June 12, 2015: SOAP #2017:

Scripture: 2Chronicles (NIV) 11:14 For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam [king of Israel] and his sons cast the out from serving as priests of the LORD.
15 And those who had set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their father. 16. They strengthened the kingdom of Judah…

Observation: The Nation of Israel had split. The northern 10 tribes made up the kingdom of Israel and the southern 2 tribes made up the kingdom of Judah. The northern kingdom’s king feared that his people would find a way to go to the temple in Jerusalem (located in the southern kingdom). He replaced the priests with those who would do as he pleased. Then with great sacrifice to themselves, many of the priests moved to Judah. In verse 15 we see that many non-priests followed their example.

Application: This reminds me of how the pilgrims, at great personal cost, left England to find freedom of religion in the “new world.” One does not have to watch the news very long to see that our government today is telling Christians that political correctness is more important than personal beliefs. What price am I willing to pay in order to keep God’s Word as the guiding beacon of my life?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, in the Bible and in our history we find people who believed that it was worth the sacrifice to obey your Word. Help me to follow their example. Amen