Abundance of grace
2 Chronicles 1: What do you want from me? Ask.
Students of the Old Testament have long marveled at the wisdom of Solomon who, when offered anything from the Lord, asks for wisdom. In fact, the Lord, himself, is pleased with the request. Today, though, I find myself thinking about the question the Lord asks Solomon. Really, at this point Solomon has done little to cause the Lord to be impressed with him and, to be brutally honest, as I see his life being played out, I doubt heās worthy of it. I understand that heās assuming Davidās throne and is now the leader of the people God has chosen to be his very own and in this passage I see that he starts off on the right foot, beginning his reign with a great worship service. Still, by any measure this is an unprecedented offer by the Almighty. God wants to bless Solomon. He wants this young man to be successful in all he does. Because of that, the Lord basically signs a blank check and hands it to him. Iām taken here with Godās good will toward us. He may not, like a genie, grant us anything we wish, but he does give us good things. Without doubt, he treats us better than we deserve. I know the focus on this passage is on Solomonās answer, but today Iām taken with the abundance of grace in the question.
Take Away: The Lord delights in blessing us.
Category: Book of 2Chronicles
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
God is the best
2 Chronicles 2: The house I am building has to be the best, for our God is the best.
Solomon assumes the throne of Israel with one major task before him: the construction of the Temple. His father David has accomplished much. For one thing, Israel is secure, at peace with the surrounding nations. Solomonās efforts will not have to be divided between ruling and defending his kingdom. For another thing, David has already stockpiled building materials and funds for the Temple work. Now, the responsibility for the actual construction comes to Solomon. The young king takes the job to heart. The Temple is to be a masterpiece because itās to be the focus of the worship of Jehovah God. Some years earlier David declared that heād not give to God that which cost him nothing, now Solomon says that the Temple must be the best because God is the best. So, how does my life measure up against this standard? Do I give God my best at every juncture of life? I donāt want to ask God to play second fiddle in any area of my life. After all, what I give to God has to be the best because God is the best.
Take Away: The Lord is the best and he deserves my best.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
Jakin and Boaz
2 Chronicles 3: The right pillar he named Jakin (Security) and the left pillar he named Boaz (Stability).
These chapters of 2 Chronicles are devoted to the construction of the Temple. Some of the descriptions may be merely historical. Some things, though, like the perfect cube of the Holy of Holies likely carries meaning beyond the description. In the case of the two huge bronze (or copper) pillars at the doorway of the Temple, we donāt have to guess because weāre given the symbolic meaning. The six foot thick, twenty-seven foot tall pillars represent āJakinā and āBoazā ā that is, Security and Stability. These are wonderful attributes whether weāre talking about the life of an individual or that of a nation. Every time the people of Israel of that era enter the Temple theyāre reminded of the Source of their Security and Stability. We may not have a couple of large shining pillars at the entrance to our churches, but we certainly need to be reminded of the truth they symbolize. If I want to live a spiritually secure and stable life I must be firmly grounded in the Lord. The same benefit is available to a nation that allows the Lord to shape its character.
Take Away: We must build our lives on the Rock and not on the sand if we want to live secure, stabile lives.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
I love it when God moves in
2 Chronicles 5: Then a billowing cloud filled The Temple of God.
Solomonās building project is complete and itās a great success. An impressive Temple is now the official place of worship for the people of Israel and all others who will come. The building is complete with the fixtures in place, the offerings ready, and the personnel standing ready to serve. Then God moves in. In a display of glory that hasnāt been seen since Moses climbed the mountain to meet the Almighty, the Glory of the Lord fills the Temple. The Presence of the Lord is so great, so real, that the priests canāt even carry out their assigned duties. Outside the Temple Solomon does the only reasonable thing: he begins to call on God in prayer. Today, I long for Godās glory to fall on his Church, for Him to come in such majesty that the order of worship is set aside and people begin to simply call on the Name of the Lord. Oh God, we seek, not so much the ābillowing cloudā as we seek you. Pour yourself out upon your Church as you did upon the Temple so long ago.
