33:9 - This is a pretty scary verse. Churched/Religious people have greater opportunity to bring evil into the world than pagans, because they know better. When people who claim to be believers live in direct opposition to the truth they claim, they not only commit sin but they bring dishonor to the name of God and live in knowing rebellion.
33:12 - Another picture of the graciousness of God and proof that there is always hope for redemption. Manasseh is an evil man, but when God puts him in a state of distress...he humbles himself before the Lord and turns his life around. Because of human stubbornness, there are many times when God allows us to go through incredibly brutal circumstances to bring us back to Him.
34:3 - What a great example for teenagers! At the age of 16 Josiah is a true seeker of God and a spiritual leader for his nation - at 16! At a time when most guys are still trying by any means necessary to prove their manliness/worth for the approval of others, Manasseh is solely focused on seeking God's approval. Maybe we should expect more of our kids?
34:15/19 - The people of God are in such spiritual disarray...the priesthood has lost the Book of Law! We see that the Israelite people with the guidance and instruction of God's Law are utterly lost and easily swayed by the cultures around them. Josiah is heartbroken when he finally understands exactly how fall they have fallen as God's people. If this doesn't highlight the importance of allowing God's Word to shape your life and mind, I don't know what will.
34:31 - What a great example set by Josiah - he sees something wrong and he does whatever it takes to make things right. The king personally reintroduces his people to God's law and re institutes the covenant. He also lives out the example himself for all the people to see by offering his whole life to God.
35:18 - Josiah shows honor and respect for the spiritual history of God's people by reintroducing the Passover. This celebration highlights the story of the people of Israel and reminds them that they only exist through God's salvation and provision. It is essential that leaders be able to connect the people of God with who they truly are.
35:21 - When I first read this verse I wondered, "How is Josiah supposed to know that the pagan ruler Pharaoh Neco is actually following the prompting of God?" The text does not specifically tell us, so we are left to guess. I would think that a wise, discerning, God-fearing king like Josiah would be able to see God's hand involved in the words of Neco and the wisdom in what he is saying. Neco says, "Hey, my fight isn't with you...I'm just passing through (It's a well known fact that Pharaoh Neco was really into speaking in rhyme)." When a godly leader has an opportunity for a peaceful solution, why not take it?
36:9 - Eight years old and he is utterly evil? Whoa! That sounds kinda crazy - what is going on here (If you are reading in the NIV is probably says the king is 18 years old). The ESV lists the king as eight because that is what the majority of the ancient manuscripts of 2 Chronicles say. I would agree with the commentators and translators of the NIV and say that it was probably a scribal mistake that should be changed to 18 years old. 2 Kings 24:8 tells us that Jehoiachin was 18 when he took over.
Showing posts with label 2 Chronicles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2 Chronicles. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
2 Chronicles Chapters 29-32
29:7 - Talk about heartbreaking...the chosen people of God who had been set apart as a holy priest nation to show God to the world have completely forgotten about Him. They have barred the doors to the temple and do not even have practicing priests. Reminds me of times in my life when things have gone so smoothly that I start to forget about my desperate need of God's presence.
29:10 - I'm glad Hezekiah wants to renew the covenant with God, but come on...why does God keep getting into a covenant relationship with these people? For the same reason He keeps forgiving me. God is our gracious creator/father and He wants to b in community with His children.
29:36 - I thought this was cool because it tells us that God was providing for the people, even when they had turned their backs on Him. Do you see what it says - "Even though the sacrifices all came about very suddenly, God has provided greatly for the people." God poured out blessings on his people in the midst of their sin because of the future worship it would bring.
30:5 - The people of God had forgotten who they were - Hezekiah brings back the Passover so that they will remember their great heritage and return to God with all their hearts. It is always important to remember your story with God...to think on what the Lord has done for you.
32:7 - Great line! This could be right out of some great ancient war movie. Imagine it in the gravely voice of Leonidas from "300" - "With Sennacherib is merely and arm of flesh and blood, but the Lord our God fights with us!" This applies to basically every spectrum of life. What is there to fear or worry about when you understand that you walk with the Lord.
