Category: 1st and 2nd Chronicles-BibleTrekToday
Trek through 1st and 2nd Chronicles
“The half has not been told!”
Scripture reading for April 23: 2 Chronicles 6-9
Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived other than Jesus Christ. Solomon got his wisdom by asking for it! (James 1:5) God appeared to him early in his rule and asked him what he needed. Solomon asked for wisdom to rule God’s people and knowledge. (2 Chronicles 1:7-10) God granted him his request and gave him fame and fortune as well. Solomon became well-known for his wisdom and for the wealth that God had lavished on him.
The Queen of Sheba was a foreign dignitary of Solomon’s time who had heard reports of Solomon’s wisdom and wealth. She traveled great distance to see for herself. Her recorded remark was “not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me”. (2 Chronicles 9:6) Even though a pagan, she praised Solomon’s God for delighting in him and placing him on the throne. She noted that the Lord loved His people and appointed Solomon as king to uphold them and rule them for God! She had great understanding herself as she stood in Solomon’s presence. It appears that this wisdom rubs off! The Queen of Sheba also lavished gifts of gold and spices on Solomon. She gave him over 25 tons of gold by our measure! A king who is full of wisdom deserves great honor and recognition!
Solomon has a distant grandson, Jesus Christ, who was also filled with wisdom from God. Luke records that He grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man. (Luke 2:51) Paul records that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:2-3) This same Jesus has been made unto us wisdom from God. (1st Corinthians 1:30) If we need wisdom, we can simply ask God and He will give us liberally! (James 1:5) We have record of Jesus’ unequaled wisdom, yet the half has not been told!
As the Queen of Sheba gave lavish gifts to Solomon, so we are to honor Jesus Christ and give our tithes and lives to Him Who is worthy! We are to tell of the riches of His glorious Kingdom and publish His fame and wisdom for all who will listen! We bring Him the precious “gold” of our faith and the “spices” of prayer and worship. All nations will worship Him of Whom “the half has not been told”!
God is good and loves eternally!
Scripture reading for April 22: 2nd Chronicles 1-5
Two great truths about God are voiced in this simple song that was sung when the priests and Solomon moved the Ark of the Covenant into the completed temple of the Lord. These truths are so simple and obvious that one would think everyone should know them and had experienced them. But Satan is a liar, always questioning God’s goodness and His enduring love!
God is good! God is good in all His ways and character. His goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives. (Psalm 23:6) He is good in His creation through which He has provided for all creatures food and drink to sustain them. Everything we eat ultimately comes from His hands. He is good to both the evil and the good. He shows mercy by his goodness in sending rain and bringing forth crops and food for all, no matter how they might treat Him! God is good in His character as well. He is pure and holy and righteous in every way. (Revelation 15:3-4) His perfection and holiness causes the hosts of heaven to adore Him, crying: “Holy, Holy, Holy!” ( Revelation 4:8) Ultimately all nations will come and worship Him for His goodness, justice and truth!
The second truth declared by those who moved the Ark into the Temple was that God’s love endures forever. God is love. (1st John 4:16) His nature is good because He is love that is eternal. God is from everlasting to everlasting! (Psalm 90:2) He pours out His love on those He has made in His image and likeness! “God so loved the world” (John 3:16) is one of the most quoted verses of the Bible. God’s love moved Him to send His only Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to seek out lost men and save them. (Luke 19:10) His love heals the sick, cleanses the defiled, and restores broken lives to trophies of love!
Today, try singing this simple song as you go through your day. Look for all the ways that God is good to you and thank Him as you are reminded of His goodness! Tell Him that you love Him today and appreciate his eternal love! As you do, remember that you now bear His presence and glory as a living stone in his temple! You join Solomon and the hosts of heaven as they worship eternally!
Sunday rest: spreading God’s fame!
As we reflect back on this week’s reading, I am drawn to the psalm of thanks written by King David in 1st Chronicles 16:8-36. This is quoted again in part in three other psalms in the Book of Psalms 96, 105, 106. This psalm of thanks was composed when the Ark of the Covenant was brought back to Jerusalem after being away in captivity and then at the house of Obed-Edom. This is the time that David took off his kingly robes and danced before the Lord with all his might. (2nd Samuel 6:12-16) He was overjoyed to have the presence and blessing of God in Jerusalem, the city of David.
