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Division and Decline – Generational Sin

Rehoboam said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier.” When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? 1 Kings 12:14, 16

The dedication of the temple was the highest point in the Old Testament, and things went downhill fast from there. Solomon’s son was a guy named Rehoboam, and he was a jerk. He was prideful and told the Northern people of Israel he would treat them harshly. So, they rebelled against him and split the kingdom in two. The northerners created their own country which they called Israel and built a new capital in a town called Samaria. Meanwhile, the southerners started calling their Kingdom Judah and their capital was in Jerusalem. For the rest of the kingdom period, the north and south were divided and in conflict with one another.

When the two kingdoms first split apart, those in Judah wanted to go to war against their kinfolk in the North. However, God intervened and told them not to go. God chose to allow the kingdom to be divided but doesn’t want further wars to be fought about it.

The split of the Kingdoms is a symptom of generational sin within the family of David. A generational sin is a flaw or weakness handed down from parents or members of our family. Even though sin is personal, humans can inherit patterns of thinking from family members that can keep us trapped in destructive rhythms. Rehoboam was the third member of his family to be king, and he had witnessed his father Solomon and his grandfather David abuse their power out of pride. Rehoboam followed their example in abusing his power and being cruel to the Northern people. The two kingdoms never reunited.

Maybe you are vulnerable to generational sin. Perhaps you have seen destructive habits in your own family like substance abuse, verbal or physical violence, or being a workaholic. With God’s help, we can always rise above the sins of others, but it takes humility, intentionally, and faith. Reflect on the sins to which you feel most tempted and ask God for strength to see you through.

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Kings and Prophets – Solomon and God’s Temple

But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I (Solomon) have built! Yet regard the prayer of Your servant … Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive. 2 Chronicles 6:18-19; 21

King Solomon followed his father David on the throne of Israel . His mother was actually Bathsheba from yesterday’s story. Solomon is famous for being a wise king, and he was also very rich and successful. From the beginning of the Bible up to the time of Solomon, there had never been a formal building in which to worship God. For most of Israel’s history, the people had wandered in the desert as nomads. Anytime they settled down, they erected a tent for worship which they called a Tabernacle. Finally, after all the years and wandering, wars, and weariness, King Solomon organizes the people to build a temple for God in the capital city of Jerusalem.

If there was ever a high point in the story of the Old Testament, this is it. Israel was at that time a mighty nation with a celebrated king. Though a nation of many tribes, the people were united across the land. They had enough wealth and dedication to God to build a magnificent temple, and that Temple symbolizes two major themes found throughout Scripture. The first is God’s presence with God’s people. The second is that God will make a way to forgive our sin.

As the people celebrated God’s dwelling in the temple, King Solomon acknowledged the ludicrous idea that God could be contained inside the walls of a building, no matter how splendid. Moreover, hadn’t God been living with the people of Israel this whole time? When Abraham left his home to travel to an unknown land, wasn’t God with him? When Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, wasn’t God with him? When the people of Israel wandered the desert, conquered the land, and established a nation to the holy and set apart, wasn’t God with them?

God was with them just like the Holy Spirit is with us today. God is present with us and whenever we cry out God will respond freely with forgiveness and grace.

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Kings and Prophets – The Sin of David

This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to David: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul… I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes?” 2 Samuel 12:7-9

Even though King David was a great king, he was still a human king. He ruled over Israel for forty years, and eventually he messed up, and messed up bad. While his army was away defending the country, he decided to take the wife of one of his soldiers. Her name was Bathsheba. When she became pregnant, David arranged for her husband Uriah to be killed in battle.            

David had become greedy and prideful. He was the most powerful and privileged person in the entire country, and he decided to abuse that power and privilege to satisfy his own desires. What is crazy about this story is not just David’s greed and evil actions, but the way God responds. God says, “if everything you had was too little, I would have given you even more.” God is disgusted by the evil he has committed against Uriah and Bathsheba, but God is also offended that David was not satisfied with everything already given to him.

David’s lack of gratitude is underscored in the story by the name of the prophet sent to correct his actions. When David took Bathsheba from Uriah, God sent the Prophet Nathan to set him straight. Nathan’s name literally means “he has given.” So David is reminded of God’s generosity whenever he says the name “Nathan.”

David committed theft and murder against the people of his kingdom, and David also spurned God’s generosity and abused God’s goodness. What we learn from this story is that every sin committed against other people is also committed against God. Our Heavenly Father takes our sin personally. To be faithful disciples, we must spend time reflecting on our own sin and confessing it to our God who is eager to forgive us.

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Kings and Prophets – Humble David

“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel.’” Then King David said: “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 2 Samuel 7:8, 18           

King Saul, the first king of Israel, was kind of a dud, so God had the Prophet Samuel go out and find a new king who was named David. As a boy, David lived a rough and tumble life. He demonstrated great courage and remarkable faith. He spent his childhood protecting his father’s sheep in the wilderness, fighting off bears and lions. When Israel went to war, he volunteered to fight the giant Goliath with just his sling and a few stones, having faith that God would give him victory. Eventually, he became a general in King Saul’s army and showed great courage, wisdom, and valor.

