Archive for July 2020

2 Chronicles 34-36,  Psalm 150,  Luke 12:49-59,  2 Thessalonians 3:14-18   2 Chronicles 34-36:   The story finally ends on a note of strange hope—Cyrus proclaiming the rebuilding of the temple (36:22-23). But in the meantime, we must wade through the good, the bad, and the ugly in terms of further kings. Josiah was a good king…

2 Chronicles 30-33, Psalm 149, Luke 12:38-48, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 2 Chronicles 30-33: By the end of these chapters we feel like asking, “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13). But to begin with, we read more of the good king Hezekiah. He institutes a Passover feast (2 Chron. 30). He sends letters throughout the country…

 2 Chronicles 28-29,  Psalm 148,  Luke 12:22-34,  2 Thessalonians 3:1-5   2 Chronicles 28-29:   Ahaz, at a mere twenty years of age, begins his reign, but it starts badly and continues worse (28:1). He did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. In fact, he deliberately pursues idolatry in an extreme form:…

2 Chronicles 25-27,  Psalm 147,  Luke 12:13-21,  2 Thessalonians 2:13-17   2 Chronicles 25-27:   More of the same lesson—he who honors God, God will honor—and it begins with Amaziah who did what was right before the Lord but not with a whole heart (25:2). He held something back from total commitment to God and suffered the…

 2 Chronicles 22-24,  Psalm 146,  Luke 12:1-12,  2 Thessalonians 2:6-12   2 Chronicles 22-24: In these chapters we learn of the importance of influence—mentors, forebears, examples, models. Ahaziah was made king, but he copied the ways of his mother and of the counselors who encouraged him to follow the ways of Ahab (22:3-5)—that is doing evil…

 2 Chronicles 20-21,  Psalm 145,  Luke 11:37-54,  2 Thessalonians 2:1-5    2 Chronicles 20-21:   Jehoshaphat continues to show his godly wisdom. When faced with insurmountable problems (20:1-2) and naturally afraid, he “set his face to seek the LORD” (20:3). When we come across circumstances, enemies, situations or problems that we cannot solve or seem to rise…

 2 Chronicles 17-19,  Psalm 144,  Luke 11:29-36,  2 Thessalonians 1    2 Chronicles 17-19:   There is much to learn from the reign of Jehoshaphat! Consider:  The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David (17:3).  God’s blessing/presence/support/approval is on Jehoshaphat because he is following the wise and godly pattern…

 2 Chronicles 13-16,  Psalm 143,  Luke 11:14-28,  1 Thessalonians 5:12-28    2 Chronicles 13-16: The history of these chapters proceeds along fairly familiar lines to those who have been following the sacred history of these times, but in particular the chronicler takes pains to point out an especially significant spiritual lesson. Namely, that when we rely…

 2 Chronicles 10-12,  Psalm 142,  Luke 11:1-13,  1 Thessalonians 5:1-11    2 Chronicles 10-12:   Rehoboam is made king, but immediately he is faced with a challenge that proves beyond him. His subjects request that he lighten the yoke of “hard service” that his father had enforced upon them for all his great building projects (10:4). Rehoboam…