365 Days of Pursuit.org

OVERVIEW:

The decree from Cyrus; the returning Jewish families are listed; the altar and temple are rebuilt; the adversaries come against the work.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we begin the book of Ezra today, keep the “big picture” in mind. This book breaks down into two sections, each based upon the leader and the time period. Chapters 1–6 are under the leadership of Zerubbabel. Chapters 7–10 are under the leadership of Ezra and take place approximately 60 years after chapter 6.  

As the books of 2^nd Chronicles ended and Ezra begins, also keep in mind that the children of Israel have been in captivity for 70 years. It is then that God works in the spirit of Cyrus, a pagan king, to issue a decree for the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple. This fulfills the prophecy in Jeremiah 29:10 and Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1. Because of the wording of the decree and its emphasis upon God as “THE God,” many have speculated that Daniel had an influence upon the king’s decree, or even wrote the decree on the king’s behalf. Whatever the case, the Jews returned to their homeland, not because of Cyrus, or even because of Daniel, but because God said they would!

Recognize, however, that the Jew’s captivity in Babylon was not the same kind of slavery and bondage they had endured in Egypt. The Jews had actually functioned quite well as a people during the Babylonian captivity. That’s why only a remnant of the Jews chose to return to their homeland when Cyrus issued the decree. The ones who chose to return, however, made it to the land, and once they did, immediately began the process of restoring the temple.  

The restoration is led by Zerubbabel from the “king’s” line, and Jeshua from the “priest’s” line. Knowing the scope and magnitude of this great work, in their wisdom, these two men lead the people to keep God Himself the priority (as opposed to the project!) by first establishing the altar. It is a great reminder to make certain that we constantly keep WORSHIP as our first priority, recognizing that we are all always very susceptible to allowing ourselves to be so caught up in the “WORK” of the LORD that we forget the “LORD” of the WORK! 

The remnant begins rebuilding the temple in the second year after their return to the land, starting, of course, with the foundation. (3:8) Once the foundation was completed, an emotional dichotomy erupted amongst the people! The Jews who were too young to have recollection of the glory and magnificence of Solomon’s temple looked at the foundation and were so emotionally overjoyed and jubilant that they burst forth with great shouting and praise! (3:11) The older generation, who had witnessed the previous temple, however, looked at the size of the foundation of this new temple, and immediately burst forth with wailing and weeping. (3:12) The emotional responses were so dramatic on both ends of the spectrum that it was impossible to discern the wailing from the rejoicing! (3:13)

The foundation of the temple was completed in chapter 3, and as chapter 4 begins, the people of God begin to experience opposition to the work. First, the adversaries offer their services to join the Jews in the building of the temple. However, when Zerubbabel and Jeshua refuse their offer, their real motives surface. The adversaries begin to trouble the people (4:4), and even hire counselors to “frustrate their purpose” (4:5). The adversaries then appeal to the new king to make the people stop the construction, citing the history of the Jewish people as the reason, and in essence, accusing them of being a “rebellious” people, constantly guilty of “sedition” and “insurrection”. The new king investigates their claims and comes to the same conclusion, so the work was halted.

However, Zerubbabel (from the kingly line) and Jeshua (from the priestly line), along with the prophets, are able to encourage the people and lead them to begin the work again, even without permission. When they are questioned about it, they make request to the king and their request to continue the work is granted.

My, oh my, what a beautiful picture of the restoration God intends for our lives! It begins by making sure that like this remnant in Ezra 4, we, too, are being led by a King and a Priest. A “King” that we submit to as Lord to do His will; and a “Priest” that not only can “cleanse us from all sin” but can also be “touched with the feeling of our infirmities”! There are times, folks, when we just need to get back to the altar of God, where it is just us and God so that the intimacy of our fellowship with Him can be restored and revived! The good news is, unlike the Jews in today’s reading, we don’t have to lay the foundation again! First Corinthians 3:11 says that Christ is our foundation! He is the foundation that cannot be moved! (2^nd Timothy 2:19) We need only to concern ourselves with how we build “our temple” upon that foundation! (1^st Corinthians 3:10–15) As we do, may we keep ever-present in our minds, that there will be adversaries! (1^st Corinthians 16:9) 

As pictured in today’s reading, we must recognize that the first attack of the enemy will be an attempt to get us to compromise by becoming “unequally yoked” with them. (4:1–2; 2^nd Corinthians 6:14–18) If that doesn’t work, the adversary will then “trouble us” attempting to “frustrate our purpose.” Many well-intentioned Christians have been knocked out of the battle for the simple reason that their purpose was frustrated. When those times come (and they will!) we need to persevere in the work to which God has called us, and appeal to our King to intervene on our behalf. We don’t always know how God’s plan will unfold. Our responsibility, however, is simply to be faithful to our purpose and persevere in the work of the Lord! (1^st Corinthians 15:58) 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through the GREAT STONES used in building the temple of God — Ezra 5:8. Christ is the Stone which the builders rejected, and He has become the Cornerstone of our faith. (Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21:42)

OVERVIEW: 