The Bible calls David a man after God’s own heart. But what was the key to his success? Humility. A humble person is not tempted to put their needs before the needs of others. A humble person does not take any gift or responsibility for granted. When a humble person is bestowed with glory and prestige they ask “who am I that I would be honored in this way?” The beginning of David’s reign is characterized by this humility.

Humility helps us know exactly who we are. A humble woman has a clear-eyed view of her strengths and weaknesses. A humble man knows real strength comes, not from hoarding power, but extending power to others.

Poet and theologian Thomas Merton reminds us that “Pride makes us artificial; humility makes us real.” Way back at the beginning of the story of the Bible, it was pride that caused Adam and Eve to choose to disobey God. Much later on in the story, it is humility which drives Jesus Christ to forsake the riches and comforts of heaven to die a sinner’s death on the cross to rescue us from sin. How can you better cultivate the attitude of holy humility needed to be a faithful servant of God?

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Kings and Prophets – The Real Superhero

Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man (Saul) the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people. Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!” But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent. 1 Samuel 10:24, 27     

It seems like every few months a new superhero finds its way into our culture. It used to be a Marvel movie or occasionally a DC hero that was the next blockbuster hit. However, with tons of streaming platforms, now we are being bombarded with superhero tv shows every time we sit down to watch something. As a culture, we are obsessed with the idea that an extraordinary human can save the day, can even save us.

The first king selected to rule over the people was not a very good one. God knows that all humans are sinful and flawed, so God wanted to rule over the people as King. Instead, the people requested a human king and they were given Saul. Some thought he’d be superhuman, that he would be able to save all Israel. But that is of course too much to ask of a human king. Some people immediately regretted their decision to ask for Saul to be king. “How can this fellow save us?” they asked each other. They realized that super-humans are really just fairytales.

More than 1000 years after the reign of King Saul, another guy named Saul will write a letter to a church in the town of Philippi. He will remind the church that there is still hope for God to be King, in the person of Jesus Christ. King Jesus will finally rescue God’s people, redeeming them from sin and death. God will give Jesus a name above all names so every knee should bow to Jesus, God on earth, as king and savior. Imagine Jesus on the throne of your heart as King and Savior. Allow him to rule in your life knowing that he is more powerful than any human being.

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Kings and Prophets – Living Like a Prophet

But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so, he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 1 Samuel 8:6-7

In the story of Scripture, Israel is first ruled by judges, then it is ruled by kings. The kings were not part of the original plan. God intended to rule over the people of Israel as the real King, not have some human on the throne. However, the people are insistent. They see all the countries around them that have a king, and they want to be like the people around them.

In today’s passage, it is a man named Samuel who prays to God on behalf of the people to ask for a King. Samuel is a prophet. Now, some people think prophets are people who predict the future, but in the Bible a prophet is simply someone who speaks to the people on God’s behalf. Samuel is dedicated to serving God, so he is frustrated that Israel asks for a King to rule them. God tells him not to take it personally. The people haven’t rejected Samuel. Although God has been nothing but faithful, the people have rejected God.

Kings are very powerful. In ancient times, Israel’s neighbors would have worshiped their kings as gods on earth. If Israel is already rejecting God as their king, they may be tempted to reject God as God. Throughout the reign of Israel’s Kings, God also raises up prophets in each generation to speak the truth to kings and citizens alike.

The life of a prophet is very difficult. They must be wise enough to listen to God and have the courage to speak out. Many prophets are rejected, imprisoned, and even killed for speaking the truth of God to people who don’t want to hear it. Prophets are not just something we find in the Bible. There are modern day prophets who have worked and suffered for God’s cause. We are all called to speak up for what is right. Ask God for the wisdom and courage to live like a prophet in the world today.

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Conquest and Judges – Ruth and Naomi

But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die— there will I be buried…” Ruth 2:16-17

Some of the most popular jokes in movies and on tv are about in-laws. Frustrations about in-laws in general are a common theme from shows like Modern Family and Everybody Loves Raymond, and movies like Monster-in-Law and Meet the Parents. Relatives are always a challenge, but even more so when they are not blood related. 

For this reason, it’s interesting that this passage is actually most often used in wedding ceremonies, the process through which families are united and in-laws created.

In the story, Naomi, a Hebrew, is the mother-in-law to both Ruth and Orpah who are Moabites. After the death of all three women’s husbands, Naomi begs her daughters-in-law to leave her and find new husbands. They were not born into the Hebrew clan, and they are young enough to start their lives over somewhere else rather easily. Orpah departs, but Ruth decides to stay. She selflessly vows to live with Naomi, travel with her, worship with her, and remain faithful to her God and people for the rest of her life. 

Ruth goes on to marry one of Naomi’s relatives in order to restore her claim on the family land. She even has a child with her new husband, Boaz, whom they named Obed. The baby grows up to become grandfather to King David. The book of Ruth is a story of conversion. It’s unique because it shows how foreigners joined the family of Abraham, and even contributed to the bloodline of kings.

