Date:
July 26-28, 20112 Kings: From Compromise to Captivity
Second Kings revolves around a life principle not even God violates: persistent sin may be forgiven, but its consequences cannot be erased.
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Old Testament
Struggling through reading the lesser-known Old Testament passages and long prophetic oracles may seem to have little relevance to everyday 21st-century life. But there are important things we can learn from the Old Testament. First, the New Testament is based on the Old Testament. Second, the Old Testament reveals the character of God. Third, the Old Testament has transformational power. Its message transcends time, geography, and culture. It speaks to everyone, everywhere, in every situation.
1 Kings: Solomon and a Civil War
One of the haunting perils of leadership is the great divorce between what happens at the office and what happens at home. Many a man and many a woman may hit a home run at the office, but what good is it if they strike out at home? This is the dilemma Solomon faced as he rose to the position of king over Israel.
2 Samuel: Ecstasy and Agony of a King
No question about it. King David remains among the brightest lights of the Bible. So significant was David that God set aside an entire book of the Old Testament to cover David’s 40 year reign…from his highest pinnacle of achievement to his lowest valley of misery and defeat.
1 Samuel: Nation in Transition
Transition times can be disconcerting. Those who have gone through the remodeling of a home can testify to that! Likewise, changes in leadership at one’s place of employment or moves across the country or new policies and procedures set in motion bring the need to adapt. Being creatures of habit, we are disturbed by these changes.
Ruth: Interlude of Love
We often discover priceless gems in the strangest places—deep in the rugged, dark corners of the earth. This is so with the book of Ruth. Like an exquisite rose blooming in a foul garbage dump, the story of Ruth adds elegance, grace, and charm to an otherwise depressing scene.
Judges: Recycled Misery
It’s rough for a nation to pull itself out of the swamp of political scandal and public distrust…but to do so several times in a row is unheard of. Or is it?
Joshua: Triumph after Tragedy
In the book of Joshua the Hebrews invade, conquer, distribute, and settle down in the land of Canaan. The events recorded in Joshua took place over approximately 25 years. All the way through, one person stands out as God’s appointed leader and model—the man from whom the book gets its name.
Deuteronomy: Remember! Remember!
A new generation was on the scene. Canaan—the Promised Land—was just beyond the border. The Hebrews were eager to invade and claim the territory. For almost 500 years, they had lived away from home, like fugitives. They longed to settle down and deepen their roots. But a very strategic matter had to be settled beforehand.
Numbers: A Tragic Pilgrimage
At a crucial juncture, the people doubted God’s promise and retreated into unbelief. The result? Monotonous wandering in circles for almost 40 years as all individuals 20 years and older died off, leaving a new generation to enter Canaan, the land of promise.
Leviticus: God's Picture Book on Worship
Leviticus is frequently passed off as an unimportant document of out-of-date details. Because the book is directly related to Israelites under the Mosaic Law, many Christians today choose to ignore its contents. But God has preserved Leviticus for a particular purpose.
