Solomon and the government of man

 

The story of Solomon's wisdom begins with an outrageous solution (1 King 3).  Two women claim to be a baby's mother, and Solomon's solution is to cut the child in half. This story reminds us that even a godly ruler like Solomon relied on the power of the sword to enforce law and order. May we look to our Lord Jesus Christ to change our hearts rather than to earthly rulers to scare us into submission.

Soul-Winning without a net

 Most Christians take the great commission (Matt 28), as a serious expectation to evangelize, or to "Preach the gospel" to everyone. However, the methods employed are often more like a sales pitch than a gospel witness. When you consider those who are living as disciples of Christ, did they come to Christ because of a sales pitch, or through personal observation of someone else living out Christ's good news?

Love or idolatry?

In our zeal to credit God with the good gifts we currently enjoy, we might be tempted to confuse our culture, country, or ideology with God's kingdom. This idolatry implies that other countries or citizens of other countries are inferior in God's sight. Jesus declared that His kingdom was not earthly and no earthly country is the Kingdom of God (John 18:36). May we learn to prefer His Kingdom over our world's kingdoms.

Looking for the gotchas

 The 10 commandments and the other laws given to Israel might seem like the best standard for knowing God's will and for obeying him (Ex 20). However, Christ's summation of the law (Mark 12) indicates that the intent of the law is more important than judging those who may seem to violate it. 

Real Egyptians

Sometimes our culture and circumstances become more important to us than God. When the Pharaoh saw that the people who were most like him were becoming a minority, he used extreme measures to reduce the number of 'others' or Hebrews (Exodus 1) who might change the culture of Egypt. What extremes would you use? Do you love your current kingdom more than the Kingdom of God?

Loving them 'over there'

When Pharaoh realized the Jewish immigrants were beginning to outnumber the Egyptians, he began to worry that his long-standing traditions and beliefs might be endangered by the growing influence of the Hebrews (Exodus 1).  This fear drove Pharaoh to uniquely poor and confusing choices that reduced his nation's power and stability. Do you fear losing power more than you fear God?

Joseph saves the world

Joseph was often treated unfairly and unkindly, but through all of his circumstances, he retained his faith in God. While we see that Joseph is rewarded for his faithfulness, we might miss that those around him also benefited. Because Joseph was in Egypt during the years prior to the famine, he was able to create a plan that ensured not only enough grain for Egypt, but also for those in surrounding areas (Gen 41:53-57)