Ruth and Naomi understood the selfless love of God. They worked for one-another and not their own personal interests, and together they triumphed. It is a selfless love which we are all called to model as people redeemed by God through Christ. Naomi and Ruth’s generous actions became the seed from which the Tree of Jesse flourished to bear the fruit of King David, ancestor of Jesus Christ. May all of our selfless actions give birth to something beautiful as we see the family of God grow.

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Conquest and Judges – Deborah’s Servant Leadership

Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah …and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided.  Judges 4:4-5s

The Book of Judges runs in a pretty predictable cycle. Israel rebels against God, God raises up an enemy to punish Israel, the people complain and turn back to God so God raises up a judge to lead them in defeating the enemy. This happens about seven times in the Book of Judges, and the third judge is actually a woman named Deborah. At God’s direction, she commissions a man named Barak to the army in defeating an oppressive neighboring Kingdom. However, Barak says he’s too afraid to go without her. Together they go and defeat their dangerous neighbors, but the glory doesn’t to Barak because he is determined to be a coward.

Deborah is a powerful woman in the story of Scripture, and she breaks a lot of the stereotypes about what a Godly woman should look like. She is described as a prophet. She’s working as a judge and making wise decisions. The text says she’s leading all of Israel, and she understands politics and the military. Deborah also has a personal life. She’s married and might even have children.

Deborah is a woman who wears many hats. She has a lot of responsibilities. Which begs the question, what qualifies a person to serve God in a particular way? How do we know someone should be a teacher or leader or preacher in the church? According to Paul, the Holy Spirit equips each follower of Jesus with spiritual gifts to use in service of the Kingdom of God. We have a responsibility to discover and nurture these gifts within ourselves and other Christians.

Deborah would have spent time cultivating her gifts for leadership and prophecy before taking on a formal role. She was a wonderful leader and served Israel well. What spiritual gifts has God gifted you with, and how can be a servant leader in the church of Christ?

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Conquest and Judges – A Good Student

The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua (but)… another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. Judges 2:7; 10-12

Think back, do you recall learning to ride a bike? Who taught you ? Was it a friend or maybe a parent or grandparent? Wasn’t an easy task; did you learn it quickly? Or did you struggle? Maybe you fell down and skinned your knee. Maybe you needed encouragement to get the job done.

There was once a young boy whose dad was trying to teach him to ride a bike, but he was always terrified of falling over and hurting himself. After years and years, he finally just gave up because he was so embarrassed about it and it was a sensitive subject. Eventually, he grew up and became a father too. One Christmas, his wife decided to buy their son a bike. Suddenly, the man had to confess that never learned to ride one himself.

Growing up, there are a lot of things that we have to learn. Riding a bike is a pretty small thing, but there are big things too. If you don’t study cooking, then you could cause a fire. If you don’t learn to budget your money, you’ll ruin your finances. If you don’t develop a relationship with God, then you will drift through life without purpose. 

In the book of Judges, a new generation is born and grows up in the promised land. This generation never knew slavery in Egypt or wandering in the desert. Most importantly, they never learned about God. The entire nation of young Israelites began to drift away from the God of their parents. They never took time to learn about God, and, as you can guess, things start to go wrong for God’s people. Throughout the story of Scripture, the people of Israel will turn away from God again and again. When they do, God will send leaders to help put them back on the right track. These leaders are the heroes and heroines of the Book of Judges. As we reflect on this part of the story, how can you be a better student of God’s teaching?

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Conquest and Judges – Serve Sombody

Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of those in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

Who are you going to serve? It’s a simple question that Joshua asks the people of Israel as they settle into the Promised Land. The Lord rescued them from slavery, brought them through the desert, and conquered their enemies. God has provided them every step of the way, but Joshua knows that humans are fickle. Now that God is asking for their loyalty will they give it?

In 1979, Bob Dylan released a song entitled “Gotta Serve Somebody.” It won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, and the lyrics read in part: 

You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame

You may be living in another country under another name

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed

You’re gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

Maybe you’re on the fence about following Jesus. Or maybe you consider yourself a Christian, but you’re just not all-in. Joshua’s words and Dylan’s song both remind us that we are tempted to divide our allegiance. As Christians, we are supposed to put our citizenship in the Kingdom of God before everything. We are children of The Spirit first-and-foremost. We are servants of Christ above all things. But, there are so many things that try to make a claim on our loyalty, and these are not all bad things. Nevertheless, nationality, ethnicity, political affiliation, gender, sports team, popularity group, occupation, hobbies, even friends and family must all fall in line behind our devotion to God. Let’s face it, most of us struggle to serve God with an undivided heart. We want to serve God, but we fall short. Only Jesus served God perfectly, and we need the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome our divided allegiance. Invite the Holy Spirit into your heart to make you a better servant of Christ and shore-up your loyalty to the Kingdom of God.