Take Away: The people of the Lord need to seek and, yes, expect, the Lord to fill our worship services with himself.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
The unfailing faithfulness of God
2 Chronicles 6: And now you see the promise completed.
Solomon is presiding over the dedication of the new Temple and soon he’ll pray his great dedication prayer. Heās giving his dedication speech about how years earlier the Lord promised David that his son would build a place of worship. David then gave the last years of his life preparing for this great construction project. Now, itās finished and itās not only a beautiful house of worship but is a monument to the trustworthiness of God who always keeps his promises. As I read and write devotionally from the Bible this theme comes up quite often and itās no big surprise that it does. In the opening pages of the Bible, right after that Fall God begins making promises. Following the Flood thereās another big promise that the Lord will never again send a flood to wipe humanity off the face of the earth. Then, we come to a major promise as the Lord speaks to Abram. We find instances of God making and then keeping promises throughout the Scriptures. Here, as Solomon is about to pray his memorable prayer of dedication, he prefaces it by reminding us that God is the original Promise Maker and Promise Keeper. So, as weāre about to bow our heads and listen to the prayer of the wise King, letās take one more look at the gleaming white Temple and remember that God is always faithful.
Take Away: Heaven and earth may pass away but his word will never pass away.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
Those trumpets would have blown me away!
2 Chronicles 7: The priests were all on duty; the choir and orchestra of Levites…were all there…the priests blew trumpets.
Now this is a worship event! As the new Temple is dedicated itās an all-out, no expenses spared, all hands on deck worship mega-event. All the priests, wearing their rich garments, are on duty. The Levite choir sings to the top of its lungs while the orchestra provides the music. Over here, we see the trumpet players all enthusiastically sounding the call to worship. The worshipers are on their feet, glorifying God. Our finest worship events today can only hope to match this exciting, awe-filled event that is the dedication of the Temple. Iāve been to some ābiggiesā in my life like Nazarene General Assembly, Promise Keepers, and some wonderful camp meetings. While I know these arenāt every Sunday events, I think they have a place in the worship life of Godās people. Thereās something about combining excellent music, Spirit-filled preaching, and an awesome venue that stirs something deep inside of us. On one hand, thereās much to be said for worshiping in the simplicity of a small church that just loves Jesus. Iām all for it. Still, on the other hand, thereās something to be gained by being part of an all-out, no-holds-barred, letās-go-for-it worship experience. Thereās room in my heart for both!
Take Away: God is worth it!
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
Psychoanalyzing Solomon
2 Chronicles 8: Solomon built impulsively and extravagantly.
From other passages we know that Solomon built other things, including his palace before he built the Temple. Some think thatās a bad thing. I think it was just practice. Still, once he started building things Davidās son could hardly stop himself. In fact, Solomonās psychology is that of an impulsive overachiever. From the rest of his story, especially from the Book of Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs I see Solomon being consumed by one thing after another. At the beginning of his story he asks for and receives the gift of wisdom, now he canāt rest until he has mastered whatever it is that catches his attention. In fact, the same thirst for understanding that causes him to be a great builder and king will become his downfall as he becomes infatuated with the women he marries and then their various gods. I donāt think the Lord sat Solomon up for a fall in granting him wisdom, but I do think that the seed of failure was in it. In fact, I think that all gifts granted to us: natural ability, attributes, and talents have the potential of being a great blessing or the source of great failure for us. In Solomon, even as we celebrate his wisdom and understanding of an encyclopedia of things, we see a red flag of warning that thereās danger in natural abilities. These things must be continually balanced by an honest admission that weāre incomplete without God, who brings balance to even the most gifted life.
Take Away: When the Lord gifts us in any way the wise course of action is to bring those gifts right back to him and place them under his authority.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
Come and see for yourself
2 Chronicles 9: The Queen of Sheba heard of Solomonās reputation.
As an example of how God blesses Solomon the writer tells us about the visit of the Queen of Sheba to Israel. Her identity in history is somewhat a mystery, although most believe she’s a ruler of what is now Yemen or Ethiopia. The point of Scripture is that God keeps his word to Solomon and blesses him in every way. In fact, God blesses him to the point that he becomes well known outside his own region and that the stories told about him are so fantastic that this national leader comes to see for herself. Weāre told that she isnāt disappointed. The purpose here isnāt so much to elevate Solomon as it is to proclaim Godās faithfulness to him. Through this blessing, Godās Name is made known even in far off Sheba (wherever that actually is.) When Godās people are faithful to him he can lift them to the point that even those outside the direct influence of the Lord will take notice and come to see for themselves. At least thatās our Lordās take on the story. In Matthew 12 he says that this heathen woman came from a great distance to meet Solomon and that her act will judge those who have every opportunity and reason to come into the presence of the very Son of God but donāt make the effort. A result of Godās blessing is that it gets the attention of the world.
Take Away: The lives of the people of the Lord are a testimony to the greatness of God.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
You can draw more flies with sugar….
2 Chronicles 10: Be considerate of their needs…theyāll end up doing anything for you.
Solomonās accomplishments are impressive…and expensive! All of that building takes a lot out of the nation. When Solomonās laid to rest and his son Rehoboam ascends to the throne his subjects come to him with a reasonable request: āgive us a break!ā For a generation theyāve faithfully served his father, focusing their efforts on accomplishing his grand projects. Now, they want to put their efforts into building their own lives, capitalizing on the prosperity Solomon brought to them. Rehoboam goes to his fatherās advisors and asks for their opinion and they agree with the people. These folks were committed to Solomon, but Rehoboam is starting new. If heāll back off and show compassion his fatherās people will become his people. These advisors wisely add that, in the long run, heāll get more accomplished by getting the people on his side than heād ever get done by using his sovereign authority and just ordering them to work. I know that Rehoboam foolishly listens to the advisors of his own generation and manages to split the country but, for the moment, Iām taken with the wisdom of the first advice he receives. I think there are times when a leader sees a bigger picture than others do. At times like that, he or she may have to prod people to move in the right direction. However, most of the time a leader who conducts himself or herself as a servant who cares for people and has compassion on them is going to accomplish more. A leader who appreciates what people do, who has their best interests at heart, and who is willing to listen to what they say is going to almost always get more done.
Take Away: People follow leaders who they believe have their best interests at heart.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
Leaving everything to follow
2 Chronicles 11: The Levites left their pastures and properties and moved to Judah and Jerusalem.
His subjects have requested that Rehoboam back off a bit and give them some breathing room but he foolishly promises more of the same. The result is that he loses half his Kingdom. From now on weāll have twin kingdoms: Israel and Judah. Right off Israel enthrones an evil man who shuts down the worship of Jehovah God. However, not everyone in Israel is on his side and several relocate to Judah, not because they like Rehoboam all that much but because they want to worship the Lord. One group, in particular, is mentioned. Traditionally the Levites have served God, first in the Tabernacle and then at the Temple. Now, the Levites living in the new nation of Israel have a decision to make. Will they abandon their calling or will they abandon their property? Many, weāre told, decide for God. They leave home that they can be true to their calling and serve God in Jerusalem. Iām impressed by their decision as Iām impressed by stories of people who leave home to live in some distant place in response to the call of missions. The most many of us can say about following the Lord is that weāve been inconvenienced at times. Hereās a group of people who abandoned everything to be faithful to Godās call on their lives. People who make that kind of decision are worthy of our admiration. The Lordās impressed by it too. As Jesus says in Luke 18, āNo one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.ā
Take Away: Thank the Lord for people who are willing to live out their faith even in the face of real personal sacrifice.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
Visiting the graveyard, looking at tombstones
2 Chronicles 12: God was not important to him.
Hereās a story of the man who, because of pure stubbornness, split Israel into two Kingdoms. Under his grandfather, David (a man after Godās own heart), Israel became a united and successful nation. Under his father, Solomon (a man who asked God for wisdom), great things were accomplished and prosperity came to the land. Under Rehoboam (a man who thinks God is unimportant) there is civil war, invasion from Egypt, and spiritual decline. As his obituary is written this phrase stands out: āGod was not important to him.ā Such a charge states volumes. In fact, when the final story of any life is told, how a person responded to God is the most important fact about them. It remains true today. How I respond to God matters and honestly, God wonāt be ignored. In every life, God has the last word.
Take Away: What will be the Lordās last word on my life?
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
Godās on my side
2 Chronicles 13: Canāt you see the obvious? God is on our side; heās our leader.
Abijah, king of Judah is making a speech to the vast army of Jeroboam, king of Israel. From his hillside pulpit he reminds them that their nation has rejected God Jehovah. Theyāve kicked out his priests and named priests for their man made idols. As have national leaders for thousands of years, Abijah claims that Godās on his side and, because of that, resistance is futile. Meanwhile, Jeroboam has his army pretending to politely listen. Actually, he has a large contingent sneaking around to the back of Abijahās forces. When theyāre in place, the army of Judah will be crushed. As the trap is sprung Abijah finds himself in a position to put his āGodās on our sideā rhetoric to the test. The scripture says āthey prayed desperately to God.ā Know what? Heās right! The smaller army of Judah, in spite of their tactical disadvantage, routes the army of Jeroboam. This humiliating defeat spells the end of Jeroboamās reign. It also provides us yet another example of what God can do when we trust in him. Of course, if I want God to be on my side I need to pay attention to one little detail: Iāve got to be on his side.
Take Away: The Lord is faithful to his people.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
Donāt waste the blessings of life
2 Chronicles 14: While we have the chance and the land is quiet, letās build a solid defense system.
Asaās one of the good guys to lead Judah. He enjoys 10 years of peace in the early part of his reign and he takes full advantage of it. Now only does he clean house, getting rid of the idols, etc. that have crept into his kingdom he also persuades his subjects to join him in fortifying the major cities of Judah. Any nation should be thankful for 10 years of peace. After all, peace is an all too rare national condition. Sorry to say but history proves that the āwar to end all warsā is yet to be fought. So even when peace is achieved and weāre tempted to dismantle our defenses and focus on other things, reality calls us to take advantage of the current situation by preparing for whatever comes next. Not only is this true on the national scale, itās true of our individual lives as well. Life has both good and bad days. When things are going well we need to be careful we donāt foolishly act as though hard times are gone forever. Most certainly they arenāt. On one hand, I want to enjoy the good things that come to me. I want to look toward heaven and say a sincere word of thanks and live as though I really appreciate the blessings that come. On the other hand, I want to be aware that life wonāt always be easy. As much as Iām able I want to prepare for the day when itāll be my turn to experience some of the hardship of life. Asaās a good king because he doesnāt āwaste the peace.ā From a personal point of view, I donāt want to āwaste the blessingsā either.
Take Away: Live wisely.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
What a wonderful promise!
2 Chronicles 15: If you look for him he will let himself be found.
The name āAzariahā appears often in the Old Testament, but I think this is the only incident in which we hear from this particular prophet of God. Asa has just won a miraculous battle and is returning home to celebrate his victory when heās met by this man of God. Azariah has a message from the Lord for Asa. The Lord has good things in mind for Asa and for his kingdom. If Asa will keep his head screwed on straight and keep his eyes on God heāll be blessed with the unfailing presence of the Lord throughout his reign. Asa takes this message to heart and goes all out for God. He calls his subjects to āseek God…wholeheartedly, holding nothing back.ā The result is just what the Lord promised. God shows up bringing peace and prosperity to the kingdom. This is a wonderfully encouraging passage. God wants to bless us and help us and be with us. He promises to make himself available to those who seek him. A family, church, or nation that covenants to seek God wholeheartedly gets Godās attention and receives his blessings. Iām not thinking so much of health and wealth here as I am about spiritual well-being. Still, I think that living in an intimate relationship with God brings blessings that often spill over into our lives in unexpected, pleasant ways. Either way, the promise of Godās presence and his willingness to be āfoundā ought to excite us and stir us to action.
