Archive for the ‘1st and 2nd Chronicles-BibleTrekToday’ Category

Scripture reading for April 28th: 2nd Chronicles 17-20

Jehoshaphat was a good king who sought the Lord for most of his life.  God’s eyes are always watching for those whose hearts are sold out to Him and Jehoshaphat evidently learned to seek the Lord’s favor from his father Asa.  (2nd Chronicles 16:9)

Jehoshaphat did several things that helped bring the Lord’s favor.  In the third year of his reign, he sent out a teaching team of priests and Levites to all the towns of Judah.  These men taught the Law of the Lord to the people of Judah.  When God’s word is taught, it brings faith and a healthy fear of the Lord that brings God’s blessing.  We note that this ‘fear of the Lord’ fell upon the surrounding kingdoms as well and brought a season of peace and prosperity during Jehoshaphat’s reign.    (2nd Chronicles 17:10)

Jehoshaphat also appointed judges, giving them strict instructions to judge fairly and impartially.  He understood that the Lord was the ultimate judge of all, including these judges.  (2nd Chronicles 19:5-7)  They would have to answer to Him for their decisions.  When the judges ruled impartially and swiftly gave out righteous judgments,  order was maintained and a healthy respect for God and His law resulted.  When judges took bribes and perverted justice, there would be discontent and dire consequences would follow.

When we look at our country today, we see the results of the failure of our church and government leadership in both of these areas.  When church leaders fail to preach God’s word and teach truth, there is disorder in the church and community.  God’s law is neglected and trouble results.  When we have judges who pervert justice and do not operate in the fear of the Lord, we have partiality, bribery, and the perversion of God’s laws.  This brings disorder and God’s judgment on judges and the people.  We must take heed to these truths when we vote and consider those who will serve us in the church and the government!

A final word of encouragement from King Jehoshaphat speaks to us today.  “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem!  Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in His prophets and you will be successful.” (2nd Chronicles 20:20)  The word of God brings faith in the Lord!  Godly prophets speak only the word of the Lord!  Listen closely and be blessed!

Scripture reading for April 27th: 2nd Chronicles 13-16

King Asa was aggressive in doing good and what was right in God’s eyes.  He removed foreign altars and tore down idols.  He commanded Judah to seek the Lord and keep His laws.  As he did these good things, Zerah the Cushite marched against him with a large army.  As he took up battle positions, he called to the Lord.  “Lord, there is no one like You to help the powerless against the mighty.  Help us O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in Your Name we have come against this vast army.  O Lord, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you.” (2nd Chronicles 14:11)

Pleased to respond to such a humble prayer, the Lord routed the Cushites before Asa and Judah. He also sent Azariah the prophet to meet Asa.  Azariah gave Asa this word, “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.  . . .But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” (2nd Chronicles 15:2,7)  This word encouraged Asa to continue in the ways of the Lord and to work to bring Judah back to a full walk with God. His heart was fully committed to the Lord for almost all of his life.

However, after many years of peace, Baasha king of Israel came against Judah.  Asa failed to seek the Lord but instead went to Damascus for help.  Hanani the prophet came and reminded Asa of his earlier success and the promise of help if he sought the Lord.  “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.  You have done a foolish thing, from now on you will have war.” (2nd Chronicles 16:9)   It is interesting to note that at the end of Asa’s life, he had a disease of his feet and still would not call on the Lord!

We can learn much from this passage.  Call on the Lord and depend on Him in every difficulty; He is watching for those who are fully committed to show Himself strong on their behalf!  When we fail to pray, we set ourselves up for failure and trouble!  Your work through prayer will be rewarded!

Scripture reading for April 26th: 2nd Chronicles 10-12

God doesn’t take rejection lightly.  He is a jealous God and loves His children enough to discipline them when they need it.  He allows consequences to come that He has foretold so that His people understand His Father’s heart and grace.  In today’s reading, consequences of sin bring humbling and repentance.

King Rehoboam was a young son of Solomon who was given rule of Judah.  He began his reign by consulting the elders who had served Solomon for some advice on how to govern the people.  The people had been under a heavy load of taxation because of the requirements of King Solomon in building the Lord’s house and then his own house.  The elders recommended that Rehoboam lighten their load and treat the people kindly.  (2nd Chronicles 10:7)

King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders and next consulted some of his younger friends.  They recommended harsh treatment and a heavier yoke!  This response caused division among the people instead of unity.  The people grumbled against Rehoboam.  Rehoboam sent Adoniram, one of his overseers of the forced labor out and the people stoned him!  Rehoboam was going to muster an army and fight against his own brother, but was warned by God not to do it.  He did listen.

Rehoboam grew strong and then lead the people in departing from the Lord.  The Lord allowed Shishak, king of Egypt to attack Jerusalem.   Shishak had a large army and many horse and chariots.  The prophet Shemaiah gave the word to Rehoboam, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.’” (2nd Chronicles 12:5b)  Rehoboam acknowledged that the Lord was just and that he needed to humble himself.  God relented from totally destroying Rehoboam but still allowed Shishak to attack and plunder the temple.   The reason given was so that Israel and Rehoboam would learn the difference between serving God and foreign kings.

There are some lessons for us in this passage.  First, it is good to listen to wise advice from the elders.  The wisdom from above brings peace and unity, not strife and division.  When we depart from the Lord, He wisely allows consequences.  He warns of what is ahead and hears when we humbly ask for mercy.  Living under His rule is always better than captivity!  Let’s learn by reading and not by experience!

Dear Friends,

Jesus calls all of us His friends!  We are not slaves or servants, but friends. Our Father’s plans have been revealed to us, and we have inside information that gives us great encouragement and hope!  In the end, we win, and even now we can rest in the victory of the cross paid for by Jesus Christ!  Today is a day of rest for God’s people!  Find a family of God (church) and join God’s people in worship, prayer, and hearing His word!

In our reading of the Chronicles this past week, God delighted in showing his grace to King David and Solomon.  He brought rest to the kingdom and nation He dwelt with.  They enjoyed a reign of peace while Solomon built the temple.  All their enemies were at peace with them during the building process.  Nations sent workers to help build the temple.  There was favor and good will among the people and leaders as they focused on the job at hand.  People gave willingly and generously and had to be stopped from giving because so much came in!

We have such blessing in our King Jesus!  He gives all His people rest each day.  We live in the Sabbath rest that is ours through His atonement.  We have no enemy that can snatch us from His hand.  He causes everything to work for good for us who love Him.  We are all co-workers in His kingdom with many of the nations who are becoming friends of God.  There is unity and favor in the true body of Christ and real generosity toward the work of God.  We are such a blessed people to live in the church age when Jesus is building His temple!  The gates of hell will not stop it or prevail against His mighty church!

In His Love, Pastor John

Scripture reading for April 24th: 2nd Chronicles 6-9

Today I want to discuss three things about King Solomon: his wealth, his wisdom, and his worldliness!  Two of these things seem to go together, but the third is out of place if you have the other two!  When we study the life of this son of David who was the wisest human ever to live (except for Jesus Christ), we are faced with something that is difficult to understand.  We must receive wisdom from the Lord and His word!

When God appeared to Solomon, giving him a blank check, Solomon asked for wisdom.   This pleased God and He made him the wisest man ever.  People from all over the world came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.  He could expound on many topics concerning plants and animals and the creation.  The Queen of  Sheba came to test Solomon with hard questions and Solomon answered all of them.  She was overwhelmed by what she heard and saw. (2nd Chronicles 9:1-6)

God added wealth to Solomon,  as well as honor.  He had gold from Ophir and precious stones.  The weight of gold Solomon received yearly in tribute was 666 talents.  That is equal to about 25 tons of gold!  (2nd Chronicles 9:13-14)  He made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone!  (2nd Chronicles 9:27a)  His wealth, as well as his wisdom, brought him fame and world attention! He had greater riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth!

But Solomon was also worldly!  As he got older, he strayed from following God wholeheartedly.  His many wives brought idolatry into his life and he pursued happiness under the sun!  (Ecclesiastes)  He set up idol temples for his wives, which angered the Lord. (1st Kings 11:1-9)  He disobeyed the Lord’s commands and did not heed God’s warnings.  He strayed from God and became entangled in idolatry and sin.

It is hard to understand how someone so wise and to whom had God appeared several times could not apply what he surely knew to his own life.  Sin has a way of blinding us and stealing our wisdom.  As we read these stories, we must realize that none of us is far from idolatry and sin.  We must lean daily on the Lord in a personal relationship.  We must listen carefully to His word and apply it first to our own lives.

Scripture reading for April 23rd: 2nd Chronicles 1-5

“The temple that I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods.  But who is able to build a temple for Him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain Him?  Who then am I to build a temple for Him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before Him?” (2nd Chronicles 2:5-6)

King Solomon realized that God was so great that no one was really able to build a temple that could contain Him.  He realized that he was really a nobody and needed sacrifices to come before Him who was so great and mighty.  Solomon was humbled and knew he needed grace and God’s help to do this job.  So he set out to build with thousands of helpers and invited other nations to send their skilled workers as well.  He had lots of money and materials, and the best help would be none too good for God.

Solomon began building the temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah–on the threshing floor of Araunah that his father David had purchased to make an altar and stop the plague.  (2nd Chronicles 3:1)  This was also the very site where Abraham had come to sacrifice Isaac nearly a thousand years earlier.  There, God had provided a lamb in place of Isaac, and Abraham named God Jehovah-Jireh, the God who provides.  David was a descendant of Abraham as was Solomon and now they were using this very site to construct a dwelling place for God in the midst of His people!  What an amazing God we serve!

Everything was made according to the pattern that God had given King David to write down for his son Solomon.  The inside was overlaid with fine gold.  A pair of beautiful cherubim were sculpted by the craftsmen of fine gold.  There were beautiful woven curtains of blue and purple yarn and more cherubim were embroidered on the curtains as well.  (2nd Chronicles 3:10-14)  The cherubim represented the  heavenly creatures near the throne of God that cried “holy” holy” holy” day and night!  The blue and purple speak of heaven and royalty.  Gold represents the highest value and preciousness of God Himself.

The crowning glory of the temple of the Lord was God’s presence in glory that filled the building as the priests worshiped.  “He is good; His love endures forever.” (2nd Chronicles 5:13-14)

Scripture reading for April 22nd: 1st Chronicles 28-29

In long distance races, the start isn’t as important as the finish.  In the race of life, I want to finish well!  I don’t want to fall away or disgrace God as I leave this life.  History is full of stories of great men of God who have not finished very well.  Saul, David’s predecessor is a prime example of a man who at the end of his life was tormented by fear, sought a medium, and finally took his own life.

David called together all the leaders of Israel and spoke to them at Jerusalem.  He recounted how God in His sovereignty had picked Judah and his family to be king.  He told them that God had chosen Solomon to be his successor and the one to build a house for the Lord.  (1st Chronicles 28:4-7)  He charged Solomon to follow all the Lord’s commands and possess the good land that God had given them, passing it on to his descendants.  He instructed Solomon to acknowledge God as his Father and serve Him willingly and wholeheartedly!

David then gave the plans for the temple to Solomon and encouraged him in the execution and building of this house for the Lord.  The Lord had given David the plans and had given him understanding for each detail!  (1st Chronicles 28:19)  David personally gave large quantities of his own resources to build the temple.  He gave gold, silver, bronze, iron, stones and marble.  David knew that he could not take this great wealth with him when he died.  He truly wanted to set a good example for his son and the leaders of Israel.  His giving inspired others and they also began to give!

King David then offered up prayer and praise to the Lord.  He praised God for His greatness and glory.  He acknowledged that all his wealth and honor had come from God.  He confessed that men were very short-lived on the earth.  He prayed for God’s grace in Solomon’s life.  This prayer is a wonderful finish to David’s life! (1st Chronicles 29:10-19)

“David son of Jesse was king over all Israel.  He ruled Israel forty years–seven in Hebron and thirty three in Jerusalem.  he died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor.” (1st Chronicles 29:26-28)  What will your epitaph read?  Are you setting a course that will enable you to finish well?

Scripture reading for April 21st: 1st Chronicles 22-27

King David had it in his heart to build a house for the Lord.  As King David approached the end of his time on earth, he sent for his son Solomon and commissioned him to build the house for the Lord.  David had begun preparations for this house but a word from the Lord had stopped him from building it. Because David had been a man of war and had fought many battles costing many lives,  God told him not to build His house. (1st Chronicles 22:8)

God told David that He would use his son Solomon to build the temple.  Solomon would be a man of peace.  God would grant him rest and peace with all his enemies.  Israel would enjoy a reign of peace and during this time, Solomon could build the temple. Solomon would become a “son of God” and God would be his Father and establish his throne over Israel forever.   (1st Chronicles 22:9-10)

David blessed his son and encouraged him to be strong and full of courage.  He assured him of the great financial resources that he had provided for the temple.  He also encouraged the people to support Solomon in the work.  Best of all, David prayed that the Lord would be with Solomon in this undertaking.  That help would make all the difference in the world!

As we reflect on this portion of Israel’s history, we can see definite parallels to the work of Jesus Christ in building God’s temple.  Jesus Christ was a man of peace–”the Prince of Peace”.  Jesus called people to come to Him and find rest for their souls.  Jesus Christ defeated all of our enemies, even death, to provide this rest!  God was Christ’s “Father” and Jesus was God’s “Son”!  God established Jesus’ throne and kingdom forever!  Jesus had success because he fully obeyed God’s commands and laws and was strong and courageous.  God provided Jesus with many “brothers and sisters” as helpers in building the true temple.  Jesus Christ would build the temple and the gates of hell would not prevail against Him!

This ancient record contains prophesy that is already fulfilled and also prophesy that will be fulfilled in the millennial reign of peace when Jesus takes the throne in Jerusalem and rules over a thousand years of peace!  (Revelation 20:4-6)  Praise the Lord for the Prince of Peace!

Scripture reading for April 20th: 1st Chronicles 17-20

God’s people and their leaders are always in a spiritual battle.  Even when things seem to be going well and there is a time of peace, Satan never sleeps or slacks off.  In fact, it is often during the good times that we let down our guard and relax our watchfulness and Satan takes advantage!

David went through a time like this.  Even though his fighting men were out fighting the Lord’s battles, David stayed home.  It appears that David was motivated by pride to conduct a census of all the fighting men in Israel and David told Joab and his army commanders to do the counting.  Joab wisely tried to stop David, but David did not listen.  Scripture says that Satan incited David to do this and bring judgment on Israel.  (1st Chronicles 21:1-6)

Joab did not like this command, but he did it anyway.  God did not like it either and He punished Israel.  David then came to his senses, admitted guilt, and asked God to take away his guilt.  Sin has consequences and though God is merciful, He must also be just.  God gave David three choices: “Take your choice: three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord–days of plague in the land with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.” (1st Chronicles 21:11-12)

David chose to fall into the hands of God rather than the hands of men,  for he knew God’s mercy was great.  Seventy thousand men of Israel died during the plague. Then David saw an angel with his sword extended toward Jerusalem. David cried out for mercy and took responsibility.  The angel told him to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah.  David bought the land and offered a sacrifice to stop the plague.  This site was the place where the Temple would eventually be built.

The battle against Satan is a real one for all of us.  There are unseen forces of evil and good arrayed in battle every day.  We must stand firm to be victorious.  We have a King who has taken our guilt and paid the price for us by sacrificing His own body on the cross.  He defeated Satan and ever prays for us, keeping God’s judgment away!

Scripture reading for April 19th: 1st Chronicles 10-16

King David is well known for his many psalms.  He loved to worship God and was always composing songs that helped express his inner life and feeling during times of joy or hardship.  His life stands as a testimony to us of a man after God’s heart who was know as the sweet “Psalmist of Israel”.

Chronicles is a priestly view of events that were also covered by the writers in Samuel and Kings.  Chronicles records the return of the Ark of the Testimony in more detail than does the account in Kings.  David was zealous for the presence of God being brought to Jerusalem and knew he must find a way to bring it there.  He failed to inquire from God’s word how this might be done and Uzzah lost his life when he tried to steady the cart it was riding on.  (1st Chronicles 13:9-12) This event angered David and caused him to be afraid of God.

On the second attempt to return the Ark to Jerusalem, David sought directions from the Lord, and found that only the Levites could carry the Ark on their shoulders.  He made the proper sacrifices and then worshiped and danced before the Lord with all his might as he lead the procession back to Jerusalem.  (1st Chronicles 15:11-15,25-28)  That same day he gave Asaph a psalm of thanks that he had composed for the occasion.  This psalm was probably sung as they moved the Ark.

This psalm gives thanks to God for His wonderful acts, miracles and wonders He had done.  There was thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness to His covenant with Israel.  In several verses, the psalm extols the Lord among the nations of the earth.  (1st Chronicles 16:8,24,28,31)  God’s goodness and love are noted and thanks was given.  With God in their midst, the nation of Israel was to be a testimony to the nations of the blessing of loving God and having His covenant.

David’s heart for God blessed the people of God and drew them closer to the Lord.  His worship was a great example to the people of how to approach God.  We are to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  David modeled this as he led the procession bringing the Ark of the Presence to Jerusalem!