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2 Chronicles 25-28
Starting
and Finishing Well
Psalm 63:8-11 Rejoicing in God
8.My soul stays close to you. Your right hand holds me up.9.But those who seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.10.They shall be given over to the power of the sword. They shall be jackal food.11.But the king shall rejoice in God. Everyone who take their oaths by him will praise him, for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be silenced."Observation
63:8-11.God's loyal hesed to David is better than life to him. God delivers those who trust Him, and they praise Him for delivering them. David stays close to God and He upholds him, fights his battles for him, and destroys his enemies. Then the king (David) can rejoice in God; in fact, all who call on His name will praise Him for His help and deliverance. But those who lie shall be silenced and eaten by jackals.
Application
Stay close to God (don't let your mind, heart, and emotions wander), and He will protect and prosper you as promised. Then all you have to do is praise Him.
Prayer
God, thanks for loyally loving me, and protecting me and my interests; may I stick close to You and see You work mightily on my behalf. Amen.
Proverbs 16:22-33 Life or Death
22.“Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, but the punishment of fools is their folly.23.The heart of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.24.Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.25.There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.26.The appetite of the laboring man labors for him; for his mouth urges him on.27.A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire.28.A perverse man stirs up strife. A whisperer separates close friends.29.A man of violence entices his neighbor, and leads him in a way that is not good.30.One who winks his eyes to plot perversity, one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil.31.Gray hair is a crown of glory. It is attained by a life of righteousness.32.One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.33.The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from Yahweh.“
Observations
16:22-31.In Pr 14:27 the fear of the Lord was the fountain of life that turned one away from the snares of death; in Pr 13:14 it was the law of the wise. These are related, since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and understanding (Pr 1:7; 2:5; 9:10). Understanding/insight guide the words, ways, and work of the wise, leading them to righteous life and glory, rather than folly and death. Those who follow folly (what comes naturally -16:25) do damage to themselves and others. Note the negative consequences above.
16:32-33.
The last two verses deserve special note, containing another of the “betters” in Proverbs. Self-control, the ability to rule one's passions and desires by focusing them on the correct objectives is better than conquering a city. Sometimes, casting a lot (as when the land of Israel was apportioned among the tribes), is the best way to determine God's will. Other times, we need to use the means God has given us to seek His will (His word and Spirit) see Will of God outline on Truthbase.net under TOYL.
Application
Rule the kingdom of your passions to reap the rewards of righteousness.
Prayer
Lord, thanks for revealing truth that leads me to the abundant life; help me avoid any foolish steps into the dark that leads to death. Amen.
2 Chronicles 25-28 Starting and Finishing Well
These chapters describe three kings who started out right, and one who was bad to the bone. Two of the good kings took wrong turns, because they failed to ask for or listen to directions. One king (a guy you never heard of) finished in the winners circle, but was unable to bring Judah along with him. The Northern Kingdom of Israel acts more righteously than Judah in an unprecedented heeding of a prophetic warning.
