2 Chronicles 28-29: Two Kings

 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:…

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2 Chronicles 25-27: Doing What Is Right Before the Lord

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…

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2 Chronicles 22-24: Whom Do You Copy?

 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…

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2 Chronicles 20-21: Two Ways to Live

 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…

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2 Chronicles 17-19: Reform!

 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…

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2 Chronicles 13-16: A Key Spiritual Lesson

 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…

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2 Chronicles 10-12: Split 

 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…

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2 Chronicles 8-9: True Success

 2 Chronicles 8-9,  Psalm 141,  Luke 10:38-42,  1 Thessalonians 4:11-18   2 Chronicles 8-9: The chronicler lists Solomon’s extensive accomplishments in these two chapters. He is a “builder,” emphasized many times in chapter 8, who completed and finished the work that was given to him by God—building up, extending, magnifying and establishing Israel and Jerusalem, and…

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2 Chronicles 6-7: Heal Our Land

2 Chronicles 6-7,  Psalm 140,  Luke 10:25-37,  1 Thessalonians 4:1-10   2 Chronicles 6-7: While the LORD has said he would “dwell in thick darkness” (6:1)—that is, not be accessible to the naked human eye for the holiness and gloriousness in which he resides—yet through the temple (and its ultimate fulfillment in the person of Jesus…

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2 Chronicles 3-5: Glory!

 2 Chronicles 3-5,  Psalm 139,  Luke 10:17-24,  1 Thessalonians 3:7-13   2 Chronicles 3-5: So Solomon begins to build the temple, and starts in the second month of the fourth year of his reign (3:1-2). The precise measurements are listed in great detail throughout these chapters, as well as descriptions of the ornamentation and valuable materials;…

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