Category: 1st and 2nd Chronicles-BibleTrekToday
Trek through 1st and 2nd Chronicles
Day 3–More for Us than Against Us!
Scripture reading for March 4: 2 Kings 6:15-17 “When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
Sometimes our life seems like we are being overwhelmed by more than we can handle. We go to the doctor for a physical and come home with a list of issues showing us we are in trouble. We set up a budget, but then the sewer backs up and we are faced with a large financial disruption. As a first responder, we respond to a call for help in an accident and suddenly find multiple injuries and fatalities and entrapment with fire potential. Sometimes we respond just like the servant of Elisha, with despair and wondering what to do next.
This short story from Scripture tells us of a time when the prophet Elisha was staying in a walled city and the army was out fighting in another location. In the night, the enemy army surrounded the city with overwhelming forces. When the servant saw what had happened, he returned in despair, asking Elisha what they could do. Elisha simply turned to the Lord in prayer and with the vision of faith he had developed from walking with God. He asked that eyes would be opened to the invisible realm of the Spirit. God graciously granted the request and clearly revealed heaven’s army, armed with glory!
Prayer: Father God, thank You for this simple story from long ago showing Your power and ability to protect Your people. Remind me each day of this profound truth: “There is more for us than against us!” Give me grace to pray for open eyes when I feel overwhelmed or overrun. Thank You! Amen.
Sunday rest and reflection: Jerusalem!
Dear Friends and fellow citizens of Heaven,
Greetings on this day of rest! The beauty of the Christian faith is the rest we have because of God’s grace through the finished work of Jesus Christ! We have been adopted into God’s family and made heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We have been declared righteous and have been justified in God’s sight. We can only rest in what Jesus Christ has provided and dare not add another thing.
As I reflected on the readings this week, I immediately thought of Zechariah’s final discourse on Jerusalem and the importance of this city in the plans and purposes of God. Jerusalem was known as the city of David, the beloved king of Israel, who took the city from the Jebusites. It was there that David made plans to build a house for God and purchased the threshing floor of Araunah for a place of sacrifice. (1st Chronicles 21:18-30) Solomon, David’s son, actually built the temple and Israel enjoyed a time of peace for 40 years during his tenure. (2nd Chronicles 7:1-3) As he dedicated the temple, the glory of the Lord filled the house so that the priests could not enter!
Several hundred years later, God’s people had slipped into idolatry and a shallow religion that brought about their captivity. The beautiful temple of Solomon was destroyed by the Babylonian invaders and God’s people went into captivity. After seventy years, Daniel the prophet read the prophecy of Jeremiah and saw that the time was nearly over and began to pray and fast. (Jeremiah 25:11-12) Jerusalem would be rebuilt and the temple again would stand. Nehemiah and Zerubbabel led the rebuilding efforts and the work went forward. God moved miraculously on the heart of King Cyrus and he supplied the authority and finances.
Prophets Haggai and Zechariah both urged the workers to rebuild the city and temple. God had plans for a greater purpose and glory yet to come! (Haggai 2:9) ( Zechariah 8:1-3) According to Zechariah, Jerusalem would be pivotal for God’s end-time program of judging the nations. (Zechariah 12:1-3) The nations would gather around Jerusalem to seek to destroy it in a final battle. Jesus Christ would come back to Jerusalem and again place His feet on the Mt. of Olives, causing it to split and form a way of escape for God’s people. (Zechariah 14:4-5) Following this great battle, the Lord would be King over all the earth and rule from Jerusalem! (Zechariah 14:9)
“Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, His holy mountain. It is beautiful in loftiness, the joy of the whole earth!” Psalm 48:1-2 In His Love, Pastor John
King of Pride
Scripture reading for August 23: Ezekiel 24-28
Satan is not mentioned by name often in the Old Testament. This fallen angel inhabited the body of a serpent in the Garden of Eden and enticed Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in rebellion to God’s express command. The serpent was told by God that the Seed of woman would crush his head one day and he would bruise the Seed’s heel. (Genesis 3:1-6, 14-15) In perhaps the oldest book of the Bible, Job underwent a difficult trial as a result of Satan’s accusations of him before the throne of God. Satan was given permission to test Job by first taking his possessions and children and then taking Job’s health. In 1st Chronicles 21:1, Satan stood up against Israel and enticed King David to number the people and take pride in how many fighting men he had. In Zechariah 3:1-2, Satan stood before the Lord and accused Joshua, the high priest, and was rebuked by the Lord.
