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1 Kings 3
Read 1 Kings 3

Solomon Asks for Wisdom
3 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. ²The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord. ³Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
⁴The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. ⁵At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
⁶Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
⁷“Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. ⁸Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. ⁹So 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?”
¹⁰The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. ¹¹So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, ¹²I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. ¹³Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. ¹⁴And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” ¹⁵Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream.
He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.
A Wise Ruling
¹⁶Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. ¹⁷One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. ¹⁸The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.
¹⁹“During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. ²⁰So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. ²¹The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”
²²The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”
But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.
²³The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”
²⁴Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. ²⁵He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
²⁶The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”
But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”
²⁷Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”
²⁸When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

Go Deeper

In 1 Kings 2, King David gives a final exhortation to his son, Solomon, advising him to be strong and to follow God’s commands as the day of Solomon’s reign is quickly approaching. Now, in 1 Kings 3, the day has come and Solomon is the new king of Israel. Israel thrived under the leadership of Solomon, and this chapter offers insight into the integral components of Solomon’s rule: wisdom and discernment.
The Lord appears to Solomon while he’s sleeping and in Solomon’s dream, God says, “What do you want? I’ll give you what you ask!” Solomon’s response may be surprising to us, but his request pleased the Lord. Solomon asks for wisdom and understanding. The Hebrew word for understanding in this text means “hearing.” Solomon wanted a heart that hears his people and a head that knows and understands his people. He didn’t simply want knowledge, and he didn’t simply want empathy and understanding. Solomon wanted discernment to know how to lead people with the wisdom of both his head and his heart.
Yet, Solomon doesn’t reply first with what he wants from God. Solomon responds to the Lord with a disposition of praise and humility. Before Solomon asks for anything, he acknowledges the faithfulness and goodness of God. Solomon had a front row seat to his dad’s life-long relationship with Yahweh. He heard the stories. He saw the faithfulness of God to David. There was no doubt in Solomon’s mind that God placed him as king of Israel. Solomon didn’t earn it or take it by force, God’s sovereignty placed Solomon in the position of power.
Solomon also expresses humility and submission by saying, “I am a child…I do not know how to do this” (v. 7). What an honest prayer! Without the power and faithfulness of God, Solomon knows he cannot lead well. He knows that he is appointed and anointed to lead God’s people, to be a good shepherd, and he cannot shepherd and lead courageously without the ability to discern good from evil. So, he asks for discernment and wisdom to do the work appointed to him by God.
Many of us spend our whole lives searching for wisdom and discernment. Many of us find ourselves facing circumstances we know are too daunting for us in our limited understanding. What we learn from Solomon is that we can ask God for unexplainable and supernatural wisdom and discernment to make God-honoring decisions. It is to God’s great delight that He gives us wisdom. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to you.”
Solomon wisely asked God to give him something regarding his character and integrity rather than his possessions or power. God was so pleased with Solomon’s request that, as icing on the king’s cake, God also grants Solomon more than he asked or imagined. He is a good God, faithful to His promises and generous in His gifts.

Questions

What do you learn about the character of God in this passage?
What does Solomon’s response to God teach you?
What circumstance are you facing in which you need wisdom? How does James 1:5 offer encouragement and application for that situation?

Keep Digging

Check out this article titled “Four Ways to Get Wisdom.”

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June 1, 2022
1 Kings 2
Read 1 Kings 2

