Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Adults

Listen to this week’s leader training podcast with Y Bonesteele, team leader for The Gospel Project for Adults, for a summary and guidance in leading your group.

This week’s additional resources for study and preparation:

• Article: “The Book that Grieved Josiah” by Ligonier
• Article: “4 Ways to Seek Revival” by Davy Ellison
• Sermon: “Finding Hope in a Dark World: Lessons from King Hezekiah” by Christopher Ash

Transcript of Leader Training Podcast:

Hi this is Y Bonesteele, team leader of The Gospel Project for Adults. Welcome to another Leader Training podcast. Today we are in Unit 15, Session 1, God’s People Worshiped, with the core passage of 2 Kings 18:1-6; 22:1-2; and 23:1-3. And with the key concept of: Worship of God includes following Him and His Word.

So far, we have seen the history of the downfall of the northern Kingdom of Israel and last week we saw their demise in getting captured by the Assyrians because of their idolatry and wickedness. Today we turn to the southern Kingdom of Judah to see how they fared. Last week it was mentioned that Judah eventually because of their idolatry and wickedness were judged but we will see that they also had some good kings, faring at least a little better than their northern counterparts. Today we look at two such kings who helped the Israelites in Judah return to true worship of the Lord.

First, we learn of Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18:1-6. Verse 1 shows who was in power in the northern kingdom while Hezekiah was king in the southern. It just happened to be Hoshea who we learned about last week, the last king of Israel. Now Hezekiah was 25 when he became king. That seems young to us today but that was an established age for that time.

Now Hezekiah was one of the good kings. “He did what was right in the Lord’s sight as his ancestor David had done” in verse 3. Back in last week’s session, just a chapter before in 2 Kings 17:7-17, we see the reasons for why Israel fell. So in contrast, in describing Hezekiah, it shows he did the opposite. In 17:9, it says Israel “built high places.” In 18:4, it says Hezekiah “removed the high places.” In 17:10, it says Israel “set up for themselves sacred pillars.” Here in 18:4, it says Hezekiah “shattered the sacred pillars. Israel set up “Asherah poles in every high hill.” Hezekiah “cut down the Asherah poles.” 17:12 says “they served idols.” In contrast Hezekiah “broke into pieces the bronze snake that Moses made.” We remember Numbers 21 when God showed mercy and saved the people from the judgment given them, venomous snakes. God told Moses to make a bronze snake to which when the people looked at it, it would heal them from the venom. This bronze snake though eventually became an idol for the people. They even named it Nehushtan. They turned something good into something forbidden by God.

Thus, when Israel, the northern kingdom rejected God, we read that Hezekiah “relied on the Lord God.” No one was like Hezekiah as he “remained faithful” and “did not turn from following [God and] kept the commands the Lord had commanded Moses” in verse 6. The words we see here describing Hezekiah are: he “relied on the Lord,”, he “remained faithful,” he “did not turn from following” the Lord, and he “kept the commands the Lord had commanded Moses.” That is the description of a follower, a true believer in the Lord.

After Hezekiah came Manasseh who was not a good king. He did eventually repent a little but his son, Amon went back to the evil ways. He was assassinated which led to Josiah becoming king at eight years old. Josiah was an example of a good king. 2 Kings 22:2 states that “he did what was right in the Lord’s sight and walked in all the way of his ancestor David.” He was described similar to Hezekiah. Also, “he did not turn to the right or the left;” he stayed on the right path.

In verses 2-7 of chapter 22, we see him repairing the temple, then after that, the book of the law was found in the temple and reading it, Josiah was convicted of the people’s disobedience knowing that judgment was to follow. So he tore his clothes in humility. Many believe this book to be Deuteronomy. And confirming the information with a prophetess, her response was that disaster was coming because of the people’s disobedience, but because Josiah was tender-hearted to the Lord and humbled by the information, it would happen after his lifetime, in chapter 22 verses 19-20.