32:19 - They treated God as if He were some sort of false, man-made idol...this was utter blasphemy...it is offensive to think that the creator of the universe is some human created construct. Even Christians should be very careful to treat the name of God with great reverence...we shouldn't use His name as an exclamation or curse - we would not exist without Him.
32:25 - The full story of the illness is told in 2 Kings 20:1-10. The king gets sick and begs for more life to get his house in order (probably because he knows his son is evil, but that is next chapter), and God gives him another 15 years. Unfortunately, the king celebrates by walking the Babylonians around and bragging about all the wealth he has. He repents of his pride which saves Hezekiah from destruction, but sets the kingdom up to fall after he is gone. Leaders have got to finish strong.
29:10 - I'm glad Hezekiah wants to renew the covenant with God, but come on...why does God keep getting into a covenant relationship with these people? For the same reason He keeps forgiving me. God is our gracious creator/father and He wants to b in community with His children.
29:36 - I thought this was cool because it tells us that God was providing for the people, even when they had turned their backs on Him. Do you see what it says - "Even though the sacrifices all came about very suddenly, God has provided greatly for the people." God poured out blessings on his people in the midst of their sin because of the future worship it would bring.
30:5 - The people of God had forgotten who they were - Hezekiah brings back the Passover so that they will remember their great heritage and return to God with all their hearts. It is always important to remember your story with God...to think on what the Lord has done for you.
32:7 - Great line! This could be right out of some great ancient war movie. Imagine it in the gravely voice of Leonidas from "300" - "With Sennacherib is merely and arm of flesh and blood, but the Lord our God fights with us!" This applies to basically every spectrum of life. What is there to fear or worry about when you understand that you walk with the Lord.
32:19 - They treated God as if He were some sort of false, man-made idol...this was utter blasphemy...it is offensive to think that the creator of the universe is some human created construct. Even Christians should be very careful to treat the name of God with great reverence...we shouldn't use His name as an exclamation or curse - we would not exist without Him.
32:25 - The full story of the illness is told in 2 Kings 20:1-10. The king gets sick and begs for more life to get his house in order (probably because he knows his son is evil, but that is next chapter), and God gives him another 15 years. Unfortunately, the king celebrates by walking the Babylonians around and bragging about all the wealth he has. He repents of his pride which saves Hezekiah from destruction, but sets the kingdom up to fall after he is gone. Leaders have got to finish strong.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
2 Chronicles Chapters 25-28
25:2 - By living in hypocrisy...living a dual-life spiritually, Amaziah was setting himself up for later failure in life. Things never go well when we don't attempt to give ourselves wholly to God.
25:12 - This seems strange to me - why not just kill them? Why march them up to the top of a cliff and push them off? Is it so they can keep the blood off their own hands? Although either way, they are bringing about the death of their enemies. I don't know - what do you think?
25:14 - This is absolutely absurd! They destroy the people of Seir and then bring idols of the false gods of the people they just destroyed back to worship? What in the world was he thinking? The prophet asks the same question in verse 15 - "Seriously, you're worshipping the gods of the people you just destroyed?" What would be a modern equivalent to this? The first thing that came to mind was religious leaders or politicians that say they have strong feelings on things like - family values, homosexuality, porn, etc...and then end up falling into those sins. What do you think?
25:17 - He probably wants to fight the Israelites because of what happened in verse 13, but unfortunately he started worshipping idols in between and gets his butt kicked.
26:15/16 - It ends verse 15 with, "he was strong." This is actually a dangerous term by which to be described. This means that Uzziah and his people are starting to see Uzziah himself as a source of strength...not God. He built up so much human wealth and power that he starts to believe that he is the reason for the success of the kingdom. Oops. We see in verse 16 that his pride ends up leading to his destruction as he arrogantly walks into the temple to perform the duties only priests could do and gets leprosy.
