The books of 1 and 2 Kings show us the times from David until the exile of Israel and Judah. What begins as a promising future with the nations flocking to Jerusalem to the peaceful, prosperous, and prominent King Solomon ends with their King in exile in Babylon. Did God’s promises fail? What happened? Can we even trust this Biblical history? What about all the weird stuff in these books? We plan to cover all this and more in this overview of 1 and 2 Kings.
Jesus appears to the disciples while in a room together. They are fearful that it is a ghost, but Jesus gives proof that He is resurrected with a new body, not a ghost. Jesus then explains that what happened was exactly what the Scriptures had said. Then, lastly, Jesus blesses them and ascends to His Father in heaven.
Though Israel’s situation is dire, they need to see it all through God’s perspective. That perspective is that this current affliction is not the whole story, but that God will again restore them. They must trust, turn, and follow Him, even though in exile.
God set us free from the power, penalty, and (in heaven) from the presence of sin. Yet, we often use that freedom in ways that do not honor God. Paul wraps up the discussion of meat sacrificed to idols by giving warnings, possible scenarios, and pointing to our ultimate purpose: glorifying God.
Jesus’ command to love our enemies ultimately shows us that God is the type of being who loves His enemies. As we come to see and realize our rebellion against God and His love in spite of that, it will then drive us to love our enemies. This must always be done, but is especially needed today in our polarized society.