EVERY DAY
AUgust
july
JUL/AUG 2011
2 Kings
jeremy thomson
2 Corinthians Ian Coffey
PLUS ‌
Weekend reflections on the Psalms, and the Big Picture by Philip Greenslade
C2CED JA 2011 text.indd 1
25/2/11 10:59:28
Jeremy Thomson Jeremy Thomson is Principal Lecturer in Theology and Head of Programmes at Oasis College, London. He is the author of Telling the Difference: Developing Youth Workers and Ministers as Theologians. Previously he has worked in engineering, bookselling, student and parish ministry, as well as couple counselling. He holds an MA in Biblical Interpretation from the London Bible College and a PhD. in Systematic Theology from King’s College, London.
2 J
Ian Coffey Ian Coffey is Vice Principal and Director of Leadership Training at Moorlands College on the south coast of England. An ordained Baptist minister, he has been involved in church leadership for over 30 years. He has authored 14 books and speaks at conferences and events in many countries. Ian is married to Ruth and they have four adult sons and two granddaughters. In both writing and speaking his passion is to explain and apply the message of the Bible in everyday language.
T
t 1 w r u fa Je t G h
Philip Greenslade Having originally trained for the Baptist ministry, Philip has over 30 years’ experience in Christian ministry. He has worked with CWR since 1991 in the areas of biblical studies, pastoral care and leadership. With his passion for teaching God’s Word, he offers a refreshing and challenging perspective for all those who attend his courses. Close to Philip’s heart are the long-running Bible Discovery Weekends. He is currently Course Director for CWR’s new postgraduate programme in Pastoral Leadership. Philip is the author of several books.
Copyright © CWR 2006, 2011 First published 2006 by CWR. This edition published 2011 by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP England. CWR is a Registered Charity – Number 294387 and a Limited Company registered in England – Registration Number 1990308. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of CWR. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from the Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV), copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Concept development, editing, design and production by CWR Cover image: www.istock/Ladida Printed in England by Linney Print.
C2CED JA 2011 text.indd 2
25/2/11 10:59:29
a o p t c t t t
y on
r R.
|
July introduction
2 Kings Jeremy Thomson The later chapters of this book meditate sorrowfully upon the demise of the kingdoms of Israel in 722 BC and Judah in 586 BC. The double book of 1 and 2 Kings was probably completed during the Jewish Exile in Babylon, while incorporating materials from earlier times. It reflects the exilic experience, providing a prophetic explanation for the catastrophe that came upon God’s people, land and Temple. Attention is drawn to the repeated failures of the majority of kings to remain loyal to the Lord their God, and Jerusalem’s doom is understood as divine punishment. In contrast with the pretensions of most of the kings, it is clear that true power belonged to God’s Word in the mouth of His prophets. That insight in particular gave hope that the Lord had not finished with His people. The Christian Church reads the Old Testament in the light of Jesus – in a Messianic rather than a literalistic way. Jesus shows us the true nature of kingship, challenging common political assumptions and practices of power. So we will need to bear in mind both the foreshadowing of Jesus in this book and the way He has transposed kingship into a new key. 2 Kings can nurture our spiritual lives for it shows us something of God, though not the whole picture (cf. Rom. 15:4; Heb. 1:1–3). Most importantly, this scripture addresses the contemporary Church, for that is how Paul understood the stories of God’s ancient people (eg 1 Cor. 10:1–22).
3,
C2CED JA 2011 text.indd 3
25/2/11 10:59:29
|
Fri 1 Jul 2 Kings 1
There is a God in Israel
T
A
d la fr in a a fr e th is e fa o w n is a in ‘T G G in a tr ‘S b d ‘m s (N
fter a brief note about Moab’s rebellion, this chapter provides a final glimpse of Elijah’s challenge to the Baal worship of Israel’s kings. King Ahaziah suffers an accident, and he responds with an inquiry to a Philistine Baal shrine. God’s messenger issues a command to Elijah to intercept the king’s messengers. When they return to the king we hear the divine challenge and doom repeated. Once the king identifies Elijah as the one who has interfered, he tries to get control of him by force of arms. The centrepiece of this episode is the series of encounters between Elijah and the captains. The prophet takes the conventional or sarcastic label ‘man of God’ and turns it into an appeal for heavenly deliverance. He thus defeats two arrogant military approaches yet spares the third captain who comes humbly begging for mercy and delivering no demand. Prompted once more by the heavenly messenger, Elijah goes to the king and announces his fate first-hand. Ahaziah is devoid of power: he is silent and
C2CED JA 2011 text.indd 4
It
then he is dead. Only Israel’s Lord is God and only this God can bring life and healing. The key question of this chapter, and indeed of 1 and 2 Kings, is ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel …?’ This king assumes his own religious preferences and power are supreme, yet in prophetic perspective what really matters is the presence of the Lord. True power among God’s people lies with the Lord and is exercised by His true spokespeople. Down the centuries faithful men and women of God have challenged official leaders who presumed too much. They have been threatened with destitution, prison and death. We know God has preserved some, like Martin Luther. Yet few have been delivered as dramatically as Elijah was here. This story is no guarantee of individual deliverance; rather it teaches the bigger lesson that although God works through institutions of human leadership, such channels must at times be challenged through alternative figures. If you are a man or woman of God, how do you respond to institutional threats?
25/2/11 10:59:29
s e
r, it ?’ s e, t e e y
n d o h w n s
e s e s. w ?
|
Psalm 119:1–8 WEEKEND
The A–Z of faith It may surprise us to learn how deeply the psalmists loved God’s law! With our modern notions of freedom as self-determination and independence, we tend to regard any mention of ‘law’ as oppressive and restrictive. But this is a far cry from a biblical mindset which sees embracing God’s law as the way to the blessed life (v.1). The psalmist revels in God’s law because it evokes the wonder of God’s multifaceted Word. This Word impinges on our lives in such a variety of ways that rich and varied terms are needed to describe it. ‘Torah’ (‘Law’) is broadly not narrowly conceived as God’s revealed will, teaching and instruction. ‘Testimonies’ (ESV) attested by God’s own witness to truth, reflect God’s own character and convey His interpretation of events. ‘Precepts’ are perhaps pithy ‘sound bites’ of truth presented as concise epithets. ‘Statutes’ enshrine royal authority, binding on all citizens of the kingdom.‘Commands’ encapsulate God’s ‘marching orders’ that spell out our steps of obedience. ‘Judgments’ (NASB) frame divine decisions and
C2CED JA 2011 text.indd 5
just decrees. It is as if the psalmist ransacks his vocabulary to describe God’s Word. Constructed with consummate craftsmanship, Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem of 22 sections based on the Hebrew alphabet, a letter of which starts each eight-line stanza, and all in praise of God’s inscripturated Word. Now, those whose faith, like the psalmist’s, is ‘Bible-based’ are often accused of bibliolatry – that is, of making an idol of a book. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rather we seek to encounter the Author in and through His Word (v.2). Our attitude to God’s Word – like the psalmist’s – is not that of a legalist seeking to develop rules but of a lover seeking to deepen relationship. Because we love God and fear God and trust God, we immerse ourselves in His Word so that our ways (v.5) may become His ways (v.3). In the A–Z of our walk of faith, God has the first and last word on our lives.
25/2/11 10:59:30
|
Mon 4 Jul 2 Kings 2
C M
A departure and an empowerment
T
hree times Elijah tries to detach his disciple, but each time Elisha responds with a solemn oath of loyalty – he wants every last drop of his company and spirit. Twice Elisha is warned by prophetic groups of Elijah’s impending departure; can you feel the sadness in Elisha’s replies? Fifty of Elijah’s loyal supporters stand by to honour his leaving. The two men cross the Jordan in a way that is reminiscent of the crossing of the Red Sea and of Joshua’s own traverse of the same river. When Elijah finally talks about his departure, Elisha is ready with his request – he seeks empowerment (cf. 1 Kings 3:9). Elijah then challenges him to stay closer still. Suddenly, a dramatic vehicle appears and separates them, and a whirlwind takes Elijah up. Elisha latches on to this vision, and his exclamation seems to identify Elijah with the heavenly host that defends Israel (nb his vision in 6:17) – he knows that Israel’s true defence lies, not with conventional military hardware, but with God’s powerful word. The vision ends and Elisha is alone; his torn clothes express
C2CED JA 2011 text.indd 6
the separation, his bereavement – and Israel’s. Elisha picks up the fallen mantle and imitates his master, discovering the same power. He then retraces the earlier journey. The prophetic company recognise Elisha’s inheritance of Elijah’s spirit, though they can’t believe their old master will not return. Elisha struggles to convince them, but deals effectively with an unwholesome water supply. Finally, he encounters youthful derision and responds with a curse that comes to pass in dramatic fashion. Does this last scene seem over the top? As in the previous chapter, the issues are stark; people must learn that God is not mocked. Elisha is now established as an authentic prophet, able to bless and to curse (like Moses in Deut. 28). He returns to Mount Carmel, scene of Elijah’s contest with Baal, and then back to Samaria to pursue that unresolved struggle. Who have been your mentors or role models? What do you want to inherit from them, and what will it take for you to receive this?