28:9/13-ff - The people of Israel, who are usually described as the truly idolatrous group in the split between God's people actually choose to listen to a prophet from God. They see that they have dishonored God through their idolatry and do not want to bring any more shame on their heads by enslaving their own Hebrew brothers and sisters. In fact they treat them very generously - they feed them, clothe them, fix their wounds and escort them back to Jericho. On an interesting side note - where do the people return after they have helped their enemies? Samaria. Jesus may have been drawing some on this story when he speaks of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25ff. The real question is - who are your enemies...and what are you doing to treat them with honor?
25:12 - This seems strange to me - why not just kill them? Why march them up to the top of a cliff and push them off? Is it so they can keep the blood off their own hands? Although either way, they are bringing about the death of their enemies. I don't know - what do you think?
25:14 - This is absolutely absurd! They destroy the people of Seir and then bring idols of the false gods of the people they just destroyed back to worship? What in the world was he thinking? The prophet asks the same question in verse 15 - "Seriously, you're worshipping the gods of the people you just destroyed?" What would be a modern equivalent to this? The first thing that came to mind was religious leaders or politicians that say they have strong feelings on things like - family values, homosexuality, porn, etc...and then end up falling into those sins. What do you think?
25:17 - He probably wants to fight the Israelites because of what happened in verse 13, but unfortunately he started worshipping idols in between and gets his butt kicked.
26:15/16 - It ends verse 15 with, "he was strong." This is actually a dangerous term by which to be described. This means that Uzziah and his people are starting to see Uzziah himself as a source of strength...not God. He built up so much human wealth and power that he starts to believe that he is the reason for the success of the kingdom. Oops. We see in verse 16 that his pride ends up leading to his destruction as he arrogantly walks into the temple to perform the duties only priests could do and gets leprosy.
28:9/13-ff - The people of Israel, who are usually described as the truly idolatrous group in the split between God's people actually choose to listen to a prophet from God. They see that they have dishonored God through their idolatry and do not want to bring any more shame on their heads by enslaving their own Hebrew brothers and sisters. In fact they treat them very generously - they feed them, clothe them, fix their wounds and escort them back to Jericho. On an interesting side note - where do the people return after they have helped their enemies? Samaria. Jesus may have been drawing some on this story when he speaks of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25ff. The real question is - who are your enemies...and what are you doing to treat them with honor?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
2 Chronicles Chapters 21-24
21:6 - Jehoram marries a woman who is the daughter of probably the most notorious idolater in the bible - Jezebel. And he allows himself to fall into the same trap Jezebel's husband did - he allows his wife to lead him into worshiping false gods. We must always be careful about who we share our hearts and souls with. True, Christians should befriend and show love to non-Christians, but that doesn't mean that share we should intimately share our lives with people who do not honor God with their lives. That is exactly why 2 Corinthians 6:14 tells us not to allow ourselves to be yoked with unbelievers.
21:17/22:1 - Why is the same person called both Jehoahaz and Ahaziah? Well, the author can do that because they are both versions of the same name. If you are reading int he NIV, it says Ahaziah in both places, but in the ESV it has both names. Kinda like calling me Brandon and Big Head Brando - same guy...different versions of the same name. This is a contradiction!
21:18ff - Talk about a great legacy to leave behind. Everyone of his kids except one is dead...he has some horrific bowel problem that ends up killing him when his bowels burst out of his body...the people don't give him a kings burial and nobody cares that he is dead. What a way to go! In the end it never pays to reject God and serve only yourself.
22:11 - We see God's judgment poured out for a second time in the last two chapters. Every descendant of the rebellious king is killed except for one child in each occasion. God takes very seriously His covenants, and he promised David that his house would go on forever...Joash is spared because God is always true to His word.
23:1-ff - Finally the priest Jehoaida has had enough of the rebellion and idolatry and overall sinfulness of the people of Judah and he decided to do something about it. He leads a holy revolution. The true God-fearers, the remnant, gather together and they change the country. When the people of God see something wrong in the world, they should be driven to do something about it.
23:16 - Man, Jehoaida was a great leader! He leads a holy rebellion, he puts together a crack team of warrior priest to guard the temple as he anoints the rightful king, and he brings Judah back into a covenant relationship with God.
