Four Rays of Hope
“History is not a random series of meaningless events. It is rather a succession of periods and happenings which are under the sovereign rule of God, who is the God of history.”
John Stott
OUTLINE OF 1 & 2 KINGS
- 1 Kings 1-11 The Wisdom and the Folly of King Solomon
- 1 Kings 12 -16 Kingdoms in Chaos
- 1 Kings 17 -2 Kings -13 Elijah and Elisha
- 2 Kings 14 -17 Decline of Israel in the North
- 2 Kings 18 -25 Decline of Judah in the South
KINGS
- Josiah (reigned around 640-609 BCE) #16/20
- Jehoahaz (reigned around 609 BCE) #17/20
- Jehoiakim (reigned around 609-598 BCE) #18/20
- Jehoiachin (reigned around 598-597 BCE) #19/20
- Zedekiah (reigned around 597-586 BCE) #20/20
Four Rays of Hope
- The Sovereignty of God Over Human History
- The Certainty of God’s Righteous Judgment
- The Enduring Hope of God’s Amazing Grace
- The Promise of a Greater King and His Greater Kingdom
“All that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”
C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
“I had always thought that a lost soul referred to the soul’s destination, not it’s condition. But it’s the condition that is the real problem.”
John Ortberg, Soul Keeping
“Most people want Jesus as a consultant rather than a king and he does not come that way.”
Tim Keller, Kings Cross
Discussion Questions
- Why is it important to study redemption history throughout the Bible?
- Why is the righteous judgment of God ultimately a good thing?
- What is the connection between prideful sin and chronic dissatisfaction?
- Why do sadness and desperation often move us to repentance?
