He Has Risen

April 1, 2018 Background Scripture: Luke 24:1 – 35 Lesson Passage: Luke 24:1 – 12, 30 – 35 “Good News from the Graveyard” is how I heard one preacher eloquently expound on the subject of Resurrection Sunday. There is such a contrast between the thought of “good news” and “graveyard” that any presentation involving both is bound to pique one’s curiosity. There is no wonder at the uproar caused among the disciples of Jesus by the report of a group of women that they were told that Jesus had been raised from the dead. And this being the third day of grieving for the disciples of Jesus likely made the news sound even more incredulous. The disciples had come to accept that Jesus had the power to raise the dead. They had witnessed it at least three times: the widow’s son in Nain, Jairus’ daughter, and the most incredible of all, Lazarus of Bethany. But with Jesus now dead, who has the power to raise him up again? The death of Jesus, supposedly, was going to be the end of all of the miracles that were upsetting the leaders in Israel. If Jesus is put to death, then he can work no more miracles and everything in Judea would return to “normal”. At least, that was the thinking of the rulers in Israel. Regardless of Jesus’ statements concerning his death, the disciples could only draw sorrow from those statements. Now, he was dead as of two days ago, on Friday. There was no more anticipation of miracles. After a little while, they would all go back to their “normal” day-to-day activities like it was before they met the carpenter’s son from Nazareth. They thought he would fight for his life and they were prepared to join in. However, he surrendered without so much as an attempt to fight or flee. He even stopped Peter from engaging the mob in a life or death battle. He just gave up. There was nothing else to fight about and nothing else to look forward to. A group of women decided to show their final respects by anointing Jesus’ body with spices as soon as the Sabbath was over—seeing that the crucifixion happened so quickly that it was at the beginning of the Sabbath and there was no time to do what was proper at that time. The women were astonished to discover that the tomb was no longer secured, and the body of Jesus was missing. To add to their confusion, two men in shining garments appeared and caused fear to fall upon them. They submitted to them by bowing their faces to the ground, hoping to receive mercy. Rather than mercy, they received an unexpected question that was followed by an announcement: “Why are you looking for someone who is alive in a place designated for dead people? Jesus is not dead; he is alive! He told you this would happen when he was with you before he was arrested.” With these sketchy details, the women went to find the eleven disciples and tell them what had happened to them. They found the eleven gathered together and still grieving Jesus’ death. They told them what had happened. The eleven found it easier to dismiss the women’s story as a fantasy they had concocted rather than accept what they could not bring themselves to fathom. Peter and John went to investigate it for themselves. It was true! There was no explanation that seemed plausible except Jesus’ testimony before he was crucified. Jesus had said that he would be crucified and die and on the third day rise again. They heard him say it, but once he was dead, how could that be? How does it feel to be confused and overcome with happiness? How do you go from grieving to overwhelming joy? One sure way to do it is to accept the good news: He is risen! Robert C. Hudson March 7, 2017

Keep My Statutes and Ordinances

March 25, 2018 Background Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:12 – 22 Lesson Passage: 2 Chronicles 7:12 – 22 Today’s lesson details God’s second appearance to Solomon. Both times, God appeared to Solomon at night in a dream (or perhaps a nighttime vision). In the pretext of today’s lesson, Solomon had prayed and presented a lavish offering of livestock before God at the temple’s dedication. God sent fire to consume the offering as an indication that the offering was acceptable to Him. The fire from God was also an indication that God would hear Solomon’s prayer that was made along with the offering. The fire was not the answer to Solomon’s prayer but an indication that God would hear his prayer. The dream was God’s way of verbally expressing to Solomon the answer to the prayer he prayed. God agreed to Solomon’s request to hallow the temple and make it a holy place that would be special to Him. God further agreed to do the things that Solomon requested for the people of Israel relative to the temple. If Israel respected the temple and its grounds, then God would hear the prayers that they offered before Him. Not only did this apply to them being at the temple, but even if they were in captivity in a foreign land and turned towards the temple when they prayed. God promised to hear and answer them—conditionally; based on the conditions of them, humbling themselves, praying, seeking His face (not His hand!), and repenting of their unholy actions. The statutes and ordinances God had already given Israel through Moses defined holy living. God continued to demand holy living of His people. This was not going to change. The temple in all of its majesty would not be pleasing to God if His people remained unholy. The temple would indeed be sanctified but God’s higher calling was for His people to be sanctified even more so than the temple. As Israel lived up to their calling in God to live holy, God would fulfill all of the promises He made to them. On the other hand, if Israel failed to keep God’s statutes and ordinances as God required of them, then God would allow the temple to be destroyed and become a mockery even as it was built to be a wonder to all who beheld it. Furthermore, God would remove them from the promised land of Canaan in addition to destroying the temple. Just as the glory of the temple was intended by Israel to show God’s favor that was upon them, the destruction of the temple would show the world His displeasure with them. God will not accept any god before Him—including if they attempted to make the temple their god. Neither would God accept the temple as a bribe to waive Israel’s requirement of holy living. The destruction of the temple would let the other nations know that Israel had turned her back on God and served and worshiped idols. If this public humiliation was going to be avoided, then Israel would need to keep God’s statutes and ordinances. Robert C. Hudson February 26, 2017

