1 & 2 Kings: The King of Redemption History
Ryan Motta
1 Kings 21
Stockdale Paradox: You must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, and at the same time, have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.
“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man”
C.S. Lewis
“The land is not to be permanently sold because it is mine (God’s), and you are only aliens and temporary residents on my land”
Leviticus 25:23
“No inheritance belonging to the Israelites is to transfer from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of his ancestral tribe.”
Numbers 36:7
“The only thing it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
1. The righteous will suffer, but their reward is eternal
“In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”
2 Timothy 3:12
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
“Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice greatly when his glory is revealed.”
1 Peter 4:12-13
“If your faith rests in your idea of how God is supposed to answer your prayers, your idea of heaven here on earth or pie in the sky or whatever, then that kind of faith is very shaky and is bound to be demolished when the storms of life hit it. But if your faith rests on the character of Him who is the eternal I AM, then that kind of faith is rugged and will endure.”
Elisabeth Elliot
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.”
Romans 8:18
2. The wicked may prosper, but their reward is momentary
“When I tried to understand all this, it seemed hopeless until I entered God’s sanctuary. Then I understood their destiny. Indeed, you put them in slippery places; you make them fall into ruin. How suddenly they become a desolation! They come to an end, swept away by terrors. Like one waking from a dream, Lord, when arising, you will despise their image.”
Psalm 73:16-20
Discussion Questions
- Naboth lived a life of quiet obedience and faithfulness to God, even at the cost of his own life. In our own daily walk, are we committed to unwavering obedience, or are we giving in a little here and there to help ease our way? What can we learn from Naboth about what is ultimately important?
- When confronted with his sin, Ahab was full of remorse, yet he did not turn to God in repentance. What is the difference between true repentance and generalized sorrow over the consequences of sin?
- Why do we suffer? How do we make sense of a world where the wicked flourish and the righteous experience hardships? How do we cultivate a rugged, durable faith that will help us weather the storms of life and endure to the end?
3. The wicked and the righteous have only one hope
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ.”
Romans 8:1
“When Satan tempts me to despair
Before the Throne of God Above
and tells me of my guilt within
upward I look and see him there
Who made an end to all my sin
Because the sinless savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
for God the just is satisfied
To look on him and pardon me”