David’s Charge to Solomon
2 When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.
²“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, ³and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go ⁴and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’
⁵“Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. ⁶Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.
⁷“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.
⁸“And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord: ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’ ⁹But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.”
¹⁰Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. ¹¹He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. ¹²So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.
Solomon’s Throne Established
¹³Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. Bathsheba asked him, “Do you come peacefully?”
He answered, “Yes, peacefully.” ¹⁴Then he added, “I have something to say to you.”
“You may say it,” she replied.
¹⁵“As you know,” he said, “the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord. ¹⁶Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.”
“You may make it,” she said.
¹⁷So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”
¹⁸“Very well,” Bathsheba replied, “I will speak to the king for you.”
¹⁹When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.
²⁰“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.”
The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.”
²¹So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.”
²²King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him—after all, he is my older brother—yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!”
²³Then King Solomon swore by the Lord: “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request! ²⁴And now, as surely as the Lord lives—he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised—Adonijah shall be put to death today!” ²⁵So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died.
²⁶To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships.” ²⁷So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the Lord, fulfilling the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli.
²⁸When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar. ²⁹King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, “Go, strike him down!”
³⁰So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’”
But he answered, “No, I will die here.”
Benaiah reported to the king, “This is how Joab answered me.”
³¹Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my whole family of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed. ³²The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed, because without my father David knowing it he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army—were better men and more upright than he. ³³May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord’s peace forever.”
³⁴So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab and killed him, and he was buried at his home out in the country. ³⁵The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest.
³⁶Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else. ³⁷The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”
³⁸Shimei answered the king, “What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.” And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.
³⁹But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish son of Maakah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.” ⁴⁰At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.
⁴¹When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned, ⁴²the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, ‘On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die’? At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I will obey.’ ⁴³Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?”
⁴⁴The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing. ⁴⁵But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain secure before the Lord forever.”
⁴⁶Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and he died.
The kingdom was now established in Solomon’s hands.

Go Deeper

Today’s passage is watching God continue to fulfill his promises through King David and his son, Solomon. The Old Testament highlights David as the Israelites’ greatest king because of the promises that God made him and fulfilled during his reign. In 1 Kings 2, David reminds Solomon of God’s promise that He made for future generations. As we read this story, it encourages us in strength and courage as we learn from Solomon’s obedience in fellowship with God.
In Matthew 6:33, Jesus reiterates the concept that walking in obedience with God and putting Him first allows God to take care of the rest; God’s desire for this prioritization is consistent from Old Testament to New. David’s heirs had the benefit of God’s voice speaking to David and outlining the proper path, but the Holy Spirit dwells in us because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit reiterates to us to live faithfully with wisdom and discernment.
Solomon is encouraged by David to lead with justice and boldness to continue in the Lord’s blessings. He does this by fulfilling the execution of men who attempted to overtake the position of Solomon as King. These actions reveal God’s intentional plan while displaying his mercy by sparing some for his Kingdom glory. As Solomon steps into leadership, the promise to the nations continues through his kingship. Read 1 Kings 2 with attentiveness to how God’s justice and mercy coincide to display his faithfulness to the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Egyptians.
God’s character shows through the reigns of David and Solomon in their administration of both justice and mercy from the throne. 1 Kings 2 demonstrates God’s faithfulness to fulfill his promise to David through partial fulfillment in Solomon and complete fulfillment in Jesus (the “Son of David”). Solomon’s faithfulness leads to overflow of God’s blessings on the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Egyptians, and Jesus’s death on the cross made it possible for all to come to the Father and be blessed with His mercy. God’s promises to Adonijah, Absalom, Abiathar, and Joab came to fruition, and the Lord’s commission to us to spread the gospel should be treated with a sense of urgency because His promised return will also occur.

Questions

Reread verse 1, how does David tell Solomon to deal with the injustice and corruption under the throne?
As God’s character display’s loving-kindness, where do you see Him as a righteous and merciful King in your life?
How is God asking you to live in response to His justice and mercy shown through David and Solomon?

By the Way

In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul is teaching the church of Corinth about true apostleship and God’s intentions behind church leadership. Consider the parallels from the Old Testament to the New Testament about how a leader for the kingdom of God displays God’s character in power and authority. Both today’s passage and 1 Corinthians encourage justice on the throne, which reveals how God judges and rules with righteousness and loving-kindness. How do you see God’s character on display in authority? It is easy to think that he is full of judgment on the throne, but his character displays mercy and justice through the promises he has fulfilled as King.

