This week’s lesson from 2 Chronicles 15: 1-7 seems especially obscure and challenging. Yet, I think we can find some nuggets to share with our class.So far this month, we’ve determined that:
- God’s Spirit (God’s Ruach, his breath) is in everyone. Not everyone is aware of God’s Spirit’s presence – a part of salvation is the awareness that God is in us.
- God’s Spirit can speak into a community through leaders and community members alike, to help give direction and identity to the people of God.
- God’s Spirit is absolutely necessary in hearing and responding to God’s call.
So, in today’s scripture from 2 Chronicles 15:1-7, we find the first and last mention of Azariah, son of Oded. Azariah has a message for Asa, King of Judah, and the people of Judah. Simply put, if you’re with God, then God will be with you. If you’re not with God, God will not be found. While God could be understood as temperamental or this message could be interpreted as an “earn your salvation” theology, we know there must be more to this. After all, if this was literally the way God behaved, what hope would anyone have?
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