25/2/11 10:59:30
P
Dat
1–3 J
4 Jul
6 Jul
7–8 J
12 Ju
23 Ju 8–12
15 Au 20 A
22–2
30 A
31 Au
P a In
F o
w
The Big Picture Philip Greenslade gives us a glimpse of how 2 Kings and 2 Corinthians fit together into God’s story.
A dose of history is good for us. It cures us of the notion that faith is a matter of holding free-floating ideas; it inoculates us against the fevered religion of spiritual hot flushes and mystical ecstasies.
Biblical history roots faith in real people at real times in real places Biblical history roots faith in real people at real times in real places So with 2 Kings. This is not to say that the Old Testament stories can always be made answerable to modern methods of historiography with its strict rules of evidence. Something more important than this is at stake. Biblical history asserts boldly that the
C2CED JA 2011 text.indd 32
God who made the material world has risked His reputation in choosing to work in often messy and compromising partnership with His creation. God does not wait for people to be perfect before He works with and through them. Nor – as 2 Kings amply demonstrates – do flawed rulers or unfaithful people finally thwart Him from having His own saving way. 2 Kings 1–17 traces the story of the northern kingdom of Israel down to its defeat by the Assyrians and the fall of Samaria in 720 BC. 2 Kings 17–25 tracks the subsequent history of the southern kingdom, Judah, down to its conquest by the Babylonians, and deportations to exile, climaxing with the unthinkable destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. But the biblical historian assures us that this is no random history. Israel is tossed around by the political superpowers of the ancient world. But this is not outside of God’s sovereignty, for everything happens according ‘to the word of the Lord’ (eg 2 Kings 24:2; 25:11–12, 21 etc). And this in
25/2/11 10:59:43
tw fo w a o
in T th th u
co b o h co w a
p e
tr d in G m
as o sd ct h nul g
of n e gs y n s, g of
us is ris y, o gs n
two senses. God’s people go into exile for refusing to obey God’s prophetic word and that same prophetic word accurately anticipates the Exile as the outcome of disobedience. The prophets – not the kings – are in fact the key players in the drama. They hold the people accountable to the covenant and in particular hold the earthly kings answerable to God’s ultimate kingship. In doing this, the prophets live in costly conflict with the powers-thatbe and often at odds with popular opinion. Courageously they set God’s history-making word of truth on a collision course with imperial power which eventually converged on Jesus at the cross. At Pentecost, this vulnerability of the prophetic vocation enacted by Jesus, entered the apostolic bloodstream. In being faithful to the prophetic truth of the gospel, Paul knew an inner dying which squeezed life out of him into others. In this cruciform ministry, God’s glory shines and His strength is made perfect in our ‘clay pot’ weakness.
C2CED JA 2011 text.indd 33
Exile to Babylon is the tragic and effective end of the Old Testament story. Not even the remnant seeking Egyptian refuge escape. After all, as Jeremy Thomson says, ‘back to Egypt cannot be God’s will’! ‘Exile’ as an ongoing spiritual and theological reality (beyond the physical return to the land from 520 BC onwards) forms the crucial backdrop for the ministry of Jesus and is exploited in the New Testament. In 2 Corinthians Paul mirrors the prophetic sequence of what salvation will look like on the other side of the ‘death and resurrection’ of ‘exile’. So we are servants of a new covenant (2 Cor. 3) under a new kind of kingship, that of the Lord Jesus (2 Cor. 4), which is the saving beginning of the new creation, a realm which we enter by faith in Christ (2 Cor. 5). That is a glory not seen by kings and prophets but disclosed to less than perfect people like us in less than perfect places like Corinth as the face of Jesus Christ.