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May 31, 2022
1 Kings 1
1 Kings Preview

1 & 2 Kings (much like its historical predecessor 1 & 2 Samuel) were originally one long book, later divided into two separate parts. While the author of this book is unknown, some scholars have guessed Ezra, Ezekiel, or Jeremiah as the potential author. Because it was compiled over a period of several hundred years from 973 B.C. to 561 B.C., it is likely that source material came from several people and it was eventually compiled into one long book by one (or potentially multiple) author(s).
It’s important for us to note that 1 Kings is a history book, telling us the story of what happened to Israel following the reign (and death) of King David. As rulers and kingdoms came and went, we will read of dramatic twists and turns throughout each chapter of these two books. While this is a historical book, it is important to remember that it is (more importantly) a theological work as well. Think of this book (as well as its sequel) as a collection of case studies for us to learn from. What we believe about God is shaped by the stories we’ll read about over the next couple of months. We’ll read about magnificent triumphs and dramatic failures. We’ll read stories of kings of great faith and stories of faithless wandering. As with all stories in the Old Testament, we’ll also be reminded that the world needed a different kind of King and Kingdom altogether.
Each day as you open your Bible, take good notes. Read closely and carefully, paying special attention to the sequence of events that are unfolding before you. Try to visualize what’s going on in each chapter. That’s the fun of reading these Old Testament stories! Get to know these characters, both major and minor. What does each chapter in this book teach you about God’s character? What does it teach you about humanity? What are the implications for you today? These are the questions we’ll be seeking to answer over these next couple of months through 1 and 2 Kings.
Interested in The Bible Project’s overview of 1 (and 2) Kings? Click here to watch it!

Read 1 Kings 1

Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King
1 When King David was very old, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. ²So his attendants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to serve the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.”
³Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. ⁴The woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexual relations with her.
⁵Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. ⁶(His father had never rebuked him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)
⁷Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. ⁸But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah.
⁹Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, ¹⁰but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.
¹¹Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? ¹²Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. ¹³Go in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ ¹⁴While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and add my word to what you have said.”
¹⁵So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. ¹⁶Bathsheba bowed down, prostrating herself before the king.
“What is it you want?” the king asked.
¹⁷She said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the Lord your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’ ¹⁸But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. ¹⁹He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. ²⁰My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. ²¹Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.”
²²While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. ²³And the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.
²⁴Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? ²⁵Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ ²⁶But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. ²⁷Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
David Makes Solomon King
²⁸Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.
²⁹The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, ³⁰I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”
³¹Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
³²King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, ³³he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon. ³⁴There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ ³⁵Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”
³⁶Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. ³⁷As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!”
³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon. ³⁹Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” ⁴⁰And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.
⁴¹Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”
⁴²Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.”
⁴³“Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king. ⁴⁴The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule, ⁴⁵and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise you hear. ⁴⁶Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. ⁴⁷Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed ⁴⁸and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.’”
⁴⁹At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed. ⁵⁰But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. ⁵¹Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’”
⁵²Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” ⁵³Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.”

Go Deeper

1 Kings opens with an old and feeble King David and his son, Adonijah, who is using his father’s aging state as an opportunity to set himself up as the successor and king. For a quick recap of the lineage of David’s sons, we can look back to 2 Samuel 3:2-5. We learn that Adonijah was David’s fourth son. Several of David’s older sons had died, so it is likely that Adonijah was the oldest living son at the time of this chapter.
Adonijah believed that as the oldest living son of the king, he deserved to be next in line. However, the Israelite tradition of naming the king was not dependent on birth order or family of origin. God chose the king. Hebrew kings were identified through priests and prophets that had the approval of the Lord. Adonijah works to appear like he is the rightful king. He gathers chariots and horsemen. He has men run before him to announce his arrival. He sacrifices sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle. Verse 5 tells us that though he had prepared all of these things for himself, Adonijah was merely exalting himself as king. As a self-appointed king, he was directing all the action.
Nathan and Bathsheba knew that it was the will of God that Solomon should succeed in the Kingdom. They humbly approached King David, made him aware of the situation, and allowed him to make the final decision. In 1 Kings 1:29, King David proclaims “As the Lord lives who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.”
David begins his proclamation by giving all credit and power to the Lord. In contrast to Adonijah’s self-proclamation, this statement is directed by God. Psalm 75:6-7 says “No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.”
There is always a danger in exalting yourself without the approval of the Lord. Even if we think we are deserving of a promotion, an accolade, or a position of honor, there is wisdom in waiting for the priests and prophets of our lives (like Nathan and Zadok) to confirm and defend us.

Questions

Adonijah felt he rightly deserved the right to be the next king. Have you ever felt like you deserved something that you did not receive?
Would you say that your life is more self-directed or God-directed?
James 4:10 says “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Spend time in prayer asking God for this type of humility.

Did You Know?

The beginning of this chapter gives great detail about the frailty of King David. Commentaries suggest that at this point in his life he was probably around 70 years old. David Guzik suggests “He seems even older than his years; but for David, it wasn’t just the years – it was the mileage. He seemed to live the lives of four or five men in his lifetime.” Interesting to note the toll that David’s life has taken on his physical body.

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May 30, 2022
Summer Preview

Summer Preview

This summer, we are going to read through 1 & 2 Kings. If you read along with us last summer, you’ll remember that we read through 1 & 2 Samuel, which introduced us to Samuel, King Saul, and King David (along with a host of other characters along the way). Our summer books this summer will pick up at the end of David’s life and walk us through the monarchies that came after King David.
These Old Testament historical books are always a fun read. To better understand the story of Jesus, we need to better understand the Old Testament and 1 & 2 Kings will help us do just that. Commit yourself to reading along with us each and every day. Recruit your Life Group or some other friends to read with you for added accountability. We’re looking forward to reading with you this summer!
The BRP Team

Watch This

To familiarize yourself with the books we’re going to read this summer, check out The Bible Project’s overview of 1 & 2 Kings. Click here to watch it!

Worship with Us

Join us at 9a or 11a in person or online at harriscreek.org/live. We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

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May 29, 2022
Philemon 1
Read Philemon 1

¹Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— ²also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home:
³Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
⁴I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, ⁵because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. ⁶I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. ⁷Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
Paul’s Plea for Onesimus
⁸Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, ⁹yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— ¹⁰that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. ¹¹Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
¹²I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. ¹³I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. ¹⁴But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. ¹⁵Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— ¹⁶no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.
¹⁷So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. ¹⁹I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. ²⁰I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. ²¹Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
²²And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.
²³Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. ²⁴And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.
²⁵The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Go Deeper

The Book of Philemon is all of one chapter long. What we read here is Paul’s call to Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother in Christ. This seems pretty simple. However, the backstory provides more context. Onesimus is a runaway slave of Philemon, a wealthy Colossian man. After converting to following Jesus, Onesimus is sent back to Philemon, likely with this letter, to reconcile the relationship with his former master.
What can we glean from a letter, addressed primarily to one person, that pertains to the returning of a slave-now-brother in Christ?
While this letter is brief (in fact, the shortest of Paul’s that we have today), it may be one of his best in terms of wordplay. There are multiple examples of this, including the word “heart” in verses 7, 12, and 20. This word in the Greek literally means “inward parts” or “bowels.” Basically, it’s a metaphor for the center of our feelings and affections, which is why we translate it to “heart” in English.
Why is this important? Look at how Paul uses this word. In verse 7, Paul reminds Philemon of how he “refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people” in the past. In verse 12, Paul writes that Onesimus, “…is [Paul’s] very heart.” And in verse 20, we see him ask Philemon to “refresh [Paul’s] heart in Christ.”
To break this down even further, Paul, in asking Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother in Christ instead of a runaway slave, weaves a clear theme throughout his letter. Philemon is known as a refresher of hearts. Paul’s very heart is Onesimus. So the logic is that Philemon would refresh Paul’s heart by accepting Onesimus back. This seems simple to us, but it was a radical request at the time.
Why is this important? Why should Philemon forgive Onesimus? For that matter, why should Onesimus forgive Philemon?
While forgiveness in some situations simply looks like not hating someone (and still removing them from your life), Paul asks these two men to reconcile in a regenerated relationship. Why? Because Paul understands that the essence of the Christian faith is unity in Christ. The love of God and the love of one’s neighbor, both encompassed in the person of Jesus Christ, are inseparable. Because of this, let us seek unity, seek peace, as far as we are able.

