Graduation Speech The Lord Of Israel And Judah - 2130 Words

May 18, 2016, will be a significant day for me and as it approaches, I am continuously caught in the emotional tension of trepidation and excitement; on that day, I will be ordained to the Priesthood. The season of intentional preparation over the past twelve months has been sobering and humbling as the Lord, in his grace, has combed through my heart, exposing the vileness of my sinfulness while lovingly disciplining and drawing my heart back to him. This class, throughout the pre-reading, lectures, the post-reading, and writing proved to be immensely valuable in my priestly preparatory journey. The most haunting, yet captivating theme was that of seeking the Lord. 1 and 2 Chronicles place a great deal of focus on the necessity of the†¦show more content†¦32:22; cf. 32:1). Throughout these books we see as the king sought the Lord, so did the nation, inversely, as they forsook the Lord, the nation followed (2 Chron. 33:9). Though pastors or priests are not the equivalen t to the King of Israel, they do possess a significant role in the spiritual leadership of God’s covenant people. Consequently, this class has caused me to contemplate, prayerfully, the necessity and implications of Christian leadership in their passionate pursuit of seeking the Lord on their congregations and personally, do I, like Hezekiah, seek God with all my heart? Saul, David, Solomon Stephen Nearly immediately after ending the genealogies, the Chronicler makes a point to address the death of Saul and connects it directly to Saul’s actions. He writes, So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse (1 Chron. 10:13-14). Saul’s disobedience in seeking someone other than Yahweh cost him his kingdom, calling, and life. The life and kingship of Saul feature only in one chapter (outside of the genealogy) with the purpose of creating an obvious contrast with David and his life of