King & Kingdomsنموونە

This is one of the stranger stories in the Bible. The motivations behind everyone's actions are confusing and God's involvement is even more difficult to understand. But there is a common thread: the Word of God. Each person in this story had heard God tell them what to do. They all could even recite the instructions. But each was also confronted with the question of whether they would follow God's Word or not. Would they do what God asked of them, no matter how small or unimportant it might seem? How seriously would they take God's instruction?

For them, this wasn't just a fun question to think about; it had real-world consequences. As we focus on this story this week, let obedience to the Word of God be the lens through which you understand the events.

Think it Over: Do you tend to think of God's Word as rules to follow or more as guidelines to use at will? What does this story tell us?