Week #24 | "Living For a Legacy"

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LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Kings 10-17; 1 Chronicles 3; 2 Chronicles 1, 9-16; Psalm 91; Ecclesiastes 7-12; 

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

History is leadership literature. I was once invited to talk to a group of people on a subject that I felt was important, with the challenge that it could be about anything other than the Bible (this was connected with a communication course that I was taking). I cheated, a little. I talked about the importance of history for making leadership decisions in any area of life--parenting, organizational management, governance, etc. While the talk did not make any explicit references to the Bible, the thought comes straight out of the historical accounts of the Old Testament kings. Here we see that what seems like a pragmatic solution in one generation actually shows itself to be disastrous over time. We see results that take decades, sometimes even more than a century, to fully play out. We see bad parenting and governance choices that show an initial benefit, but soon take on a negative life of their own that take over a century to undo. However, on the other hand, we also see good examples of how previous generations succeeded in building up their families and communities for long-term health, sometimes by making decisions that those around them did not agree with or understand at the time. By understanding the lessons of history, we can learn both from great ideas that worked long term, and we can learn from what went wrong so that we can do better. For Solomon, the alliance-building marriages that helped him to establish trading partners and build wealth for his kingdom in his generation, actually "bore fruit" (bad fruit!) and resulted in generations of division and spiritual brokenness after his death. Solomon pushed the people very hard in order to establish lasting monuments to his might; but instead, the resulting dispute over the labor ensured that Solomon's lasting legacy would be the permanent (until the return of Jesus) division of the Kingdom into Israel (in the north) and Judah (in the south). However, Solomon did build the Temple, collect and organize Proverbs, and write his own songs and wisdom literature sharing the lessons he learned, and those also continued on to draw people back to God after his lifetime. So, much of the brokenness that came afterward originated with Solomon, but so did some of the things that helped to draw people out of that brokenness. That's a complicated legacy. If you think of history as leadership literature, what lessons could you learn from these historical chapters about the kind of legacy that you want to leave?

Insights from Archaeology. As we get into the histories of the kings of Israel and Judah, we're going to see more instances where we could almost walk through almost the entire history of the Old Testament only by referring to the archaeological record. For instance, two of the kings of Israel mentioned in Week #24, Omri and Ahab, have archaeological profiles so large that we now know the Bible only shares a fraction of what they did during their reigns. King Omri, to whom only twelve verses of Scripture are devoted, was such a successful (in a worldly sense) ruler that over 100 years after his death, the Assyrians were still referring to Israel in their writings as "Omri-Land." The large army that King Ahab commanded and the battles that he fought are not detailed in the Bible, but they are recorded in Assyrian records, which show Ahab as a leader of a coalition of regional kings who appear to have successfully held off Assyria. It also appears (but is not absolutely certain) that the seal of Jezebel (Ahab's wife) and Naboth's vineyard (we'll get to that) have been discovered. If you're interested, you can go check out The Biblical Archaeology Report's "archaeobiographies" of Omri and Ahab for yourself. One of the great things about God giving us a book of history is that we can independently verify large chunks of what it reveals to us, and we can even gain greater perspective on some of the events mentioned in the Bible by looking at archaeological discoveries (though you do not need to learn about archaeology in order to understand the lessons that God wanted the authors of Kings and Chronicles to share with their readers--those are out there for anyone who can read to discern, pray for wisdom about, and understand).

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? I won't lay out exact responses in this space because the possibilities are often endless. But it is worth it to think about application in the categories of worship, attitude, and actions. Does this reading direct me to God in worship and thanksgiving and praise, or does it direct me towards a change that I need to make here and now? If it's about a change that I need to make, is this something inward in my attitude, or outward in my actions? This helps to rescue application from just being a series of how-to tips, or one-size-fits-all instructions that go beyond what the Bible actually states. Sometimes, the most helpful application we can make is to get a different perspective on what's the most important thing, or about how we should respond inwardly to the things going on around us.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean

Week #23 | "But, Even the Wisdom of Solomon..."

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LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Psalms 42-49, 71, 84-85, 87-89; 1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 7-8, and Ecclesiastes 1-6.

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

There is no junk pile in God's Word. The readings for Week #23 give a sense of presenting us with leftovers--as if Steinmann didn't have a chronological category to put certain readings in, and so here he is just giving us "the rest" before moving on to the next point in history. That's not a knock on Steinmann! To some extent, this in unavoidable (though I wish he would have given us the readings from Ecclesiastes after giving the account of Solomon's downfall in the coming chapters). But, there is real richness in these readings because they are from God's Word. The Psalms of Korah demonstrate an incredible emotional range--unlike many of the worship songs of today, they are not afraid to embrace mourning and disappointment as prominent themes, nor are they afraid to teach, and when they put their mind to it, they can lift you right up into celebration. The range of human emotions and experiences is not incompatible with worship; in fact, this is one of the riches still enjoyed in churches which embrace Psalm-singing as part of their worship (you can find a link to a book of Psalms in meter here). The readings from 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles show us the kingdom of Solomon at the height of his reign, and give us a bit of a picture of what it must have been like to be alive at that time. It must have seemed like heaven on earth==and impossible dream come true! But, the end of Solomon's story shows us that he, too, is not the Promised Deliverer. We must look for another; ultimately, this person is not Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, or Solomon. Only Jesus can fill the role that fallen man cannot. Ecclesiastes 1-6 starts us off on a somber note, as Solomon's mature reflections on life. This was written after his heart turned aside from God. And it seems depressing at first! "Life is meaningless" is a near-quote from the opening chapters. But the book should be read as a whole, and ultimately it comes down to one thing that is not meaningless: "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Eccl. 12:13-14). There is much food for thought here.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? I won't lay out exact responses in this space because the possibilities are often endless. But it is worth it to think about application in the categories of worship, attitude, and actions. Does this reading direct me to God in worship and thanksgiving and praise, or does it direct me towards a change that I need to make here and now? If it's about a change that I need to make, is this something inward in my attitude, or outward in my actions? This helps to rescue application from just being a series of how-to tips, or one-size-fits-all instructions that go beyond what the Bible actually states. Sometimes, the most helpful application we can make is to get a different perspective on what's the most important thing, or about how we should respond inwardly to the things going on around us.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean

Week #22 I "Solomon's Good Years"

 

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Kings 4-8, 2 Chronicles 2-7, Proverbs 17-24, Song of Solomon 1-8

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

More than just practical tips (Proverbs 17-24). The book of Proverbs is often seen as a sort of collection of practical life tips--a sort of early form of self-improvement literature. There is a sense in which that is a little bit true: if you follow the wisdom contained in these chapters, you won't always do well in life (nothing is guaranteed), but you are much more likely to do well in life if you live according to what these chapters say. But in another sense, these are not primarily instructions about what to do (practical tips), but about who or what sits on the throne of your life (worship). So we see that the LORD tests hearts (17:3), that how we treat the poor and those caught up in trouble reflects on the honor that we give to God (17:5), that God expects us to live in a way that is just (17:15), that God is our refuge (18:10), that our standing before God is more important than success in life (19:1), that God is the one who sees and ultimately rewards good deeds (19:17). In fact, God directs our steps, establishes a better reward than any earthly riches or reputation could bring us, and opens the way to a truly meaningful life (19:21-23). God turns our minds in the direction that he desires, he weighs our hearts, and his purpose prevails above all the plans of man (21:1-2. 30-31). Ultimately this is not a book of life wisdom; it's a book of wisdom about the life that's actually worth pursuing: "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the Maker of them all" (22:1-2).

If I could re-arrange the wisdom literature (Job-Song of Songs). While the books of Scripture are inspired, the way that we have them organized in our Bibles (i.e. which book comes before or after another book) is not. In fact, from group to group, the order can change. The wisdom books, along with the Gospels, are two places where I wish things were set up just a little bit differently to benefit readers. Maybe, next time you read the Bible straight through from beginning to end, you might want to try to adjust your reading order in this way: With the Wisdom books, Proverbs shows us what is generally true, which is that if we live well, we will generally do well. Job would give us a lot of insight if it came directly after Proverbs as a sort of reply to this. What happens when we do all the right things, but suffer anyway? Ultimately, we must look to the goodness of God. Ecclesiastes shows us the opposite of what Job shows--where Job is a righteous man who suffers, Ecclesiastes is written by a worldly man who got everything he ever wanted. And yet, that book too comes to the conclusion that answers can only be found in following God. That opens us up to Psalms, which is a five-book symphony about the rise and death of David (Books 1-2), the exile (Book 3), the memory of God's faithfulness in the past (Book 4), and God's eventual provision of a new David -the Messiah- to lead His people into rest (Book 5). In laying things out this way, we'd see that all the Wisdom of the Old Testament, and the questions of life asked in Job and Ecclesiastes, come to their natural conclusion in waiting for the arrival of the Messiah (Jesus) who will set all things right. Finally, Song of Solomon in its literal sense shows that those united with God are invited to enjoy the good things that He has made. And, in its spiritual sense as taught in both Judaism and Christianity, it demonstrates the love that God has for his people (Judaism), and the love that Christ has for his church (Christianity). Taken all together, laid out just a little bit differently, the Wisdom books tell us a story that points us directly to Jesus.

The Good Years of King Solomon (1 Kings 4-8, 2 Chronicles 2-7). One of the benefits or reading the Bible in different orders is that things come across a little bit differently. When I have read the historical books (1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Esther) straight through in the past, the part where we get to Solomon's rise and fall always seems to be fairly quick and straightforward. But reading chronologically, it takes a few weeks of reading before you finally get to Solomon's decline. You first get to see the songs that he wrote, the proverbs that he compiled, the decisions that he made, the great buildings that he built, and the way that he led Israel in worship by dedicating the Temple, and you think, "This is a man of God. This guy is everything we would have hoped he'd be."  Then, seeing that even someone like Solomon can fall, it puts a sense of seriousness into us about our own walk with God. It makes each of us ask, Oh, God, if even Solomon could fall away, is there anything in me that might turn my heart against you? Is there anything that I am lifting up in my heart, or holding on to, instead of you? If even Solomon could grow cold in his love for you--don't let that happen to me, Lord. Reading the Bible chronologically, it's not so straightforward to see Solomon fall away. It really gives you a sense of how seriously we all need to do the deep heart work of examining ourselves "to see whether we are in the faith" (2 Corinthians 13:5), and to continually direct our hearts toward Jesus so that we might build our life upon him.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? I won't lay out exact responses in this space because the possibilities are often endless. But it is worth it to think about application in the categories of worship, attitude, and actions. Does this reading direct me to God in worship and thanksgiving and praise, or does it direct me towards a change that I need to make here and now? If it's about a change that I need to make, is this something inward in my attitude, or outward in my actions? This helps to rescue application from just being a series of how-to tips, or one-size-fits-all instructions that go beyond what the Bible actually states. Sometimes, the most helpful application we can make is to get a different perspective on what's the most important thing, or about how we should respond inwardly to the things going on around us.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean