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Searching Scripture

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 13 & 14

Poetry: Proverbs 23

New Testament: Acts 17

     It is hard to discuss Acts 17 without mentioning verse 11, and the more “noble-minded” behavior of the Bereans, compared with the Thessalonians. They received the word with great eagerness and searched the scriptures daily to determine if what they were being told was true. The central comparison with the Thessalonians involved those residents of the city who had rejected the truth and driven out Paul and his companions. So it seems like the issue was the Bereans’ openness to examine the truth and receive it, making Bible study itself secondary. But the verse offers a lovely image of people being excited with the truths of the gospel they are hearing, while still being cautious to verify they are not being led astray. That image fits better for a group of Jewish believers, already familiar with the Old Testament, than it would have for a group of Gentiles who were only first hearing about the Gospel and learning about the scriptures. But you can see how the image may also apply to those who are familiar with the Bible and then are exposed to a new way of understanding it, perhaps the Gospel of the Kingdom, or the sleep of the dead. To first grasp such an idea and then figure out how sections of the Bible you previously thought you understood actually fit together and form a different picture may require examining dozens of texts. And in that process the new understanding becomes more fully owned, and more ready to be shared with others.

     After Paul left Berea he found at Athens one of the centers of Greek paganism, paired with one of the centers of Greek philosophy. Neither aspect of the city impressed him, but he considered that the altar to “an unknown god” (theos agnostos) gave him a discussion point for speaking with the philosophers of Athens. The idea of the altar wasn’t, apparently, to be cautious and try to honor some nation’s god which the people were not yet aware of. The phrase was intended to describe divinity in a Platonist way, saying there was a fully transcendent god, so “other” as to be unknowable to humans. It suggested a being who was infinite, formless and changeless. When Paul described “The God who made the world and all things in it” the philosophers present may have immediately known that Paul had in mind something quite different than the altar was for – our God is glorious and transcendent, yes, far beyond us, but also immanent, capable of creating, capable of loving that creation, and desiring to save creation. When Paul argued that God doesn’t dwell in temples, and can’t be represented by statues of gold, silver or stone he was rejecting aspects of the “pagan” Athens, not the “philosophical” Athens, and the philosophers may have been right in line with his words. But then he spoke of the resurrection, and most of them could get no grasp on what he was referring to. The normal philosophical notions of perfection were all about being freed from the physical realm, they involved the mind, and continuing life after death as a spirit being. The idea of desiring to regain a body after dying played no part in that. A very few members of the group were willing to leave with Paul and learn more, but it seems that Paul was not interested in coming back to keep talking to the rest of them. Their reputation was that they loved to talk and to listen, but Paul could tell there were better things to do with his time.

     As an odd note, the name of Dionysius the Areopagite (who left with Paul in v. 34) was taken up for a very prominent fraud. The tradition of studying and teaching philosophy in Athens continued into the 500s, though it is considered that the last major figure in that line was Proclus who died in A.D. 485. Sometime in A.D. 500-520 a set of ten letters and four treatises was released, portrayed as being by “Dionysius the Areopagite,” who was remembered as having become the first bishop of Athens. It presented a Christian philosophical-theology in line with Proclus’ writings. Because it claimed to be from the first century it could be used to support a number of ideas it contained, like the trinity, which were not established by the Bible. One of the writings is credited with coining the Greek word for “hierarchy,” and it describes the structure of the church with bishops, priests, deacons, monks, etc. After these works came to public attention in 533 a bishop did ask why, if they were really from Dionysius in the first century, they had never been heard about or quoted from before. But as people found these texts useful for claiming what they wanted to prove, objections were set aside. The writings of Pseudo-Dionysius-the-Areopagite weren’t properly questioned for centuries, and they were not widely rejected until issues were raised in the Renaissance in the 1400s. Eventually it was seen that the text of one of the works had plagiarized Proclus, which made the sequence of events clear, but that wasn’t recognized until 1895. Truly this was a case where it would have been better if people had been content to examine the scriptures and compare them to what they were learning elsewhere.

     Paul wrote to the Corinthians that “the Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-24). Paul had some experience with Greek people, not just in Greece, who wanted to hear things that would let them feel big, and wise. It is enough to accept that God is those things.

     Dear Lord, please help me be open to knowing you as your child, as Paul wrote. Simply, and lovingly. Please remove complications that aren’t needed, barriers that get in the way. Open my eyes to you, please, and let me see. Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Questions:

  1. Have you attempted to examine the scriptures to determine that what you have learned was correct?
  2. Paul’s speech to the philosophers seems well crafted, he found an interesting hook, he cites Greek poetry, he pays attention to local concerns – it seems like a good example of Paul trying to be all things to all people that some might be saved. (1 Corinthians 9:22) How do you view the idea of trying to be “all things to all people”? Do you think Paul ever had much of a chance to have a big impact with the group he was trying to reach in Athens? Do you think there was more potential for those who he had reached to reach others there after he left?
  3. What do you think could cause someone to feel they needed to write a book under a borrowed name to present their beliefs about Christianity? What could they have done next?
  4. What do you think made it so hard for people to see the truth about the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius-the-Areopagite?
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How to Fall Less Often

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 19 & 20

* Poetry: Proverbs 11

New Testament: Acts 5

From the assortment of proverbs that we find in chapter 11, I want to select one proverb for us to deliberate on in more detail. Let’s consider Proverbs 11:14, “Without wise guidance, people will fall, but with a multitude of advisors, there is deliverance.” Part of the context that must be inferred is who is the one needing “wise guidance” or else they will fall? Presumably this would be a king or governmental official of a city or nation who is in need of counsel in order to make good choices.


The metaphor “fall” can refer to any number of detrimental circumstances such as the decline in the local economy, the failure to enforcement of civil policies, or worse, being conquered and destroyed by an invading enemy army. Most likely the last circumstance probably forms the best background with which to interpret the proverb since the terminology of “deliverance” often refers to being saved from the threat of defeat in battle.


The parallelism structure of the proverb is antithetic where the two lines express opposing ideas. The first line says that if you don’t listen to “wise guidance” then you will experience a “fall,” but if you listen to a “multitude of advisors,” then you will have “deliverance.” The first line offers a negative outcome, while the second a positive one. These outcomes are intended to motivate the reader to understand that in order to not “fall” and in order to
have “deliverance” one must listen to counsel and instruction from trusted individuals. To ignore “wise guidance” will result in failure (i.e., defeat), but with the wisdom that comes from many advisors, there will be victory/safety. Thus, the proverb is exhorting the reader to listen to and learn to follow sound advice in order to make better decisions.


We may not be fighting battles where the quality of our military strategies can result in either being conquered or successfully defending a territory, but we are faced with difficult decisions every day about situations that can result in potentially negative outcomes. Think about a time when you made a decision, only to find out later that it wasn’t a very good decision because you realized something that you didn’t know beforehand, and then you thought to yourself, “If I only knew this at that time, I would have decided to….”

We probably have all had that thought—and perhaps some of us (like myself) have it quite often. If we ask for advice from others, oftentimes they can see things in a situation that we are blind to, or their experience from a similar situation can help steer you away from making a foolish decision. Whatever the case may be, we are better suited to make a smart choice if we gather “wise guidance” from others. Remember, “None of us is as smart as all of us!” So, don’t resist listening to the counsel of others, because to think that we know better is to prepare ourselves for a “fall.” And believe me, falling hurts!

-Jerry Wierwille

Reflection Questions

  1. When was a time that you “fell” because you tried to figure it out without hearing the wisdom of others?
  2. Who is currently in your list of people you turn to when you need advice? Do they provide wisdom and guidance?
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Tabernacles of Yesterday to Tabernacles of Tomorrow

Old Testament Reading: Numbers 16 & 17

Psalms Reading: Psalm 67

New Testament Reading: 2 Corinthians 4

Today’s reading of Numbers 16-17 takes us back to the time of the Old Testament tabernacle which is super relevant to what comes later in the New Testament since the Bible is woven together from beginning to end. At this time, the tabernacle was a physical structure in the middle of the camp with the 12 tribes of Israel camped around. And there were some special rules/regulations regarding the tabernacle. Things like only the Levites could hand carry the ark of the covenant (versus toss it in the ox-cart and hope for the best), there were specific offerings at specific times and places, burning incense, priests had certain duties, the High Priest had a sacred role, etc. Given the expectations were literally put in place directly by the LORD himself, it seems unlikely that it was without reason or design or something to ignore. But, today’s reading starts with 250 Israelites fighting against the rules stirring up more rebellion like we see time and time again in them. . .and in us. Unfortunately, these were God’s rules set by his sovereign design, and as we know well, the Israelites, just like us, simply do not know as well as God does. So, God cleared things up for them. It involved a plague, a fire from heaven consuming some, and men falling facedown before Him, but His way was known.

Some of the OT readings about the tabernacle and all the details used to be areas I kind of avoided.  (Though to be fair, if you started telling me about the dimensions of your house and every piece of home décor, I would also likely find myself checking out). But, this past year I had a friend share some of a study she was doing about the symbolism of the tabernacle (and all its little details) and its foreshadowing to Jesus, and it was very interesting. The story of the Old Testament tabernacle definitely seems symbolic to the arrival of the Messiah and the promise of the coming tabernacle of God that one day will descend from heaven to earth. A place where those who are followers of Christ will finally be able to dwell with the LORD and His son.

Revelation 21:3 (ESV)

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

-Jennifer Hall

Reflection Questions

  1. What do we learn from Numbers 16 & 17 about who God chooses? And what should our attitude be towards those he chooses for leadership?
  2. What do we learn from our reading today about the Lord God?
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The God Who Sees Me

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 15 & 16

Psalm Reading: Psalm 10

New Testament Reading: Matthew 9

We have a need to be heard.

We have a need to be seen.

In today’s Psalm, the psalmist begins writing about a wicked man who preys on the weak, he doesn’t seek God, “in all his thoughts there is no room for God” (Psalm 10:4), he is haughty and God’s laws “are far from him” (10:5), he is full of lies and threats, and, “He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees'”(10:11).

There are those who would like to think that God never sees. Don’t be one of them.

In the second part of the Psalm, the psalmist calls out for God to arise and take action, remembering the helpless.

“Why does the wicked man revile God: Why does he say to himself, ‘He won’t call me to account’? But you, O God, do SEE Trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand…You HEAR, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you LISTEN to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed” (Psalm 10:13, 14a, 17a)

And it just so happens that our reading in Genesis has an excellent example of this. Unfortunately, our very own Sarai and Abram, to whom God had promised a child and descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, got tired seeking God’s way and waiting on Him. Perhaps Sarai didn’t think God really saw her trouble and grief, or wasn’t able to do anything about it, if He did see. So her solution (and an accepted custom of the time – still not making it right) was to have her husband sleep with her maidservant Hagar and build a family through her. Hagar did become pregnant and jealousy and bitterness mounted within the household leading Hagar to run away.

She had been oppressed, abused and used.

But God heard her cry.

An angel of the LORD tells her it will be safe for her to go back to Sarai and resume her servant’s role, but that won’t be the end of her story. She will have a child and her descendants will be too numerous to count. I love that she was told to name her child Ishmael which means ‘God hears’. What a great life-long reminder she would have every time she said his name. I also love Hagar’s response. After God named her child, this oppressed and helpless Egyptian servant girl who just met God in the wilderness gives a name to God. “She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.'” (Genesis 16:13 NIV).

You are the God who sees me.

What a privilege to be seen by God.

In our Matthew reading we see that God has passed along this compassionate, caring, seeing trait to his son Jesus as well. Jesus sees the paralytic in need of forgiveness and healing. Jesus sees (and eats with and calls) the sinners and tax collectors (much to the dismay of the pharisees). Jesus sees the sick, the dead, the blind, the demon-possessed, the crowds that are like sheep without a shepherd. He sees and he has compassion and he gives hope and a new life. I am sure God is proud of His son – seeing these traits passed down.

Jesus says there is still work to be done. The harvest fields are full of the sick, the sinners, the oppressed, the Hagars. They want to be seen. They want to be introduced to the God who sees. Pray for God to show you where He wants you to work in his harvest field.

-Marcia Railton

Reflection Questions

  1. Are there times you have resembled the man of Psalm 10:4 – “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” How will you make room in your thoughts for God and seek Him? What role does pride play?
  2. When have you known God sees you? How can you introduce others to the God who sees and His Son who gives a new life?
  3. What did God reveal about Himself to you in your reading of His words today?
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You Have Heard it Said

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 7 & 8

Psalm Reading: Psalm 6

New Testament Reading: Matthew 5


I bet on more than one occasion you’ve heard the famous English proverb, “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from making his bread.” or more likely the abbreviated version, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”  More than one study confirms that people who consistently eat apples are more likely to be heart healthy, but in its literal application, adding one apple to your diet, even before bedtime, won’t do much. Sure, the fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants will benefit your body, but the dose within a single apple is far less than what your body requires to maintain peak performance. Additionally, the method of which you take your apple provides an important caveat.  If you are eating an entire apple within a cobbler or pie, you might be doing more harm than good to your body.  Those who consume whole raw apples are far more than likely to ingest other vitamin rich foods that collectively are making an impact on their overall health. In this way, we follow the spirit of this wisdom, more so than the verbatim message, so we can truly benefit from the richness of adages.

Jesus addresses the rules given to man in the Old Testament in a similar fashion in the second half of the Sermon on the Mount. While God’s law never changed, Jesus points out problematic observances of rule-following, apple-pie-eating, ill-intentioned Jewish culture of His time. Simply fulfilling the letter of the law is no longer the bar. God demands we go further than what has been said, or maybe “heard”.  You shouldn’t murder, but likewise, you shouldn’t wish your enemy dead. You shouldn’t have sex outside of marriage, but lust shouldn’t find a home in your eyes and heart. You only have permission to divorce out of marital infidelity, not simply because it is no longer convenient.  Additionally, keeping oaths, giving consequences, and loving your neighbor, all are presented in a new light.

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. – Matthew 5:22

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. – Matthew 5:28

But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. – Matthew 5:32

But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. – Matthew 5:34, 35

But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.  – Matthew 5:39, 40

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. – Matthew 5:44

If our intention is the Kingdom of God, then the motives for our actions are equal to the actions themselves. Being “good” receives us the praise of men, but the battle that matters to God is the one happening within. As stated previously in this week’s devotions, we do not serve a God of chaos, but of intention and order. We stick out like a sore thumb when our purpose differs from our action. He knows the motivation of our heart, and he can easily identify whether it is ego or altruism that is guiding the course.  He is not looking for us to consume a few bushels of apples. God is looking for the holistic, sacrificial worship of handing our lives over to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. He is asking we look beyond the letters and the adages, and take on the fullness of His diet.  Consuming God in every moment will lead to fulfilling the law (no murder, no adultery, no vanity), but truly I tell you, fully filling the spirit of them means we love our neighbors and enemies, our word is our bond to others and God, and we go the extra mile for the opportunity to speak Christ in word and deed, increasing the company traveling along the straight and narrow.

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

  1. What were the problems with how the Old Testament law had come to be interpreted and lived out? Do you see any of those problems in your own actions and heart?
  2. Jesus clearly states he didn’t come to abolish the law (Matthew 5:17-19) – how would you describe what Jesus did instead? And why?
  3. Which of the new updates poses the biggest challenge to you? Why do you think Jesus included it?
  4. In your Bible reading today what does God (who gave the law to Moses, and also gave authority and ministry to His Son Jesus) reveal about Himself?
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The End and the Beginning

Revelation 22

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

As the year comes to an end, and the days are short and draw to a close so quickly, so we turn to the last chapter of God’s word. The last vision we are given is a river flowing from the throne of God and of the lamb, with trees lining the banks. The people of God, living forever, dwell in a paradisal city that the Garden of Eden was always supposed to grow to. In fact, a theologian once said “What is a city, but a collection of ordered gardens?” Maybe the “concrete jungles” we are familiar with don’t seem that way, but in some sense, cities are places where life is put in order, in order to grow. 

It starts with a garden. It ends with a garden. 

With a man in a garden in between. 

“Let not what I desire, but you, God, desire, let that be done.”

The man who said those words also tells us here:

“I am coming soon! My reward is with me.”

In looking at the end, we take a look back at the beginning. God’s desires are made final, and he will be among us. God’s intentions from the beginning are made real at the end. 

He has done this through the one who calls himself “the Beginning and the End.”

As this year draws to a close : may you look to the one who has written the story of your salvation in his blood as you write A to Z. May you think of the one who goes on before you into your day and follows you up at night to bring it to a close. May you honor the Lamb who was planned before the first garden was planted, who will bring about the planting of the last garden, who for our sake submitted his will in a garden, and who for God’s glory was resurrected in a garden. 

The page closes. In a novel, this would be the end. 

For those in Christ this is only

The beginning…

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. Verse 7 says, “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” If you desire this blessing – how would you keep the words of this prophecy?
  2. Verse 12 says, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ” What have you done? What do you think Jesus wants you to still do?
  3. What thoughts and feelings do you have about “the end” which is really the beginning for those in Christ?
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Ready or Not, Here I Come!

Revelation 16

Thursday, December 1, 2022

Chapter 16 picks up with the angels and their bowls of plagues that describe some horrible and disastrous things that are happening to the earth.

In the middle of it all we get a message:

““Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.””

Revelation 16:15 NLT

Like Matthew 24 – the thief comes when those in the house will be least likely expecting it. 

As a kid, I remember playing hide and go seek with my dad. I figured out a way to actually not be found. I found a way to sneak in between the walls. No one could find me and it was great. Until it was not. After not being found for 10-15 minutes, I would get bored, get out of my hiding spot and make my way to do something else. And every time my dad would look at me and say, “Found ya. I win!”

I think that happens with us too. We get distracted or bored while waiting. That is when we move away from our calling.  We let our guard down and while we least expect it – ready or not, here he comes. 

Again we see another reminder to remain faithful and vigilant. We all will be found. Will you be found faithful and ready? Or ashamed and not? 

-John Wincapaw

Reflection Questions

  1. Say a prayer to God about how you want to be found.
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God’s Answers and Timing

Job 38

Monday, July 4, 2022

It is no secret that we come to times in our lives where all we want are answers. All we want is for God to bring us some incredible miracle and clash of thunder and then, BOOM! Everything makes sense. God is full of miracles. They may not always be what we were expecting or at the time we expected them, but they are incredible just the same.

Job 38:1 says,

“Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind. He said: Who is this that obscures my counsel with ignorant words? Get ready to answer me like a man; when I question you, you will inform me.”

This is Job’s first-time hearing God speak to him. After all he has been through, and all the struggles, Gods first words are not what you would expect. God’s answers reflect the point he is making to Job, that we cannot demand answers from God, BUT he is also letting Job know that he is still there, and he is listening. The times when God is silent are the worst times to us. But something to remember is that, even though he is silent doesn’t mean he isn’t there. He is watching and waiting to show us his grand plan.

Sometimes all we need in life is to understand, that there are no great answers for our situations, but that God has a plan in every situation we face that is for our ultimate good. As God continues to speak in Job 38, we see God asking Job tons of questions that no one could possibly answer, and we aren’t meant to answer them. We are meant to simply sit back and trust that God knows the answers and he has our life in his hands.

            Job 38:12 goes on to say,

            “Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, or assigned the dawn its place so it may seize the edges of the earth and shake the wicked out of it?”

God is using the morning as an example to explain to Job and us, that we are not in control of the things that will happen. We are to trust him and his timing for the answers or outcomes we are seeking. Sometimes it is the waiting that grows our faith the most because we have a moment to sit and wait for the next door to open. We can sit peacefully with God.

-Hannah Eldred

Reflection Questions

  1. Is there a place in your life where you are begging God to speak? What is it, and how can you let go?
  2. What does God questioning Job mean to you? Could you imagine the Lord speaking to you that way?
  3. What does a time of waiting mean to you? What are you waiting for in your life? How can you grow closer to God in this time of waiting?
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Our Bodies Belong to God

1 Corinthians 7

June 8

1st Corinthians chapter 7 presents us with Paul explaining to the church the importance of Christian liberty in marital relations. This chapter is all about the importance of the Christian concept of marriage and how it needed to be established in the early church.

            In Paul’s letter he writes about the principles of marriage, but he also writes about singleness, in 1st Corinthians 7:4 Paul says,

            “A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does.”

In a marital relationship, the husband and wife belong to one another, just as we belong to God in our relationship with him. We can also see this in how Elihu speaks to Job in Job 33:6.

            “Look, you and I both belong to God. I, too, was formed from clay.”

We all belong to God in everything we do. We are to trust God in his decisions for our lives and the places we are to go, just as our spouse is to rely on us in our relationships.

            Paul also speaks of singleness in chapter 7. Paul says in 1st Corinthians 7:8-9, and verses 32-35.

            “I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain as I am. But if they do not have self-control, they should marry, since it is better to marry than to burn with desire.”

            “I want you to be without concerns. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord. How he may please the Lord. But the married man is concerned with the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman is concerned about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the married woman is concerned with the things of the world, and how she may please her husband. I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but to promote what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.”

Paul isn’t saying we shouldn’t be married or have relationships, but he is saying, that when we are in them it is important to not lose sight of your faith, and to devote yourself to God first. Sometimes our seasons of singleness are God’s way of pulling us closer to him, and that is one of the most important periods in our life. We have an opportunity to be devoted to only God and spend time learning who he wants us to be.

This is where I have been in my life lately. I’m realizing that my relationship with God must come first before I am able to have a relationship with someone else, so that we can strengthen each other through our faith in Christ. God wants a relationship with us, and for us to trust in him first and foremost.

-Hannah Eldred

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. Whether you are single or married, how can you deepen your devotion to God?
  2. What is the person to do who is married to an unbeliever? Why?
  3. If you will be choosing a spouse, what does Paul say he/she has to be? Why?
  4. If you are married, how can you work (ideally, together, with your mate) at keeping God first?

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Seek Help from the LORD

2 Chronicles 20

March 22

Well, if you were called on to read today’s chapter aloud (II Chronicles 20), it certainly starts with some fancy names to stumble over. So, before I even got to verse 2, I already had to do a little research to really understand things. To set the stage for us, let’s read verse 1 and get a bit of a picture of who our characters are:

“After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat” (2 Chronicles 20:1)

Both the Moabites and Ammonites were pagan idolatrous people, and both were started through the incestuous relationship of Lot and his daughter in Genesis 19. While somewhat “related” to Israel since Lot was Abraham’s nephew, unfortunately  they did not worship the same God, and in turn,  God had given Israel warnings not to marry from their nations and not to adopt their customs or their gods. Moabites worshipped Baal. The Ammonites worshipped Milcom and Molech and were known for cruelty and infant sacrifice to Molech. And the Meunites seem to be an Arab tribe that was another enemy to Israel/Judah.

So, pretty much in this chapter, there are a bunch of enemies waging war against Judah. Things don’t look good.  The men, women, and children of Judah have gathered together. Often when this happened it would have been for a feast or celebration. But, not this time. They were scared and according to verse 4,

“The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him”

Verses 5-12 show us how they sought God with Jehosophat leading them in fervent prayer. And then God sends his spirit upon Jehaziel who says something in verse 15 to lift some spirits,

“Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

As you read the rest, you’ll see that this story does have a happy ending and the people finally get their celebration and chance to whip out the harps and lyres! But, not because of them or for them. It was because of God and for God.

“The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.”

There are some big enemies of God’s people today and we are living in a land full of other gods. Some are overt like the growing voice of Satan worshippers, modern paganism, and certainly some sorrowful practices with the way we treat infant life. But, others are far more subtle and creep in through media, entertainment, politics, education, and a general trend away from scriptures and the words of a sovereign God to relying on our own feelings and self-reliance .  I doubt many would look at America or most Christian organizations and see a people set apart worshipping the one true God. The other gods are here. The adopted customs are here. The enemies are here.  And in order to be rescued, it doesn’t require us investing in stockpiles of food and weapons. Instead, it takes fervent prayer and intentional seeking of the God who fights our battles and the one who is worthy of the glory He deserves.

-Jennifer Hall

Questions for reflection and discussion

  1. What enemies of God and His ways do you see in our world today? What is the danger in not recognizing these as enemies?
  2. What do you do first when confronted by enemies or facing the unknown? What did Jehoshaphat do?
  3. Reread Jehoshaphat’s prayer. What does he include besides just asking for help? How does he ask for help? How can you incorporate these into your prayer life?
  4. What did Jehoshaphat send to the front of the army? Why? What was happening at the same time that God was setting up ambushes against the enemy (vs 22)? How can you employ this powerful tactic in your battle plans?

2022 SeekGrowLove Bible Reading PlanDownload