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11/27/2018 God's Imperfect Family: King Abijah (Plus overview of the Kings of Judah and Israel) ~ 2 Chron. 13:4-12 ~ Carl CrouseRead Now
A broken clock is right twice a day. That is a fitting saying to describe King Abijam (or Abijah). Abijah is said to be evil in 1 Kings 15, yet in the one story recorded about him in 2 Chron. 13, he shows remarkable spiritual insight.
Today we continue a series from Jesus’ genealogy as listed in Matt. 1, God’s imperfect family. The genealogy is divided into three sections, we’re in the middle section, the Kings. Before we look at King Abijah, I thought it would be helpful to show the big picture of what’s going on at this point in history. Hand-out of the Kings of Israel/Judah…. (plus a smaller cheat sheet to tuck in your Bible. BTW, I have also decided that next year for the CBS we’ll study the Kings of Judah and Israel)
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A farmer was so discouraged with his farm? He decided it was time to sell and start over. The farmer hired a realtor. Before putting it in the paper the realtor called & read the ad to the farmer he’d written. The ad spoke of a good location, a well maintained house, sturdy barns, lush pasture lands, a beautiful pond, fertile soil, & a great view. The farmer listened carefully then said, "Read that to me again, slowly." So the realtor read it to him again. Finally, the farmer said, “No, don’t print that ad. I’ve changed my mind. I’m not going to sell. I’ve always wanted a place like that."
Look for the good. Today we continue flipping the pages of Jesus’ family album, some crazy folks in his family tree. The story of Ruth and Boaz, however, provides some sanity… good people. Solid people. Look for the good. There is a lot of ugliness in our world, uncertainty, badness, confusion… all real. God always provides a thread of redemption, a promise kept, signs that all will be right. Wonderful stories of goodness have emerged from WWII. ~ everyone knows the human tragedy of 6 million Jews killed, 6 or 700,000 American soldiers. Collectively from all countries an estimate of 60 million people. Against that backdrop, how sweet the story of Corrie Ten Boom whose father hid Jews, Schindlers list who risked so much, then there is Nicholas Winton ~ (View the Video below)
I love Rahab ~ Rahab the Prostitute ~ she is the next family member in Jesus’ genealogy leading up to Jesus from Matt. 1 (READ Matt. 1:5-6). Rahab has some similarities to Tamar, but it’s not hard to find different lessons… Rahab is married into the family of Jesus, she is like a favorite aunt that is more colorful than the blood uncle…. Rahab helps puts family into perspective… she is a gentile woman, unexpected inclusion, yet a wonderful example of what it means to live your faith. Some folks question if the Rahab in Matt. 1 is the same Rahab that is also in the beginning part of the book of Joshua. To me there is no doubt the same; Matt only lists woman where we know something of their story… Matthew wants us to understand Jesus family is imperfect, yet God redeems them and uses them to his glory anyway!
A big lesson today: Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. |
 
Carl Crouse, Pastor
At SACC we believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Every Sunday the worship service includes a message from the Bible. My words are an attempt to understand and apply the Bible to our daily living. I post weekly sermons and other biblical messages on this page. May you find meaning and hope as you read through each message and seek to hear God's voice. Leave a comment to ask questions or inspire others with your insights. Categories
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