Historical or period movies are probably my favorite genre—provided you remove the bloody slaughter, or at least fast-forward past it. I don’t particularly enjoy extended viewings of gory images, though skipping them means I sometimes miss the action. In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, for example, I missed a great deal of what happened at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields because I couldn’t resist the impulse to skip the clash of swords, spears, and the literal fight between good and evil. I must confess, I ended up rewinding to watch the bits I’d missed; there’s simply no way to skip the battles without losing vital pieces of an eleven-hour epic.
Because of this love for history, you can probably guess that I enjoy reading the stories of the Old Testament. They show us how, from just one man (Abraham), nations rose and fell, aligned and opposed one another, and some were destroyed according to God’s word. We focus on Israel because they are the beloved of God, but here is a fun fact: did you know how many other nations came from Abraham? If you were only thinking of Ishmael and Edom, don’t forget the sons of Keturah.
So, you can see how we are starting the year. As much as I am intrigued by the humans in the wilderness and the Book of Judges (because really? Really?), I feel compelled to study and share about the Kings of Israel (both Judah and Israel). It is going to be a long study, and we have 348 days to receive godly inspiration—to learn what is true and realize what is wrong in our lives. We have time to correct our mistakes and learn to do what is right.
Are you joining me on this ride?
Let’s go!
Love,
Osi
Lighthouse scribes 
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