There are two other passages that commentators say refer to Satan because the descriptions go beyond that of an earthly man or king. One is found in Isaiah 14 and the other is here in Ezekiel 28:11-19 and is a lament composed by Ezekiel concerning the king of Tyre. This lament describes this ‘king’ as being the model of perfection and full of wisdom and beauty. He was in Eden, the Garden of God and covered with many precious stones. This king was anointed by God to be a guardian cherub on the holy mountain of God. There he walked among the fiery stones and was blameless from the day he was created. Then wickedness was found in him and he was filled with violence and sinned. God drove him from the mountain of God in disgrace. The sin was pride because of his beauty and wisdom. God threw him down to earth and by his many sins and dishonest trade he corrupted mankind with pride . God brought him to a fiery end and reduced him to ashes in the sight of all who watched.
You might say Satan is the king of Pride and of all the proud of the earth. All mankind has fallen under his spell because of Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden. But God has provided One who has crushed the head of this serpent, Jesus Christ the Lord. The end of time will see Satan (the Devil) cast into the Lake of Fire to endure his fiery torment that lasts forever! (Revelation 20:10) Check out your heart for pride today and allow the cleansing blood of Jesus to wash it away!
There was no remedy!
Scripture reading for May 1: 2nd Chronicles 33-36
“The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through His messengers again and again, because He had pity on His people and His dwelling place. But they mocked His Words and scoffed at His prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against His people and there was no remedy.” 2 Chronicle 36:15-16
The period of the Kings and Chronicles ends with the declaration about the futile state of God’s people. God had sent messengers again and again. His mercy had suffered long with this people. He had loved them and provided for them. He had driven out their enemies and delivered them miraculously time after time. He had given them His presence in their midst in the Temple and a way to return to Him. But they mocked His Words and mistreated the prophets that were sent to them. This aroused God’s anger and He decided to allow the consequences He had promised to fall upon them. There was no remedy!
But God is faithful, even when we are faithless! (2 Timothy 2:11-13) God allowed the consequences of their own stubbornness to fall on them. They would see the destruction of their temple and go into captivity. The land would enjoy it’s sabbath rests that they failed to give in accordance with God’s Word. (2 Chronicles 36:21) Seventy years would pass in captivity as decreed by Jeremiah, the prophet. (Jeremiah 25:11-12) After this time of captivity and punishment, God would again restore the nation to their land and rebuild the temple. Isaiah the prophet correctly named Cyrus as the ruler who would give the decree to rebuild Jerusalem more than 150 years before it happened! (Isaiah 44:28) The Book of 2 Chronicles records the last Word of God concerning this rebuilding. It is as a word of hope to all who would trust God and follow Him through the captivity! (2 Chronicles 36:23)
God is merciful even in judgment! God has a plan and is working it out. Another day is coming when there will be “no remedy” for those who reject Jesus Christ! (Revelation 20:12-15) Have you applied God’s “Remedy” for sin in your own life? Are you listening to God’s messengers sent to call you to repentance?
Restoring order quickly!
Scripture reading for April 30: 2 Chronicles 29-32
Today we find our country in economic turmoil with high interest and inflation and the job market shrinking. We find many of our children leaving the path of the Lord and going into captivity in the world system of humanism and self-gratification. Many churches are losing members and there are fewer young families in attendance. What is behind all of this? Has the anger of the Lord been poured out on our nation because we have forsaken Him and left Him out of our lives?
This was the case 2700 years ago in Judah under King Hezekiah. The wrath of God was poured out on the nation because they had forsaken Him! Many had fallen to the violence of that day. Women and children were in captivity and the nation was in fear. (2 Chronicles 29:8-9) King Hezekiah began to set things in order. The first step he took was to reopen the the temple and repair it’s doors. (2 Chronicles 29:3-6) He brought in the priests and Levites to consecrate themselves and then cleanse the temple. They removed all defilements from King Ahaz and restored the utensils and furniture he had removed.
The next thing was to gather all the leaders and renew the covenant with the Lord. Sin must be confessed and atoned for through sacrifice. (2 Chronicles 29:24) The king and the people sang and worshiped as the sacrifices were being offered. The Levites led the singing and the people bowed and worshiped and offered themselves with joy and gladness! The people brought thank offerings and sacrifices for themselves. This work was done quickly because God had brought it about through a godly leader, Hezekiah!