Chapter 24 - the story of the rebuilding of the temple is very similar to the account from 2 Kings chapter 12, so if you have any questions about it you can check out that chapter blog from a couple months back.
24:17 - The young king Joash has only know the life of royalty. There is a pretty good chance he is a spoiled brat with a pretty high opinion of himself. So when his great advisor Jehoaiada dies and then rich people of Judah come to him speaking with great flattery...he follows them right into idolatry. This is yet another example of the incredible need all people have of accountability...and needing friends around them that can pop their big ego filled heads when need be. Who is that for you?
24:21 - Talk about sick and twisted irony. In the same place that Jehoaida rebelled against the rulers of Judah and anointed Joash king of Judah...Joash kills Jehoaida's prophet son because he spoke the truth of God.
24:22 - I thought it was interesting to note the difference between these final words and the words of Jesus Christ and Stephen from the New Testament. I don't think that Zachariah is necessarily speaking out of a need for selfish retribution...I think he is broken hearted about the state of faith in Judah and wants God to make things right - but he cries out for God's justice. Jesus on the other hand is broken hearted by the twisted sinfulness of the people killing him and he cries out to God for mercy saying, "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do." The way of Jesus was so shocking and powerful and world-changing because it was so others focused.
21:17/22:1 - Why is the same person called both Jehoahaz and Ahaziah? Well, the author can do that because they are both versions of the same name. If you are reading int he NIV, it says Ahaziah in both places, but in the ESV it has both names. Kinda like calling me Brandon and Big Head Brando - same guy...different versions of the same name. This is a contradiction!
21:18ff - Talk about a great legacy to leave behind. Everyone of his kids except one is dead...he has some horrific bowel problem that ends up killing him when his bowels burst out of his body...the people don't give him a kings burial and nobody cares that he is dead. What a way to go! In the end it never pays to reject God and serve only yourself.
22:11 - We see God's judgment poured out for a second time in the last two chapters. Every descendant of the rebellious king is killed except for one child in each occasion. God takes very seriously His covenants, and he promised David that his house would go on forever...Joash is spared because God is always true to His word.
23:1-ff - Finally the priest Jehoaida has had enough of the rebellion and idolatry and overall sinfulness of the people of Judah and he decided to do something about it. He leads a holy revolution. The true God-fearers, the remnant, gather together and they change the country. When the people of God see something wrong in the world, they should be driven to do something about it.
23:16 - Man, Jehoaida was a great leader! He leads a holy rebellion, he puts together a crack team of warrior priest to guard the temple as he anoints the rightful king, and he brings Judah back into a covenant relationship with God.
Chapter 24 - the story of the rebuilding of the temple is very similar to the account from 2 Kings chapter 12, so if you have any questions about it you can check out that chapter blog from a couple months back.
24:17 - The young king Joash has only know the life of royalty. There is a pretty good chance he is a spoiled brat with a pretty high opinion of himself. So when his great advisor Jehoaiada dies and then rich people of Judah come to him speaking with great flattery...he follows them right into idolatry. This is yet another example of the incredible need all people have of accountability...and needing friends around them that can pop their big ego filled heads when need be. Who is that for you?
24:21 - Talk about sick and twisted irony. In the same place that Jehoaida rebelled against the rulers of Judah and anointed Joash king of Judah...Joash kills Jehoaida's prophet son because he spoke the truth of God.
24:22 - I thought it was interesting to note the difference between these final words and the words of Jesus Christ and Stephen from the New Testament. I don't think that Zachariah is necessarily speaking out of a need for selfish retribution...I think he is broken hearted about the state of faith in Judah and wants God to make things right - but he cries out for God's justice. Jesus on the other hand is broken hearted by the twisted sinfulness of the people killing him and he cries out to God for mercy saying, "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do." The way of Jesus was so shocking and powerful and world-changing because it was so others focused.
Friday, May 21, 2010
2 Chronicles Chapters 17-20
17:3 - It is always worth noting one of the few honorable kings of the OT.