Questions

Can you think of a time where you struggled to forgive someone? Write it down, reflect on that moment.
What are three ways you can seek unity with those around you this week?
Did someone specific come to mind while you read this? What would it look like to pursue reconciliation with that person? Pray and seek godly counsel on what your next steps should be.

By the Way

In what is now known as “The Lord’s Prayer,” Jesus teaches us to pray:
“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12)
Prayerfully reflect on this throughout the day. What forgiveness do you need to extend (or ask for)?

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May 28, 2022
Colossians 4
Read Colossians 4

4 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
Further Instructions
²Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Final Greetings
⁷Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. ⁸I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. ⁹He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
¹⁰My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) ¹¹Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. ¹²Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. ¹³I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. ¹⁴Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. ¹⁵Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
¹⁶After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.
¹⁷Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.”
¹⁸I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Go Deeper

In the last chapter of Colossians, Paul gives final reminders and encouragement. His letter encourages his readers to continue in faith and remember the truth of the gospel. At its core, it is Gospel centered, reminding us that Jesus’ death and resurrection has allowed us to live in freedom. In everything we do, we are to remember this truth and live it out.
In chapter 4, Paul closes by emphasizing the importance of persistent prayer. Like Epaphras, we are to “wrestle” in prayer, imploring God to empower our fellow believers to stand firm in their faith. We are supposed to pray for others’ salvation, that God would soften their hearts and draw them into a relationship with Him. The prayers that we pray over people are powerful. 1 John 5:14 assures us that God hears our prayers. And paired with that, we are also called to pray for fellow believers and ourselves, that we might boldly share the gospel and say yes to the opportunities the Lord places before us. We are first to get on our knees, but then we are called to go. Verse 5 says we are to “walk in wisdom toward outsiders,” emphasizing the importance of meeting with the lost and broken.
While all of this is important, it is easy to read this passage and gloss over these words rather than be moved to action by them. We know the power of prayer and the mission that God has called us to, yet so often we push it aside in our daily routine. We are ruled by busyness and fear, letting the belief that “someone else will do it” prevent us from talking to the lost around us. We hide behind excuses, and in doing this, we diminish the gospel. After accepting the Gospel, we ourselves are called to go. Jesus has already gone before us, and the Holy Spirit speaks to us and guides us. Let us not forget the power of that truth. The Gospel is always new and powerful, so let us pray that we remember that truth today!

Questions

What stood out to you the most in chapter 4? What did you find encouraging? What challenged you?
Reread verse 12. What does this verse say about prayer? Does your prayer life look like this? How can you take steps towards praying more like Epaphras?
Spend some time reflecting on your thoughts from this book, and think of what you want to remember from it.

By the Way

In verse 6, when talking about our speech, Paul says it should be “seasoned with salt,” which mirrors closely Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:13: “You are the salt of the earth.” What are you doing to “season” your words and preserve God’s influence in our world today?

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May 27, 2022
Colossians 3
Read Colossians 3

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ
3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
⁵Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
¹²Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Instructions for Christian Households
¹⁸Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
¹⁹Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
²⁰Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
²¹Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
²²Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ²³Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ²⁵Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.

Go Deeper

As is commonplace in some of Paul’s other letters, we see a shift here in Colossians 3. The first two chapters of the book lay a theological foundation of both the supremacy of Jesus and the flawed teaching the Colossians had been learning. This chapter begins with Paul imploring the Colossians to set their hearts and minds on things above–eternal things. He then spends the rest of the chapter explaining how they can do just that, giving extremely practical steps for the Colossians on how they should live and what their lives should look like.