25/2/11 10:59:46
|
August introduction
H
2 Corinthians Ian Coffey
‘
One writer sums up 2 Corinthians in the phrase ‘How to be strong in weakness’. We face tough times when sickness or suffering strike or when relationships break down. But how do we cope? Does the Christian gospel talk to us in hard times – or does it only address us when life is free of problems? In this letter Paul opens his heart and shows how the message of the cross is about power in weakness and triumph through suffering. He is astonishingly open about his experience – this is not theoretical theology but the reality of a lived out faith. Paul’s personal journey of finding strength through weakness speaks powerfully to all who want to live as authentic Christians in a world that throws up more questions than answers. Some of us attend churches that are going through difficult times and we wonder if we are in the right place. The church at Corinth was far from perfect (no church is!) and Paul has some hard things to say. But again the message of strength through weakness comes through. We live at a time when hype and spin are part of daily life and image is more important than substance. The church at Corinth faced similar issues and Paul’s reminders of some of the basic qualities of integrity, patience and faithfulness to Christ’s call speak directly to Christians in the third millennium. Here is a letter that is as up to date as today’s newspaper.
C2CED JA 2011 text.indd 34
I
c
25/2/11 10:59:46
is a a C w
w b o
s – fo f w o It r t C T c in t
n n el f f s y
s at
d m e
s s e d
|
2 Corinthians 1:1–11 Mon 1 AUG
Heat in the kitchen
‘
I
f you can’t stand the heat stay out of the kitchen’ goes the popular saying. But what happens if you can’t quit? We all face times when the pressure is on and we can’t get up and walk away. Paul experienced such times and openly tells the congregation in Corinth how bad things had become while he was in Asia (vv.8–9). ‘It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us’ (The Message). But Paul’s testimony was that God showed up for him at just the right time – and this gave him great confidence for the future (v.10). What strikes me from this unusual start to a letter is the way in which Paul describes this time of great pressure as being productive. It comes out in several ways in our reading. First he talks about the positive benefits of fellowship with other Christians through their prayers (v.11). There is a depth of relationship that comes through standing with others in prayer as they face difficulties. (And there is nothing that builds faith more
C2CED JA 2011 text.indd 35
than answers to prayer.) Second, Paul admits this difficult time had made him trust God more (v.9). It is easy to lapse into trusting in our own abilities, and times of pressure make us rely more on the Lord and less on ourselves. Third, Paul points to the astonishing way that the Lord wastes none of His children’s difficulties. Out of our experience we can share God’s strength with others (vv.3–7). My wife’s grandfather never threw anything away believing it would come in useful one day. She has childhood memories of a shed stacked high with wood and discarded bits and her granddad patiently working away to repair something old or create something new. Our pain need not be wasted or discarded. Look at the skilled ways of God Paul outlines. The word comfort is repeated in one form or another nine times in five verses. We receive comfort from the One who is the father of compassion and the God of all comfort – then pass that on to others who hurt.
25/2/11 10:59:47
|
Tues 2 Aug 2 Corinthians 1:12–2:4
When things go wrong
M
ost of us have experienced breakdowns in relationships and know how much it hurts. Paul fell out with the church at Corinth and it’s the focus of today’s reading (2:1–4). We can’t discover all the facts but piecing together various clues we get the broad picture. Having written his first letter (1 Corinthians) Paul visited Corinth but didn’t receive the warmest of welcomes – it was a painful trip (2:1). His first letter addressed major pastoral problems in the church and some resented what they saw as an intrusion – and a few became personal in their attacks, mocking his style of speaking and the way he looked. Paul returned home deeply disturbed and wrote another letter with pain and tears (2:4). That letter is now lost to us but rather than solving the problem it made things worse. Coupled with the pressure facing him in Ephesus the breach with the church at Corinth pushed Paul to the edge of what some have described as a nervous breakdown (see 1:8–9). Paul planned another visit to repair
C2CED JA 2011 text.indd 36
O
things, but had since changed his mind (1:15; 2:1) and in case this provoked further criticism he says it was a Goddirected decision. People who say ‘Yes’ one minute and ‘No’ the next are frustrating and unreliable – but Paul reminds the Corinthians that Jesus is utterly consistent. In so doing he reminds us that all God’s promises are ‘Yes’ because of Jesus (v.20). We are used to saying ‘Amen’ at the end of a prayer (the word means ‘Yes’ in Aramaic and Hebrew) – and when we pray in the name of Jesus and add the Amen we affirm the truth of what Paul teaches here. I am finding it hard to write today because I am living with a broken friendship that I need to sort out. But I am helped by Paul’s reminder of the consistency of Christ, the call of God and the down payment of the Holy Spirit as a promise of all that is to come (vv.20–22). These truths are linked to Paul’s appeal to a clear conscience concerning his motives (v.12) and are helpful markers as he seeks to sort out a tangled relationship.
25/2/11 10:59:47
W
b u p w fi it fo o C P w
a li b to s n is h h (
w r in