Author: NBibens

Second Kings chapter six records a siege ancient Israel once faced and the deplorable circumstances the capital endured. After hearing a particularly grotesque complaint from one of his citizens, the Israelite King Jehoram became enraged with the prophet Elisha. He sent an execution squad to the prophet’s house with the message, “This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” Jehoram asks a terrible question, just like Cain and Pharaoh, who we’ve already considered this week.

The king’s question revealed an unbelieving and impatient heart. Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” God doesn’t always act according to the timeline we desire, but His ways are greater than ours, so we should be patient and endure while we wait for the Lord. When we question God’s timing and take matters into our own hands, we tread on dangerous and evil ground like King Jehoram of long ago.

Yesterday, we considered Cain’s question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain is not alone in asking such a bad question. Today, let’s turn to Exodus and consider the example of Pharaoh.

When Moses was sent to Pharaoh to demand the Israelites be released, Pharoah asked, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”[1]

First, Pharaoh’s question was arrogant. When questions are asked to condescend and dismiss others, they are evil questions. Second, Pharaoh’s question displayed an attitude of stubbornness. He wasn’t interested in learning about the Lord—his mind was made up already. Just because someone asks a question doesn’t mean they want to learn. Lastly, Pharaoh teaches us that ignorance is not an excuse. Maybe Pharaoh didn’t know who the Lord was—but could have learned. Instead, he persisted in rebellion. Pharaoh’s question was a window into his hardened heart, a heart that led to his downfall.

[1] Exodus 5:2

Have you ever been told, “There’s no such thing as a bad question?” We often hear that in circumstances where folks might be hesitant to speak up but when dialogue needs to be encouraged. And in some circumstances, maybe there are no wrong questions. But bad questions certainly exist because sometimes questions are asked by those with evil motives. Throughout the Bible, there are many instances of bad questions.

For example, in Genesis 4, we read about the first murder. Cain slew his brother in anger and jealousy, and when God asked Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” Cain responded, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain’s question was rooted in dishonesty. It was a deflection to try and avoid the truth. Some folk lie with statements—others deceive through questions. Cain demonstrated a lack of remorse over his sin, and lastly, his question was off the mark. Yes, he was his brother’s keeper! Cain’s question was meant to deflect, but it revealed more about him than he realized.

Thanking God for the good people in our lives is a good idea. It’s more than just a good idea. In 2 Thessalonians 1:3, the Apostle Paul says, “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting…”[1] Giving thanks to God, particularly for and about other people, seems like a good and admirable thing. But many of us may think such thankfulness is going above and beyond. But Paul felt that such thankfulness was bound upon him—not just something that would be a good idea, but something he ought to do.

How compelled are we to pray for others? How important is it to us to thank God for those special people in our lives and our church family? I don’t mean to imply that prayers of thanks should be some mandatory burden or legalistic checklist. But our commitment to thanksgiving and its importance to our prayers is likely an excellent barometer of our spiritual outlook.

[1] NKJV

No one likes feeling judged. But we all make judgments about others. When it comes to judgment, we must be cautious. There is righteous judgment, and then there is sinful judgment. When someone sins, we should not overlook that sin to avoid being judgmental. On the other hand, we must be careful not to judge others hypocritically, harshly, or unscripturally.

Too often, our first reaction is to judge others instead of examining ourselves. We would rather judge others than see what actions we can take to improve a situation. Romans 14:13 says, “Therefore let’s not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way, or an occasion for falling.”[1] That doesn’t mean that we overlook sin. The passage refers to matters of liberty. Further, the admonition is to avoid the tendency to judge on such issues and instead decide to do our part to seek the betterment of those around us.

[1] WEB

In Philippians 3:18, Paul warns the Philippian Christians about people who “walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.” What type of people are these enemies? Verse 19 describes them with these words, “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”

That description is not far off from much of modern society’s focus. “Their god is their belly” refers to people who place physical satisfaction and pleasure above all else. “They glory in their shame” describes people who not only commit sin but are proud of it. Perhaps most pervasive of all are those who simply set their minds on earthly things—those who are more concerned about the things of this life instead of things that pertain to their heavenly citizenship. Do any of those descriptions fit you or me? If so, we ought to take heed and change lest we find ourselves at enmity with the Lord!

How dedicated are we to God’s Word? Many people look at the Bible as nothing but an antiquated collection of religious thought. Sadly, many professing Christians reject or at least dismiss the importance of the Bible. But Scripture is still God’s inspired Word, and it is vital that we have it before us always.

When the Apostle Paul wrapped up his first letter to the Thessalonians, he admonished them: “I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.”[1]The seriousness of this task is underscored by Paul’s charge of “putting them under oath.” This was not a suggestion—it was a command. God’s people must have God’s Word before their eyes and in their hearts. Each Christian should take the responsibility of reading and learning God’s Word seriously. And Christian leaders should commit to doing all they can to persistently and faithfully ensure God’s Word is read and taught to others.

[1] 1 Thessalonians 5:27)

Is how we treat other people important? We might think that if we are right with God, our relationships with others are not important. After all, Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. But can we love God without loving our fellow man? No. Jesus taught the second great commandment was to love our neighbor as ourselves. And when we mistreat our fellow man, we don’t just sin against our neighbor; we sin against God.

Sodom is well known by Bible students as a wicked city. Sodom’s immorality is seen in Genesis 19. Ezekiel says Sodom did not care for the poor and needy. But Genesis 13:13 says, “Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.” When we mistreat or neglect our fellow man, God counts that as a sin against Himself. If we seek to love God, we must love others, for it is through our actions towards them that we truly show our love for Him.