Paul paints two different pictures for us in this chapter: one of the “old self” and one of the “new self.” The old self is marked by sexual immorality, lust, greed, anger, dishonesty and filthy language, among other traits (v. 5-9). The old self does whatever feels best. The old self returns to habitual sin thinking it will somehow satisfy the emptiness we feel, like a dog to its vomit (Proverbs 26:11). The old self is self-reliant, thinking we can figure it out on our own. We’re called to something so much better than to simply stay our old selves.

Re-read how Paul describes the new self is verse 12-17. We’re called to live differently. Our lives are to be marked by virtues such as kindness, humility, and gratitude. We are to forgive people who wrong us and to teach and admonish one another, all in the name of Jesus. To put it succinctly, we are to live virtuously (which is countercultural to how the rest of the world lives). In a day and age that is self-absorbed and self-indulgent, Christians who place the interests of others instead of their own will, in the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, let their light shine (Matthew 5:16) in a dark world.

When we live this way, everything shifts. Our marriages grow healthier, our children flourish, and our work on earth matters because we’re doing it all in a way that honors and brings glory to Jesus. Let us set our minds and our hearts on that today.

Questions

Who is the most virtuous person in your life? What words or phrases would you use to describe them?
When you think about your old self and new self, which words would have been used to describe you before you met Jesus and now that you’re following Jesus?
How can you set your mind on things above today? What are a couple of practical steps you can take today to live with an eternal mindset?

A Quote

Read this quote from New Testament scholar N.T. Wright:
“Virtue is what happens when someone has made a thousand small choices requiring effort and concentration to do something which is good and right, but which doesn’t come naturally. And then, on the thousand and first time, when it really matters, they find that they do what’s required automatically. Virtue is what happens when wise and courageous choices become second nature.”

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May 26, 2022
Colossians 2
Read Colossians 2

2 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. ²My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ³in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. ⁵For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
Spiritual Fullness in Christ
⁶So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
⁸See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
⁹For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. ¹¹In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, ¹²having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
¹³When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Freedom From Human Rules
¹⁶Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. ¹⁹They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
²⁰Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ²¹“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²²These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. ²³Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Go Deeper

The church in Colossae was under siege with a mix of cultural false doctrines threatening their Christian faith. This is the main emphasis we read about today in Colossians 2. In verse 4, Paul warns against being deceived by “fine-sounding arguments,” verse 8 warns about being taken captive by “hollow and deceptive philosophy,” and verse 16 warns against adopting the false doctrines of humans. These false doctrines and philosophies were subtle turns from the truth, using aspects of Christianity and twisting them into intelligent arguments. Christians today face similar attacks to their faith. What is the best way to recognize false teaching?
In chapter 1, Paul establishes the supremacy of Christ. As a continuation, verse 2:6 begins a section on the fullness of Christ. We see the phrases “in Christ” and “in Him” repeated often. In Christ we have everything we need. Our flesh no longer rules us (v. 11), our old life is gone, we have been raised to new life (v. 12), our sins have been forgiven, our debt has been paid (v. 13- 14), and He has triumphed over the enemy on the cross (v. 15)! We see these same truths throughout Paul’s other letters. Romans 8:1 asserts, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul states that in Christ we are a “new creation.” In Philippians 4:19, Paul says God will meet all our needs in Christ. Jesus tells us repeatedly in John 15 to remain in Him. Having a death-grip on who Jesus is paramount to recognizing false doctrine in our culture.
Today, we put our trust in science and higher knowledge, in prosperity gospels, in man-made rules, ideas and legalism. Many people call themselves Christians, yet they haven’t spent time studying the person and teachings of Jesus. Paul is teaching the Colossians (and us) that our lives should be rooted and strengthened in Christ and overflowing with thankfulness (verses 6-7). When we have questions or disagreements, we should hold them up to Christ. He is the one we follow. He is our standard. He is the foundation of our faith in whom we find all the “treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (vs. 3).
May we follow Paul’s example here by fighting for our fellow believers to be encouraged and united in Jesus. He is supreme, complete, and all that we could ever hope for.

Questions

What did you learn about Jesus from this passage?
What heresy or false doctrine do you see around you today?
Are you contending and fighting for others to know the truth of Christ? What would it look like for you to do that?

Keep Digging

For further study on what heresy is and why it’s important that we can spot it, read this article from GotQuestions.org!

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May 25, 2022
Colossians 1
Colossians Preview

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church in Colossae (a city and a church he had never been to) while he sat in a Roman prison around 60-61 AD. Why would Paul write a letter to a group of relative strangers? As we’ll read in this book, he was concerned based on reports he had received from a friend (Epaphras) from his time serving and teaching the church in Ephesus. The church in Colossae had been overrun with false teaching and it wasn’t over nonessential, secondary (or tertiary) issues. There was disagreement over foundational, core theological issues (like the deity of Jesus, for example). The church was facing a crisis, so Paul stepped in before it was too late.
In this letter, we see Paul trying to explain to the Colossian church a full understanding of who Jesus is and why that is so important. The issue Paul was trying to address with the church in Colossae is just as important today as it was almost 2,000 years ago: What you believe about Jesus impacts everything in the Christian life. If you have a high view of Jesus, your behavior will follow. If you have a low view of Jesus, your behavior will reflect that as well.
Paul will go on to use some of his most descriptive language in all of his letters to elevate the Colossians’ view of Jesus and to rid their church of the heretical teachings and doctrines that had slipped in along the way. Dr. Chuck Swindoll, a pastor, author, and former seminary professor, said this about Colossians: “This proper view of Christ served as the antidote for the Colossian heresy as well as a building block for Christian life and doctrine both then and now.”
Let’s lean in and learn all that we can from these four chapters. Each day we’ll read deep theological truths and practical applications all at the same time. Pay attention to every word on the page–you don’t want to miss anything. Grab a highlighter and a journal. Take note of the words and phrases that jump off the page at you. Ask God to show you exactly what He wants you to learn each day as we read Colossians together.

Read Colossians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
²To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
³We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— ⁵the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel ⁶that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. ⁷You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, ⁸and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, ¹⁰so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹²and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Supremacy of the Son of God
¹⁵The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
²¹Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. ²²But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— ²³if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Paul’s Labor for the Church
²⁴Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. ²⁵I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— ²⁶the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. ²⁷To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
²⁸He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. ²⁹To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

Go Deeper

From a prison in Rome, Paul pens this letter to the Gentile church at Colossae, a city in Asia Minor. Right from the beginning, Paul commends them for being God’s holy people who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. The Colossians have a love for all believers with an understanding of the truth about God’s kindness to sinners. What a remarkable way to call out the good in them and encourage them in their faith! May we also strive to begin our conversations with others with strong encouragement.
From what we know, Paul was yet to meet this body of believers. However, he faithfully encouraged and prayed bold prayers for them. For all their good, the church in Colossae was in dire need of prayer and redirection as it had been infiltrated by various cults and religious traditions of the day. Paul speaks candidly to remind them of the fullness and freedom found in Christ: “He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. God has purchased our freedom with his blood and forgiven all our sins” (v. 13-14).
Paul then carefully explains the divine nature of Christ as the bedrock of the Christian faith:
Christ reflects and reveals God to us.
He is supreme over all creation.
He is both creator and sustainer of the world.
He enables us to be in right standing with God.
He seeks to reconcile all creation to himself.
He is the head of the church.
As believers, all of our theology (what we believe about God) hinges upon these truths. Right from the beginning of this letter, Paul masterfully highlights the reality of God’s grace through Christ and the reconciliation brought to us. He admonishes believers to walk worthy of the Lord by living a lifestyle that reflects the love and holiness of Jesus. Growing in the knowledge of God demands not only knowing, but obeying, God which will bring true spiritual growth. As long as we have breath in us, we should be moving, moment by moment, toward the goal of the completed work of Christ in us.

Questions

When did you first come to know Christ? How were you rescued from darkness and brought into the light?
What steps are you taking to grow in your relationship with Christ? Where has the present culture watered down or influenced your theology?
How are you impacted by the fact that Jesus holds all things together? What does that mean for your life now and for eternity?