2 Chronicles 25 Right, but Not Quite, then Wrong
1."Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jehoaddan, of Jerusalem.2.He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, but not with a perfect heart.3.Now it happened, when the kingdom was established to him, that he killed his servants who had killed the king his father.4.But he didn’t put their children to death, but did according to that which is written in the law in the book of Moses, as Yahweh commanded, saying, "The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin."5.Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and ordered them according to their fathers’ houses, under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, even all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and upward, and found them three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go forth to war, who could handle spear and shield.6.He hired also one hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for one hundred talents of silver.7.A man of God came to him, saying, "O king, don’t let the army of Israel go with you; for Yahweh is not with Israel, with all the children of Ephraim.8.But if you will go, take action, be strong for the battle. God will overthrow you before the enemy; for God has power to help, and to overthrow."9.Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?" The man of God answered, "Yahweh is able to give you much more than this."10.Then Amaziah separated them, the army that had come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: therefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in fierce anger.11.Amaziah took courage, and led forth his people, and went to the Valley of Salt, and struck ten thousand of the children of Seir.12.The children of Judah carry away ten thousand alive, and brought them to the top of the rock, and threw them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were broken in pieces.13.But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell on the cities of Judah, from Samaria even to Beth Horon, and struck of them three thousand, and took much spoil.14.Now it happened, after that Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense to them.15.Therefore the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet, who said to him, "Why have you sought after the gods of the people, which have not delivered their own people out of your hand?"16.It happened, as he talked with him, that the king said to him, "Have we made you one of the king’s counselors? Stop! Why should you be struck down?" Then the prophet stopped, and said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this, and have not listened to my counsel."17.Then Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us look one another in the face."18.Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as his wife; then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by, and trampled down the thistle.19.You say to yourself that you have struck Edom; and your heart lifts you up to boast. Now stay at home. Why should you meddle with trouble, that you should fall, even you, and Judah with you?’"20.But Amaziah would not listen; for it was of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought after the gods of Edom.21.So Joash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah.22.Judah was defeated by Israel; and they fled every man to his tent.23.Joash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, and brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.24.He took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obed-Edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.25.Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.26.Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, aren’t they written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?27.Now from the time that Amaziah turned away from following Yahweh, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. He fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there.28.They brought him on horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah."
Observations
25:1-5.Amaziah does what's right, but not with a perfect heart (wholeheartedly), an apt description of many modern believers. He doesn't put the children of his father's assassins to death because he is following the law of Moses. He numbers the warriors, in preparation for battle, to defend Judah, and doesn't get rebuked for it, but does get a prophetic reproof in the next section.
25:6-13.
As the kings before him, Amaziah doesn't seek God's will in his decisions, and hires mercenaries from Israel. Thus he aligns himself with the people who weren't following Yahweh, and therefore would not be blessed. God sends a prophet to expose his folly, and to his credit Amaziah listens, and sends the mercenaries back. God is able to make up whatever losses we incur in following Him. God gives victory over the Edomites, but the mercenaries, angry at missing out on the spoil, wantonly despoil Judah's cities on their way home. This was a consequence from Amaziah not seeking God's will, nor fully trusting Him, but aligning himself with unholy people. There should be a lesson in this, but Amaziah misses it.
25:14-16.
Because Amaziah hadn't fixed his heart on following only Yahweh, he stupidly adopts the “new and different” Edomite gods and bows down to them. Excuse me, but weren't these the gods who couldn't protect the Edomites from Judah? Now God gets angry and sends a prophet to rebuke Amaziah, but rather than listening to him (which gave success last time), Amaziah threatens him, and asks “Who appointed you as my counselor?”. God had. Doing what was wrong, and refusing to listen to God's messenger, his choices, now activate God's sovereign purpose to destroy him. Note the order of decisions to understand Biblical sovereignty.
25:17-24.
Flexing his puny muscles, Amaziah decides to listen to ungodly counsel and take on the king of Israel, who wisely responds: “You don't have a chance.” Amaziah doesn't listen, and Israel defeats Judah, breaks down the wall protecting Jerusalem, and takes all the stuff out of the temple and treasury. Why didn't Amaziah leave well enough alone and listen to reason?
25:25-28.
Amaziah turns away from following Yahweh; his own people conspire to kill him; he flees but is assassinated anyway. And another person blessed by God winds up cursed because they wouldn't listen to, nor obey His word.
Application
If we're not wholeheartedly devoted to God, the un-devoted part of our heart will lead us away from obedience and blessing into unfaithfulness and destruction.
Prayer
God, help me be receptive to Your voice, through Your word, and Your people, so I won't follow folly. Thanks. Amen.