Take Away: The Lord isnāt playing hide and seek with us. Rather, he makes himself wonderfully available to all who seek him.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
Insulting God
2 Chronicles 16: You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had Godās help.
These words are addressed to the man who prayed the wonderful prayer of 1 Chronicles 14. Now 26 years have passed and Asaās nation is once again threatened. This time, though, he turns to the king of Aram for help, sending a ākingās ransomā to him in exchange for his support in the war. The combined force of Judah and their hired army is victorious and the enemy is defeated. As Asa celebrates this Godās man Hanani shows up. He tells Asa that Godās not pleased with him. In fact, the Lordās insulted that Asa would trust in Ben-Hadad instead of himself. The consequence will be a series of wars, one round after another. I wonder if I, like Asa, insult the Almighty. Do I turn anywhere but heavenward in dealing with the issues of life? The very same God who saw me through in the past stands ready to see me through the issues of this day. In fact, thatās his preference! The Lord doesnāt say, āWhen youāve tried everything else without success, Iāll help you.ā Instead, his message is a wonderful word of commitment. He promises that if I call heāll answer. God doesnāt want to be my last chance. Rather, he wants to be my Partner in every issue of life.
Take Away: Donāt make God your last resourceā¦he wants to be your first.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
Over the long run
2 Chronicles 17: He was a seeker and follower of the God of his father and was obedient to him.
Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, comes to the throne of Judah and he does a pretty good job, both militarily and spiritually. One thing he does thatās interesting is that he puts together a team to go out and conduct what might be called revival meetings across his country. These men teach the people how theyāre to live as a people of God. The kingās approach is successful both at home and, so some extent in the nations surrounding tiny Judah. The peoples of those nations develop a healthy respect for āGodās peopleā in Judah. Not only are they hesitant to make trouble with these neighbors, but they want to be on the good side of them and their God. Amazingly, the Philistines, their enemies across the centuries, come with gifts for Jehoshaphat. His reign looks like a smaller version of that of his ancestor Solomon. I think itās neat to be able to sit here in the comfort of my favorite chair literally thousands of years after these events and see how Jehoshapahtās decision to seek, follow, and obey the Lord impacts his life as the years pass. Even as ripples spread from a stone tossed into a pond so do blessings spread through a life when a person decides to seek, follow, and obey the Lord.
Take Away: The impact of a decision for the Lord reaches farther than we ever imagine.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
Finding good advisers
2 Chronicles 18: Iāll get all the prophets to lie.
Jehoshaphat has no business being in Samaria, much less meeting with its wicked king Ahab. Heās treated to a meal āfit for a kingā thatās intended to soften him up a bit. When Ahab thinks the timeās right he suggests an alliance between Israel and Judah against Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat is hesitant and suggests that they consult the Lord. The result is a pre-arranged prophetic display from some of Ahabās hand-picked prophets. Jehoshaphat knows whatās going on and asks for a second opinion, this time from a real prophet of God. Itās now that we meet Micaiah. I picture him as a little fireball of a fellow. In fact, his feistiness has already gotten him on the bad side of Ahab. Micaiah says this campaign will end in massive defeat, especially for Israel. When pressed on the matter he gives an imaginary scenario in which the Lord calls a meeting of his angelic advisors. The Lord wants their ideas of how to get Ahab to make the foolish decision to attack Ramoth Gilead. Finally, one angel says it wonāt be hard to do; heāll just get all of Ahabās paid prophets to lie to him! As you can imagine all these so called prophets donāt take kindly to being called liars and pandemonium breaks out. Ahab has Micaiah thrown into jail and proceeds with his battle plans. Itās his last battle. Itās really not hard to find people who agree with us. Some folks really like us and think we can do about anything; they tell us to go for it. Others want to score points with us, or are afraid of us, or really donāt care one way or another. The trick is to find people who know what theyāre talking about and who will risk telling us the truth, even if itās not what we want to hear. One person who will do that is worth a dozen of the other sort.
Take Away: Thank the Lord for good friends who tell us the truth in love.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
God takes my best and makes it better
2 Chronicles 19: And God be with you as you do your best.
Jehoshaphat receives good marks for his leadership of Judah. Heās right on target in how he oversees the legal system of his kingdom. His judicial appointees are charged by the king to take their work seriously, reminding them that ultimately they must give an account of themselves to the Lord. Jehoshaphat gives a similar charge to those given authority over Temple business. Theyāre to be dependable and honest in all they do. Jehoshaphatās bottom line to these powerful people is this: āGod be with you as you do your best.ā One reminder I see in this passage is that God expects me to give my best to the responsibilities that are mine. Positions of authority carry with them an equal portion of accountability. Also, I see that my best is all that I can give. Even when itās not really good enough I canāt do any better than my best. When Iāve done that, Iāve come to the end of myself and Iāve done all the Lord expects of me. At that point, my best may be seen as acceptable by others or it may be time for me to move on, handing the responsibility over to someone else, but I have no reason to be ashamed when Iāve given all I have to give. Finally, though, thereās good news here. Godās help is promised. When Iāve done all I can do and, frankly, it isnāt enough, rather than coming to the end, I might just come to the beginning; that is, the beginning of God. He delights in taking unlikely people and using them to accomplish great things like killing giants or feeding thousands. Itās pretty cool. I bring my best to the table, as meager as that might be, and then God steps in, lifting me and what I have to offer to dizzying new heights. Rather than ending up humbly handing the keys over to some more capable person, I sometimes find myself amazed at what God has done.
Take Away: The Lord delights in using unlikely people.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
Childrenās Church
2 Chronicles 20: Everyone in Judah was there ā little children, wives, sons ā all present and attentive to God.
Itās not as though Judah is a world superpower or anything like that. Itās a small nation surrounded by other small nations that are situated between some very big players on the world scene. When Jehoshaphat receives word that some of the neighboring countries have united to attack Judah he knows heās in big trouble. Weāre told, āShaken, Jehoshaphat prayed.ā Not only does the king pray but he calls his nation to prayer and fasting. They cry out to God to literally save their lives, reminding the Lord that theyāre descendants of Abraham. Itās a desperate crowd that gathers in Jerusalem to cry out to God. And everyoneās there. Itās not just the soldiers or the leaders or even the heads of households. Everyone comes: men, women, and children. I can just imagine the children looking on wide-eyed as their parents and all the other adults cry out to God for his intervention. I know that the purpose of this story isnāt for me to think about children and prayer meetings and such, but the topic does come to mind. In most churches today we tend to divide families. Children go to some program organized just for them and teens are placed under the ministry of some capable youth leader. The adults, then, have ātheirā Bible study or prayer meeting. Generally speaking, Iām all for it. After all, I donāt want to see the kids just marking time while the parents talk about things that are meaningless to the boys and girls. Still, thereās something powerful in children seeing their parents pray heartfelt prayers or watching their parents be involved in a passionate discussion about the things of God. They might not understand all thatās going on but they understand that these spiritual things matter to the grownups. Iām not suggesting that we do away with Childrenās Church or the Youth program of the church but I do think that we ought not to be in too big a hurry to dismiss them from all adult oriented activities of the church.
Take Away: If children never see their parents pray intercessory prayers and worship from the depths of their hearts how will they ever learn to do such things?
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
The funeral service was poorly attended
2 Chronicles 21: There were no tears shed when he died ā it was good riddance!
Jehoshaphat fathers five sons and he leaves them each an inheritance of wealth. Additionally each one is given a fortified city to rule, basically setting them up for life. His oldest son, Jehoram, gets the throne. This could work out as the most successful handoff of power since Solomon took the throne from his father, David. Instead, thereās murder and abandonment of God. This wicked man murders all his brothers and leads his subjects away from God. The Lord, in turn, is disgusted with him. There are rebellions and then a humiliating and destroying illness. After eight years of failure Jehoram is dead. And no one cares. What a pitiful life story. How sobering it is to think that the untimely death of a person is considered a favor of God to those under his influence and authority. What an important reminder to realize it all started when he turned his back on God. Each life journey arrives at key forks in the road. When I arrive at such a place I make a fresh decision concerning the type of person I will be. That decision will impact not only me, but those who are closest to me, and in some cases, even people Iāll never know. Because of the importance of how I handle those big moments in my life, I want to practice for them by dealing with the little stuff in the right way. Little things lead to big things. Big things lead to eternity.
Take Away: We become the people we are by the decisions we make along the way.