The psalm has a joyful tone and is boastful of the Lord and his great miracles and mercies. It exhorts singing, praying, rejoicing, remembering, giving, declaring, trembling, crying out, and thanksgiving from all peoples! The desire of God to spread His fame to the nations of the earth is a recurring theme! (1st Chronicles 16:8,24,28,31,35) God wants the nations aware of His wonders, miracles, and judgments. He exhorts the nations to ascribe to the Lord the glory due His Name.
1 Chronicles 16:35-36 ask the Lord to save them out of the nations! “Say also: “Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy Name and glory in Your praise. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!” Then all God’s people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.”
What a great reflection on this seventh day of rest! God has not changed! He is desirous of all nations knowing Him and coming under His eternal rule! We are to share His marvelous works and deeds with all nations and every person! We are to worship, sing, remember, give, thank, seek, rejoice, cry out, declare, and praise this God who reigns from everlasting to everlasting! Have a great day of rest and joy! Jesus Christ is Lord!
God loves cheerful givers!
Scripture reading for April 20: 1 Chronicles 28-29
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all you that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2nd Corinthians 9:7-8
Preachers are sometimes pushy or manipulative in asking the people to give. There are so many needs and money is often a limiting factor in the work of the church, at least in our minds. The love of money keeps many from giving and holds back God’s blessing in the people as well. This area is a touchy area for many because of the various abuses and the strongholds of idolatry to money and materialism.
In 1st Chronicles 29, King David sets forth what he is personally giving to fund the vision he has been given of building the temple of the Lord. He sets the example of personal dedication by first giving sacrificially himself. David gives of his personal treasure 188 tons of gold, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze and 3,750 tons of iron. This would be vast fortune by today’s values! From this position of personal dedication, he challenges his other leaders to willingly give as well.
The leaders catch the spirit of generosity that King David had modeled. They also contribute “willingly and wholeheartedly” to the Lord. (1st Chronicles 29:6-9) David rejoices with a psalm of praise to the Lord! He praises God for His greatness and power. He attributed everything that he had to God’s grace! (1st Chronicles 29:11-12) God alone is to be praised!
Is it hard for you to hear preaching or teaching on tithing or giving to God’s work? Are there any hindrances to giving in your own life? How would God describe your attitude towards giving?
David prayed for the people: “And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to You. O, Lord, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of Your people forever and keep their hearts loyal to You.” (1st Chronicles 29:17-18)
Leadership transitions
Scripture reading for April 19: 1 Chronicles 22-27
As I have attended and worked in different church families, one of the things that is often done poorly is the transition of leadership. Often the pastor resigns or sometimes is forced to leave because of some problem. No preparation or thinking has been done by the deacons or core leadership of the church and a crisis is at hand. People have different ideas and pastors are invited to come share their ministry and it becomes a popularity contest. It sometimes divides the church and there is great turmoil. Many people forget that God is a God of order and He has a plan of succession and a plan for success!
David was old and “full of years”. (1 Chronicles 23:1) He made Solomon king over Israel. In a power grab, David’s son Adonijah had tried to make himself king. Bathsheba and Nathan worked together to redirect the situation according to the will of the Lord. (1 Kings 1:1-5) It is one of the strategies of Satan to bring division and confusion in a family, church, or nation.
After installing Solomon, David wisely tried to help his son succeed in the vision he had from the Lord. A long-term project was the building of the temple of the Lord. David had heard from the Lord and passed on the instructions and materials he had gathered and provided from his own wealth. He was a good example and prayed for God’s wisdom and discretion that his son might have success! A father’s blessing and God’s blessing go a long way toward success! (1 Chronicles 22:11-13)
The last thing David did was to gather the key leaders of Israel together and encourage them to support Solomon. David cited the Lord’s victories and how God had given the people rest. He encouraged the leaders to seek the Lord with all their heart and soul and to begin building. This transition would continue the vision of the Lord through David and insure the accomplishment of God’s will and purposes. (1 Chronicles 22:17-19)
I believe God wants thoughtful and peaceful transition of leadership. Pray for your family, church family and nation for the leaders and those in authority that they would be thoughtful and purposeful in this area. God’s purposes are eternal! We should keep them in focus in choosing leaders!