The People Gave Thanks to God

March 18, 2018 Background Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:1 – 11 Lesson Passage: 2 Chronicles 7:1 – 9 The temple that became known as the Temple of Solomon was the first structure, other than a tent, to be designated as the “official” resting place for the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was Israel’s most sacred physical possession. For them, it symbolized the very presence of God in the midst of His people. The Ark was important to Israel for many of the wrong reasons. The nations around them served idol gods (many of which they built) that could be seen—and in some cases touched. Israel’s all-powerful and living God was invisible. For many in Israel, the Ark was the physical representation of their invisible God. With the Ark, some behaved as if it was their physical entity (deity) like the other nations around them. Please note that Israel did not build the Ark as an idol god. God gave the Ark to them by providing the plans and the order to build it to Moses. The Ark was built in the wilderness during Israel’s years of sojourning. It was built to house the evidence of some of God’s miracles as well as a place to keep the tablets containing the Ten Commandments. At one time, it contained the tablets with the Ten Commandments inscribed, a pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded. King David decided that the Ark needed to be better protected from the elements and have a glorious facility to reside in rather than to be kept in a tent as God originally instructed Moses to do with it. David compared the luxurious palace he had built for himself with the tabernacle (tent) that was used to house the Ark. The Ark meant too much to Israel to not be placed in better surroundings. God respected David’s desire to build a more permanent place but would not allow him to build the facility. That task (privilege) fell to David’s son, Solomon. Initiating the building of the temple was one of Solomon’s first official acts as king of Israel. Last week’s lesson was about Solomon’s prayer of dedication at the formal presentation of the temple after it was completed. The elegance of the temple can be attested by the fact that the biblical description of it would still make it one of the seven wonders of the world even today! Solomon’s prayer was for God’s acceptance of the temple as an adequate place for the Ark and to hallow the temple itself. Solomon appealed to God by the mercies God had shown to his father, David. God’s response to Solomon’s prayer was immediate. When Solomon finished praying before the people, fire came from heaven and consumed the burnt offering. A thick cloud descended over the Holy Place and filled it so that no one could enter it—not even the priests. The people were in awe of God’s majestic display of power. Upon seeing this, the people bowed down and worshiped God. Their hearts were filled with gratitude because they understood that all that Solomon had requested in his prayer was being granted because of God’s immediate and positive response. Prayers that are answered immediately deserve an immediate spontaneous expression of praise, worship, and gratitude. Because of God’s response, the people bowed down and gave thanks to God. Robert C. Hudson February 21, 2017

There is No God like You

March 11, 2018 Background Scripture: 2 Chronicles 6:1 – 21 Lesson Passage: 2 Chronicles 6:12 – 21 This lesson examines the prayer that King Solomon prayed in dedicating the newly completed temple in Jerusalem. At King David’s request, his son, Solomon, was anointed by the priest, Zadok, and the prophet, Nathan, to be the heir to the throne that governed Israel. On his death bed, David made two requests of Solomon to be completed after he had been enthroned over Israel. One request was for Solomon to execute judgment concerning David’s former captain of the military, Joab. Joab was ruthless, and David knew it. In fact, David took advantage of it when he needed to. His request to Solomon was to not allow Joab to die of old age. David’s second request was for Solomon to build a temple in Jerusalem to house the Ark of the Covenant. David made provisions by acquiring all of the materials needed but God told David that he could not build it because he was a man of war and because of the blood that was on his hands. David gave the plans to Solomon for the construction. The temple was to be the most magnificent in the known world. The temple became known as one of the great wonders of the world and travelers from afar came just to see it. Its construction took seven and a half years to complete and no expense was spared. The formal dedication of the temple would not spare any expense either. Israel’s God was a great God; and the temple and its dedication were designed to reflect that greatness. During the dedication, 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep were offered to God as burnt sacrifices. Today’s lesson passage is part of the dedicatory prayer that Solomon prayed before the congregation of Israel. “There is no god like You” was the opening statement Solomon made in the prayer after addressing the Lord as the God of Israel. Solomon prayed about God keeping promises and covenants that He made with His servants. Solomon asked for the confirmation of God’s words that were spoken to his father, David: that there would not fail to be a descendant of David’s to sit on the throne of Israel. Solomon acknowledged that man’s finite work is not adequate to contain an infinite God. In spite of the temple’s finite limitations, Solomon requested that God bestow an honor upon the temple. He requested that God give attention to prayers offered in the temple, prayers offered by His servants who are away but would pray facing the temple, and even prayers offered by His servants who would be in exile in a foreign land who prayed facing in the direction of the temple. (Daniel experienced a fulfillment of this while in exile in Babylon. He prayed at a window looking towards Jerusalem.) Solomon prayed that all that had been done, in an attempt to acknowledge God’s greatness, would be accepted by God. Although the temple could not contain the vastness of God, Solomon’s prayer was that God would honor the temple by placing His name there. No other name would suffice for the temple; seeing that “There is no god like You.” Robert C. Hudson February 21, 2017