17:9 and 10 - I like this...the king not only honors God with his own life, but he sets up a system so that his people can be instructed on godly living. We know that peoples' lives are changed by the teaching because the fear of the Lord strikes all their neighbors. When people living a lie are confronted by people living in the truth - they fear it.
18:5 - Ahab gathers the prophets to him, but what prophets did he gather? We already know that Israel abolished God's prophets, so these must be prophets that are in the king's pocket. Jehosshaphat very intelligently wants a second opinion...do you see what he says - "Yeah is there somebody around that can actually inquire of the Lord." In his world, you can find countless people who will tell you what you want to hear or give you their expert opinion, but those are worth nothing compared to a person who will speak God's truh into your life.
Chapter 18 - I know some crazy stuff takes place here, but you can sheck out my comments on this same story from I Kings chapter 22.
19:2 - The first real issue we see in the life of Jehoshaphat is that he is willing to get involved and influenced by men who do not honor God with their lives.
20:6 - When faced with nearly impossible odds, the king knows that he can only rely on God and leads the whole nation in petitioning the Lord. Great example for us to live out in our own lives. Before anything else - seek the Lord.
20:33 - He was a pretty good king but he did not follow through and hold his people accountable t the faith. Good leaders not only fight for and set the example in their own personal purity, but they demand personal purity of their followers as well.
20:37 - Again we see that Jehoshaphat is easily influenced by ungodly people.
17:9 and 10 - I like this...the king not only honors God with his own life, but he sets up a system so that his people can be instructed on godly living. We know that peoples' lives are changed by the teaching because the fear of the Lord strikes all their neighbors. When people living a lie are confronted by people living in the truth - they fear it.
18:5 - Ahab gathers the prophets to him, but what prophets did he gather? We already know that Israel abolished God's prophets, so these must be prophets that are in the king's pocket. Jehosshaphat very intelligently wants a second opinion...do you see what he says - "Yeah is there somebody around that can actually inquire of the Lord." In his world, you can find countless people who will tell you what you want to hear or give you their expert opinion, but those are worth nothing compared to a person who will speak God's truh into your life.
Chapter 18 - I know some crazy stuff takes place here, but you can sheck out my comments on this same story from I Kings chapter 22.
19:2 - The first real issue we see in the life of Jehoshaphat is that he is willing to get involved and influenced by men who do not honor God with their lives.
20:6 - When faced with nearly impossible odds, the king knows that he can only rely on God and leads the whole nation in petitioning the Lord. Great example for us to live out in our own lives. Before anything else - seek the Lord.
20:33 - He was a pretty good king but he did not follow through and hold his people accountable t the faith. Good leaders not only fight for and set the example in their own personal purity, but they demand personal purity of their followers as well.
20:37 - Again we see that Jehoshaphat is easily influenced by ungodly people.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
2 Chronicles Chapters 13-16
13:9 - If you offer yourself to anything other than God, looking to be fulfilled and satisfied...you will be left empty, having made yourself a priest of a non-existent, powerless god. Why do we do this? Why do we worship at the altar of things that continually let us down, believing that next time they will bring the satisfaction we desire. Offer yourself to God.
13:15 - This war cry is reminiscent of the shout that God's people let out when they are surrounding the city of Jericho. The men of Judah are surrounded on all sides, outnumbered 2-to-1, but they trust in God and cry out in confidence. They know that God will prevail and they live like it - do you?
14:3 - Abijah trusted God when it came to battle, but it seems that he didn't trust God enough to give his whole life to the Lord. When his son takes over as king, there are idols to false gods that Abijah allowed to exist in Judah. Asa on the other hand, understands that God-fearers must be willing to offer God their whole life - every area...and he starts cleaning house. What are the things that you and I need to cleanse from our lives - are there idols that we allow to replace God?
15:8 - We see a second reference to Asa removing idols and a thought comes to mind, "Did the people start worshipping idols again? Is that why he has to tear the altars down a second time?" Well, what we are reading here is the actual account of what was described at the beginning of chapter 14. Asa is introduced as a good king who removed the pagan altars...the story is told in full in chapter 15 as we see why he was motivated to do so - he wanted the people of Judah to be utterly faithful to God.
