Recorded live 9am MST January 21, 2021 and streamed on our facebook page.
Our Adult Discipleship group (a midweek Bible class) is going through the Kings of Israel and Judah. You are welcome to join us for any session in person or online. See the calendar for dates. [View Series]
This chart is a map of our course of study. We will go chronologically king by king.
True Worship of the Lord
Worship life can be complicated. There are certain customs, important Scriptural principles, and there is a good amount of freedom to navigate. It involves teachers, preachers, and musicians. It calls for participation from all. Read 2 Chronicles 30:12 to 31:21 and identify some good principles for us to follow in our worship together:
Three things credited with fostering worship (30:12)
How to treat new converts/the weak in faith (30:18-20)
How to use God’s gifts in worship (30:21-22a)
View of time which gives the most honor to God (30:23)
What heartfelt worship brings to all (30:26)
Who hears worshippers of the Lord (30:27)
The proper response after worship is done (31:1)
Stewardship and the use of God’s gifts (31:3-10)
Church finances and money management (31:11-15)
Supporting ministers of the Lord (31:16-18)
You can’t Pay off the Devil
The people of Judah had seen the Assyrian army destroy Samaria just two decades earlier. They witness the Assyrian strategy which was to surround a city and slowly strangle it by capturing the weaker towns around and laying siege to the capital. Samaria fell after a three-year struggle.
Hezekiah witnessed the Assyrians slowly decimating Judah and preparing for their siege of Jerusalem. So, in desperation he made his own preparations for the siege. (A tunnel recorded in 2 Kings 20:20 was discovered in 1837 with an inscription by Hezekiah’s workers.) Read 2 Kings 18:13-16. How far was Hezekiah willing to go to get the Assyrians to leave? Evaluate his approach.
The ploy of Hezekiah to get the Assyrians to leave did not work. They did not keep their end of the bargain. Instead, they moved to destroy Jerusalem. Where should we draw the line when it comes to appeasing those who are in opposition to the Church?
We deserved far worse than an attacking army. Because of our sins we deserved death and hell. What was our King Jesus willing to give up to redeem us from death and hell?
True Worshippers are Taunted
Taunting on the sports field can give you an edge as you psyche out your opponent. Taunting on the battlefield can give you a faster victory as your opponent gives up. What about taunting over spiritual matters? Read the taunt of King Sennacherib of Assyria against Hezekiah and the people in 2 Kings 18:17-37. Who is the taunting really directed at?
Describe the types of attacks which God’s people will receive from their spiritual enemies at various stages in life.
How does the devil present the same type of bargaining to people today which was made in 2 Kings 18:31-32?
The people did not respond because Hezekiah commanded “Do not answer him.” How is that good advice when dealing with taunts?
How did our King respond to those who taunted him? What gave him the strength to endure it?