The wiles of the devil
Scripture reading for April 18: 1 Chronicles 17-21
We have an enemy who is known to be crafty and who uses schemes and strategy to gain access to God’s people. His motive is to steal from them, kill them, and ultimately destroy their souls in Hell. (John 10:10) Several passages of scripture admonish God’s people to flee temptation and resist the devil. (Matthew 6:13) We are in a cosmic battle with evil forces of darkness and are in need of God’s help.
David was a man after God’s heart but he was also prone to temptation and did not always resist. We all remember the time he stayed back in Jerusalem when his army went to war. (1st Chronicles 20:1) It is interesting to note that the incident with Bathsheba is not mentioned here. But David came and took the crown off the head of the king of the Ammonites who Joab and the army had defeated. This crown weighed around 75 pounds and was full of precious stones. David placed that crown on his own head. (1st Chronicles 20:2)
Right after this, David returned again to Jerusalem and Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census! (1st Chronicles 21:1) This was evil in God’s sight because it was motivated by pride and not by God’s direction. (1st Chronicles 21:7) It appears that Satan gained an inroad in David’s life. We know David was not fighting the Lord’s enemies but stayed home to engage in sexual sin. He had Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, killed. He took this massive crown belonging to a pagan king and placed it on his own head. After this Satan was able to incite him to sin that cost the lives of 70,000 Israelites! Afterwards, David did repent and he bought the threshing floor of Arunah as a place of sacrifice for his sin. This site became the site of the temple where God’s presence would dwell and where anyone who had sinned could bring a sacrifice with humility and find forgiveness and restoration!
David’s latter Son, Jesus Christ, would offer Himself in this temple to be the final sacrifice for the sins of the world, bringing victory over Satan. Is there a ‘scheme’ of the devil that has hold on your life and is causing death and destruction? Resist the devil today by declaring the victory of Jesus and His blood!
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in you faith, . .”
Mighty men!
Scripture reading for April 17: 1 Chronicles 10-16
In today’s culture, men of God are often portrayed as not too bright, weaklings, or slightly effeminate. Many men have lost their sense of identity when it comes to serving the Lord. They tend to take a back seat to women and often fail to be the spiritual leaders of the home or the church. The “mighty men” of king David would certainly not fit the current portrayal of men who serve the Lord.
The mighty men of David’s bodyguard knew how to fight and had courage! Jashobeam, the chief of the officers, raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter! (1 Chronicles 11:11) Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was a valiant fighter who went down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day! He also struck down an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall using only a club, and finished the job with the man’s spear. Three of the mighty men risked their lives to get David a drink from the well near the gate of Bethlehem! David was so humbled that he poured the water out before the Lord. (1 Chronicles 11:17-19)
To be a mighty man today, we have to be just as tough as King David’s men! We are in the army of God! We are wrestling with principalities, powers, and rulers and authorities in the spiritual battle that is before us. (Ephesians 6:10-18) We need to have the full armor of God and wield the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, with skill and courage. God has called men to lead in the home and the Church. Men are to be men of prayer. (1st Timothy 2:8) We are to be loyal and honor authority!
God is looking for “mighty men” (and godly women) who will serve Him loyally and whole-heartedly! If you are a man, offer yourself to be one of God’s “mighty men”! If you have a husband or son who needs to make this kind of commitment, pray for him today in faith, believing that God is able to bring them into this place of honor! One day we will hear our King say: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things! Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21)
God keeps good records!
Scripture reading for April 16: 1 Chronicles 1-9
The first nine chapters of 1st Chronicles offer a challenge as to what we might learn from pronouncing hundreds of names, many that are unfamiliar to us. Chronicles was written from the view of the priesthood and some think that Ezra helped compile this record. Chronicles begins with Adam and gives a record of descendants right up to the exile in 586 BC. This record is basically repeated again with additions right up to the time of Christ in Luke’s Gospel. (Luke 3:23-37) God keeps good records!
God listed all these people by name. He also recorded some comments about certain individuals who were noteworthy. Of the sons of Judah, Er, the first-born, was noted as being wicked and the Lord put him to death. (1 Chronicles 2:3) Another man, Hezron, married at 60 years of age and had a son, Segub. (1 Chronicles 2:21) In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, Jabez cried out to the Lord for his blessing and an enlarged territory. Jabez asked to have God’s hand with him and to be free from pain. God answered his prayer!
