CONDITIONS OF BLESSING (27 OF 52)
Scripture: 1 Kings 11:29-39
This content is part of a series.
Conditions of Blessing (27 of 52)
Series: Discipleship Part Three
Christopher B. Harbin
1 Kings 11:29-39
Growing up, I often heard the statement, ''If is a big word.'' My mother would remind me that there was a lot hanging on that very short word. A statement with an ''If'' in it called for lots of uncertainty. A promise with an ''If'' made life unsure. Everything depended on whatever that little ''If'' pointed to. I learned to give heed to her words. What I have found, however, is that all too often we do not do the same when it comes to the Biblical promises of God. We like to read them as though God has no conditions for our own behavior. Do we understand the value of those little ''Ifs''?
Israel and Judah had big problems with their kings. That should not be very newsworthy, as we are all too familiar with the concept that power corrupts. As soon as we gain a measure of wealth, status, or power, we tend to consider ourselves as somehow less than ourselves. We tend to dehumanize those who do not share our own standing. We tend to denigrate those whose existence would make us wonder why we should enjoy more standing, power, or wealth than anyone else. It helps us feel like we deserve more than others. That's where corruption enters the picture.
God calls us to a radically different way of living. Yahweh's decrees for Israel were built on a very different set of assumptions, whereby all persons were to be considered and treated with equality. In the way Yahweh designed it, there would be no king. There would be no class of overlords. All were to have an equal access to the land as the means of wealth production. All would have equal responsibilities for the protection of the land. All would have equal voice in making decisions. All would be able to enjoy the very same access to Yahweh's instructions for priests, understanding Yahweh's commandments, and enjoying the benefits of public worship at the Tabernacle.
If an accident of life caused one to ...
Series: Discipleship Part Three
Christopher B. Harbin
1 Kings 11:29-39
Growing up, I often heard the statement, ''If is a big word.'' My mother would remind me that there was a lot hanging on that very short word. A statement with an ''If'' in it called for lots of uncertainty. A promise with an ''If'' made life unsure. Everything depended on whatever that little ''If'' pointed to. I learned to give heed to her words. What I have found, however, is that all too often we do not do the same when it comes to the Biblical promises of God. We like to read them as though God has no conditions for our own behavior. Do we understand the value of those little ''Ifs''?
Israel and Judah had big problems with their kings. That should not be very newsworthy, as we are all too familiar with the concept that power corrupts. As soon as we gain a measure of wealth, status, or power, we tend to consider ourselves as somehow less than ourselves. We tend to dehumanize those who do not share our own standing. We tend to denigrate those whose existence would make us wonder why we should enjoy more standing, power, or wealth than anyone else. It helps us feel like we deserve more than others. That's where corruption enters the picture.
God calls us to a radically different way of living. Yahweh's decrees for Israel were built on a very different set of assumptions, whereby all persons were to be considered and treated with equality. In the way Yahweh designed it, there would be no king. There would be no class of overlords. All were to have an equal access to the land as the means of wealth production. All would have equal responsibilities for the protection of the land. All would have equal voice in making decisions. All would be able to enjoy the very same access to Yahweh's instructions for priests, understanding Yahweh's commandments, and enjoying the benefits of public worship at the Tabernacle.
If an accident of life caused one to ...
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