Wrestling with Theology

Original Broadcast: November 2009 Monthly Theme: Judah's Kings [Rehoboam] spoke to [the people of Israel] according to the counsel of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions." (1 Kings 12:14) Divided Kingdom Rehoboam, Solomon's son, reigned in Solomon's stead after his death....

Original Broadcast: October 2009 Monthly Theme: King Solomon [Solomon] had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. (1 Kings 11:3) Too Many Wives What was Solomon thinking? 700 wives? 300 concubines? 1000 wives total? That's absolutely insane! No one man needs that many wives! Solomon's wives were all wonderful women I'm sure, but they weren't a good influenc...

Original Broadcast: October 2009 Monthly Theme: King Solomon Now when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. (1 Kings 10:1) Queen of Sheba Solomon's reputation had spread clear to Sheba, somewhere south of Canaan. She came on her own errand. She wasn't like the rulers of other nations, seeking to court Solomon's fa...

Original Broadcast: October 2009 Monthly Theme: King Solomon In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the LORD. (1 Kings 6:1) The Temple is Built Four hundred eighty years after God called Moses from the burning bush, His hous...

Original Broadcast: October 2009 Monthly Theme: King Solomon And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other." (1 Kings 3:25) Prostitutes In one of the most popular stories of Solomon's wisdom, two prostitutes come before him. They're suing each other for the custody of one of their children. Both had children but one rolled over on top of hers an...

Original Broadcast: October 2009 Monthly Theme: King Solomon [Solomon prayed to God:] "Give Your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern Your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this Your great people?" (1 Kings 3:9) Prayer for Wisdom Solomon has become King of Israel. What was he going to do now? God appears to him in a dream and tells Solomon, "A...

Original Broadcast: October 2009 Monthly Theme: King Solomon Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." (1 Kings 1:5) A Usurping Brother David was getting old and senile. It was time for someone to take over. The only problem is that there are several who want the throne. The most prominent among them was Adonijah, David's fourth born and oldest living son. He makes...

Original Broadcast: September 2009 Monthly Theme: King David A messenger came and told David, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom." (2 Samuel 15:13) Absalom Rebels David's final punishment for his sins with Bathsheba comes to fruition. His son Absalom spends four years at the city gate of Jerusalem politicking to the people. When someone would come to seek an audience with David, Abs...

Original Broadcast: September 2009 Monthly Theme:  King David One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. (2 Samuel 11:2) Bathsheba David took a walk in the early evening air. While surveying his capital city, his gaze lingered when he saw Bathsheba bathing in the court of her house. While she probably wasn't the fir...

Original Broadcast: September 2009 Monthly Theme: King David As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart. (2 Samuel 6:16) Dancing King The Swedish pop group ABBA had the hit song "Dancing Queen". It's very prominent in the musical "Mamma Mia!" In...

Original Broadcast: September 2009 Monthly Theme: King David [David said:] "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD." (1 Samuel 24:6) Saul is Spared David was on the run. Much like a fox being chased by hounds. Many times Saul caught up to David. Many times Saul made a nearly fatal slip in his...

Original Broadcast: September 2009 Monthly Theme: King David And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself. (1 Samuel 20:17) Jonathan David and Jonathan were the best of friends. Truly an example of what Jesus said about friendship: "Greater love has no one that this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Jonathan was...

Original Broadcast: September 2009 Monthly Theme: King David For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. (1 Samuel 17:16) Goliath For forty days the giant Goliath of Gath came out to challenge any Israelite in one-on-one combat. Don't worry about all the great tactical strategizing that would be required for a full-scale war. Let's just get this over wi...

Original Broadcast: September 2009 Monthly Theme: King David One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him." (1 Samuel 16:18) David the Harp Player "Music tames the savage beast" (William Congreve). The demon plaguing Saul was no different. Th...

Original Broadcast: September 2009 Monthly Theme: King David The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul? ... I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king." (1 Samuel 16:1) Runt of the Litter God sends Samuel to the town of Bethlehem. He enters the house of Jesse and proclaims that one of his sons will be king. Jesse had seven sons. The oldest six...

Original Broadcast: August 2009 Monthly Theme: King Saul Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me." But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Then Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. (1 Samuel 31:4) Saul's Suicide Death with dignity. That's been the great cry of those...

Original Broadcast: August 2009 Monthly Theme: King Saul Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a medium at Endor." (1 Samuel 28:7) Witch of Endor Samuel died. Saul was still king. Saul still wanted David dead, but he had a problem with the pesky Philistines. In fact, David...

Original Broadcast: August 2009 Monthly Theme: King Saul Then a harmful spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. ... And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear. (1 Samuel 19:9-10) Saul Seeks David After being rejected by God, Saul knew what would happen next. The kingdom was already out of his hand. God had given it to the shepherd boy Da...

Original Broadcast: August 2009 Monthly Theme: King Saul And Samuel said to [Saul], "I will not return with you. For you have rejected the Word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." (1 Samuel 15:26) Saul Rejected Another day, another sin by Saul. Saul was ordered to destroy the Amalekites for how they had harassed Israel during their wilderness wanderings, but he...

Original Broadcast: August 2009 Monthly Theme: King Saul [Saul] waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. (1 Samuel 13:8) Impatient Sacrifice Saul grew impatient and worried. Samuel was taking his sweet time and the natives were getting restless. The Philistines were just on the next hill, waiting to attack. Saul ha...

Original Broadcast: August 2009 Monthly Theme: King Saul [Samuel said:] "But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to Him, 'Set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD." (1 Samuel 10:19) Saul Anointed King Samuel goes and does as the people demand and God approved. He goes to find the first king of...

Original Broadcast: August 2009 Monthly Theme: King Saul Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, "Behold, you are old and your sons don't walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations." (1 Samuel 8:4-5) A King Demanded What a pickle Samuel found himself in! The people were starting a revolution to redo the governm...

Original Broadcast: July 2009 Monthly Theme: The Judges of Israel Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: "If You give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." (Judges 11:30-31) Jephthah's Fateful Vow Jephthah's vow. What can you say about it? Maybe he sh...

Original Broadcast: July 2009 Monthly Theme: The Judges of Israel But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you." (Judges 8:23) Gideon Refuses to Rule It's the first time we have people of Israel wanting a king. With God's help, Gideon defeated the Midianites and delivered freedom to Israel. For his reward, they wanted to make him king:...

The Roman Catholic Church has denied priests the right to marry and have children. Is this biblical? Is this historical? This episode is part one of answering these questions from the 23rd article of the Augsburg Confession.