Nobility in God's Economy - Bible Baptist Church

Text: Acts 17:10-11

Berean kings

Paul first goes to the synagogues as was his custom. Why? Because the Jews were the people who were primed to receive the Messiah. The blessings of God in their nation prepared them to accept the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity is the goal of God’s creation of Judaism.
These Berean Jews were nobler because they had ready minds and made diligent searches of the scriptures. What made them like royalty? Their ready minds, diligent in receiving the words of God.
He’s probably comparing the Berean Jews to the Thessalonian Jews who were antagonistic to Paul’s preaching.

Solomon’s principle

King Hezekiah is looking for wisdom from God. He knows his great great great… grandfather Solomon was made the wisest man in the world by God. So Hezekiah, unlike the kings before him, searches for Solomon’s writings to get help making decisions. There is joy in discovery itself. And it takes a person fit for the kingdom to search out the things of God. Turn to Proverbs 25:1-3. Nobility is the honor of kings.
Does anyone remember Jacque Cousteau? There are some modern expedition shows and researchers like Gold Rush or Expedition Unknown or River Monsters. Their discovery of creatures and valuable material makes them popular. Discovery brings honor. People’s names get attached to discoveries in science, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and medicine.
Neither diamonds, gold, nor silver is found laying around in the street. They must be discovered in the rock. They must be mined out. Oil, and fuel, is not on tap. It is drilled for and the search is costly and dangerous, but when it’s discovered it’s precious.

Blot on the Jewish nation

Queen of the south shall rise in judgment against the Jews because she traveled from afar to hear the wisdom of God in Solomon, but the Jews don’t have to travel to hear one greater than Solomon, yet they won’t hear him (Matthew 12:42).
Jeremiah faced with truths that hurt him, he lamented but carried on (Jeremiah 20).
Josiah is faced with rules that had been broken for years. He finds himself responsible for a culture where many traditions and customs have been formed contrary to God’s words.
Jesus would say over and over to teachers of the law that they needed to read the law God gave them for the answers. Haven’t you read? Search the scriptures!

Pastoral and congregational advice

1 Timothy 5:17
2 Timothy 2:15. I understand this is not addressed to everyone and has particular application to a pastor.
If you believe the Bible is God’s word and there is divine gold in this book. If you know that, you’ll dig out the gold. You’ll quit reading it for what “I can get out of it” and start studying it for what the LORD has put there. The value is not what YOU make the words say. The value is God’s revelation to man.