In the Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln said:
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of the war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
The American Civil War pitted brother against brother, sister against sister. In a civil war, everyone who dies is from the same nation…in a sense, from the same family.
Chapter 14 of The Story captures the painful and heart-wrenching account of a divided nation…God’s people Israel. The American Civil War spanned four years; Israel’s lasted over two hundred. In America, the war ended with a unified nation (over time). In Israel, the two factions never united again.
God desires unity in nations, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, churches, and homes. He invites us to be instruments of peace and to seek harmony in our relationships. Accomplishing this involves a lifelong commitment to follow God and seek his help. We can’t do this on our own.
Older people who have walked longer in life often carry a body of wisdom in their heart. Think about a person you know who is a very wise person. How has this person impacted your life? Reflect on one of the best pieces of wisdom this person has offered you through the years?
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, pages 95 and 97.
1. Rehoboam sought counsel to make an important decision (p. 160) and so did Jeroboam (p. 161). What criteria did each seem to use in evaluating the counsel of others? What makes for wise counsel?
2. The split of Israel and Judah led to continual warfare for hundreds of years. What issues divide God’s people today? What are some practical ways to promote unity within a church and believers from other churches?
3. Why would God allow such evil kings to rule over His people? How do the tragedies in this chapter fit into God’s Upper Story?
ReplyDeletePoint to ponder…
In the Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln said:
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of the war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
The American Civil War pitted brother against brother, sister against sister. In a civil war, everyone who dies is from the same nation…in a sense, from the same family.
Chapter 14 of The Story captures the painful and heart-wrenching account of a divided nation…God’s people Israel. The American Civil War spanned four years; Israel’s lasted over two hundred. In America, the war ended with a unified nation (over time). In Israel, the two factions never united again.
God desires unity in nations, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, churches, and homes. He invites us to be instruments of peace and to seek harmony in our relationships. Accomplishing this involves a lifelong commitment to follow God and seek his help. We can’t do this on our own.
Older people who have walked longer in life often carry a body of wisdom in their heart. Think about a person you know who is a very wise person. How has this person impacted your life? Reflect on one of the best pieces of wisdom this person has offered you through the years?
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, pages 95 and 97.
ReplyDeleteQuestions to consider…
1. Rehoboam sought counsel to make an important decision (p. 160) and so did Jeroboam (p. 161). What criteria did each seem to use in evaluating the counsel of others? What makes for wise counsel?
2. The split of Israel and Judah led to continual warfare for hundreds of years. What issues divide God’s people today? What are some practical ways to promote unity within a church and believers from other churches?
3. Why would God allow such evil kings to rule over His people? How do the tragedies in this chapter fit into God’s Upper Story?