16:9 - Great verse! This might be coming soon for my boy's bible verse memory list. God sees all over the world all the time - He knows who you are and where you are and He is offering support to those who are faithful. Remember that you are never alone and that you are never helpless.
16:12 - Unfortunately as we have often seen, the king does not remain totally faithful at the end of his life. He starts to ignore God and put his trust in the strength and wisdom of man. As a follower of God, I want to finish well. I want to be at my most faithful and my most humble in my relationships with God as I get older.
13:15 - This war cry is reminiscent of the shout that God's people let out when they are surrounding the city of Jericho. The men of Judah are surrounded on all sides, outnumbered 2-to-1, but they trust in God and cry out in confidence. They know that God will prevail and they live like it - do you?
14:3 - Abijah trusted God when it came to battle, but it seems that he didn't trust God enough to give his whole life to the Lord. When his son takes over as king, there are idols to false gods that Abijah allowed to exist in Judah. Asa on the other hand, understands that God-fearers must be willing to offer God their whole life - every area...and he starts cleaning house. What are the things that you and I need to cleanse from our lives - are there idols that we allow to replace God?
15:8 - We see a second reference to Asa removing idols and a thought comes to mind, "Did the people start worshipping idols again? Is that why he has to tear the altars down a second time?" Well, what we are reading here is the actual account of what was described at the beginning of chapter 14. Asa is introduced as a good king who removed the pagan altars...the story is told in full in chapter 15 as we see why he was motivated to do so - he wanted the people of Judah to be utterly faithful to God.
16:9 - Great verse! This might be coming soon for my boy's bible verse memory list. God sees all over the world all the time - He knows who you are and where you are and He is offering support to those who are faithful. Remember that you are never alone and that you are never helpless.
16:12 - Unfortunately as we have often seen, the king does not remain totally faithful at the end of his life. He starts to ignore God and put his trust in the strength and wisdom of man. As a follower of God, I want to finish well. I want to be at my most faithful and my most humble in my relationships with God as I get older.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
2 Chronicles Chapters 9-12
9:8 - We all need to ask ourselves, "Is this how people see us?" Talk about a challenge! Because of the wisdom of Solomon, the Queen of Sheba praises God. When people come in contact with us, do they thank God? Are we living out a lifestyle as God-followers that is so different that people are drawn to God?
10: 4 and 7 - The people are not asking for anything absurd - they are asking for a little bit of a break. They are asking Rehoboam to take his foot off the gas a little. The older advisers know that if the new king is willing to do this, he will have the people's hearts forever. New leaders cannot come in and assume that they can leader with the same authority as the leader before them...they have to earn the respect of the people who follow them before they can really start pushing. Unfortunately, Rehoboam decides to go to the other extreme and push the people mercilessly.
10:15 - This is the culmination of the prophecy that comes from I Kings Chapter 11.
11:14 and 15 - The people of Israel who rebel against the harsh rule of the king have every right to do that. He is being unjust and the text doesn't ever mention that they are wrong for doing so. Unfortunately, the rebels decide to get a little bit crazy. They kick the priesthood out of their territory and start worshipping golden calves and goat demons. That is what is known as the fast track to bringing God's wrath upon you! It is not their political rebellion that gets them in trouble, but their spiritual rebellion.
11:21 - Duet 17:17 clearly shows us that God does not approve of polygamy in His kings (or His people for that matter), but we can see that have a multitude of wives has become commonplace for the kings of Israel. The really tragic nature of polygamous families in the bible is that the husbands always pick a favorite. A favorite wife...a favorite child...and then the jealousies start to pie up and the in fighting and pretty soon all chaos is breaking loose.
10: 4 and 7 - The people are not asking for anything absurd - they are asking for a little bit of a break. They are asking Rehoboam to take his foot off the gas a little. The older advisers know that if the new king is willing to do this, he will have the people's hearts forever. New leaders cannot come in and assume that they can leader with the same authority as the leader before them...they have to earn the respect of the people who follow them before they can really start pushing. Unfortunately, Rehoboam decides to go to the other extreme and push the people mercilessly.