Assyria invades Judah; Hezekiah’s death; Manasseh’s reign; Amon’s reign; Josiah’s reign; the book of the law is found; the reigns of Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah; the fall of Jerusalem; Judah is taken into Babylonian captivity; the decree of Cyrus to rebuild the temple.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Our closing commentary concerning the victorious life of Hezekiah in yesterday’s reading was, “Let each of us, ‘Do thou likewise!'” His positive example is only further reiterated in today’s reading. The character of Hezekiah made manifest through the incredible decisions and reforms he made during his reign was a rare commodity in the kings of Judah and Israel. As we have seen with every king, however, God allowed each of them to be tested. In chapter 32, Hezekiah faces a major test as he gets word that Sennacherib, the wicked king of Assyria, with his ferocious army “purposed to fight against Jerusalem.” (32:2) When faced with similar dilemmas, so many other kings we have read about resorted to the arm of the flesh for help, and/or contracting the help of pagan kings and nations. Note the incredible surrender of Hezekiah to the Lordship of Jehovah, and his absolute confidence and complete trust in the Lord’s strength for victory in the battle. My, my, my, do we 21^st century Christians need to learn from Hezekiah’s example! When faced with the threat of Sennacherib’s army, Hezekiah didn’t “freak out” or kick into “panic mode” in any way! Rather, he spoke “comfortably” to the people of Judah, saying, “Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our GOD, to help us, and to fight our battles…” (32:7-8a) Wow! What strength! What faith! What dependence! What trust! Notice the response of the people: “And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” (32:8b) This is the way it is supposed to work!

Note also that this great demonstration of faith didn’t cause Satan (i.e. Sennacherib) to roll over or shut up. Actually, it caused him to run his blasphemous mouth even more! He sought to intimidate the people saying, “Yeah, yeah, all the other countries that I’ve humiliated and obliterated thought their god was going to deliver them out of my hand, too, and you see where it got them! You’re going to end up just like them!”

Verses 9–18 of chapter 32 let us know that Satan (i.e. Sennacherib) used every opportunity and available means to continuously seek to destroy the people’s confidence in Hezekiah’s leadership and Jehovah’s lordship. He was barking up the wrong tree, though! You’ve just gotta love verse 19: “And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man.” The point is, Sennacherib was successful in defeating those gods, because they were “man-made gods.” Now, however, he was coming against the “God who made man!” Hezekiah and Isaiah join their hearts together in prayer to “THAT God”, and the rest is history! God turned loose an angel, and buddy, that was it! The battle was over just that quick! Verse 21 says that loudmouth Sennacherib “returned with shame of face to his own land.” (For those of you who are acquainted with Asian and Middle Eastern culture, you understand that that “shamed face” thing is monumental!) It was so monumental that when he did get home, his own sons slew him with their swords! (32:31)

In 32:24–26, Hezekiah is faced with another test, and he briefly allows his pride to cause him to sin against God. In great Romans 7 fashion, however, he immediately humbles himself before the Lord. Again, let us follow his incredible example when our pride gets in the way and causes us to sin against the Lord.

After his death, his son Manasseh comes to the throne. His reign was even more wicked than that of Ahaz, if you can even possibly imagine that! He gets “the prize”, not only for having the longest reign in Judah (55 years), but for having the most evil reign! The list of sins he was involved in and led the people into is nothing short of horrendous! (33:3–8) Verse 9 of chapter 33 takes the cake! It says, “So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, (and catch this!!!) and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.” 

But for those who have a family member, co-worker, neighbor, friend, etc. that you can think is just too far gone to ever turn to God, let the remainder of Manasseh’s story in chapter 33 fill you with hope and revive your prayers for them!

A great revival takes place in chapter 34 under the reign of one of the greatest kings in Israel and/or Judah, Josiah. Time and space will not allow to highlight all of the accomplishments of this incredible young man, but read chapter 34 slowly and carefully taking note of a guy who was doing the best he could with what he knew of the Lord and then watch what happens when he gets the word of God in his hands and ears! Excuse the grammar, but may “he” be “we”! Because, like Josiah, we too have the word of God in our possession! Note what is said of him in 2^nd Kings 23:25: “And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.”

The last four kings of Judah: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, were all evil, and led the nation spiraling downward to its disastrous end morally, politically, and spiritually. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and his army finally break through the north wall of Judah, killing anyone and everyone in sight, regardless of their age. (36:17) They remove all of the vessels out of the temple, break down the walls of the city, and burn the temple to the ground. (36:18–19) Those who weren’t killed in the massacre were taken into captivity where they would remain for 70 years.

While in captivity, Babylon was conquered by Persia, which led to the great, history-changing proclamation of Cyrus, their king in 36:22–23: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.”

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through the messengers of God who were rejected by His people — 2^nd Chronicles 36:15–16 (Isaiah 53:3; John 1:11; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22; 17:25; 20:17)

OVERVIEW: 

The reign of Jotham; the reign of Ahaz; Syria and Israel defeat Judah; the death of Ahaz; Hezekiah’s reign; worship is restored in the temple; Hezekiah destroys idolatry and paganism in Judah; the tithes and offerings of the people.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As chapter 26 ended in yesterday’s reading, Uzziah had been stricken with leprosy because of his sin of pride in going into the temple to burn incense, and had been made, not only an outcast from the temple, but even his own palace. In chapter 27, Uzziah’s son, Jotham, begins to reign in Judah. Verse 2 says that he followed in the footsteps of his father, doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but, praise the Lord, he did not make the mistake his father had made in going into the temple! However, despite his personal devotion to the Lord, the people of Judah were living “corruptly.” (27:2)

When Jotham died, his son Ahaz came to the throne. To say that he didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps might be the understatement of the year! He was the most wicked king that Judah had yet known. He plunged the entire nation headlong into idolatry, even burning his own children as sacrifices! Because of his unbelievable wickedness, the kingdom of Judah continued to suffer more and more loss of territory. The Edomites took over in the southeast; the Philistines had raided the cities of the southwest and were now occupying them (28:17–18); and thousands upon thousands of his people were taken as slaves into other countries. Rather than these things causing Ahaz to cry out to the Lord in humility and repentance, it caused him to become more wicked and to trespass against the Lord to an even greater degree. (See 28:22) By the time he died, the temple of the Lord was in shambles, and the entire kingdom of Judah was completely engulfed in idolatry. (28:23–25)

Remarkably, Ahaz’s son, Hezekiah, comes to the throne upon his wicked father’s death, and he is one of Judah’s greatest kings! For all who had a wicked father, take refuge and courage in the fact that God can enable you, by His grace and power in you, to intersect that cycle of sin and cause you to be a holy and profitable servant of the Lord Jesus Christ! What a blessing is Hezekiah! Four entire chapters are devoted to his reign in 2^nd Chronicles. (29–32)

Rather than bemoan his terrible upbringing and plight in life, or allow bitterness toward his godless father (or God for that matter!) to rule him, when given the opportunity, Hezekiah chose to put the past behind him and simply made decisions that were in accordance with God’s will and word. To put his mode of operation into the words of Paul, “Hezekiah forgot those things which were behind him, and went reaching for the things that were before him, pressing toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!” (Philippians 3:13–14) Hallelujah! Let us follow his incredible example!

In the very first month of his reign, Hezekiah reopened and repaired the house of the Lord, restored the long-neglected priority of temple worship and the observance of the passover, and passionately sought to remove any and all idol worship or pagan practices in Judah. His obedience to God and His word, manifest through the reforms he set in place, brought about the wonderful blessing of God. The days of Hezekiah were the greatest time (30:26) since the glory days of Solomon’s reign. (1^st Kings 10; 2^nd Chronicles 9) God’s epitaph of him is worth noting and striving toward: “Hezekiah…wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.” (31:20–21) Let each of us choose to, “Do thou likewise!” (Luke 10:37)

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through KING HEZEKIAH who offered intercessory prayer for everyone in his kingdom that was seeking God — 2^nd Chronicles 30:18–19 (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:27, 34; John 17:9)

OVERVIEW: 

The reign of Ahaziah; the usurping of the throne by Ahaziah’s grandmother, Athaliah; Jehoiada’s plot to put Joash on the throne; Joash becomes king and repairs the temple; the death of Jehoiada and the demise of the nation of Judah; Amaziah reigns in Judah; the war against Edom; Israel defeats Judah; Uzziah reigns in Jerusalem; Uzziah is stricken with leprosy.


HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Little did the good king Jehoshaphat realize how far-reaching the effects of his unnecessary alliance with Ahab would go. (2^nd Chronicles 18) As we move into the reign of Ahaziah in chapter 22, this is now the third generation that has been evilly affected by Jehoshaphat’s “unequal yoke with an unbeliever.” (2^nd Corinthians 6:14) Ahaziah followed the counsel of his wicked mother and the counselors from the house of Ahab (22:3), and verse 4 says, “Wherefore he did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab…”  That’s quite a statement in light of the fact that 1^st Kings 21:25 says, “…there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.”  

When Ahaziah was killed in Samaria (22:9) after only one year on the throne (22:2), his wicked and godless mother, in great “Jezebellian” fashion, had every one of his sons and grandsons killed so she could rise to throne herself. Wow! You talk about a case of “without natural affection”! (2^nd Timothy 3:3) Though it was her own selfish pride that motivated this unbelievably horrific act, don’t discount Satan’s unseen hand working tenaciously behind the scenes to cut off the Messianic line! What Athaliah didn’t realize, however, is that her sister, Jehoshabeath (Jehoiada, the high priest’s wife), took Joash, the one-year-old son of Ahaziah, and hid him so he wouldn’t be killed. Note that this was God’s unseen hand working tenaciously behind the scenes to fulfill His promise of Genesis 3:15, and the Davidic covenant! (2^nd Chronicles 17:11; 2^nd Samuel 7:12)

Jehoiada kept Joash hidden until he was old enough to be able to really comprehend all that had happened, at which time Jehoiada began to strategize Athaliah’s overthrow. (23:1–3) All of the Levites and princes were designated their assignments (23:4–7), and on a particular sabbath (23:8), Jehoiada’s plan unfolded to get Joash, the rightful heir, to his place on the throne.  When grandma (Athaliah) heard all of the cheering and shouting in the temple, she ran in to investigate only to find her seven-year old grandson, whom she presumed dead, crowned as the king of Judah. (23:8–13) As any loving grandmother would do, she immediately screams out, “Treason! Treason!” (Be very careful who you listen to!  Many times, those who scream the loudest are guilty of the very things they are so enraged by! See Romans 2:1.)

Through Jehoiada’s influence, a covenant was established between he, young Joash the king, and all the people that would submit themselves to the Lord. (23:16) To demonstrate their sincerity, the temple of Baal was destroyed, and Mattan, the priest of Baal, was killed. (22:17) Jehoiada also reestablished God’s design for worship in the Lord’s temple.

