*** SHOW NOTES (not a transcript) ***

Lead:

Teaser: Today you’ll learn a factoid about our word of the day (I didn’t know either!).

Intro:

I know you don’t think Jesus ever called someone an idiot, but he did. <snicker> You might recall that in both Matthew and Luke he castigates those would would not listen by saying that the “Queen of the South” (some scholars think it was Yemen) made it a point to travel to hear wisdom, but something greater than Solomon is right in front of them and they won’t listen.

Today’s story is the story he was referring to. Yesterday we wrapped up a recount of Solomon’s successes, and today’s the capstone story about his greatness. Then we transition into a long list of kings from Judah from which we’re supposed to learn spiritual lessons.

Today’s word: hard, harden, or hardness.

Sponsor:

Bible segment (read along with The Bible Project):

Passage: 2 Chronicles 9-12
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 89
Words: ~2683

Thinking/reflection segment:

Hard, Harden, Hardness: The quality of being hard rather than soft, stiff instead of pliable, is hardly mentioned at all in the Bible as a physical property. Instead it is a psychological, moral and spiritual quality that covers a range of attitudes, including refusal to listen, inability to understand, irrationality, and rebellious disobedience. The part of the body that most often gets metaphorically hardened is the heart; the image of being “stiff-necked” is a variant. (1)

Wisdom segment:

Passage:
Translation:
Verses:
Words:

Love you!

-R

Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.

Sources and resources:

(1) Leland Ryken et al., Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 364.

#853: 2 Chronicles 9-12 | Hard, harden, hardness