Can man ever be truly faithful to God? When there are brilliant expressions of men being faithful to God only to see the spectacular failure of their sons who wholeheartedly turn away from God, where will we find hope? 2 Chronicles builds its foundation upon the history of the kingdom of Judah. The events detailed in 1 and 2 Kings are told again in 2 Chronicles but with an emphasis on the actions of the kings of Judah. The storyline of Judah that is told in 2 Chronicles has a mostly positive feel compared to 2 Kings and 1 Chronicles. The people of Judah remain steadfast in their resolve to worship God while the people in Israel are turning away from God. Continue Reading…
Tag Archive - 2 Chronicles
Failure of Judah foreshadows The Deliverer: 2 Chronicles Summary
Exile softens a hardened heart: 2 Chronicles 35 and 36
In 2 Chronicles 35 and 36 we reach the precipice leading to the fall and decline of Judah and its road to exile in Babylon. After the faithful stewardship and tenderhearted rule of Josiah over Judah the kings that rule Judah turn completely away from God. The wrath of God is falling on His chosen people as he promised to Josiah. How is the relationship between God and the sons of Israel to be viewed? How do we view our relationship with God today? God is a loving father that desires to see the best happen for His people through out all time.
God continually sought to bring the hearts of the people of Judah back to Him through His messengers and prophets. How does a persons heart become so hardened against God that they have no respect, thought, or desire for Him? “The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He has compasstion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, until there was no remedy.” 2 Chronicles 36:15,16 Continue Reading…
Hope rises as the heart transforms and renews: 2 Chronicles 33 and 34
The reading today in 2 Chronicles 33 and 34 makes me ask wonder how the faith that we hold to with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength can be instilled into the lives of our posterity. In chapter 35 Manasseh succeeds as king of Judah after Hezekiah’s death. How did Manasseh stray so far from God? Why did he choose to undo the good and true things of his father that glorified God? The Temple of the Lord was defiled by Manasseh of which God had said, “In this House and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them according to all the law, the statutes and the ordinances given through Moses.” 2 Chronicles 33:7,8 The people of Judah were led by Manasseh to set their hearts towards Great evil. What can help in moments when we are so far from our first love of God? Continue Reading…
Your heart proclaims your treasure: 2 Chronicles 31 and 32
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Matthew 6:20-24 These verses have been brought to my mind many times by various people the last few weeks. We live in a world that places great renown and power on the accumulation of things. We cannot live a life where we have a mixed allegiance between God and the world. What does it look like when we cast aside the bonds of idolatry that have taken root in our lives and cling to God? What hope is there to break free from the bonds that consistently seek to hold onto our attention? Continue Reading…
Passionate perseverance in our journey of faith
Here is another post that I wrote for my churches August fast that I wanted to share with you. How do we remain passionate as we continue through this August Fast? Do you have the zeal for this fast that you had at the beginning? Have the worries of work and family crowded into your day to day living? When insurmountable events present themselves and hope seems lost what do you do? Cling to God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength as the waves of life seek to consume you.
In 2 Chronicles 20 the kingdom of Judah was invaded by the sons of Moab, the sons of Ammon, and the Meunites. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, is faced with an overwhelming advisory seeking to destroy him. What would your instinctive reaction be in this situation? Would you be afraid? “Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from the Lord; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord” 2 Chronicles 20:3,4 Hope in times of trouble is only found in God alone. Jehoshaphat’s instinct was not to run anywhere but to God for his help. The people sought to fast and set their hearts towards God. Continue Reading…
Arise, cleanse, and restore the Temple: 2 Chronicles 29 and 30
What was important to Hezekiah? After the reign of Ahaz the kingdom of Judah is left in complete disarray. The temple is defiled and the people are worshiping idols and sacrificing their children. What would you do if you were Hezekiah? “In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them.” 2 Chronicles 29:3 The greatest concern of Hezekiah when he took over the reign of Judah was to restore the people’s dependance on God. What effect did Ahaz’s damage to the Temple have on the people when they were barred from entry? How should leader handle a situation where people have lost all regard for God?
It was vitally important for Hezekiah to tell the people of Judah how they strayed from God as seen in 2 Chronicles 29:6-11. The heart of Hezekiah is laid bare before the priests and Levites of Judah, “Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that His burning anger may turn away from us. My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to minister to Him, and to be His ministers and burn incense.” 2 Chronicles 29:10,11 Why is a tenderhearted leader so important? Hezekiah needed the priests and Levites to help point the people of Judah back to God. His openness before the people shows how sincerely he desired that all of Judah seek after God. If you are a leader do you openly share your heart with those you lead? What effect does that openness have? Continue Reading…
God is never blind to the actions of mankind: 2 Chronicles 27 and 28
In 2 Chronicles 27 why did Jotham not enter the temple of the Lord? Do the corrupt actions of the Israelites result from a lack of spiritual leadership from Jotham? Chapter 27 recounts Jotham’s life and that he ordered his life towards God. Why is the human race so obstinate and headstrong? We so readily run off and seek out idols and whatever else seemingly meets our needs and desires to only realize our failure when we are ensnared in the grip of sin.
Did the wickedness of Ahaz, who ruled Judah after Jotham, stem from the perverse wickedness of the people of Judah during the reign of Jotham? When Ahaz wholeheartedly turned away from God what effect did it have on the nation of Judah? The protection and blessing of God was removed from Judah as they were invaded by Israel. God will ordain or allow difficult moments in our lives to remind us of our dependance upon Him. Continue Reading…
A warning against idolatry and pride: 2 Chronicles 25 and 26
What does it mean when Amaziah did right in the sight of the Lord but not with a whole heart in 2 Chronicles 25:2? What was the driving force in Amaziah’s life? In 2 Chronicles 25 Amaziah makes an alliance with one hundred thousand fighting men of Israel but when a man of God gives him a warning he breaks the alliance. Why did Amaziah send away the hired men from Israel? When he speaks to the man of God about turning the men of Israel away he is concerned not that he offended God but about the money spent on the men of war. Amaziah feared the Lord but did he find his delight in Him? The life of Amaziah seems very similar to the life of may people today where we seek out the riches of this world first before we seek out God. We can never whole heartedly seek God when we have placed a greater value on anything in this world. Continue Reading…
Foreshadowing of Jesus Christ in the defense of a child: 2 Chronicles 23 and 24
Are you willing to defend your faith? To what extent are you willing to obey God’s commandments? Who do you defend when there is injustice? In 2 Chronicles 23 and 24 Jehoiada secures the rule of Judah for Joash who was just a child of seven. The Levites gathered to protect this young ruler from anything that could harm him. These Levites stood alert and ready to react to anyone who would seek to enter the Temple to harm Joash. Is there a parallel to our relationship to Jesus Christ found in the story of Jehoiada, Joash, and the Levites? Continue Reading…
Faithfulness to God or harlotry to idols: 2 Chronicles 21 and 22
Can a leader be effective if there is jealousy, desire for renown, or blind ambition in a their life? In 2 Chronicles 21 and 22 the choice Jehoshaphat made to align with Ahab by marriage has an adverse effect on his sons. Did these wives taken from Israel by Jehoshaphat’s sons draw them away from God? Idolatry became the status quo for Judah just as it was for Israel. In the midst of Judah’s unfaithfulness God was not willing to destroy them because of His promise to David. Do you find encouragement inthe great faithfulness God proves continually? Continue Reading…