Chapter 24 and verse 2 records that “…Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord…”  Sadly, the rest of the verse says that it only lasted as long as Jehoiada was alive. Once the godly influence of Jehoiada was gone, Joash turned to idolaters for advice, resulting in the demise of the kingdom. (24:15–18) Though God sent prophets to warn him, rather than repent, he further rebelled. (24:19) By the time it was all said and done, all of the great things that Joash had accomplished in the early days of his reign, he had allowed to be undone by his wickedness in the latter part of his reign. As we have seen time and time again in our 365 Days of Pursuit, there are many who START well, but few who FINISH well! Let us all heed God’s warning to us through the Apostle John: “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” (2^nd John 8)

After Joash was murdered by his servants (24:25–27), his son Amaziah became the king of Judah. Note what was said of him in 25:2: “And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart.” In other words, he did what he did “for the Lord” with an ulterior motive. In time, as it always does, that ulterior motive was revealed. In one instance, after defeating the armies of an idolatrous foe, he gathered up their idols and actually began worshipping them! (24:11–14) You’ve just gotta love God’s rebuke of him through His prophet, “…Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand?” (25:15)

One of the most successful kings in Judah’s history was Amaziah’s 16-year old son, Uzziah. (26:10) Like so many others, however, he, too, started strong, but ended defeated. He sought the Lord (26:5) and remained dependent upon Him “…till he was strong. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense.” (26:15–16) Uzziah began to think so highly of himself (Romans 12:3), he thought God wouldn’t mind if he performed a task that was only to be carried out by the priests. God did mind, however! God struck him with leprosy, and he lived the remaining years of his life an outcast from both his own palace, as well as the Lord’s! (i.e. the temple) It is a great lesson to teach us to never think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think (Romans 12:3), and to never think that we are above the word of God!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through AZARIAH THE HIGH PRIEST who stood between Uzziah and the altar, because the only way to approach the Lord God of Israel was through the priests – 2^nd Chronicles 26:17–18 (Hebrews 4:14 – Jesus, our great High Priest is the only way through which any person can come to God – John 14:6).

OVERVIEW:

Jehoshaphat succeeds Asa; Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Ahab, king of Israel; the death of Ahab; Jehoshaphat’s rebuke by Jehu the seer (prophet); Jehoshaphat’s national reform; Jehoshaphat’s victory over the children of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir; the death of Jehoshaphat; the reign of Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram; Jehoram’s bitter death.


HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

What a breath of fresh air is Jehoshaphat! As we will see, he’s not perfect (oh, surprise, surprise!), but despite some stupid alliances he made with the wrong people, he was a good man and a good king. Verse 3 of chapter 17 says, “And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David.” It’s interesting to note that David is constantly used as the standard by which the kings were measured. If they followed David’s example, they were blessed. If they didn’t, their lives and their kingdoms ran amuck. David had his share of problems, but God was pretty “taken” with his heart! Don’t ever forget, “The heart of the matter, is the matter of the heart!”  So, “keep (guard) your heart”! (Proverbs 4:23)

Verses 4–9 of chapter 17 give at least five reasons why the Lord was “WITH” (17:3) Jehoshaphat:

1. He sought the Lord (17:4a). (Don’t forget that that’s the goal of the 365 Days of Pursuit! (Deuteronomy 4:29)

2. He walked in the commandments of the Lord. (17:4b)
(Jesus said in John 14:15 that keeping the commandments is how we express our love for the Lord!)

3. His HEART(!) was lifted up in the ways of the Lord. (17:6a) (As opposed to his heart being lifted up, like Lucifer, toward himself!)

4. He removed all of the sick ways people were worshipping Baal and Ashteroth (17:6b), along with removing all of the homosexuals. (1^st Kings 22:46)

5. Recognizing that the key to spiritual renewal and revival in the lives of the people was the power of the word of God in their lives, he established a nationwide “Bible study program” that was taught by princes, Levites, and priests. (17:7–9)

Because of these incredible reforms in the kingdom, “the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war with or against Jehoshaphat.” (17:10) As Proverbs 16:7 says, because his ways pleased the Lord, “even his enemies [were] at peace with him.”

Obviously, having your enemies at peace with you is a good thing. However, making alliances with them, because of it, is not!  In chapter 18, verse 1, it says that Jehoshaphat “joined affinity with Ahab.” Ahab was the wicked, Baal-worshipping king of Israel. This “affinity” with Ahab causes Jehoshaphat to join him in a battle to help him regain the city of Ramoth-gilead, which was very displeasing to the Lord, and almost cost him his life!  Ultimately, this “affinity” will even lead to the marriage of Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram, to Ahab’s (and Jezebel’s!!!) daughter! (21:1, 6) Note how often the compromises parents make, result in compromises in the lives of their children!

Because of Jehoshaphat’s unholy alliance with Ahab, God sent the prophet Jehu to rebuke him, saying: “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.” (19:2) Jehoshaphat responded well to the Lord’s rebuke through Jehu, and moved immediately to restore justice (19:5–7), and priestly order in Jerusalem. (19:8-11) Do note, however, that even though Jehoshaphat responded correctly and was forgiven, there were still consequences to his sin. The marriage of his son to Ahab and Jezebel’s daughter will open the door to Baal worship in Judah, and will result in the murder of every single one of Jehoshaphat’s sons and grandsons except for one-year-old Joash, who was hidden by Jehoida the high priest. (22:10-12) If it hadn’t been said 100 times already in the 365 Days of Pursuit (slight exaggeration), this might be a place to say once again, “There is always a price-tag for sin!”

Chapter 20 is one of the most practical and significant chapters we have come to thus far in our reading. There is more to talk about here than we have space in simply trying to “highlight” things in each chapter. Read it slowly and carefully, noting a few key phrases along the way as God describes this very strange battle that takes place in this chapter.  As the combined forces of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir plan to converge upon Jehoshaphat and the armies of Judah, note the key phrases:

1. “…the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (20:15) 
2. “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle…” (20:17a) 
3. “…set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you…” (20:17b) 
4. “…Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established…” (20:20) 
5. “And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against… Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir…” (20:22) 
6. “…the Lord…made them to rejoice over their enemies.” (20:27) 
7. “And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.” (20:29)

The reason these statements are so significant is that they coincide so perfectly with the New Testament teaching concerning the spiritual warfare you and I face on a daily basis! Because, just like with Jehoshaphat’s battle, the battle we face is not OURS, but GOD’S! Therefore, we must “be strong in the Lord and the power of ‘HIS’ might.” (Ephesians 6:10) The battle plan in our battle, like Jehoshaphat’s, is not for us to “FIGHT”, but to “STAND” in the victory Christ has already won on our behalf! (Note in Ephesians 6:11–14 the repetition of the word “STAND”, not “FIGHT”!) Our battle, just like Jehoshaphat’s battle in 2^nd Chronicles 20:20, is a battle whereby the Lord causes us to REJOICE over our enemies by FAITH (Ephesians 6:16), as we stand against the enemy, SINGING the praises of our God. (Ephesians 5:19) 

This passage becomes another great example of how God carefully orchestrates the recording of the history of the Old Testament so that it becomes a graphic picture to illustrate New Testament truth! (1^st Corinthians 10:6, 11; Romans 15:4) Don’t ever forget, we are holding a supernatural book, given to us by our supernatural God!

After Jehoshaphat’s death (20:35–21:1), his son, Jehoram, takes the throne. In his first public act, he kills all of his brothers and everyone else he thought might have the potential for usurping his authority. (21:4) God judges him in many ways in chapter 21, not the least of which was afflicting him with an excruciating disease where ultimately his intestines exploded out of his body! (21:18–19)

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through MICAIAH, who spoke the words that God told him to speak — 1^st Chronicles 18:13 (John 8:26–28; 3:34; 8:40)

OVERVIEW:

Abijah’s battle and victory over Jeroboam, king of Israel; King Asa’s reforms in Judah; his covenant with God; his pact with Benhadad, king of Syria; Asa’s rebuke by Hanani; Asa’s diseased feet and death.


HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As chapter 13 opens, God uses Abijah, the newly appointed king of Judah to discipline Jeroboam, king of Israel. The battle involves 1.2 million soldiers, and by the time it’s finished, Israel lost exactly a half million men. (13:17) What an extremely high price to pay for simply refusing to obey God! The defeat was so devastating, Jeroboam never fully recovered. Note Abijah’s appeal to Jeroboam in 13:4–12 to consider his ways and walk with God.

Chapter 14 begins with the death of Abijah, and the beginning of his son, Asa’s, reign. What Abijah accomplished in Judah MILITARILY, Asa sought to do SPIRITUALLY. He removed all of the foreign influence of worship and “commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and commandment.” (14:4) As a result, God blessed the kingdom with 10 years of “quiet” (14:1, 5) and “rest” (14:6–7) while he fortified an army full of “mighty men of valour.” (14:8) Judah’s peace ended, however, when an Ethiopian army of one million(!) men came against them. Asa’s prayer of faith and dependence upon God in verse 11 is well worth noting, since we all face situations almost weekly where the odds are stacked against us. Notice, “Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.” (2^nd Chronicles 14:11) Judah’s smaller army was victorious because of their simple dependence and trust in the Lord. (14:12–15)

In chapter 15, Azariah, the prophet, challenges Asa to keep up the good work of spiritual reformation in the nation, and Asa responds with great enthusiasm, destroying even more idols (15:8), and decreeing that the people either seek the Lord with all of their heart and soul, or die! (15:12-13) His grandmother, who also happened to be the reigning queen at the time, made an obscene idol, and Asa not only crushed and burned the despicable thing, he even removed her from being queen! It’s a sad reality, but following the Lord sometimes requires making tough decisions concerning members of our own families!

Chapter 16 is just sad. Like so many Christians through the centuries, even up to the present hour, as Asa’s wealth and power increased, his dependence and trust in God decreased. When toward the end of his reign, Baasha, king of Israel, came up to battle against Asa, rather than cry out to God in faith, as he had previously done (14:11), he takes God’s money to pay Benhadad, the king of Syria, to help him. Baasha was unsuccessful in coming against Asa, but Asa had greatly displeased the Lord in the process. Note the rebuke of God’s prophet in 16:7–8, and the great statement of verse 9: “Don’t you realize that the Lord is just constantly on the lookout for those He can bless by showing Himself strong on their behalf?!” (Obvious paraphrase.) Rather than acknowledge his wrongdoing and repent, Asa has the prophet thrown into jail. Isn’t it interesting how that even in the 21^st century, when people receive God’s message, they still have a propensity to get upset with God’s messengers?! Sadly, this attitude became a pattern as Asa’s life comes to a close. Even when disease had struck his feet, he looks to man for help rather than God. Keep in mind, Psalm 118:8 says: “It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man.” 

Note also, that many 21^st century believers are much like Asa. They start off so wonderfully, but before it’s all said and done, their spiritual feet have become diseased and they are no longer able to “WALK in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16), and no longer able to “WALK worthy of the vocation wherewith [they have been] called”! (Ephesians 4:1) We must be very careful as we grow older in the Lord, not to allow our spiritual feet to become diseased!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through the REST God gave JUDAH — 2^nd Chronicles 14:7 (Matthew 11:29; Hebrews 4:1, 8–11)

OVERVIEW:

The queen of Sheba visits Solomon; the extent of Solomon’s riches and fame; Solomon’s death; Rehoboam succeeds Solomon as Israel’s king; Jeroboam leads a revolt of 10 tribes; Rehoboam forsakes the law of God; God brings judgment against Rehoboam through Shishak, king of Egypt.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

In 2^nd Chronicles 9, there is perhaps no more glorious Old Testament picture of the Lord Jesus Christ ruling and reigning in wisdom, in His millennial kingdom from His throne in Jerusalem, when every knee is bowing and every tongue confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father! (Philippians 2:9–11) Hallelujah! The parallel passage is found in 1^st Kings 10, where it likewise presents this most glorious picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, 1^st Kings 11, continues with details of the remainder of Solomon’s life, and strangely enough, there is perhaps no greater Old Testament picture of the antichrist! In the midst of all of the splendor of the record of Solomon’s kingdom in 2^nd Chronicles 9, it does, however, drop a few subtle hints. Notice in verse 13, the amount of gold that came to Solomon in one year: “Six hundred and threescore and six.” I believe you spell that 6–6–6! Notice also, the three-sided configuration upon which his throne was set, with six steps leading up from the front and the two sides. Again, I think you might call that 6–6–6! (Check out Revelation 13:18 if you’re unfamiliar with the 6–6–6 connection to the antichrist: “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast (antichrist): for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”)

Chapter 9 ends with the death and burial of Solomon, and chapter 10 begins with the reign of his son, Rehoboam. You can bring Rehoboam’s reign to the bottom line by two simple little phrases in chapter 12. Chapter 12 and verse 1 says that when he “had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.” Chapter 12 and verse 14 says, “And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.”  May these horrific blunders in Rehoboam’s life teach all of us that we get ourselves into spiritual trouble when we begin to think that our strength is in ourselves, rather than in the Lord, and the power of His might and His word. As soon as we forsake the word of God, thinking we’re strong in and of ourselves, we’re on a collision course with disaster! Notice, Rehoboam did all of the evil, idiotic, and sinful things he did because he failed to do one simple, but monumental thing: He “did not prepare his heart to SEEK the Lord.” Once again, we’re reminded of the purpose of the 365 Days of Pursuit: “But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou SEEK HIM with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)

Rehoboam’s first decision as king was a major fiasco, as he heeded the wrong counsel. May it be a vivid reminder to us that we must be careful about whose counsel we seek and/or take! (Psalm 1:1) His harshness caused 10 of the tribes to secede from the “union”, as it were, to go form what we now refer to as the Northern Kingdom.

Note that this is where the kingdom of Israel is divided in the Old Testament. The 10 Northern Tribes are hereafter referred to as ISRAEL and the two Southern Tribes as JUDAH. Jeroboham is installed as the king of Israel (See 1^st Kings 11:28–31), while Rehoboam remains king in Judah. When you compare 1^st Kings 11:28–31 with 2^nd Chronicles 10:15, don’t miss how God is somehow able to take the poor, idiotic, and even flat-out WRONG decisions of earthly rulers and use those very decisions to perform His will and fulfill His word!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

In the GLORY OF SOLOMON’S KINGDOM – 2^nd Chronicles 9:1–28 (Philippians 2:9–11; Revelation 20:5)

OVERVIEW:

The ark is brought into the temple; the glory of the Lord fills the temple; Solomon’s prayer of dedication; Solomon’s sacrifices; the glory of the Lord fills the temple again; God appears to warn Solomon.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

It had taken 153,000 skilled workers seven years to complete (just imagine!), but the temple was now ready to receive all the furnishings David had accumulated and dedicated to showcase in this “magnifical” structure he so longed to build. Once they were put in their place, along with the hallowed ark, of course, Solomon led the people in offering sacrifices and heartfelt praise to God. By the description in the passage, the music must have been overwhelmingly incredible! The passage doesn’t say how many singers there actually were, but it says there were 120 priests playing the trumpet (5:12), and that when they played with the singers, the “mix” was absolutely perfect (“as one”, 5:13)! For the singers to contend with the likes of 120 trumpeters, there must have been a whole slew of them! It certainly must have been an unbelievable worship experience! Even God got a little carried away! The glory of God so filled the temple that the priests had to run for the exits! (5:14)

As you read about the temple in the Old Testament, don’t ever lose sight of the fact that it is a picture of YOU and ME! God no longer dwells in temples made with hands (Acts 7:48), but says very specifically, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God and ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1^st Corinthians 6:19–20) Don’t miss that the glory we just read about in 2^nd Chronicles 5:14 is the glory God wants to receive and manifest through each of our lives!

In chapter six, Solomon leads the people in Israel in dedicating the temple. He addresses the people in 6:1–11, and in verses 12–42, he ascends onto a scaffold made of brass that had been made for this specific purpose, and he addresses the Lord Himself! It is the longest prayer recorded in the Bible, and is perhaps the most majestic and moving! It is so powerful and wonderful, and spoken with such incredible sincerity, that you hate to bring any negative comments into it. But we must “keep it real”. Solomon asks God in verses 24 and 25 that if His people sin against Him but return to Him and confess His name, to please hear them and forgive them. It is such a beautiful and humble request! The unbelievably tragic thing is Solomon himself became an incredible sinner, and yet there is never any biblical record of Solomon ever repenting of any of his own sins! It really makes you wonder how it is that so many who START so STRONG can END UP so OVERTHROWN! Once again, God help us! (1^st Corinthians 10:5–6, 11)

When Solomon finishes his prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God, for His unequalled attributes and unfailing promises, the glory of the Lord was, once again, so overpowering that the priests couldn’t even make their way into the temple! When the people saw it, “…they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” (7:3)

But even in the midst of all of this incredible worship, God comes to Solomon in the night warning him that if the nation didn’t remain true to Him, He would uproot them out of their wonderful homeland and destroy their magnificent temple. (7:20)

Chapter 8 moves the timeline along 20 years, and records various accomplishments and successes in Solomon’s reign. Of particular note is verse 11, which says that Solomon wouldn’t allow his wife, the daughter of Pharaoh, to live in the royal palace. The reason he gave (which was a legitimate one!), was that the palace was holy! It is a great illustration of how prone we are to allow ourselves to be deceived into thinking that there are areas of our personal lives that can remain disconnected from our spiritual lives. Call it a “double-life” or a “double-standard”, “hypocrisy”, or just plain “stupidity”, the fact is, our personal lives can never remain separate from our spiritual lives! Though Solomon restricted the daughter of Pharaoh to a separate residence, it did not restrict her from leading him into idolatry! (See 1^st Kings 11:1–8) We all would do well to consider: Is there any area of my personal life that I am trying to convince myself that I am keeping separate from my spiritual life? May our honest introspection prevail over any of our self-deception. 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through SOLOMON’S PRAYER — 2^nd Chronicles 6:14 (Jesus is that supreme God to which Solomon was referring!  1^st Timothy 2:5 – “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”)

OVERVIEW:

Solomon’s sacrifices; God’s appearance to Solomon in a dream; Solomon’s choice of wisdom and knowledge; Solomon’s accumulation of chariots, horses, horsemen, silver and gold; Solomon builds the temple; the temple furnishings.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we begin the book of 2^nd Chronicles, keep in mind that this book spans a whopping 427 years! To help us get that in perspective, it would be the equivalent of chronicling the high points of history since around the beginning of the 17^th century! That’s quite a long period of time! The period covers 19 kings: 10 of which were bad; seven that were good; and two that were good but became bad (i.e. Solomon and Joash). As is always the case, as go the leaders, so go the people until finally the nation had so apostatized that they are carried off into captivity. The book does end, however, with a ray of hope.

As chapter one begins, the reign of Solomon is established as he sets a priority on worship. (1:6) God appears to Solomon in a dream (1:7 c.f. 1^st Kings 3:5), and says, “Ask what I shall give thee.” In other words, “Ask Me for anything you want, and it’s as good as yours!” Solomon humbly asks for something that brought great pleasure to the Lord. Understanding the enormity of the task of leading God’s people, he simply asks for the wisdom and knowledge to rule them properly. Because he wasn’t selfish in asking for personal gain, God tells him, “I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.” (1:12) We might call this, however, “the curse of God’s blessing” because quite simply, Solomon wasn’t prepared spiritually to handle the stewardship of God’s incredible material blessing upon his life. God had made abundantly clear in Deuteronomy 17 that the kings of Israel were not to multiply to themselves silver and gold; they were not to do business with Egypt to multiply horses, (or for any other reason!) and they were not to multiply wives. (Deuteronomy 17:16–17) Verses 13–17 of 2^nd Chronicles 1 reveals that he violated all three of those commands, and 1^st Kings 3:1 reveals that he violated another of God’s commands by going down to make an “affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter,” and made her his wife. 

Obviously, all of these things were tragic mistakes (as we will soon see), but make sure you don’t miss seeing why they all happened! He violated all four of those commands, because he violated another key command concerning Israel’s kings in Deuteronomy 17. God had made abundantly clear that as a king in Israel, he was to write his own copy of the law, and that was the real issue! He was to make his own handwritten copy of the entire books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy forcing him to personally interact with every word of God! (Proverbs 30:5) Had the word of God been his first priority, he would have known that God had forbidden him to involve himself in the very things he was doing at the outset of his reign! Oh, may we learn from the life of Solomon to always make the word of God our first priority, and to always personally interact with “every word of God”, not just in times of trial, but in times of blessing! Perhaps we should add, especially in times of blessing! As the old saying goes, “This Book will keep you from sin; and sin will keep you from this Book!”

As chapter 2 begins, Solomon determines to build the Lord’s house. That sounds wonderful until you realize that he included one “minor little priority” as well. He also determines that he is going to have a house built for himself! There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, but in light of David’s strong words to Solomon about how “MAGNIFICAL” the Lord’s house was to be in comparison to anything else in existence (1^st Chronicles), it seems quite inconceivable that it took almost twice as long to build Solomon’s house as it did the Lord’s house (7 years compared to 13 years — See 1^st Kings 6:38 and 1^st Kings 7:1); and if you compare the size of Solomon’s house (1^st Kings 7:1–12) with the size of the Lord’s house (1^st Chronicles 3), Solomon’s house is almost exactly twice as big as God’s “MAGNIFICAL” house! What?! Wouldn’t you have loved to hear Solomon’s rationalization and justification for that?! Never underestimate the tremendous ability we have as humans to justify and rationalize just about anything and everything we want to do. May God help us!  

CHRIST IS REVEALED:


• By the THOUSAND BURNT OFFERINGS OF SOLOMON — 2^nd Chronicles 1:6 (Through Christ’s one offering of sin, He removed the need for the many and continual individual offerings required in the Law — Hebrews 10:10–12, 14; Romans 6:10)

OVERVIEW:

The divisions of the porters (gate keepers), the treasurers and other officers; the divisions of Israel’s military; David’s challenge to the leaders of Israel to the work of the temple; David’s charge to Solomon to build the temple; David’s gifts for the temple; David’s offering of praise to the Lord; the people’s offering of praise to the Lord; Solomon’s official installation as Israel’s king; the death of David.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we move into chapters 26 and 27 today, the major portion of these two chapters is consumed with the listing of names. In the midst of a genealogy, or lists of names such as this, when not studying the names to determine biblical time-lines and/or family connections, it is quite interesting to just observe the brief comments God inspired the writers of scripture to interject. For example, chapter 26 and verse 4 begins, “Moreover the sons of Obed-edom were…,” and the remainder of verse 4 and 5 lists their names.  However, at the end of verse 5, God just drops in this little statement, “for God blessed him.” And that’s that. But do you remember why God blessed Obed-edom? Remember, he was the one who sheltered the ark after the death of Uzza back in 1^st Chronicles 13. He was blessed because the presence of God (represented in the ark) was manifest in his life and in his home. (13:14) We, too, will be blessed like Obed-edom when God’s presence is manifest in and through our lives, and in our homes.

Notice also God’s commentary on Obed-edom’s sons and grandsons. Verse 6 says, “…they were mighty men of valour.” Verse 7 says, “…[they] were strong men.” Verse 8 adds, “…they [were] …able men for strength for the service.” Most pastors all over the world would tell you that what is lacking, but so desperately needed in the church in the Laodicean Period, is “strong MEN for the service”! That doesn’t mean men who are extroverts, or intimidating, cocky, dominating men, or men who are “successful” by the world’s standards. Remember, we have been called to be strong BUT(!!!) not in our own strength!  Ephesians 6:10 commands us to “…be strong IN THE LORD…”! Remember, HIS “STRENGTH is made perfect in WEAKNESS.” (2^nd Corinthians 12:9) Real biblical “strength,” and biblically “strong” men are paradoxical. Their “strength” is manifested through their “weakness”. We must be very discerning!

As the search was being made for “mighty men of valour”, compare the statement in 1^st Chronicles 26:31, “…they were sought for, and there were found…”, with the statement made in Ezekiel 22:30, where God says, “And I SOUGHT FOR A MAN among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it:  BUT I FOUND NONE.” As God is seeking “mighty men (and women) of valour” as He did in 26:31, may He find you and me!

Chapter 27 lays out the military leaders and governmental structure of the nation. Note that the army was comprised of over a quarter of a million soldiers, 288,000 to be exact, with 24,000 on duty each month. As we make our way through chapter 27 and into chapter 28 and verse 1, it is more than apparent that this was not a rag-tag band of soldiers, but a highly organized and regimented military operation. In chapter 28, verses 1–8, David addresses all of the leaders about how the whole thing had actually unfolded concerning the building of the temple, and enlists their support of Solomon and the incredible project at hand. In verses 9 and 10, David addresses Solomon himself. In doing so, David presents four things: a command, a promise, a warning, and an exhortation:

1) The COMMAND: “Know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart…” (28:9a) Note that Solomon could know ABOUT God from his father David, but to KNOW HIM would require that Solomon be acquainted with God on a personal basis himself! Understanding who Solomon’s mother was, you understand why David would tell his son, “serve [the Lord] with a PERFECT heart”. (Matthew 1:6) I’m quite certain David wished he had!


2) The PROMISE: “…if thou seek him, he will be found of thee…” (28:9b) This is a reminder of the theme verse of our 365 Days of Pursuit, “But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)


3) The WARNING: “…but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.” (28:9c)


4) The EXHORTATION: “Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.” (28:10) That was David’s admonition to his son concerning his commission. It fits perfectly with the commission we have received from the Lord (Matthew 28:18– 20): “Be strong, in the Lord, and do it!”

As we come into chapter 29, it is the record of the end of David’s life. David’s life ends just as it had begun. He is a humble man, with an incredible heart for God. In verses 1–5, he tells the people that he not only had been setting aside money from the national budget for the great work of the temple, but also from his own personal finances. He challenged all the people to do likewise. Notice their response in verses 6–9: Verse 6 says, they “offered willingly”! Verse 9 says, “Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.” May that willingness to joyfully give to the Lord’s work be found in each of us. 

In verses 10–19, David blessed the Lord his God, and then in verse 20, challenged the people to do the same. Note their response in verses 20–22: “…And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord, and the king. And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings unto the Lord, on the morrow after that day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel: And did eat and drink before the Lord on that day with great gladness…” Solomon is then formally installed as the new king, and 1^st Chronicles ends with a brief summary of David’s reign: “And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour…” (29:28)

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through the TEMPLE TREASURES – 1^st Chronicles 26:20–28 (Colossians 2:2–3 says of Christ: “…and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”)