Is your life in turmoil and fear and your family in captivity? Is your temple in disrepair? Is it cluttered with idols and remnants of the world system? Start by turning to the Lord Jesus in humble repentance. Consecrate your life to the Lord again and remove the idols and clutter. Jesus Christ has done all that is needed to cleanse your temple and cover your sin! He wants your life to be marked by joy and He will do a “quick work” in your life too!
The secret to great power!
Scripture reading for April 29: 2 Chronicles 26-28
People are always curious when someone says that they know a secret that will make them young, rich, beautiful, successful or powerful. Many people have gotten rich selling secrets relating to these popular desires. Most of them are people who are playing on the selfish nature of man for their own benefit. We would do well to avoid them. But in today’s reading, we find a treasure from the Lord!
Do you want the secret of great power? Lets look at the life of Jotham, the twenty five year old son of King Uzziah. This king did right in the eyes of the Lord. (2 Chronicles 27:2) The main event recorded of this king was a war with the Ammonites and it says that Jotham conquered them. (2 Chronicles 27:5) After the conquest, he got a large amount of silver, wheat, and barley for several years.
The secret of his power is found in one verse that makes up a paragraph! “Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.” (2 Chronicles 27:6) It is so simple that anyone can grasp this concept. Faithfulness is the first requirement of a good steward. Jotham was faithful and he kept the faith all of his life! He served the Lord his God. God wasn’t just the God of his father or mother. He wasn’t just his nation’s God or his wife’s God. In order to serve steadfastly, you need to know God for yourself!
If you need to ask the Lord to be your God today, take time now and get right with Him. The path to great power starts with a heart commitment to the Lord in faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12) We must humbly confess our sins and our need of His grace. (1st John 1:9) We choose to believe in our hearts and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and we will be saved. (Romans 10:9-11) We are saved by grace through faith in Christ and He has good works for us to walk in. (Ephesians 2:8-10) If you continue in the faith, steadfast to the end, you will experience the greatest power available to man–God will raise you from the dead and you will live forever with Him! (1st Thessalonians 4:13-18) May the Lord bless you with great power!
He passed away–to no one’s regret
Scripture reading for April 27: 2 Chronicles 21-25
I have officiated at many funerals. Most have been fairly well attended and most have been for people who knew the Lord and had a Christian testimony. Sorrow is normal and mourning can go on for several months or more. Usually, if a person is a great leader or a person who has had public contact and great influence, the funeral is well attended and many kind words are said. I remember attending the funeral of a famous Christian musician and songwriter. The service was three hours long and the graveside service another half-hour! This man ended well and there were lots of people who were sad that he had departed. Of course, we all rejoiced that he was with the Lord for he had a strong Christian testimony.
But King Jehoram was a king of Judah who did evil in the Lord’s eyes. He married a daughter of the wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. God raised up enemies who constantly caused trouble in Jehoram’s kingdom. Jehoram sought idols and built pagan shrines instead of seeking the Lord. The prophet Elijah sent him a letter that told him of his sins and the coming consequences. (2 Chronicles 21:12-15) This letter warned of God striking Jehoram’s family and then the king himself with a wasting disease of the bowels. Jehoram was unresponsive to God’s warning.
God aroused the Philistines and Arabs, and they attacked Jerusalem and carried off all of Jehoram’s sons but the youngest. Jehoram was afflicted with the disease of the bowels and he died in great pain. There is no record that he sought the Lord or tried to find help from God. When this king died, there was no big funeral or celebration of remembrance. No one mourned or was sad to see this king leave this world. “And he departed with no one’s regret.” (2 Chronicles 21:20)
How are you living your life? What kind of legacy are you leaving behind in your community and family? What will people say about you and your life when you pass from this earth? More importantly, what will God say about your life?
God the Righteous Judge!
Scripture reading for April 26: 2nd Chronicles 17-20
A dangerous trend in our own land is the appointment of judges who do not just render decisions based on the law, but try to legislate from the bench. They feel that they can help tailor the laws of the land to meet the needs of more people rather than just interpreting the laws according to their original intent. Every government needs a moral base of what is right and what is wrong. God’s law has proven to be the best definition of right and wrong that was ever written down! Truth is liberating!
King Jehoshaphat had narrowly escaped death when he unwisely allied himself with King Ahab of Israel. When he cried out to the Lord, God spared his life. King Jehoshaphat decided to bring more reform to the people he served. He appointed judges in each of the fortified cities and gave them strict instructions about how to serve the Lord and His people. He told them that each decision should be rendered as from the Lord and that the fear of the Lord should be upon them. There should be no injustice, partiality, or bribery, for God is righteous!
“He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. Now then let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes.” (2nd Chronicles 19:5-7)
Our nation is in peril today because of violating God’s laws. Unrighteous judges have reinterpreted the laws of our land to remove God and His law from the land. Bribery and partiality have distorted justice. We as a nation need to take warning from God’s Word about judges and law. We are in danger of God’s wrath and are already experiencing it.
Take time today to pray for those in authority as judges in our land. What are some things you might do to renew respect for law and law enforcement in our land? Is God’s Word the foundation of your life?
“Be strong, don’t give up!”
Scripture reading for April 25: 2 Chronicles 13-16
“Listen to me, Asa and all of Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” 2 Chronicles 15:2
“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7
God is good at warning and encouraging! King Asa started out right and did right in the eyes of the Lord. He proceeded to remove idols from the land and commanded God’s people to seek the Lord and obey His laws. He rebuilt the fortified cities and the land enjoyed peace under his godly rule. When an attack came from Zerah the Cushite, Asa called out to the Lord for help and God answered him. (2 Chronicles 14:11) King Asa had a great victory and was walking close to the Lord.
God saw something inside of this king that He addressed. He encouraged Asa by the prophetic ministry of Azariah, son of Oded. He encouraged this victorious king to keep on seeking the Lord. He reminded him to stay with the Lord. He warned him and his followers that if they forsook the Lord, they would find themselves out there on their own and in trouble. He ended the prophetic message with encouragement. He told King Asa to be strong and not give up. God would reward him for his work. Prophesy is always to build up, not to tear down. (1 Corinthians 14:3)
Asa was humble and teachable at the time of this earlier word, but later Asa went on his own to Damascus and enlisted the Syrian King Ben-Hadad with monies from the Temple treasuries. Again the Lord sent a prophet to warn and correct Asa. Hanani came to him and told him he had done a foolish thing and would now be at war. Asa became angry with the seer and imprisoned him. He mistreated some of the Lord’s people as well. He got a disease in his feet, but refused to seek the Lord and only went to doctors. As a result, he died. He had started out right, but failed to heed the word of the Lord!
Are you listening to the prophetic word of Scripture for daily guidance? Does warning or encouragement from the Lord helps you stay on track? Be strong and courageous and your work will be rewarded!
“A wake-up call from God”
Scripture reading for April 24: 2 Chronicles 10-12
Have you ever slept through an important event or meeting? Have you shut the alarm off or hit the “snooze” button and then failed to make it to work? King Rehoboam got an unusual “wake-up” call from a prophet of God and a pagan king, Shishak of Egypt, and his 1200 chariots! (2nd Chronicles 12:3)
2 Chronicles 12:5-6 “Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them: “Thus says the Lord, You abandoned Me, so I have abandoned you into the hand of Shishak.”
Rehoboam had failed to keep regular appointments with God and obey God’s law after he was established and became strong. (2 Chronicles 12:1-2) Rehoboam had followed his father Solomon to the throne, but failed to listen to wise advise. Instead he sought the advice of his own peers and sought his own way and welfare over the welfare of the people God had entrusted to him. We may get by doing this for a while, but soon our sins find us out.
As a result of his neglect, Rehoboam found himself under attack by Shishak, King of Egypt. Shishak had 1200 chariots and many hired warriors. God sent a prophet named Shemaiah to warn Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah and to help them see their errors. Upon hearing the Word of the Lord, the king and the leaders humbled themselves and God relented of destroying them. He did allow Shishak to carry off the treasures of the Temple and the royal palace. The king and the people became subjects of Egypt. Rehoboam heard the wake-up call and responded with remorse, not true repentance. He was spared destruction, but he continued to do evil in God’s eyes and failed to set his heart on seeking the Lord in everything. (2 Chronicles 12:14)
Has the Lord sent you a ‘wake-up’ call that got your attention? What is God looking for in those who lead His people? Why is it not often best just to consult your peers instead of those with godly wisdom?