Daily Dose of Hope

September 19, 2024

Day 5 of Week 24

Scripture: 1 Kings 5; 2 Chronicles 2; 2 Thessalonians 3

Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan. Today, we return to 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles and continue the saga of the Hebrew kings. We also continue with 2 Thessalonians. Let’s get started.

Let’s start with 1 Kings 5. Now that there is peace in Israel, Solomon decides that it is time to begin work on the temple. As you might recall, David had wanted to build a temple for the Lord but God had declined. Instead, God simply wanted David to lead the people. God also made a covenant with David that one of his descendants would be on the throne forever. In the covenant (refer to 2 Samuel 7), God also mentions that one of David’s descendants “will build a house for my name.” That descendant is Solomon. Thus, Solomon hatches a plan. He makes an alliance of sorts with the King of Tyre who can provide labor and lumber.

As we read in the chapter, the men of Israel also had to play a role in the manual labor required for the massive undertaking. Solomon enlists the very unpopular practice of conscription, forced labor, but he does not make slaves of the people. They work in shifts. This required tremendous coordination, management, and skilled labor. I was trying to think of a more modern equivalent to compare this to, maybe the making of some of the larger cathedrals. What kinds of massive undertakings do you know of that humans have taken to please the Lord?

Today’s chapter in 2 Chronicles depicts the same scenario of preparing to build the temple but with a slightly different focus. What differences did you note between the two accounts?

For our New Testament passage today, we are finishing up 2 Thessalonians. In this chapter, Paul admonishes a group in the church who are causing disruption by refusing to work. We don't know the details of the circumstances. It's possible that this group believed Jesus' second coming was imminent, so there was no need to work and earn a living. It could also be that this group found menial labor beneath them and wanted nothing to do with it. Finally, it could be a group of individuals who had grown accustomed, possibly even entitled, to the church's generosity and did not want to have to work in return. But Paul is clear: he worked and they would work too. Whatever their motivations, this group was disruptive and creating problems within the church. They would not be allowed to take advantage of the church's generosity.

As Christ-followers, we have clear commands from Jesus to care for the least of these. Jesus fed the hungry and cared for those who had little. The early church was obviously following the example of Christ and offering food to those who asked for it. But at some point, giving can lead to entitlement. Paul was certainly alluding to that. Many of you know my background involves extensive work with homeless men, women, and families. I've struggled with these issues but this is basically where I've landed; we are called tocare for the needy but we never want to harm others by destroying initiative or creating dependency. Historically, church outreach programs have engaged in one-directional giving, things like food giveaways, clothes closets, and soup kitchens. While there is a place for such ministry, it must be limited and targeted. To see meaningful change, we must address root causes, building real relationships and working with ministries that empower people to make hard but necessary long-term transformation.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki