Isaiah 20: Prophesying in the Nude

The most shocking think in the book of Isaiah, I think, is God commanded him to go about naked to prophesy. Isaiah's nakedness was a sign of the humility and shame that was to come. Nonetheless, it's not what you expect to come next when reading the Bible!

Introduction

Isaiah 20 is a very short chapter. Once again, God is pronouncing judgment on Egypt, but this time there's something else to focus on: Isaiah being commanded to make this proclamation in the nude! Isaiah's action was symbolic of what was to come for Egypt, but history is known to repeat itself, and I can see similar trends here in the United States (U.S.).

Command to be Naked

Can you imagine if your preacher showed up to preach a sermon wearing nothing? Most people can't even imagine a preacher in sweat pants and a t-shirt! On the one hand, it would be pretty awkward and strange, but on the other hand, it would definitely draw attention. When Isaiah, known to be a prophet of God, suddenly took to the street naked and barefoot, what do you think people said?

Today's society is probably a little more comfortable with nudity than the Israelite society Isaiah belonged to, and we would still find it strange to see someone simply walking about without clothes, even with clothes but without shoes. There's a man at my job who often walks around sock-footed at work and numerous people have mentioned how odd it is. So we know Isaiah made a statement.

The Prophecy

Today, celebrities pull stunts like this for shock value to get publicity and "stay relevant," but that wasn't God's intention for Isaiah. This act was a sign for the people. God warned that when the Assyrians turned on Egypt and Ethiopia, they would carry the people away naked and barefoot (just as Isaiah had been). Isaiah's testimony was a prophesy and symbol of the humility that was to come.

A Personal Experience

Have you ever gone through something and realized it helped you understand the people around you better? Maybe it makes you more compassionate or less judgmental, or maybe it just makes you thankful for what you've been blessed with. I feel like this particular act would have had the same effect on Isaiah. He would have felt the shame and humility that he was prophesying to come, and that must have touched him in a way that mere words couldn't. Although the Bible doesn't say so specifically, I have a feeling that the experience was not just a sign for God's people, but a learning experience for Isaiah.

Fulfilled

Isaiah was given this prophecy roughly between 713 and 711bc. During this time, Sargon, the king of Assyria attacked Ashdod due to a rebellion started by the Philistines. The Philistines had an alliance with Egypt, which they likely thought would protect them from the might of Assyria. However, Egypt was powerless to defend the Philistines and allowed them to fall to Sargon.[1] At that time, everyone would have been shocked that Egypt did not help Philistine, so Isaiah's message would have been an answer to this shock. Although he was proclaiming a tragedy to befall Egypt, Isaiah was also reminding Israel not to depend on these foreign nations for protection. Only God can provide us with reliable protection.

Several commentaries mention the fulfillment of this prophecy many years after Isaiah's sign. Modern scholars have found depictions of naked and barefoot slaves among the records left by the Egyptians, as well.[2] Esarhaddon, a descendant of Sargon, successfully defeated Egypt in 671bc.[3]

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Jason Leung

In Modern Times

This is very similar to what is happening in the world today. Back then, Egypt was the most powerful and most advanced nation in the world; other nations looked to them for protection and in awe. Since our victories in World War I and World War II (especially after the use of the a bomb), the U.S. has been in the same position. Like Egypt, the U.S. has fallen away from God and often doesn't actually help those in need. From turning away Jews during the Holocaust to turning away refugees today, the U.S. has proven that it isn't a nation to be depended on.[4][5][6] No Earthly nation can provide protection, comfort, or security. Only God can provide these things.

References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. ?. 2014
2. "Isaiah 20:4 Commentary". Bible Hub; visited October 2018
3. "Esarhaddon". Encyclopædia Britannica. October 23, 2013
4. Halimah Abdullah and Phil McCausland. "Trump Signs Order Suspending Admission of Syrian Refugees". NBC. January 27, 2017
5. A. Naomi Paik. "US turned away thousands of Haitian asylum-seekers and detained hundreds more in the 90s". The Conversation. June 28, 2018
6. "The Jewish refugees the US turned away". BBC. May 10, 2017

The Closed-Minded Christian

What does it mean to be closed-minded and are Christian deserving of the label? When people label us as closed-minded, it's definitely not meant as a compliment. I've heard the label be applied to Christians often and I've seen people attempt to refute the claim, but what if it's true? And what if being closed-minded isn't always bad?

Introduction

I was scrolling down my Facebook timeline one day last week and I saw that someone posted an article (When Satan Becomes the Worship Leader) calling out gospel music artists. The person who posted the article wasn't posting in argeement, but to make the statement that this article "proved Christians are close minded." Reading those words, I felt compelled to speak on the topic of being a closed-minded Christian.
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Defining Closed-Minded

Closed-minded is often hurled at people as an insult, but it's only we're talking about controversial topics. No one would call me closed-minded if I said I thought racism was bad, that being a racist is stupid, or that excluding people from your life on the basis of race is crazy. If someone said the same things, but was referencing desegregation instead of racism, people would call them close minded...

Merriam-Webster Definition of "closed-minded" or "close-minded"

The above image is a screenshot of Merriam-Webster's definition of "Closed-Minded."^[1] Based on the definition, it seems that both would be indicative of a closed-minded attitude. People seem to realize that all ideas should not be worthy of you entertaining them. Not every idea is a healthy idea. Another topic you won't get me to budge on is that of self harm. Self harm is never good. If I find out a person uses self harm to cope with the card life has dealt them, I'm going to insist they seek help; nothing they say is going to convince me their behavior is ok. I am "not willing to consider" that "idea." By definition, this too is closed-minded, but most people subconsciously know and agree that sometimes, you should be closed-minded.

Which brings me to what actually prompts people to label someone closed-minded. I remember listening to a classmate passionately express his opinion about something—it's been a while, so I don't remember what. I didn't agree, but I asked him why he thought what he thought. He elaborated, and after hearing his point of view, I still didn't agree. He was quick to label me as closed-minded. I've noticed that whether you consider the other person's perspective or not, if you don't concede, they will call you closed-minded. Mind you, this person never asked me why I didn't agree or what my perspective was, but the mere fact that I didn't change my mind based on his argument made me closed-minded in his opinion. He seems to have confused the concept of open-mindedness with being wishy-washy.

Basically, a lot of people misuse the word or only call it out when it suits their purpose. The truth is, there are some instances when being closed-minded is very bad, and some instances when it is appropriate.

Are Christians Close-Minded

Any time you try to blanket label a group, you're going to have a problem. The person on my timeline ascribed the label of closed-minded to all Christians based on one Christian's opinion (he probably has some personal examples he was thinking of, but he only posted the article).

The funny thing is, the article actually disproves his point. The author of the post wrote it because the one artist he mentioned by name, Kirk Franklin, is popular among Christians. Kirk Franklin has won 12 Grammys, plus a bevy of other awards.^[2] You don't win that many awards when no one is listening to your music. The author is actually arguing that Christians are too open-minded.

The question posed is are Christians closed-minded, and I think if you want to answer based on majority, the answer is no. However, I think the answer should be yes.

I can tell you, with out a doubt in my mind, a good pastor will tell you to be careful what you open your mind to.

Christian Principles

The word "Christian" means follower of Christ. It is a broad term given to anyone who follows the teachings of Christ. I have to remind you that all Christians don't interpret the Bible the same way, which means many Christians don't actually believe the same things. Nonetheless, Matthew 24:4-31, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 1 John 4:1, Colossians 2:8, Romans 16:17-18, and Matthew 7:21-23 are only a few of the passages in the Bible which warn us about being deceived by things that are not of God.

How do we discern truth from deception? The gift of discernment comes from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12), but the Bible gives us a surefire example of how to differentiate between the devil's corruption and God's Will. Satan tries to tempt Jesus 3 times just before His crucifixion (Matthew 4:1-11). First, Satan tries to convince Jesus to break His fast and turn stones into bread. How does Jesus respond? He quotes Deuteronomy 8:3. Second, Satan tries to convince Jesus to put Himself in harms way ("cast himself down" means to throw himself off the roof) under the auspices that God will protect Him. How does Jesus respond? He quotes Deuteronomy 6:16. Finally, Satan tells Jesus that if He bows down to Satan, Satan will give Him all the kingdoms of the world. (Just as an aside, does anyone else read Matthew 4:8-9 and picture the scene in The Lion King where Mufasa is telling Simba everything the light touches will be his?) How does Jesus respond? He quotes a combination of Deuteronomy 5:6-7 and Deuteronomy 6:13. Do you see the pattern? Each time Jesus counters the devil, He does so with the Word of God.

The Word of God tells us what God expects from us; anything contrary should be a red flag that it isn't of God. Note, this means a lot of studying, and a lot of understanding doctrine. The interpretation of the Bible often reveals itself across chapters, books, and testaments; in many cases you will not be able to make snap decisions based on one verse. Without getting into the more complicated things, here are a few examples (references link to more verses that confirm the statement):

1. You should be closed to any thing that requires you to hate someone, because hate is not of God. See 1 John 4:8,19-20^[3]
2. You should be closed to theft. See Deuteronomy 5:19 and Exodus 20:15^[4]
3. You should be closed to idolatry. See Exodus 20:4-5^[5]

Ideas from the Article

The ideas I mentioned earlier were easy and obvious. The information presented by the author of the article is much more nuanced and hangs on interpretation. The author calls into question to the spirit of the music and the "sexiness" of the artists. Notice, the author doesn't ever say contemporary music is bad. The author isn't closed to genres of music; he is suggesting we evaluate the subtle messages coming through the music.

I don't make an effort to keep up with pop culture (Christian or otherwise), so I only recognize 2 of the people featured in the image that headlines the article. One is of Kirk Franklin and the other is of Erica Campbell from Mary Mary. Before reading the article, I knew exactly why the two of them were pictured.

Modesty

Erica Campbell made headlines when she appeared at the Grammy Awards in a fitted white dress; this is the image the author chose of her for the article. Critics accused her of being immodest and argued that her attire was inappropriate for a woman of God.^[6] Seeing the image, I already knew the author was going to talk the topic of appearance as it relates to Christian artists.

Personally, I don't have a problem with Mrs. Campbell's dress. Of course, as a straight woman, I'm not likely to be tempted to sexual immorality by anything Mrs. Campbell wears. I agree that as women of God we are called to different standards. Romans 14:13 tells us we are not to put a stumbling block before others. There are many artists in the secular world who use sex to sell their music. Let's be honest, when is the last time we saw a chart-topping, award wining, household name singer who was not attractive? We know if we wear a garment with a plunging neckline or cutouts that show cleavage, eyes will be drawn to our chest. Sometimes we are fully aware that we are wearing something that will draw attention to physical features that may induce lust, and I believe Romans 14:13 is warning us not to do this. However, some people are going to be tempted no matter what you wear. Though form fitting, the dress fully covers her chest and is fairly long for a "short" dress. I'm only 5'3" and I have a hard time finding true knee-length skirts and dresses. While many secular celebrities keep it classy for the red carpet, their performance outfits (and sometimes even their red carpet outfits) tend to show skin in much more provocative ways.^[7]

The controversy over Mrs. Campbell's dress seems to be framed around the shape God blessed her with more than anything else. Interestingly, the root of this issue is far deeper than whether the clear outline of her body would make someone stumble. In an interview discussing the fallout over Mrs. Campbell's dress, Christian artist Mahogany Jones said "Your shape dictates what you can and cannot wear. If I was shaped like Erica Campbell, would I wear that dress? Eh. I don’t know."^[8] This reveals a deeper issue. Mass media has been over-sexualizing the curvy body-type for quite some time. Mrs. Jones' statement is evidence that we have been taught certain body types are more beautiful and more desirable than others. Mrs. Jones is suggesting a woman with smaller boobs and less of a figure could wear the same dress without causing a stir. However, the hidden truth in her statement is that other figures aren't sexy or desirable. Yet, we are all wonderfully and fearfully made by the same God!^[9]

Photocredit: Daily Mail

Curves should not be more desirable than, say, a lean figure. To the right is an infographic that shows the different body shapes for women—I've never seen one of these for men. In society a that hasn't been corrupted by media images, these body types would be equally desirable. What I mean by equally desirable is not that every man would see each of these with equal desire, but that an equal number of men would find these shapes desirable. It stands to reason that if God made women with so many different shapes, He made men to appreciate different shapes. Why would God create a rectangle shaped woman with the intent that this would be an undesirable shape among the men He also created? If your mind wasn't programmed by the images we see in magazines and on TV to associate the full-hourglass figure with sex, Mrs. Campbell's attire would be neutral.

This brings me back to the point of being careful of what you open your mind to. I have plenty to say on this topic, but I'll save it for another post. Let's get back to the author's point about modesty.

I agree that it would be odd to see the choir on stage praising God in bikini's and hooker heels. It would be equally strange to see the pastor deliver his sermon shirtless. However, as I mentioned earlier, we can't always help what causes people's minds to wander. I once went to a church where one of the speakers' voice was distracting. He can't change his voice! That's not his problem, it's mine. I think we should be mindful of our dress, but I also think we should be mindful of ourselves. We should be able to look at one another fully covered an not be overwhelmed with desire.

Spirit of God

I have a gospel song that has a spoken intro, in which the brother of the artist says his father always told them gospel music should sound like gospel music. A lot of people argue about what Gospel music should sound like, but I think the author of the article hit the nail on the head. Gospel music should take you to the presence of the Lord.

Scientists have been studying the effects of music on mood for ages. We know that music affects our mood. There's a reason a fight has started when "Knuck If You Buck" was playing almost every time I've heard it at a gathering. There's a reason people refer to certain songs as "baby making music." The words of the song usually match music. When's the last time you heard an uptempo song about depression? A ballad about how happy you are? The music sets the tone for the lyrics. When worshipping God, the music should set the tone for worshipping God.

When I think of Kirk Franklin, the songs I think of are "Lean on Me," "Why We Sing," "Imagine Me," "Revolution," and "Stomp." If I were to guess, the song the author heard in the club was either "Stomp" or "Revolution." I can't speak for everybody, but I will agree that neither "Stomp" nor "Revolution" cause me to reflect on God. That's not to say the songs are bad songs; I'm sure the message in these songs is much better than some of the other songs that came out at the same time. However, these aren't the songs I would turn to when I'm trying to worship God (i.e., the middle of service).

The author of the article asked whether the music spoke to the flesh (makes you want to dance) or the heart (makes you think of God). When I try to sing "Stomp" from memory, the only lyrics I remember are "Stomp" and "Makes me clap my hands, makes me wanna dance" (talk about irony). Contrarily, one of my favorite songs for worship is "We Fall Down" (the one by Chris Tomlin not Donnie McClurkin). When I try to think of it's lyrics, the first ones into my mind are "We fall down, We lay our crown at the feet of Jesus." When I try to recall these songs there's a major difference. I can hear the music from "Stomp" and I can hear Kirk Franklin's voice distinctly. Initially, I don't hear any music when I try to recall "We Fall Down" and I don't hear a distinct voice. With one, I internalized the beat and with the other, I internalized the message. This is what the author is trying to call our attention to.

References

1. "Closed-minded". Merriam-Webster.com; visited June 2017.
2. "Kirk Franklin". Wikipedia; visited June 2017
3. "81 Verses about Hatred"
4. "52 Bible Verses about Stealing"
5. "27 Bible Verses about Idol Worship"
6. Deseray. "Minister Lashes Out at Erica Campbell, Calls Outfit Ungodly". Atlanta Black Star. December 13, 2013
7. Lucy Hutchings. "Grammy Awards 2013". Vogue. February 11, 2013
8. David Daniels. "How Should Christian Artists Approach Modesty?". Wade-O Radio. March 7, 2015
9. Psalm 139:14

Job 28-31: Job's Monologue

Chapters 28-31 cover Job's final word to his friends about his predicament. In these chapters, Job discusses the power and riches God had given him and the importance of wisdom.

Introduction

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Yosh Ginsu

One of the hardest things for Job during this time, was probably the social ramifications of his predicament. Job was one the most respected men in the area and he was considered wise among the multitude living in that region. Although his friends may not have held the correct answers, it apparent that they, too, were considered wise. If they thought Job was suffering because of his own sins, the likelihood of the rest of the community believing the same was pretty high. Job lost the respect of these people and likely questioned his own sanity. As sure as he is that he has not sinned, and as faithful as he is to God, Job admits that he doesn't understand what is happening to him.

Wisdom

⁵Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. ⁶Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. ⁷Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. ⁸Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. ⁹She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.Proverbs 4:5-9 KJV

Job 28 discusses wisdom, something Job says his friends are lacking. Wisdom is a big deal in the bible and is mentioned in almost every book. It isn't simply knowing things, but knowing how to apply information to life. Job tells us that wisdom can't be found; it isn't in the depths of the earth to be mined or in the sea where we fish. Even more, it cannot be bought. Simply paying out riches will not make you wise. Job tells us the only way to have wisdom is possess the fear of the Lord. This is reiterated in Proverbs 1:7 and James 1:5. The New Testament clarifies that the Holy Spirit is the provider of wisdom. The wisdom provided by God is what should inform our actions and thoughts.

Glory and Power

The next topic Job covers is where we start to see the social ramifications of Job's conditions. If you remember, Eliphaz had previously accused Job of neglecting the poor. God made it clear that rich and powerful were to remember the poor and less fortunate by taking care of their needs. In Biblical literature the poor are often referred to as orphans (or the fatherless) and widows, since these were two groups likely to need the most looking out for. As Job clarifies his position in society, he also addresses Eliphaz's accusation.

Job admits that before his misfortune hit, he was very rich and very powerful. People had held great respect for Job before his troubles started; they respected his advice and held him as a man of great authority. People did not argue with Job and paid respects when he entered a room. Job must have been something of a wise man or town priest (like Moses' father-in-law). Today, we generally think of the rich and powerful as enemies and crooks. The powerful are out passing laws to keep the poor in poverty and the rich are suggesting the poor deserve to be poor.^[1] Job would not have been one of those people. He tells us that he was generous with his money and accomplished good with his blessings. Job helped the poor, the fatherless, and the widowed, exactly as expected of him by God.

The devil, in his haste to persecute God's people, failed to realize that the reason God continued to bless Job was his graciousness. Had Job only been following God for the blessings, he would never have acquired the fruit of the spirit. He would have been selfish and greedy. A lukewarm Job would have committed exactly the sins Eliphaz suggested he did.

Now that Job was in distress, the respect and power he'd once enjoyed was lost. Job pleads with God, saying that only evil has befallen him. Job can't seem to catch a break, along with losing his family and health, he has lost the respect of everyone in town. This is a classic case of kicking a man while he's down. When we add in the fact that all of this happened quickly, it makes the situation even more tragic. Before he could fully mourn one thing, something else was happening! The devil often comes at us full force to ensure we don't have time to stabilize ourselves. This is why it is important to stay in constant communication with God!

A Modern Example

In recent weeks a story surfaced about Shad Moss, also known as Bow Wow or Lil' Bow Wow, in which he lied about boarding a private jet. In the days that followed social media had a blast roasting the former star under #BowWowChallenge. When Chance the Rapper jumped in the game by showing off his real experience of boarding a private plane and tagged it #BowWowChallenge, one author decided society had gone too far.^[2] The comments I saw from my friends about this article, as well as, the comments beneath the article show that majority of the people saw no shame in roasting the former star and possessed no sympathy to the plight of a former child star, as discussed by the author.

Now, I don't know Bow Wow personally, but based on what I've seen in the media, I wouldn't compare him to the righteousness of Job by any means. However, Bow Wow's fall from celebrity-hood probably does mirror Job's fall from prosperity quite well. What the author says in her article is true; 15 years ago, when Beware of the Dog came out, Bow Wow held the number one spot on almost every chart. My friends and I loved his album and never missed his videos, which were always #1 on 106 & Park. Had the Scream tour come anywhere near my home town, I'm sure my friends and I would have begged to go, and like those who did attend, probably screamed our heads off the whole time. Bow Wow was that guy during the early 2000s. I'm not sure if teens and preteens of today would even know who he is. That's a stark contrast.

Granted, Bow Wow fell off over time, Job's descent was likely just as shocking. To go from having everything and being regarded as the "it" guy of the town to being miserable and having nothing... That's drastic. Just as Job's friends wanted to blame Job for his sudden case of misfortune, society found nothing wrong with laughing at Bow Wow's attempt to save face in his own misfortune. While Bow Wow may not have taken the shame personally,^[3] you have to wonder how we would react to Job. It seems that we live in a society that likes to see people fall. When Bow Wow was on top of his game, everyone loved him. Just last year, he was opening up about thoughts of suicide,^[4] and instead of hoping he gets the help he needs we are arguing about it being OK to laugh at him. We sound a lot like Job's misguided friends if you ask me.

How Do We Handle Loss?

Which brings us to the question of how do we handle loss. We aren't all as fortunate as Job or the celebrities of today. However, we all have something that makes us who we are and we all feel as though we've lost the world when a major change occurs. Maybe its the loss of a parent or mentor. Perhaps its the loss of our youth as we age. I'm sure at some point many of us have reminisced about a time past when we felt like things were better. There are many quotes that tell us we have to know where we've been to know where we're going, but I think in times like this, it's better to heed the advice of the quotes that tell us not to dwell on the past. Just because we've lost something, doesn't mean God won't bring us success in another area of our life. If we dwell on the past, we will stay stagnant trying to replicate or previous success (this is where Bow Wow fails). Look to God for a better future and don't be afraid to try something new.

Strange Poetry

²⁹I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls. ³⁰My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heatJob 30:29-30 KJV

Job ends chapter 30 with two interesting lines of poetry, shown to the left. First, Job says that he is a brother to dragons and a companion to owls. We know that Job doesn't mean he is literally a brother to dragons, so it stands to reason that these verses are symbolic and figurative. The owl and the dragon must stand for something that Job is now aligned with. Owls are nocturnal, which seems to be a reference back to Job 30:28, in which Job tells us that he mourns before the sun rises. If you search the Bible for verses on owls, they don't seem to be mentioned positively. Isaiah 34:13 gives us another verse were the owl is placed beside the dragon; here it is reference to the burning of the world during the end times. Biblical symbolism holds that the dragon is usually the devil. Of course, dragons and the dragon may be different. Looking at Isaiah 34 we see that owls and dragons are mentioned as scavengers, picking off the remnants of the destroyed earth. Where there is decay, vultures, owls, and dragons prosper. Perhaps Job is saying that he has become like these scavengers, seeking whatever remnants of his life he can find in the aftermath of the devils curses. Note that the NIV says jackals instead of dragons, and the NKJV and ESV both replace dragons and owls with jackals and ostriches, respectively.

The entire chapter is a lament for Job's situation, which ususally goes hand in hand with the color black. It doesn't stand out that Job says his skin is black upon him, but I think it's worth looking at more closely. Job and his friends had been sitting in ashes for at least 7 days (Job 2:8, Job 2:13). Job's skin was probably black from the ashes and possibly from the scars left by the boils. He was likely becoming overheated in the desert sun at this point (Job 30:30) and perhaps the darkening of his skin was also due to a tan. Nonetheless, both the heat and the shame of being dirty represented the fallen status Job now held. In a home with servants and children, someone would have drawn him a bath to wash away the ashes and another person would have likely fanned away the heat. He could now afford neither.

Ending the Speech

One thing that Job's friends never accuse him of is adultery or lust. Job addresses this without prompt in Job 31. Job spends quite a bit of time explaining that he has neither coveted his neighbor's wife nor committed adultery. It leads me to wonder if he is also speaking of paganism and idolatry. Adultery is often used to describe idolatry; the Israelites are often said to commit whoredom when dabbling in paganism. Job may have been proclaiming his innocence both with his wife and with God.

Job makes it clear that if he has wronged someone then he wishes to reap the punishment. Job denies the claims that he mistreated the poor, but expresses a desire to make it right if he has done something in which he was unaware. It takes a lot to admit we may be wrong or that we may have offended someone unintentionally, but Job was willing to pay that price and move forward if it would allow him to reclaim his relationship with God.

Probably fed up with his friends and the feebleness of their conversation, Job says this is all he has to say and that it is the end of his speech.

Science

As I mentioned during the introduction to Job, there are lots of verses in Job that people assert are scientifically significant. Scholars, skeptics, and believers can argue until Jesus comes back about when the book was written, but we can all agree it was written in the bc era. That makes knowledge of scientific principles discovered recently pretty impressive. One such example of this is found in Job 28:25.^[7]

To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.Job 28:25 KJV

In this verse, Job is telling us that God makes a weight for wind. Scientifically, the idea that air had physical properties was introduced by Isaac Beekman in 1618, well after Job. The fact that air actually has a weight was proven by Pierre Petit in 1646.^[5][6]

I don't think its a coincidence that directly after mentioning the weight of air, Job talk about the weight of water. Both weights play a role in the hydrologic cycle!^[8]

References

1. Jose A. DelReal. "Ben Carson calls poverty ‘a state of mind’ during interview". The Washington Post. May 24, 2017
2. Aliya S. King. "Let’s Discuss Why The #BowWowChallenge Was Not OK. BET. May 15, 2017
3. Lisa Respers France. "Bow Wow responds to #BowWowChallenge". CNN. May 12, 2017
4. Speedy Morgan. "Bow Wow Opens Up About Contemplating Suicide, Groupies, and Baby Mama Drama". Complex. July 19, 2016
5. "Discovering Air". PBS. November 2000
6. A.N. Meldrum. "The Discovery of the Weight of the Air". Nature. July 30, 1908
7. "Science and the Bible. Clarifying Christianity; 2013
8. "Water Cycle". Wikipedia; visited June 2017

Job 4-14: First Responses

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar give their initial take on Job's situation. As you choose your friends, this is the scene you should remember. Will these people sit in ashes with me? Is their relationship with God intact? Can I trust their advice?

Introduction

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar are Job's trusted friends. After sitting in ashes and humility with Job for 7 days and listening to Job pour out his heart, they offer advice to their friend. Unfortunately, their theology isn't sound. They believe that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. Essentially they believe that as long as you do right by God, you will only experience good,that if something bad happens to you, it is a result of your sin.
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Flawed Theology

Before we get in to what they say to Job, I want to discuss why their theology is flawed. In general, yes, we are rewarded for following God and punished for disobeying. However, once sin entered the world, it became a pervasive force. Not only are we affected by our sins, but we are affected by other people's sin as well.

Take the first family for instance. Adam and Eve chose to eat the forbidden fruit. When Cain and Abel were born, they were automatically born in an imperfect world; they inherited a sinful nature from their parents. Two imperfect creatures cannot bring forth a perfect creature; so we are all doomed to inherit a sinful nature. Of their first two sons, Cain was the one who allowed himself to succumb to sin. After Cain committed the first murder, he was given a punishment by God, just as one would expect. "Bad things happen to bad people." However, Abel, Adam, and Eve, were innocent in the situation. We don't know the extent to which these three committed sin after the garden, but since Abel was favored between the two brothers, it's likely that these three genuinely repented after committing sins and were considered good people by God. Yet, they didn't escape the ramifications of Cain's sin: Adam and Eve lost a son, Abel died.

The closer we get to the end of time, the more pervasive sin becomes. The actions of those around us wantonly sinning and acting out against God affect us. This is why the New Testament warns us that God's people will be persecuted. Remember, the disciples and apostles all ended up martyrs or in jail. They were good people. There are two main reasons why sin still affects good people.

Who is Good?

The first reason is that no one is truly good but God (Mark 10:18). Take Paul, for instance, as Saul, he was a very crooked man and transgressed against the people. He repented, accepted Jesus and became a new person, but does that mean he's no longer able to be punished for what he has done previously? If we commit a crime, then repent of the crime, are we suddenly exempt from jail? No, but we will probably get a lighter sentence. Justice requires we atone for that which we did. Jesus atoned for our sins with His own blood, so that we could still enter Heaven. This means we don't receive the death penalty for our actions. We are then exempt from the spiritual consequences of our actions, but that doesn't mean we are exempt from the physical consequences of our actions.

Free Will

The other reason deals with freewill. If we couldn't choose to sin, God would be a dictator and we would be mindless slaves. God doesn't force us to choose Him because He wants us to love Him and choose Him of our own free will. For us to have this choice, we have to be able to choose wrong as well as right. That's the entire reason the Tree of Knowledge was in the garden. If Cain chose to kill Abel but God stopped him, Cain really didn't have the choice. Evil is essentially the absence of God or turning away from God. If God kept evil from existing in our lives, we wouldn't know good and evil and we couldn't have a choice.

Think of it like this: when your child begins to walk, there's a pretty good chance they'll fall. If you swoop in a save them from falling every time, or prevent them from trying to walk, will they ever learn? Will they ever grow? You know that they have to learn to fall and get back up before they can walk, so instead of interfering with their progress, you watch from a distance. If they hurt themselves in the fall, you're there to comfort and heal them. You also serve as the cheerleader, cheering them on to succeed. As our Father, God is the same way.

Eliphaz's Response

Photocredit: ShutterStock.com/auremar

Eliphaz is the first of Job's friends to speak. His first response is recorded in Job 4 and 5. After listening patiently to his friend, Eliphaz follows Job's lament with an important question. Can God's creation claim to be more just and more pure than God? While Job doesn't say that he is more just or pure than God, he does accuse God of unjustly condemning him. Eliphaz was asking Job if a man really had the power to claim moral integrity.

I have often heard people question events in life and accuse God of unfairness. People lose faith and suggest that God unjustly judges us or allows tragedy to occur. The truth is, God is perfect; He knows everything and we only know a sliver.

While Eliphaz is right that we have no right to question God's judgments, he uses this to accuse Job of committing an unconfessed sin. Eliphaz's logic isn't just that we shouldn't question God, but that obviously God is punishing Job for something he did. In Eliphaz's mind, it's impossible for Job to be suffering without having done something wrong.

This very thought is common, even today, in our world, but it needed to be addressed before the Messiah came. If no one believed one could suffer without sinning, no one would ever accept a Messiah who died on the cross for our sins. We're even given a glimpse of how this scenario will play out with Jesus in Job 4:4-5. Eliphaz essentially mocks Job by commenting that Job's words had helped countless people out of that exact predicament yet Job couldn't help himself. A similar sentiment was expressed to Jesus at the cross (Matthew 27:40-42).^[1]

Paul quotes Eliphaz's statement from Job 5:13 in 1 Corinthians 3:19. He uses Eliphaz's words to remind us that no man really has wisdom; we must be made a fool to gain wisdom. What Eliphaz doesn't understand about his own statement is that sometimes God allows us to experience hardship to learn from it, not because we have done something wrong and deserve a punishment.

Job Replies to Eliphaz

Job doesn't take so kindly to Eliphaz's suggestion that he is a closeted sinner. Now, Job not only feels attacked by God, but by his friend as well. Job confesses that the weight of his grief is heavy and he doesn't know why he's experiencing this. Job's desire is to speak to God directly to learn why this is happening. In Job 7:21, Job basically asks how long the punishment should last if he had in fact sinned. Job is basically saying the punishment doesn't fit the crime. If Job had sinned, but didn't know that he had sinned, how big of a sin could it be that it warranted the loss of his family, wealth, and health?

While I completely understand Job's sentiment, how bad was it that Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree that we should all suffer? Job asks why God hadn't forgiven him, yet he still maintains that he is innocent. We can only be forgiven of our sins when we repent. Repentance requires acknowledging and confessing our sin. Job, in his insistence that he was right, hasn't acknowledged or confessed to a sin yet.

It is interesting that throughout the book, Job also asks for death, yet when his wife tells him to curse God and die, he does not. I believe Job's desire for death and animosity toward God were both "false" feelings. Have you ever gotten mad at someone and said "I never want to speak to you again," but less than an hour later you miss that person? Similarly, when we are jealous of someone, we often act and feel as though we don't like the person, when in truth we want to be just like that person. Emotions are weird that way. Job knew that if he spoke against God or rejected God outright he would be struck down. Yet, Job never does so. Even as he questions why God allowed these calamities to occur, he never falters in belief or suggests that God isn't worthy of following. In his heart, Job knows that God is justified.

Have you ever noticed that "happily ever after" is generally synonymous with riding off into the sunset? After sunset comes darkness. Sunset represents the end (i.e. death). Wouldn't happily ever after come with a sunrise? *shrug*

People today are quick to shed their belief in God for exactly this point of contention. So many people I know assert that God can't exist or can't be good if He allows evil to exist (this is called Theodicy). They renounce their belief in God and trot off into the darkness. Something stops Job from doing this: faith. Job is described as righteous and blameless. The whole reason this ordeal befell Job was because God pointed at him as an example of true faith. Job proved God's point because even though he tells his friends he has lost hope, he doesn't deny God as his Creator and King.

Bildad's Response

Bildad speaks in Job 8. I often see videos on social media suggesting "best friends" are more crass when speaking to their friends. Examples are often the contrast of a regular friend saying something encouraging and a best friend "telling it like it is." In these videos, Bildad would be the best friend. Eliphaz was subtle in his suggestion that Job had committed a sin, but Bildad flat out says Job's children probably got what was coming to them.

³Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice? ⁴If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression; ⁵If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; ⁶If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.Job 8:3-6

Despite being a friend of Job's, Bildad is convinced Job has sinned. Bildad's reaction is something like "yeah, whatever, just repent and move on with your life." It comes across as though Bildad thinks Job is both over reacting and being dishonest. Again, in the minds of Job's friends, God would never allow such things to happen to a man who was truly upright.

Job's Response

Just as Job responded to Eliphaz, Job responds to Bildad in chapter 9 and 10. Job frames his reply as though he wishes to settle the matter in a court of law. However, even Job is aware that he would never win the case. The transformation of the book is that in the beginning, Job longs for this trial and is disheartened because the deck is stacked against him. God is the Supreme Judge and controls all things; no man can bring a case against Him. Really, who would you bring it to? At this point in Job's life, he believed this was unfair. By the end of the book, he realizes that he shouldn't win a case against God because he doesn't know much.

Zophar's Response

Zophar follows up with the same bluntness Bildad has expressed and accuses Job of being all talk (Job 11:2). Zophar asks if everyone else should sit quiet based upon Job's ostensibly false claim that he is innocent. Although we know the theology of Job's friends is not sound, Zophar poses a good question in Job 11:3. Zophar is basically asking if Job's lies trump reality (of course in this case, Job isn't lying and "reality" is Zophar's opinion). Zophar also accuses Job of mocking God and suggests they have a right to make him ashamed of his behavior.

I feel that Zophar's sentiment directly relates to modern day. Many Christians are asking these same questions in light of the rise of transgenderism (the LGBT community as a whole, actually). Should we respect people's choice to switch genders? Should we call them by their new names and refer to them by the pronoun of their choice? Or should we be speaking out?

God's word tells us to love our fellow man and treat them with kindness. Therefore, it is a given that we are not to abuse people. Although there a so-called Christians who don't seem to understand this, there shouldn't be a question of whether we treat people like people or not. Notice that even though Job's friends are accusing him of sin and Zophar is calling him a liar, they are sitting in the ashes with him trying to be supportive. Zophar's question is about supporting a lie. In Zophar's opinion, Job was lying about having not sinned. If Job had sinned, it wouldn't help Job for Zophar to pretend he hadn't and go along with Job's false reality. Do we help those who believe they are the opposite gender by allowing them to become their gender of choice?

When we ask this question, another question is are we right and them wrong or are they right and us wrong? When Zophar asked this question it turned out Job was right (in maintaining his innocence) and Zophar was wrong. Had Zophar acknowledged this and began thinking from Job's point of view, perhaps they would have gotten to the answer quicker. Further, he might have actually provided comfort to Job. I'm not saying that this is the case in conversations with those who claim to be transgender, rather I'm pointing out the deeper truth from Job that as humans we are fallible. We often believe that we are wise when we know nothing. We must be diligent in seeking God's help before trying to comfort or advise those around us.

Job's Response

The Wicked

Job can disprove his friends claim that misfortune equates to a bad person and fortune equates to a good person. He points out that there were thieves enjoying the life of luxury while he suffered. People who did wickedly weren't suffering either. Job wanted to know why.

These people often suffer eventually, and sometimes are already suffering internally. We see this among celebrities—despite being successful, they often struggle with drug addictions and depression. Social media today allows people to put their best face forward all the time, when secretly, many of these people are struggling and suffering more than we could ever guess. Just because we can't see someone suffering doesn't mean God hasn't punished them.

Another reason we don't necessarily see the wicked suffer is because it doesn't serve the devil to torment them. The reason Job was chosen to endure such torment was because the devil wanted to prove God's people weren't actually loyal to Him. God held up Job as the perfect example of a loyal servant. The devil didn't need to torture someone who was clearly not loyal to God to prove his point, he needed to take the person God claimed was loyal and turn him against God. Converting a believer to a non-believer is a victory for the devil. Thus, it stands to reason that the devil seeks out the faithful to torment.

Inferiority

Job felt as though his friends were talking down to him. He states that he isn't inferior to them in Job 12:2 and 13:2, which tells us this conversation was definitely not going well. Job wants to speak to God, because he knows God to be reasonable, but he has determined his friends are nothing but liars. Job accuses them of lying on behalf of God and points out that this doesn't help God. This problem is in full effect today. People justify false doctrine and even true doctrine with lies. When we don't know the answers, it is better to admit we are unsure rather than attach God's name to something false.

Life Is Short

Job reminds us that the simple fact that we are born of a woman (i.e. born from the fallen state of man, and thus born in sin), we are destined to have our days numbered. Our lives are but a blink of an eye to God. Job's take on life is quite interesting when you really think about it. Given that Job lived during the era of the patriarchs, the average age of mankind was just under 200 years, but previously, people had been living for almost a thousand years. Compared to his ancestors, of course Job would feel human life was short. This is ironically, the same thing scientists tell us about life.

Both science and the Bible agree that there will come a point when life on Earth ends, and neither can tell us exactly when that point is. From a scientific viewpoint, when life ends on Earth, it could be the end of life period. If an asteroid took out the Earth tomorrow, humanity would be gone and the universe would continue without us. However, from a Biblical standpoint, when life ends on Earth, those listed in the Book of Life will live on in Heaven with God for eternity. Job's take on life being but a blink of an eye is in reference to our Earthly life. Even if God prolongs judgement for a million years, that is nothing compared to eternity. My point, is that from a Biblical stand point the idea that our lives are but the blink of an eye will always be true because there is a set end to life on Earth, but no end to God's kingdom. Thus any suffering we endure during this life is but a blink of an eye, too.

We aren't told Job's age at death or his age during his tribulation, but we are told that Job lives 140 years after the tribulation. Considering the fact that Job had 10 kids, even if he had begun fathering them in his mid-teens (which is unlikely), he had to be at least 25 at the time of his suffering. Another 140 years would place his age at 165 when he died. Job's children all died in 1 day and his conversation with his friends started 1 week after he was struck with boils. No one knows exactly how long Job suffered (the death of his children probably haunted him forever), but most scholars estimate the events in the book could have took place in as little 2 weeks, but definitely took place in less than a year. Job 7:3 suggests the ordeal lasted a few months.^[4] In comparison to Job's life, this is the blink of an eye!^[2][3] We often feel as though our problems will last forever or until they consume us, but like Job, we only suffer for a short while before God brings us a reprieve.

Choose Your Friends Wisely

Like Job, most of us seek council from our friends. Whether we are experiencing a true crisis like Job or we just want to know which pair of shoes compliments our outfit better, we trust those we surround ourselves with to a) tell us the truth and b) give us good advice. This means it's important we select these people wisely.

I often hear people say things like "Jesus hung out with the worst of them" to justify friendships with people who are buried in sin. What they neglect is context. Jesus healed people who were considered unclean and gave hope to a prostitute. However, Jesus also told those people not to sin anymore. He welcomed the prostitute as she was, but he told her to change. He healed the lepers, he didn't leave them in a state of sickness. We all have committed sins, and continue to commit sins, but as long as we repent, God welcomes us back into the fold. However, when we choose to sin and continue to sin, we push God away. People who live their life contrary to God's Will are not the people we need giving us advice. Their truth will not be the same as God's truth and their advice will not be holy advice.

The frustration Job experienced with his friends was due to their bad theology. They meant well, just as most people we meet today will mean well. However, their relationships with God weren't quite in the right place. Note that no one is perfect; your friends will never be able to comfort you or give you absolute truth the way God can. In the end, Job's friends seek forgiveness and likely improve. It speaks volumes that they were willing to sit in shame in the ashes with him during this ordeal. As you choose your friends, this is the scene you should remember. Will these people sit in ashes with me? Is their relationship with God intact? Can I trust their advice?

References

1. William MacDonald. Believer's Bible Commentary, pg. 520-521. 1995
2. "How Long Was Job's Suffering". GotQuestions.org; visited May 2017
3. "How Long Did Job Suffer". The Amazing Bible Timeline. February 6, 2012
4. "Question and Answer". La Vista Church of Christ; visited May 2017

Nehemiah 3: Rebuilding the Wall

Nehemiah 3 says a lot more than we give it credit for!

Introduction

Nehemiah 3 explains the process of rebuilding the wall. We are given the names of families and people who were in charge of each section of the wall. Reading the list was quite a struggle, for me. I kept wondering why we cared who built what and what the significance of this chapter truly was. Bible.org reminds us that the lesson to be learned from this chapter is rooted in unity and cooperation. As the members of the body of Christ, we must each perform our duty for the body to function as a whole. I think there's more to it, however.
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Importance of the Wall

Photocredit: Unspalsh.com/Tony Bertolino

Most ancient cities and nations have a wall around them—the Great Wall of China being the most famous. These walls protected citizens from outside invaders. Back then, there were no global councils (like NATO or the UN) to police behavior between countries. If a famine or drought struck, there was no Red Cross to bring supplies. Thus, leaders sought to make their empire as large as possible. If one portion of the kingdom was in drought, perhaps the other would not be. In addition, this provided the kingdom with riches and a larger army. Under this idealogy, small kingdoms were often absorbed in to these larger kingdoms, just as Northern Israel was taken by Assyria and Southern Israel was taken by Babylon. We don't think about wars like these often in the US because they aren't a threat to us, however, territorial wars still happen in world.

To protect their kingdoms, kings would build large walls around the cities to fortify them. These walls kept the enemy out, but were wide enough to allow the kings army to attack the enemy from atop the wall. This style of battle is highlighted in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah, had such a wall before Babylon destroyed the city. The Israelites, specifically Nehemiah, knew that without rebuilding this wall, Judah could never stand as an independent kingdom. Not to mention, it left God's house vulnerable for attack.

Many people are described as simply working on the wall, but others are assigned specific parts of the wall. Those parts were the sheep gate, the fish gate, the old gate, the tower of the furnace, the valley gate, the dung gate, the gate of the fountain, the water gate, the horse gate, the east gate, and the gate Miphkad. What do these landmarks and gates mean? God wouldn't have preserved this information if it didn't matter. Jesus Plus Nothing lays out the meaning of each gate both in our personal journey and prophetically. I'm going to highlight some of these points below.
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The Sheep Gate

Mentioned twice because it serves as the beginning and end of the wall, the sheep gate was built by Eliashib the high priest and the priests. Intuitively, the sheep gate is where they brought in sheep to be sacrificed at the Temple. We naturally assume this is linked to Jesus spiritually. The description of the work starts and ends here just like our world starts and ends with Jesus. Once we find Jesus, we take steps down a path to become closer to Jesus. The gates in between represent milestones on that journey. As we travel this path, various believers will help us move forward by steadying and fortifying that point of our faith. Most of us begin this journey with the encouragement of a pastor or priest, which makes it fitting that the priests were the ones in charge of building this gate.
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The East Gate

The east gate is the gate through which Jesus entered the city (see Ezekiel 44:1-2). Many believe He will return through this gate, as well. During the rule of the Ottoman empire, the gate was sealed to prevent the Messiah from entering (little did they know He had already entered). This fulfilled Ezekiel's prophecy.

Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah is listed as the keeper of the gate. Shemaiah is a popular name in the Old Testament, so there are quite a few Shemaiah's mentioned. Nothing seems to explain why Shemaiah was given watch over this particular gate.
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The Gate Miphkad

The final gate introduced is called Miphkad, which was thought to be the inspection gate.^[3] This is likened to the judgement we will receive when Jesus comes back. No one is given charge of this gate, rather those working around this gate are mentioned. This is also fitting since only Jesus can exact judgment.
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Work Together

Aside from giving us insight on our spiritual journey, this passage does focus on unity. These families came together to build the wall and succeeded. As a church family, we too, should be coming together to fortify a place for God in our hearts and the hearts of others. The Jews needed to protect a physical Temple, but we are to protect the Temple in our bodies. Each of us is better at something than our fellow believers, this is why it is important to fellowship with other believers. Together, we can fortify each other.

Did You Catch It?

The Bible is always lambasted as sexist, but there are some surprising passages about women that often go unnoticed. Once such passage is in Nehemiah 3:12. It wasn't just men who built the wall, Shallum's daughters also participated. This means they weren't sitting at home washing dishes and making sandwiches, nor were they restricted from working.
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References

1. Iain Gordon and Brett Wilton. "Bible Study on the Book of Nehemiah Chapter 3: The Gates of Jerusalem". Jesus Plus Nothing; visited April 2017
2. Steven J. Cole. "Lesson 3: We Won! (Nehemiah 3:1-32)". Bible.org. August 16, 2013
3. Isidore Singer, M. Seligsohn "Miphkad (R. V. Hammiphkad)". Jewish Encyclopedia; visited April 2017

Nehemiah 1: Who is Nehemiah?

Nehemiah is introduced and we learn about leadership.

Introduction

The book of Nehemiah is introduced as the words of Nehemiah; this is the closest thing we have to an announcement of authorship. From there, we jump right in to the role of Nehemiah and who he was.
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Who is Nehemiah?

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Athena Lam

Nehemiah is introduced as the son of Hachaliah. Hachaliah isn't mentioned anywhere else in the Bible; he is likely mentioned to help us distinguish Nehemiah from the other Nehemiah's of the Bible (re: Nehemiah 3:16, 7:7 and Ezra 2:2). Apparently Nehemiah was a popular name during that era. Today, Nehemiah ranks in popularity at 365 in the US.^[1] It's funny to think of Biblical names the same way we see names like Brittany, Ashely, Michael, and Josh today, but reading the Bible will quickly remind us that some names occurred more frequently than others. Since last names are never given, this makes it hard to follow the text sometimes. The Bible identifies Nehemiah for us by relating him to his father Hachaliah or his brother Hanani.
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Nehemiah's Task

While in Persia, Nehemiah receives news about Jerusalem and it's inhabitants. The wall and gates of the city were damaged, leaving the people vulnerable to attack. Without a fortified capital to lead Judah, Judah could never be an independent nation; a fortified capital required walls and gates. Upon hearing this news, Nehemiah is grieved and prays to God. He reasons with God that the people are repentant and eager to seek Him. As such, God's covenant stipulated that God would look out for them. Nehemiah is aware that Jerusalem had fallen and they were scattered do to their sins, but is ready to invoke the promise of God to return them once they have repented. Nehemiah prays for strength and courage to approach the king with the request to rebuild the wall. The reason Nehemiah felt it his duty to do such a thing is because he was the cupbearer for the king (Artaxerxes I).
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Position and Power

Nehemiah understood that it was his responsibility to move the reconstruction of Jerusalem forward because of his position. As the cupbearer, Nehemiah had access to the king, which meant he was the only person who could bring up the topic to the person on earth who had the power to get the ball rolling. Nehemiah prays for strength in carrying out this task because he knows it is up to him. Often, we are God's only representative in an area and it is our duty to stand for God. This can be a daunting task—I definitely remember times that perhaps I should have been speaking up for God but instead chose to remain silent. It takes maturity in our relationship with God to flourish in these situations. Like Nehemiah, we should be praying for courage and strength to carry out God's will when called upon.
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References

1. Mike Campbell. "Nehemiah". Behind the Name; visited April 2017

The Underlying Message

A summary of what I learned from Chronicles as it relates to today.

Introduction

Chronicles is about the kings of Judah, with 2 Chronicles focused on the kings after the division of the kingdom. Following the timeline and keeping the names straight is probably the most difficult thing to understand when reading this book. When I first began the books of history, I wondered why they're so often overlooked in churches today. As I began Joshua, all the way through 2 Chronicles, I found that they weren't always the most interesting to read. We often aren't concerned with who ruled Israel and when, because we feel that it doesn't apply to us. However, as I continued to read, I realized quite a few reasons it's important to be familiar with the information presented in these books, particularly Chronicles.
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Israel's Failure

The Israelites were really bad following God's law. I've seen many people try to debunk Christianity and Judaism by claiming archeological records show that no one practiced Judaism during the times presented in the Bible. Well, the Bible tells you they weren't practicing Judaism then. There is an explicit passage in the Bible that tell us the passover hadn't been kept in a long time (2 Chronicles 30:5). God says that while the Jews are captive in Babylon, the land will get her sabbaths, implying that either the feast days or the 7 year sabbaths had not been enforced. We probably shouldn't expect archeological records from the pre-exilic period to turn up an abundance of evidence that the Jews were worshiping God as commanded because they only did so for short periods of time.

Obviously it's good to know this when people challenge your faith. It is also important to know because these are the people who had the most direct communication with God. They are the descendants of the people who saw the waters part, yet the still had difficulties believing. If they had trouble, you know it will be difficult for us approximately 3000 years later. We have to want to hear God's voice and want to follow His ways, otherwise we will end up in the same trouble the Israelites did.

As time passes, we see the change in how leaders react to adversity. Initially leaders rely on God and God makes sure Judah prospers. However, the last kings rely on themselves to fix problems. They sell parts of God's Temple to buy protection from man. If this isn't a parallel for us giving up Godly morals to fit into the world, I don't know what is. These plots rarely help the Israelites, the same way fitting into the world doesn't help us.
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One Person Makes A Difference

Often, I feel like I'm just one person and I don't matter in the grand scheme of things. It seems that my choice to do right or wrong won't effect anyone but me. However, we see that the fate of Israel is described solely through her kings and prophets. I may not be a king or even a mayor, but our actions do effect those around us. The preacher's faith and actions effect the congregation's faith and actions. The faith and actions of the congregation effect how those outside the congregation view God. It is a ripple effect. When the king partook in idolatry, the people of Judah followed his example. Similarly, if the preacher sins, everyone else thinks its ok to sin and will sin as well. We must be conscious of our actions effect those around us, but we must also remember that those around us are not perfect. We should not follow their example, but Jesus'.
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The Government

That brings me to the issue of government. God didn't initially want a government in Israel. Governments mean that at some point we have to choose between what man is saying and what God has spoken. People are not perfect. No matter how great a president we select, they're unlikely to get everything right. Conversely, since we aren't perfect, it's even more likely that we select horrible people to lead. Yet, the leader of a country is very important. God makes this clear throughout the books of Kings and Chronicles. This person influences the entire nation and has the power to turn people to or against God. We should be mindful of this when selecting leaders on all levels.
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True to His Word

God is true to His word. In Deuteronomy, God told the Israelites if they didn't follow the law, He would scatter them. Every curse God declared upon the Israelites about what would happen if they broke the covenant, is shown in Chronicles. From the exile itself to a kings wives and children being stolen from him. This book serves as proof that God is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19).
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References

2 Chronicles 33: Manasseh & Amon

Judah's best king was followed by it's worst: Manasseh.

Introduction

After experiencing a power revival in Judah from the leadership of King Hezekiah, Judah plummeted back into idolatry under the reign of his son, Manasseh. Manasseh is described as one of the worst kings in the history of Judah.
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Manasseh

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Frantzou Fleurine

Manasseh takes the throne at 12 years old, which is still a bit young by modern standards but not the youngest Judah had seen. His reign lasted for 55 years but was the complete opposite of Hezekiah's. Where Hezekiah inspired Judah to return to God, Manasseh drove them to idols. He turns the people against their covenant with God and takes part in pagan practices, including witchcraft and child sacrifice. Manasseh re-erects the false altars Hezekiah had destroyed, going so far as to place on inside the Temple of God.

As we would expect, God is not pleased with Manasseh's behavior. However, God never acts without giving us a chance to repent, so He sends a warning to the people. Unfortunately, the Israelites (and ourselves) don't usually heed is warnings because we are so preoccupied with our own interests. When the people refuse to listen, God allows Assyria to attack.
During the attack, Manasseh is taken captive into Babylon. It is only in this time of need that Manasseh repents. Nonetheless, God hears Manasseh's repentance and delivers him back to Judah safely. The key take away from God's mercy, however, is that Manasseh's repentance was sincere. When Manasseh returns to Judah, he doesn't return to pagan practices or forget that God has spared his life; he come back a changed man and we are given evidence of this. He has repairs made to the Temple and gets rid of the false altars he construction within God's Temple.

As with many things in life, however, our bad behavior may speak louder than the good we do and become our legacy and greatest influence. Manasseh's sudden change of heart was too late in terms of his influence over the people of Judah. The were now accustomed to worshipping at the false altars and continued to practice sinful traditions Manasseh had introduced earlier in his reign.
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Relating to Today

African American's are well acquainted with this unfortunate cat and mouse game of good and evil. Just when the Union won the war and freed the slaves, Jim Crow became the law of the South. Similarly, the US went from electing its first Black president to elected Donald Trump, who ran a campaign that did nothing but incite racial hatred. In the Bible we see this same tug of war with Manasseh taking the throne after Hezekiah. Are we just destined for evil?

It's not that we're destined for evil, so much as the devil trying to trick us down that path. The last thing the devil wants to see is God's people worshipping God and behaving the way God wants us to behave. Once a revival begins, the devil is going to seek to squelch interest. He's going to do everything in his power to find a weak link and bring that progress to a halt. Anytime there is a shift in focus to maintaining a serious relationship with God, you can bet the devil is going to try to throw a monkey wrench in the plan. That could be on a large scale, like with the kingdom of Judah, or on a personal scale, like when we make changes in our personal lives. The only way to guard against such attacks is to expect them.
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Amon

When Manasseh dies, his son Amon takes the throne. Amon is 22 when he becomes king and only reigns for 2 years. He, too, does much bad while reigning as king. Possibly responding to Manasseh's change of heart, the people do not appreciate Amon's step back toward paganism and ungodliness. This leads them to conspire against him and have him assassinated. Upon his death, his son Josiah takes over as king.
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References

2 Chronicles 1-7: Solomon Builds the Temple

The most important event in Israel, is the building of the temple. Chronicles focuses on this heavily, with most of 1 Chronicles discussing David's preparation and the first 7 chapters of 2 Chronicles discussing Solomon actually building the temple.

Introduction

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The most important event in Israel, is the building of the temple. Chronicles focuses on this heavily, with most of 1 Chronicles discussing David's preparation and the first 7 chapters of 2 Chronicles discussing Solomon actually building the temple.
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Solomon Placed In Charge

2 Chronicles begins with Solomon taking over David's throne. Solomon continues to generate wealth for the Temple by initiating trade with Egypt and neighboring nations. This acquire great wealth for Israel and with it, he purchases chariots and horses, which were sure to strengthen Israel's army. God promised that Solomon would have a peaceful reign, but some of that could be because he purchased so many chariots. Neighboring countries would then know he was too powerful to be attacked. Likely God told Solomon to make these purchases, though there is also a chance that Solomon did not trust God's promise of peace and bought them just in case.
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Great Wisdom

We are blessed with the story of Solomon asking God for wisdom, which is also given in 1 Kings 4. God told Solomon he could ask for anything he wanted, and Solomon requested wisdom! How many of us can say we would ask the for the same if put in this situation. Matthew 21:22 tells us anything we ask of in prayer will be given to us, provided we come to prayer in faith. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes what I pray for is entirely selfish: good health for myself, help graduating from graduate school, etc. The conversation between Solomon and God reminds us that we should pray for wisdom. God had already promised us an abundant life (John 10:10), so why do ask for such things. What we truly need is the wisdom to discern right from wrong, righteous from unrighteous. God was so please that this is what Solomon asked for that he gave Solomon riches and honor in addition to wisdom. When we ask for the right things, everything else follows.
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Huram of Tyre

Solomon making a deal with Huram, the king of Tyre. King Huram sends wood and even employs some of his own men to do the work of cutting the wood at Solomon's request. When we are doing God's Will and ask nicely, things fall into place.

King Huram also sends a craftsman, also named Huram to help build things for the Temple. This Huram, though from Tyre, was born of an Israelite father and has ties to Dan. Whether one was considered an Israelite or not is often discussed as a matter of parentage, but those who converted to the God's law were also considered part of the Israelites. Thus, the fact that Huram's father was an Israelite, and depending on Huram's customs and attitudes, he may have even been seen as Israelite.
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Construction

Solomon began building the Temple on the second day of the second month during his 4th year in power. Considering the fact that he had the wood shipped from Tyre, which would have taken much longer back then than it would today, this is a pretty quick start to carrying out God's instructions. 2 Chronicles 3 gives us the dimensions of the Temple and is basically a blueprint. We are given intricate details about the gold used to overlay the walls, posts, and beams, as well as, the design of cherubims in the Temple. It was a masterpiece of great splendor. Solomon was determined that nothing but the finest was for God. We should remember that in our every day life. We may not be able to afford gold, but when we give to God, we should give the best that's in our ability to give.
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Furniture

2 Chronicles 4 recounts the items Solomon had made for the Temple and the craftsmanship of Huram, who came from Tyre to create these things. Solomon had an abundance of tables, lavars, basins, and candlesticks made to adorn the house and to be used in praising God. He was not stingy nor did he skimp on materials when it came to God. That's a major theme in the description of the Temple.
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Relating to Today

In the New Testament we are told that our bodies are the Temple of God. They are just as intricately designed and valuable. We should be sure to treat them well and take care of them. Solomon took great care to create the Temple and we should be sure to take great care in maintaining our personal temples.
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Dedication

Once Solomon gets everything in the Temple, he prepares for the dedication of the ark. During this time, the ark of the covenant was brought from the city of David (Zion) inside the Temple. Consequently, this is the last time the ark of the covenant is seen.

The dedication of the Temple takes place during a feast in the seventh month; this feast is likely the feast of Tabernacles, which would have required all the men of Israel to come to the Temple anyway. This ensured a large crowd for the dedication. At the dedication, the Levites which David assigned to musicianship praise God with music and song. There is a grand showing of people and praise. As the people praise God, He enters the Temple and appears as a cloud.

Solomon addresses the crowd with a brief synopsis of how he came to be the one to build the Temple; this includes a reminder that God foretold the coming of the Temple. Following the address, Solomon submits to prayer. This prayer is done publicly, proving that public prayer is sometimes acceptable. As with most prayers, He starts by praising God, invokes the covenant, then asks that God hear the prayers of Israel. Solomon's prayer is long and covers many scenarios. One such case is that of foreigners or strangers who seek out God. Solomon prays that they too will be heard.

God confirms that He has heard Solomon's prayer by consuming the burnt offering at the Temple with fire from Heaven. His glory fills the Temple and the priests are unable to enter. When the people of Israel see this, they humble themselves before God.

In gratitude, Solomon offers burnt sacrifices to God and they keep the feast for 7 days. On the 8th day they have a solemn assembly and the next day Solomon allows everyone to go home. On that final day, everyone is happy that God has blessed Israel and her kings. We are told that this day is the 23rd of 7th month, which means the feasts started on the 15th day, confirming this feast as the Feast of Tabernacles.

That night, God comes to Solomon and answers Solomon's prayer. He promises to hear Israel's pleas and establish Solomon as king, under the provision that they keep the law. If at any time they were to break the law and go astray, He would "pluck them up by the roots" from the land (which is exactly what eventually happened).
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References