2 Chronicles 26 Prospered then Punished
1."All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah.2.He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.3.Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jechiliah, of Jerusalem.4.He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.5.He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God: and as long as he sought Yahweh, God made him to prosper.6.He went forth and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the country of Ashdod, and among the Philistines.7.God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur Baal, and the Meunim.8.The Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt; for he grew exceeding strong.9.Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.10.He built towers in the wilderness, and dug out many cisterns, for he had much livestock; in the lowland also, and in the plain: and he had farmers and vineyard keepers in the mountains and in the fruitful fields; for he loved farming.11.Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men...14.Uzziah prepared...shields, and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, and stones for slinging.15.He made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skilful men, to be on the towers and on the battlements, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. His name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, until he was strong.16.But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, so that he did corruptly, and he trespassed against Yahweh his God; for he went into the temple of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense.17.Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of Yahweh, who were valiant men:18.and they resisted Uzziah the king, and said to him, "It isn’t for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Yahweh, but for the priests the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary; for you have trespassed; neither shall it be for your honour from Yahweh God."19.Then Uzziah was angry; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense; and while he was angry with the priests, the leprosy broke forth in his forehead before the priests in the house of Yahweh, beside the altar of incense.20.Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked on him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out quickly from there; yes, himself hurried also to go out, because Yahweh had struck him.21.Uzziah the king was a leper to the day of his death, and lived in a separate house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of Yahweh: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.22.Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, wrote.23.So Uzziah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, "He is a leper." Jotham his son reigned in his place."Observations
26:1-5.A sixteen year old follows God and gets blessed, and the nation gets blessed through him. His secret? “26:4 he did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh...5 He set himself to seek God...and as long as he sought Yahweh, God made him to prosper.” Does anyone see a cause and effect here?
26:6-15.
He becomes exceedingly strong because God marvelously helped him. Then he doesn't need to rely upon God.
26:16-21.
Just like his father (25:19), his heart is lifted up and he does what is not right in the sight of the Lord, and gets angry when rebuked rather than seeking God's will. Judgment swiftly follows, and he dies a lonely leper. And another person blessed by God winds up cursed because they wouldn't listen to, nor obey His word.
Application
Never think you don't need God; for He has way of making you think again.
Prayer
God, thanks that You bless Your people who walk in Your ways; may I never stop depending upon You, and may I walk with You all my days. Amen.
2 Chronicles 27 Unsung Hero, Unrepentant People
1."Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem:2.He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, according to all that his father Uzziah had done: however he didn’t enter into the temple of Yahweh. The people still did corruptly.3.He built the upper gate of the house of Yahweh, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.4.Moreover he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.5.He fought also with the king of the children of Ammon, and prevailed against them. The children of Ammon gave him the same year one hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The children of Ammon gave that much to him in the second year also, and in the third.6.So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before Yahweh his God.7.Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.8.He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.9.Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his place."Observations
27:1-5.Jotham has to be the most unsung hero among the kings. He started and ended well. He followed the good things his father Uzziah did, but not the bad. Perhaps seeing his father suffer with leprosy during the seven years their reigns overlapped, made him conscious of the consequences of disloyalty to Yahweh. He built a lot, but not the people, and didn't destroy the high places, but overall he did extremely well.
27:6-9.
The prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah, all ministered during his reign, and he must have listened to them (unlike his predecessors and contemporaries). But the stated secret of his success is found in verse 6
“he became mighty because he caused his way to be established before the face of Yahweh his God.”
No other king is said to have done this. In 2 Chronicles 19:3 Jehoshaphat was spared judgment because he did something similar “and have prepared/set your heart to seek God.” The verb used is in the Hiphil stem, stressing that the subject causes the action to happen. The action is to be stable, firm, or established, which doesn't happen by accident, hence the meaning of prepare.
Application
If you want help in preparing not just your heart, but your ways to be firmly established in what is right in the sight of the Lord, visit the Purpose and Objectives worksheets in TOYL, and order your everyday ways before the Lord.
Prayer
God, thanks that doing what is right in Your sight all of my days is possible, give me insight into making all of my ways pleasing to You every day. Amen.
