In the Lord’s Sight

Yahweh wanted to be King of His people and make a place for them. They rejected Him, and He warned them. He gave them what they wanted, and they became enslaved like everyone else. In 1 & 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, people are faced with choices. Would they continue to reject the Lord and create their own high places of worship, or return to the Lord and His rightful place of worship? Would they do what was right IN THE LORD'S SIGHT as written in His word, or what was evil IN THE LORD'S SIGHT that seemed to work in the world? We face the same choices today...IN THE LORD'S SIGHT. #1kings #2kings #2chronicles #2023

Starter

• Explain a time when you have felt like… you have caused people to commit sin or others have caused you to commit sin.

Pray

Lord we thank You that You see all things. Help us to trust your plan for this world now, the world that you are currently building, and the new world you will bring when You return. As we look at the Kings of Your people and your people’s response from ages past, help us to see you and see ourselves. May we strive to understand our standing in Your sight as our King. May we long for the day when we will stand with all your people In the Lord’s Sight. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do. Thank you Jesus that you are Yahweh who saves us from the sins we have committed, the sins we have caused others to commit, and the sins that others have committed against us. Amen

Study Questions

God had made a people of His own from Abraham. He had delivered them from slavery, subdued their enemies, and had brought them into the land that he promised them. However, because of their unwillingness to listen to God, his prophets, and his judges they asked for a king. God wanted to be their King. However, they rejected The Lord as King because they wanted an earthly King and earthly benefits now like all the other people of the earth seemed to have.

They thought an earthly king could do for them and provide for them what only God could. For 430 years, God allowed his people to experience the reality of rejecting Him as King and pursuing what they wanted in an earthly King. Thankfully in our King Jesus, the gift of His word, the power of His Holy Spirit, and the encouragement of His body the church, we can see the truth and experience the grace in the sins we have committed, the sins we have caused others to commit, and the sins that others have committed against us.

READ 2 Kings 14:23-24, 15:8-28, Deuteronomy 5:8-10, 24:16

1. What were the sins that Jeraboam I, son of Nebat and ALL the kings of Israel helped cause the people to commit? (see: 1 Kings 12:25-33, 13:33-34)
   1. How did what Jeraboam I did lead to a snowball effect generation after generation?
   2. How do we see these same snow balls among God’s people today?
2. Jeraboam I and the Kings in the northern kingdom of Israel after him were sometimes “worshippers of the false gods” but CONTINUALLY “false worshippers of the true God.” (David Guzik)
   1. How do we see this continual reality playing out in those that claim to be God’s people toady?
   2. How might we tell the difference in the new covenant through Jesus between the worship of false gods, false worshipers of the true God, and true worshipers of God?
   3. How does the new testament, like the old testament, explain, warn, and encourage those who think they are walking as the people of God?
   4. How can and should we explain, warn, and celebrate, like God did in grace and truth, those who call themselves the people of God?
3. What do you think might be the sins (idols and high places) that we have blessed that we might be helping people to continue to commit?
4. What is the difference between the consequences of sins passed down and the judgement of sins passed down? (see: **Deuteronomy 5:8-10, 24:16)** Why is that an important distinction to understand?

READ 2 Kings 14:25-29

1. What do these verses help us to understand about measuring earthly success and God’s success?
2. How do we, like all of God’s people in the past, tend to convolute earthly success and God’s success, and how does it affect us and the generations after us?

READ 2 Kings 15:1-7, 2 Chronicles 26:6-27:2, Isaiah 1:1-2, 3 John 1:3-4

Azariah was the King’s birth name meaning “the Lord helps.” Uzziah was his throne name meaning “the Lord is strong.”

1. What did Uzziah do that was helpful and strong?
   1. What happened to cause him and God’s people to act sinfully?
   2. What is the difference between bold confidence and sinful pride?
   3. What was the end result for Uzziah’s life both bad and good?
2. Instead of causing others to commit sin, what might it look like to practically live in way that caused them to commit “faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands”? (Deuteronomy 5)