Pray This

Lord Jesus,
May we have a complete understanding of your will. Endow us with spiritual wisdom so that we may honor and please you in all our endeavors. Mark our lives with goodness and kindness to others. When tested, let patience and endurance propel us. Fill us with joy and gratitude that we may faithfully serve you all the days of our lives.

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May 24, 2022
Lamentations 5
Read Lamentations 5

5 Remember, Lord, what has happened to us;
    look, and see our disgrace.
²Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
    our homes to foreigners.
³We have become fatherless,
    our mothers are widows.
⁴We must buy the water we drink;
    our wood can be had only at a price.
⁵Those who pursue us are at our heels;
    we are weary and find no rest.
⁶We submitted to Egypt and Assyria
    to get enough bread.
⁷Our ancestors sinned and are no more,
    and we bear their punishment.
⁸Slaves rule over us,
    and there is no one to free us from their hands.
⁹We get our bread at the risk of our lives
    because of the sword in the desert.
¹⁰Our skin is hot as an oven,
    feverish from hunger.
¹¹Women have been violated in Zion,
    and virgins in the towns of Judah.
¹²Princes have been hung up by their hands;
    elders are shown no respect.
¹³Young men toil at the millstones;
    boys stagger under loads of wood.
¹⁴The elders are gone from the city gate;
    the young men have stopped their music.
¹⁵Joy is gone from our hearts;
    our dancing has turned to mourning.
¹⁶The crown has fallen from our head.
    Woe to us, for we have sinned!
¹⁷Because of this our hearts are faint,
    because of these things our eyes grow dim
¹⁸for Mount Zion, which lies desolate,
    with jackals prowling over it.
¹⁹You, Lord, reign forever;
    your throne endures from generation to generation.
²⁰Why do you always forget us?
    Why do you forsake us so long?
²¹Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return;
    renew our days as of old
²²unless you have utterly rejected us
    and are angry with us beyond measure.

Go Deeper

“To be continued.” How many of us dreaded those three little words at the end of a television show? Those words often meant waiting a whole week and, possibly, an entire summer to learn what happened next. We dislike unresolved conflict so much we will binge entire seasons of shows at once. Lack of resolution is uncomfortable. We don’t like being uncomfortable.
Chapter 5 closes the Book of Lamentations. It is a communal cry of pain and pleading. This chapter is hard to read. It’s difficult to hear details of human suffering. We want a happy ending. In the absence of that, we will settle for any ending. Where is the next episode? If we’re seeking a conclusion neatly tying Israel’s pain to God’s relief, we are sorely disappointed at the end of the book.
The first four chapters of Lamentations follow a strict structure. The structure infuses order and guidance to the verses like a series of locks and gates controlling a canal. Then Chapter 5 breaks the floodgates open! The writer lists the legacy of Israel’s sins for every member of the community, one after another, without pause or pattern. Lyrical language and descriptive metaphors are thrown aside for cold facts detailing the struggling state of daily life for God’s people. Verses 15 and 16 bring the record of tribulations to end, summarized with “Woe to us, for we have sinned.” We almost hear the writer take a long, slow, sobbing sigh before proceeding.
When we pour out our pain and plead to God, we want a resolution. We dread the “To be continued ….” response. Instead, we want the “binge-watching” version of our lives so we can find out what happens.
So why does God make us wait? Isaiah 30:18 gives us a clue:
“Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you,
And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
How blessed are all those who long for Him.”
God longs to bestow His free and unmerited favor on us through salvation. This is why He waits. We are blessed through the process of waiting. Maybe Lamentations, especially this chapter, is hard to read because we relate to the waiting and it makes us uncomfortable. But, maybe God is blessing us through the waiting.

Questions

Is waiting easy or difficult for you? Why? Do you find yourself looking to accelerate the waiting process at every turn?
In what difficult seasons or circumstances of life has God made you wait?
What did you learn through the process of waiting?

Keep Digging

If we are blessed in the waiting, why is waiting on God so difficult? Read more on this question from GotQuestions.org.

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May 23, 2022