2 Chronicles 28 Ahaz Serves the Dark Side
1."Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he didn’t do that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, like David his father;2.but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for the Baals.3.Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel.4.He sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.5.Therefore Yahweh his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they struck him, and carried away of his a great multitude of captives, and brought them to Damascus. He was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter.6.For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed in Judah one hundred twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men; because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers.7.Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah who was next to the king.8.The children of Israel carried away captive of their brothers two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.9.But a prophet of Yahweh was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, "Behold, because Yahweh, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven.10.Now you purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondservants and bondmaids for yourselves. Aren’t there even with you trespasses of your own against Yahweh your God?11.Now hear me therefore, and send back the captives, that you have taken captive from your brothers; for the fierce wrath of Yahweh is on you."12.Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim...stood up against those who came from the war,13.and said to them, "You shall not bring in the captives here: for you purpose that which will bring on us a trespass against Yahweh, to add to our sins and to our trespass; for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel."14.So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly.15.The men who have been mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them, gave them sandals, and gave them something to eat and to drink, anointed them, carried all the feeble of them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.16.At that time king Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him.17.For again the Edomites had come and struck Judah, and carried away captives.18.The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland, and of the South of Judah, and had taken...19.For Yahweh brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he had dealt wantonly in Judah, and trespassed severely against Yahweh.20.Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria came to him, and distressed him, but didn’t strengthen him.21.For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of Yahweh, and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria: but it didn’t help him.22.In the time of his distress, he trespassed yet more against Yahweh, this same king Ahaz.23.For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which struck him; and he said, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, so I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.24.Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of Yahweh; and he made altars in every corner of Jerusalem.25.In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger Yahweh, the God of his fathers.26.Now the rest of his acts, and all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.27.Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem; for they didn’t bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place."Observations
28:1-5.The pendulum swings from one of the best Jotham, to one of the worst, Ahaz (and back again in the next chapter). There is almost nothing evil that Ahaz didn't do, wholeheartedly.
28:6-15.
So God responds to Ahaz's choices with destruction and slaughter, as promised, forsaking those who have forsaken Him. Even Israel, who had taken many captives from Judah, (and yet were themselves under Yahweh's wrath for their sins), were more responsive to God than Judah. Obed, a very brave prophet of Yahweh goes out to confront the army bringing back two hundred thousand women and children of Judah, whose husbands and fathers the army of Israel had slain. Amazingly some of the leadership respond to his words, and then the whole army responds, and they send the captives back to Judah, treating them kindly. Israel is being more righteous than Judah (a reversal of 2Ch 13). There is no mention of the Spirit of God causing the repentance, but for a victorious army to give back the spoil, something supernatural has to be going on.
28:16-27.
Not one to learn from his mistakes, Ahaz compounds them. For more detail see 2Kings 16. He looks for help to everyone but Yahweh, and gets harm instead, and in the process angers Yahweh even more. Even the prophet Isaiah gave Ahaz personal messages from Yahweh (Isa 7-11), but he persisted in his folly. He dies (unfortunately no gruesome details, for he certainly deserved such) and was not buried honorably in the tombs of the kings.
Application
Once someone starts serving Satan, it's almost impossible to turn back; so avoid it in the first place.
Prayer
God, You are patient and just in dealing with Your people; help me see error so I won't embrace it, and may I quickly learn from my mistakes before much damage is done. Thanks. Amen.
Digging Deeper
God in a nutshell: God is eager to protect and prosper those who wholeheartedly seek Him, and sends them warnings when they are getting off-track. When they refuse to listen, He brings devastating judgment upon those He had previously prospered, even using those He had previously punished. It's clear that God's posture towards us changes from blessing to cursing when we change from obeying to disloyalty. God punishes those who forsake Him, and specifically stirs up enemies against them.Us in a nutshell: We can start and finish well, but it doesn't happen often, thus the need for constant daily dependence. We need to fix our hearts in the direction of wholeheartedly following God, and then order our steps every day, so we follow through. Then we will experience blessing and prosperity. We have a tendency to stop trusting and following God when He has prospered us, just like He warned in Deuteronomy 8:11-20. We will surely perish in pain, as He promised (Dt 8) if we forget God (for He has promised to forget us). If we listen to His messengers, we can spare ourselves, and those around us a lot of grief.