In the last section of this genealogy, there is a record of the sons of Levi. The Levite families had assigned jobs to do in the temple and for the ministry to the Lord. The house of Merari, for instance, was assigned to be musicians ministering before the tabernacle from the time of David. (1 Chronicles 6:31-32) Aaron and his descendants offered the sacrifices in the most holy place. (1 Chronicles 6:49) A later record in 1 Chronicles 9:17-27 describes Levites who returned from captivity in Babylon to be gatekeepers in Jerusalem and the house of the Lord. A single man, Mattithiah, was a Levite who was put in charge of baking bread for the tabernacle. That was his primary job.
What do we learn from all this detail? God is a God of order. He assigns jobs to His people according to their abilities and His needs. He knows each by name and makes note of those who do well as well as those who mess up. Each person is important and the job they are assigned is significant. Take time today to thank God for the gifts He has given you. Ask Him to show you the significance of your work and offer your gifts to Him to use for His glory! Remember, God is keeping a record for Heaven!
Sunday rest: God watches all!
Dear friends,
With wars and rumors of war very much alive in our world and on the news, we must remember that God is on His Throne and He watches over all mankind and rules without fear or fretting. He knows everything, the evil and the good. He is perfectly just and will punish the evil and protect and reward those righteous by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
As we rest and reflect on the reading of the past week, I am again reminded that God has His eyes on His Word and He watches His people! Our Father is omniscient, which is a fancy way to say that He knows everything, past, present and future. Nothing is hidden from His sight or understanding. Everything that exists, is there because of His Word, which He faithfully watches over. He is sustaining our world by His Word. No Word of God has ever failed. Heaven and earth will pass away, but His Word will never pass away. Nothing is impossible with God when it comes to fulfilling His Word.
He also watches over the sons of man, looking for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him and who by faith trust His Word and act accordingly. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless towards Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) God promises ‘strong support’ for those trusting Him by faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please Him.
In 2nd Kings, we found leaders who ‘did right’ in the eyes of the Lord and those ‘who did evil’ in the eyes of the Lord. Both examples are written down as reminders for God’s people of all nations and cultures and times. Paul warned the church through Scripture, “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.” (1 Corinthians 10:6) We all have the capacity to walk by faith through hearing and receiving God’s Word. We also have capacity to walk in disobedience and evil through following our flesh and the temptations of our enemy, Satan. Let’s keep our eyes on our Lord and His unfailing Word in our walk this week! Remember, God’s eyes are on you! In His Love, Pastor John
God’s amazing eyes!
Scripture reading for April 12: 2 Kings 13-17
Because God the Father is Spirit, He has the ability to see and know all things. The writers of Scripture often speak of the “eyes” of the Lord. God’s eyes are able to see in different ways than our eyes function. His eyes are able to penetrate into the depths of our thoughts and motives. His eyes see what we think we are doing in secret. His eyes can see in the darkness as if it is daylight and no detail escapes Him. His eyes are able to weigh good and evil and make righteous judgments.
As we read through the stories of the various kings of Israel and Judah, we have one of two remarks that are repeated time and again. If the king was good, the writer states that “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord”. (2 Kings 15:3) If the king was wicked, the writer states that “he did evil in the eyes of the Lord”. (2 Kings 15:9) Those kings who obeyed the Lord and sought to walk in honor of Him were seen by the Lord and rewarded accordingly. God’s eyes are always watching for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him so that He can show himself strong on their behalf. (2 Chronicles 16:9)
We would also do well to remember the “eyes of the Lord”. God is watching us as well! David asked God to keep him as the “apple of His eye”. (Psalms 17:8) God told Solomon that His eyes and heart would always be in the Temple he had built. (1st Kings 9:3) We are now the living stones of the new Temple built by the greater son of David and Solomon! God’s keeping eye is upon us today. He looks in love upon us because of His Son. He lives and dwells with us and in us by His Holy Spirit. He is with us always to watch over His Word and bring it to pass in our lives as well. Take a moment to look up today and thank God for his marvelous eyes! Cry out to Him in worship and for help to open the eyes of your heart.
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;” Psalm 34:15