10:15 - This is the culmination of the prophecy that comes from I Kings Chapter 11.
11:14 and 15 - The people of Israel who rebel against the harsh rule of the king have every right to do that. He is being unjust and the text doesn't ever mention that they are wrong for doing so. Unfortunately, the rebels decide to get a little bit crazy. They kick the priesthood out of their territory and start worshipping golden calves and goat demons. That is what is known as the fast track to bringing God's wrath upon you! It is not their political rebellion that gets them in trouble, but their spiritual rebellion.
11:21 - Duet 17:17 clearly shows us that God does not approve of polygamy in His kings (or His people for that matter), but we can see that have a multitude of wives has become commonplace for the kings of Israel. The really tragic nature of polygamous families in the bible is that the husbands always pick a favorite. A favorite wife...a favorite child...and then the jealousies start to pie up and the in fighting and pretty soon all chaos is breaking loose.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
2 Chronicles Chapters 5-8
5:13-14 - This is such an awesome description of worship! Throughout these chapters as we look at Solomon's temple, I am going to make the connection to the new temple...the body of Christ - Christians. Next time we are gathered for worship, think back to this verse and remember that the Spirit of the Lord has filled you! That cloud that had the priests in awe is in your heart...let the glory of the Lord shine as you praise His name.
6:32 - Solomon understands completely the missional heart of God.He knows that God wants all people to be drawn to Him. The purpose of the Israelites existing as a holy, priest nation was to bring attention to the Name of God. To exist as a catalyst to bring all nations to Him.
6:41-42 - I Peter 2:9 tells us that followers of Jesus Christ are a royal priesthood. Aren't these verses awesome when you think about that? We are clothes in the blood of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which brings us salvation. And because of his great mercy - we can rejoice!
7:1 - More powerful imagery here - the flames of heaven come down and consume the sacrifice. Some of us wonder why things like this don't happen any more, but we need to understand that they do. Like on the day of Pentecost at the beginning of the Book of Acts, the flames of fire come down onto the followers of Christ and they are filled with the Holy Spirit and able to share the truth about Jesus in ways they had never dreamed. God still consumes the sacrifices of His people with fire...now we offer ourselves as living sacrifices and the Holy Spirit of God comes upon us like a fire, burning away the lies and sins of this world.
7:15-16 - Just like God says He chose the temple and consecrated it in His name, He has also chosen us and consecrated us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Wherever we go...He hears us...He knows us...we are the temple of God consecrated in His name to make make His name great in this world.
6:32 - Solomon understands completely the missional heart of God.He knows that God wants all people to be drawn to Him. The purpose of the Israelites existing as a holy, priest nation was to bring attention to the Name of God. To exist as a catalyst to bring all nations to Him.
6:41-42 - I Peter 2:9 tells us that followers of Jesus Christ are a royal priesthood. Aren't these verses awesome when you think about that? We are clothes in the blood of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which brings us salvation. And because of his great mercy - we can rejoice!
7:1 - More powerful imagery here - the flames of heaven come down and consume the sacrifice. Some of us wonder why things like this don't happen any more, but we need to understand that they do. Like on the day of Pentecost at the beginning of the Book of Acts, the flames of fire come down onto the followers of Christ and they are filled with the Holy Spirit and able to share the truth about Jesus in ways they had never dreamed. God still consumes the sacrifices of His people with fire...now we offer ourselves as living sacrifices and the Holy Spirit of God comes upon us like a fire, burning away the lies and sins of this world.
7:15-16 - Just like God says He chose the temple and consecrated it in His name, He has also chosen us and consecrated us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Wherever we go...He hears us...He knows us...we are the temple of God consecrated in His name to make make His name great in this world.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
2 Chronicles Chapters 1-4
1:6 - I love the example that Solomon set for us. The first thing that he does as king, is lead the people in worship of God. One of the things that he and his father David always did (In the times in their lives when they were focused on godliness), was go to God in worship and prayer before every major decision and in response to every victory. Is that not how God-fearers should live their lives? We should live like that on a daily basis.
1:10 - Do you see why Solomon asks for wisdom? He specifically asks for wisdom so that he can have the ability to lead GOD'S people. Solomon knows his place...he knows that even as a king, he is the servant of God. Parents - are you daily going before the Lord to ask for the wisdom you need to lead His children that He has gifted to you? Teachers? Leaders? Bosses?
1:11 - Do you ever wonder if Solomon was just giving his best churchy answer to God? Ex: God - "What can I give you Solomon?" Solomon - "Oh...uh...wisdom to lead your people, yeah that's it (Thinking: now God will give me what I really want!)." Verse 11 shows us that was not the case. God knows that Solomon honestly wanted wisdom to lead and He honors that request.
2:6 - God cannot be contained! I love how Solomon puts it...even the heavens cannot contain God! Solomon has an incredible understanding of the nature of God. Human beings cannot build God a home to live in...we should never allow ourselves to think of church as the place God dwells. Beliefs like that have allowed people to live their lives as if God isn't always with them...they put on their best behavior for church and then do whatever they want during the rest of the week. What an offensive view of God! Solomon knows a little bit about the magnitude of God's presence. We can't build a place to contain God, but we can build a place for His followers to gather so that they can be energized and inspired to go back out and honor His name.
2:12 - I love this! God's name is made great in other countries because of the example that King David and King Solomon live out for the world to see. Their faithfulness brings honor to God. May I live a life that brings honor to the name of God and understand that my actions can also bring dishonor to the name that I carry as a follower of Jesus.
2:17 - Uh-oh, Solomon takes data from the census (Which God hated and considered sinful) and uses it to put over 150,000 into forced labor in Israel. We get our first picture of the chink in Solomon's armor, which I believe is pride. He has unmatchable wisdom and unimaginable wealth, but he didn't ask for humility and it comes back to bite him as the years roll on. The people who were freed from generation after generation of slavery in Egypt have now become the slave masters in the Promised Land. Not a good sign.
1:10 - Do you see why Solomon asks for wisdom? He specifically asks for wisdom so that he can have the ability to lead GOD'S people. Solomon knows his place...he knows that even as a king, he is the servant of God. Parents - are you daily going before the Lord to ask for the wisdom you need to lead His children that He has gifted to you? Teachers? Leaders? Bosses?
1:11 - Do you ever wonder if Solomon was just giving his best churchy answer to God? Ex: God - "What can I give you Solomon?" Solomon - "Oh...uh...wisdom to lead your people, yeah that's it (Thinking: now God will give me what I really want!)." Verse 11 shows us that was not the case. God knows that Solomon honestly wanted wisdom to lead and He honors that request.
2:6 - God cannot be contained! I love how Solomon puts it...even the heavens cannot contain God! Solomon has an incredible understanding of the nature of God. Human beings cannot build God a home to live in...we should never allow ourselves to think of church as the place God dwells. Beliefs like that have allowed people to live their lives as if God isn't always with them...they put on their best behavior for church and then do whatever they want during the rest of the week. What an offensive view of God! Solomon knows a little bit about the magnitude of God's presence. We can't build a place to contain God, but we can build a place for His followers to gather so that they can be energized and inspired to go back out and honor His name.
2:12 - I love this! God's name is made great in other countries because of the example that King David and King Solomon live out for the world to see. Their faithfulness brings honor to God. May I live a life that brings honor to the name of God and understand that my actions can also bring dishonor to the name that I carry as a follower of Jesus.
2:17 - Uh-oh, Solomon takes data from the census (Which God hated and considered sinful) and uses it to put over 150,000 into forced labor in Israel. We get our first picture of the chink in Solomon's armor, which I believe is pride. He has unmatchable wisdom and unimaginable wealth, but he didn't ask for humility and it comes back to bite him as the years roll on. The people who were freed from generation after generation of slavery in Egypt have now become the slave masters in the Promised Land. Not a good sign.
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