“Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord and so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord? But there is some good in you for you have removed the Asheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God.” 2 Chronicles 19:3,4 Jehoshaphat was not perfect not a perfect leader of Judah. He had his faults and failures but he consistently set his heart to seek after God. Do you think that you are required to live a perfect life on earth? What expectations do you place on yourself that are unnecessary? As Jehoshaphat set his heart to seek God he was learning to cling to God and love Him with all of his heart, mind, soul, and strength. The evidence of Jehoshaphat’s focus on God is seen in 2 Chronicles 19:5-11 as he sets out to bring the people of Judah back to the Lord. Continue Reading…
What do you set your heart toward: 2 Chronicles 19 and 20
Our inherent need for a leader: 2 Chronicles 17 and 18
When Jehoshaphat became king over Judah what impact did his faith and dependance upon God have in the lives of the people and the kingdom of Judah? How did the people of Judah view Jehoshaphat faith in God? Did they truly believe in God’s power and faithfulness at the onset of his reign? How do people today view a leaders strong faith in God? It may seem to people today that a leader who claims his strength in God alone is a little of his rocker but the life of the leader will the greatest witness to the glory and power of God. Continue Reading…
Courage to live a life of faithfulness: 2 Chronicles 15 and 16
What effect does the passage of time have upon a legacy? Can you live life based upon how your faith and dependance upon God was at one time in your past? In 2 Chronicles 15 and 16 Asa is king over Judah and God has delivered Judah from the armies of Israel and Ethiopia in the first years of his reign. As the people of Judah placed their hope in God alone, put away their idols, and turned wholeheartedly to God they were blessed. Did they know how blessed they were in these moments?
“Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. But in their distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and they sought Him and He let them find Him. Continue Reading…
Life on the road of faithfulness and failure: 2 Chronicles 13 and 14
“But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the Lord as priests, and the Levites attend to their work. Every morning and evening they burn to the Lord burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him. Now behold, God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.” 2 Chronicles 13:10-12
The history of the kingdom of Judah given in 2 Chronicles is more encouraging than the history of the kingdom of Israel. In 2 Chronicles 13 and 14 the kingdom of Judah clings to God and seeks their strength from Him. God is fulfilling His promise that He made to Solomon; the kingdom of Judah remained faithful to God and were blessed by Him while the kingdom of Israel was sent off in captivity. Continue Reading…
Faith developed in communion: 2 Chronicles 11 and 12
It is exciting to read through 2 Chronicles after reading through 1 and 2 Kings because details are drawn out that I didn’t notice. There was preparations for a civil war among the kingdom of Judah and Israel after they split. It amazes me that they so easily lost their focus on God and sought to keep what they deemed their own after the death of Solomon. The idea of civil war in Israel is nothing new because you have the fighting that occurred between the descendants of Saul and David in 2 Samuel and you have the sons of Israel rising up against the tribe of Benjamin in Judges 19 and 20. Why does God prevent the battle among Judah and Israel from occurring? We know that both kingdoms of Judah and Israel are taken away in exile from their homes by reading 2 Kings 25. Are some lessons learned more readily why when we are taken away from everything we know? It will never cease to amaze me how God chooses to sometimes use war while other times he uses exile to remind people they need Him. Continue Reading…
Visit to find wisdom and a nation asunder: 2 Chronicles 9 and 10
In 2 Chronicles 9 and 10 the stories from 1 Kings 9 through 11 are retold. You have the Queen of Sheba visiting Solomon because of his wisdom. I thought is was interesting how she needed to witness his wisdom firsthand with her own senses before she would believe it existed? The rumor of Solomon’s great wisdom proved to pale in comparison to the reality the queen found leaving her breathless. Why are the faults of Solomon left out as he is described in 2 Chronicles? We see the greatness and wisdom of Solomon but It does not speak of his ravenous lust for women which lead towards his downfall. Why the emphasis on the positive side of his life? Chapter 10 recounts the nation of Israel splitting into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and the rest of 2 Chronicles will follow the story of the kingdom of Judah. Continue Reading…
For His lovingkindness is everlasting: 2 Chronicles 7 and 8
The promised blessing for the people of Israel if they seek out God wholeheartedly. “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I sen pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13,14 What is the hope here? When we turn back to God and seek Him out no matter where our sin has carried us we can find restoration.
The promised curse for the people of Israel if they turn away from God. “But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight and will make it a proverb and a by word among all peoples.” 2 Chronicles 7:19,20 When the people of Israel forsook following God they were uprooted and taken away in exile. When you are given a warning about a consequence for your actions do you move in such a way to avoid the bad outcome? Continue Reading…
The amazing and unwavering faithfulness of God: 2 Chronicles 5 and 6
How do people experience God in real and tangible ways yet still wander from Him like a twirling weathervane in a chaotic storm? In 2 Chronicles 5:14 the glory of the Lord filled the newly built temple so that the priests could not enter. From 2 Kings we know that the people of Israel strayed away from God after Solomon’s reign. What hope is there for mankind for overcoming this inherent failure? Are our expectations focused correctly on what truly matters? Do we have a proper perspective on failure?
In 2 Chronicles 6:12-42 Solomon offers a prayer of dedication to God for the Temple. As you read through this prayer of Solomon remember that he has been blessed with a wisdom from God that no man can rival. Solomon pleads with God to remember the promises He has made with the people of Israel. Solomon knew that the most important key to survival was God alone. Continue Reading…
Upon Mount Moriah deliverance is found: 2 Chronicles 3 and 4
Can you imagine the splendor of the Temple that Solomon built to the Lord on Mount Moriah? We are given a brief, yet precise, summary of the materials and items that were collected and assembled with great craftsmanship in of 2 Chronicles 3 and 4. Is there any building that exists today that can compare to the majesty of the Temple? Why was the Temple so richly adorned? Was gold, silver, bronze, precious gems, and the ornate wood important because when collected and completed the Temple was a worthy place for God to dwell on earth? Would the willing hearts of the people who gave these precious materials be of greater worth and significance? God doesn’t need any material thing from us. When we willingly cast aside the items we cherish and give them over to God we express what we truly think of God. Continue Reading…
Desire statement about our lives: 2 Chronicles 1 and 2
What would you desire from God if He were to offer you anything? Would our requests reflect our view and opinion of God? In 2 Chronicles 1 Solomon’s requests for wisdom to lead the people of Israel is recounted. There are moments in my life when I think a material need is the most important need I have such as money, a home, or a vehicle. Solomon could have asked for riches but they would eventually lose all value and degrade. In the same way anything I run after in this life is just a fleeting and unable to retain eternal value. I have sometimes thought that my life would come to its ultimate definition if I found a wife but no person can give my life fulfillment. Could a life of perfect health bring hope for tomorrow? Could a life free from conflict bring lasting joy to your life? Continue Reading…
