The Assyrian Conquest: The Fall of Israel and Judah
This week, as a continuation of the series entitled “Between Two Mountains.” Pastor Lawrence reviewed the period of 900 to 700 B.C., and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Most of this week’s scripture on the slides was from 2 Kings. God’s chosen people were falling into a familiar pattern of despondency after a deliverance. God saves his people only to have them forget him and turn away from his covenant and commandments, to creating and worshipping false idols and sacrificing children. (2 Kings 17:38-39) “Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” This is easily relatable today, where God can be tucked away until that “in case of emergency break glass” scenario arrives, and he’s our rock at rock bottom.
All too often, we’re negotiating the daily slippery slope of sin. Our wants, desires, ambitions, and in some cases individual goals serve as the enticement, the lure down the primrose path, which we are trying to justify without a moment’s hesitation. (James 1:14-15) “But each person is tempted when they are lured and enticed by their own desire. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.” Just like children, we test our boundaries and limits, aware of wrongdoing but toeing the line of retribution and reprimand. I can always count on Pastor Lawrence to provide a colloquialism or idiom that translates to modern culture in ways most scripture doesn’t. Today’s sayings were those of a parent to a child who is trying their patience. “I wish a Hebrew would! Keep messing around and find out!”
Envisioning God as a father being tested raised some questions about our anger, grace, and love for others. Are we able to turn a cheek without turning our backs? (Psalm 103:8) “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” (Psalm 30:5) “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.” In our modern society, where money, social media, or AI become more prominent bait that draws us to walk that fine line between focused followers of Christ and salacious servants of sin, how do we unplug or reset? I think a good start would be asking ourselves how we could get to the place in our lives where we could say Hezekiah’s prayer. (2 Kings 20:3-4) “Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” I think it would help us better comprehend one of today’s slides, “Even when it’s about us, it’s really about God.”