This leads us to chapter 23 and the second text here. Hearing the response of the prophetess, even knowing the disaster wouldn’t happen until after his lifetime, Josiah was ready to bring the people back to the Lord. He gathered all the people of Judah—the elders, all the inhabitants, priests and prophets, young and old—he gathered them in the temple and read to them “all the words of the book of the covenant” in verse 2. He then made a covenant “in the Lord’s presence to follow the Lord and to keep his commands, his decrees, and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul.” This covenant-making was a commitment and a promise. Actually, it was more of a re-commitment and a re-promise because he did it “in order to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book.” In Deuteronomy, Moses tells a new generation of Israelites who were ready to enter the promise land, their history and their laws, reminding them to love their God, staying faithful to the covenant God had made with them to be their God and they would be His people. It had probably been at least 57 years since the book of the law was read previously when Hezekiah was king. So Josiah returned the people to a worship of the true God, as seen in Scripture. He reminded them of their history and how God had always provided and how they were to obey Him and renew their devotion to Him. “The people agreed to the covenant.” And the rest of the chapter in 2 Kings show Josiah’s reforms, including tearing down altars and idols and bringing back the celebration of Passover.

As we see Josiah convicted by the book of the covenant, what is the relationship between the Word of God and our obedience to and worship of the Lord? Scripture is our guiding light. God’s Word points us to what’s true and good and how we are to live as God’s people. It is God’s word to us, for us to obey so that we might have the good life, the life filled with His presence and His guidance. God’s Word thus helps us to know Him more and know His commands more that we may obey Him and worship Him.

Like the Gospel Connection states, God’s Word teaches us all we need to know and obey the Lord. Scripture compels us to stay faithful to God because God has always been faithful to us through His covenant, especially the new covenant through Jesus Christ.

Onto the Group Experience, start with the Arrival activity writing synonyms of worship. Try to focus on worship as a verb, not as a noun. Some examples include: honor, adore, devote, love, be infatuated with, obsess). Go through the Transition leading to the Context. Review the two kingdoms, the northern and southern and remind your group of last week’s session where the northern kingdom of Israel was captured by the Assyrians.

Then Recap, asking what stood out from the kings studied this week? How were you encouraged, instructed, or convicted by their examples?

Continue to the Group Activity. Have someone read 2 Kings 18:1-6 about Hezekiah. Discus different ways Hezekiah was faithful and worshipful to God internally and externally. Verse 3, “he did what was right in the Lord’s sight” would be both internal and external. Verse 4, “he removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles” are external. Breaking the bronze snake is also external. Verse 5, “he relied on the Lord God” is internal. Verse 6, “he remained faithful” and “did not turn from following him” and “kept his commands” are both internal and external.

Move to the Connect section and ask, “What is the relationship between external acts of worship and the internal heart of worship?” Ideally, external acts of worship stem from an internal heart of worship. But it is possible to do external acts without having a matching heart. On the flip side though, if your heart is truly worshipful, it will lead to worshipful acts.

Have someone read 2 Kings 22:1-2 and 23:1-3. Again for Josiah, add that “he did what was right in the Lord’s sight” in verse 2 as both internal and external. Write that he gathered all the people in the temple (verses 23:1-2) as external. He read the book of the covenant to them as external in verse 2. He made a covenant to follow the Lord and keep His commands in verse 3 as internal.

Debrief with: Based on the examples of Hezekiah and Josiah, what should our internal and external worship of the Lord look like? Our hearts should be humbled by a great God who is merciful but also holy. We should be motivated by our love for God and our acknowledgement of sin, seeing that we deserve judgment, but God in His mercy has given us salvation through Christ. Knowing that, our worship should be expressed in removing sin and idols in our lives and returning to corporate worship and study of God’s Word. Our prayers and hearts should reflect one that daily is reminded of God’s covenant to us.

Who are some Hezekiahs and Josiahs in your own life? How has their faith impacted yours? Your group will have varying answers here.

Summarize and head into the Head, Heart, Hands section focusing on the Heart question if time is limited. Of what sins do you need to repent, and how will you combat the idolatry present in your life and seek the Lord first? Give people time to reflect on this by themselves, mentioning that we all have at least potential idols in our lives. Remind the group that they can pray that God would not let good things become idols.

Continue through Next Steps maybe highlighting the first bullet point. Tell your group they can read the account of Hezekiah’s life in 2 Kings 18-20, noting the highs and lows, considering how your own faith may have done the same. End with prayer requests and praises and praying through Psalm 19:7-11: “7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous. 10 They are more desirable than gold — than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. 11 In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.”

Hey thanks again for joining me on another leader training podcast. Reach out at [email protected] and hope you have a great group time!