home from the hospital yesterday evening. Amazing.

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Prepared to Worship

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Worship BG - Great is the Lord
Image by bemky via Flickr

Today is the absolute last post on 2 Chronicles… at least until I come back around to it again. :-) Chapter 35 describes the Passover that Josiah led the people to observe, and the account says in v. 18 that ‘There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet…’ For 400 years, the worship of God had not been what it was during those days. What made the difference? Thursday, we discussed the importance of having a leader who is following God with his whole heart and soul. I think there is another significant factor. Preparation. Seven times in that chapter, there is mention of preparation for worship.

I admit, I’m rarely ever properly prepared for a worship service. With children at home, I’m thankful just to get to church in one piece. But those times when I do have the opportunity to transition my heart and mind from the mundane things to the wonder and awe of God’s presence, something special happens. My preference would be to have some quiet time alone, then a good long music service before hearing the Word taught.

In some ways, that desire reminds me of Apollo 13. (Not the ‘Houston we have a problem” part- although some days I could make a case for that.) In order to conserve power, they had shut down almost every system in the craft. As the astronauts were getting closer to home, Jim Lovell was instructed to burn off some of the fuel. Without the computers, they risked veering off course from the thrust of the fuel burn. In order to stay on the proper heading, Lovell instructed the other two astronauts to keep the earth in the window. As long as they did that, they would stay on course. In other words, use that frame of reference beyond us, outside our situation. Stay centered on that no matter what happens around you. When my worship falls flat, that focus is what I’ve lost.

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Friday Update: By Grace, Chosen to Serve

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What am I writing? I finished the draft of Contingency and submitted the summary and first chapter to a contest. The prize is having an agent look at it. I’d be happy with some positive feedback. I’ve also begun working with Amanda on plotting the next book. I’m not going to start the actual writing until next month at the earliest.

What have I learned? No online geek stuff, but I’m learning MediaShout. Our computer master at church upgraded us, so if I have hopes of getting VBS on the big screen, I need to get a handle on the software. So far it’s fairly intuitive, but I’ll be building my cues this week.

What am I reading? Captured by Grace by David Jeremiah. He intertwines the story of John Newton and his tremendous hymn with Paul’s life and writings especially from Romans. He covers what grace means for us past, present and future. I think we have a decent grasp of grace’s role in our salvation, and how it results in our eternal life, but we’re less clear on what it means for us to walk in grace each day. I never cease to be impressed/amused by Dr. Jeremiah’s knack for alliteration. His chapter titles- The Captivating Presence of Grace, The Converting Power of Grace, The Comforting Provision… The Confident Promise… The Continual Praise… and five more! The book fits well with Max Lucado’s In the Grip of Grace. Both of these make me want to go back and read The Grace Awakening by Chuck Swindoll.That may be my favorite book.

On a side note- we got a pool pass this year, so I envisioned reading by the pool for an hour or two a day… Thanks to a mild, wet summer, it ain’t happened. So like the addict I am, for every book I’ve read, I’ve bought 2 or 3 more and have made NO headway on my stack. Oh well, maybe next week.

What has God taught me? In 2 Chronicles 29:11 Hezekiah encourages the priests and Levites “…do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him…” The Lord has chosen me… me… chosen by God. Okay, this was not new information, but a refresher never hurts. God doesn’t just save us because it’s a nice thing to do. He saves us for a purpose, for some kingdom work of eternal significance. Nothing I do (for Him) is wasted, no matter how small it may seem to me. God says to me, “Now, do not be negligent… Don’t sit on this grace, on this calling. Fulfill all that I have for you.”

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