2 Chronicles 29:1 says, Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. Hezekiah reigned for twenty-five years, starting from when he was twenty-five years old. He had a fairly long reign. Verse two adds, And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of God as had David, who is referred to as his father, but Hezekiah was just a descendant of David and not his actual son. We are all the children of God as followers of Christ and not just a far-removed descendant. Verse three continues, He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them. From his first day as king, he reopened the house of God, or temple, and repaired its walls. From our first day as Christians, we need to repair our relationship with God, since our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It had been David's desire to build the temple, even though he wasn't allowed to, and Hezekiah was like David in wanting the temple of God to be there to worship God in. Verse four states, And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, Hezekiah brought the priests and Levites back to perform their duties. If we have strayed away from God as Christians, we need to return to Him and begin to once again do what He has called us to do. Verse five adds, And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. Hezekiah then told the Levites to sanctify themselves then sanctify the temple and to carry the filthiness out of it. Of course, the Levites should have already been doing this, but probably had stopped out of fear. We as Christians must sanctify, or set aside, our bodies, or life, to the use and glory of God, and remove any filthiness from them. We should not need the government to call on us to do this nor should we allow fear of the government to stop us from doing what God has called us to do. Verse six continues, For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs. Hezekiah told the Levites that their fathers had turned away from the temple, God's house, and had done what was evil in His sight. These were the religious leaders of God's chosen people, and Hezekiah should not have needed to tell them this. As Christians, we should never need anyone to tell us that we are out of God's will, but if we recognize that those who are leaders in the church are out of God's will, we need to tell them so. Verse seven says, Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel. Again, since a lot of what Hezekiah was talking about not being done, the closing of the doors and not burning offerings in the holy place were the responsibility of the priests and Levites, they should have known this, because they had abandoned their calling. I believe the Holy Spirit will let us know if we have abandoned our spiritual calling and will call us to return to it, and if He does, we need to listen to His call to return to do so. Verse eight adds, Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes. Hezekiah said that when the people of Judah turned away from God, He removed His protective hand from them, and they had been defeated and looked down on by the rest of the world. If those who call themselves Christians are following the ways of the world instead of God's ways, the people of world are going to look down on us and laugh at us, which they often do today. Verse nine continues, For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. Hezekiah reminded them that their fathers had died by the sword and that their wives and sons and daughters had been taken away captive. If we begin to turn away from God as His people, we may find our witness for Him killed and our families taken captive by sin as well. Every Christian should set a good example for those who are close to them, especially fathers for their wives and children. Verse ten states, Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. Hezekiah said it was in his heart to establish a covenant relationship with God. I had first thought that he would be reestablishing a covenant relationship with God, but we do not have that covenant relationship with Him until we personally establish it by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, just as Hezekiah had to personally establish a covenant relationship with God then. If we do, then we will never have to face God as a wrathful Judge. Verse eleven adds, My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense. Hezekiah called the Levites his sons, but they were just those chosen by God to serve Him. We are not the spiritual sons and daughters of anyone except God, and He will call us to do what He needs us to do. Like the Levites needed to remember their calling was from God, we need to remember what God has called us to do as individuals and as His people collectively.
Saturday, October 5, 2024
Friday, October 4, 2024
2 Chronicles 28:16
2 Chronicles 28:16 says, At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. Ahaz was looking to another king to help him, because he had stopped putting his faith in God and his own people. We need to look to God and our fellow Christians to help us in times of trouble today and never think that we must have the help of the lost people of the world to give us the power to be successful spiritually. Verse seventeen adds, For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives. Ahaz did this because without God empowering them, they had been defeated by the Edomites who had taken some people of Judah away captive. If we stop following God as Christians, we may find ourselves defeated by ungodly people, but if we repent and return to God if we are, we will be spiritually successful. We can never find everlasting security by any alliance with the lost people of the world. We must look to God alone. Verse eighteen continues, The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there. Not only had the Edomites defeated and carried some of the people of Israel away captive, but the Philistines were also defeating them in other parts of Judah. If we allow one sin into our life, we may find that we have others defeating us as well. Verse nineteen concludes, For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord. We are told very plainly that Judah was made naked, or powerless, because God was not with them. If we begin to be overpowered spiritually today as Christians, it may be that God has removed His protective hand from us because we have sin in our life. Verse twenty states, And Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. Instead of helping Ahaz, the king of Assyria distressed, or fought against him instead. If we look to the world for help today instead of looking to God, we may find ourselves in even worse shape than we were before. If we are seen as weak and helpless as followers of Christ, and we will be if we don't rely on the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit, those that we look to for help may try to cause us even more distress. Verse twenty-one adds, For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not. Even though Ahaz had given the king of Assyria treasures from the house of God and from his own palace and from the princes of Israel, he did not help Ahaz. We cannot buy spiritual security, and we certainly should not use the things of God in order to attempt to do so. Verse twenty-two continues, And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz. The more distressed Ahaz became, the more he sinned. If we are spiritually distressed, we will never find peace by being even more rebellious against God and sinning more. Verse twenty-three says, For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel. Instead of turning to God after getting no help from Assyria, Ahaz begin to sacrifice to the gods of Syria instead. He gave these false gods credit for Syria's success. If we have been allowing ourselves to be influenced by any false god, we are never going to find success by worshipping another one. This applies to both Christians and non-Christians, but it worse for the Christian, because we know the one true God. Verse twenty-four adds, And 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 the Lord, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. Ahaz then cut up all the vessels of the house of God and shut up the doors to the house of God. Since he was supposed to be the leader of God's people, he had committed a very bad sin. As God's people, we cannot afford to think that we can find success spiritually by doing away with the things of God in our life and closing up the meeting places. Yet, if we stop going to church, the meeting place of God's people, we are effectively closing up the doors in our life. Ahaz begin to set up false gods everywhere, and if we turn away from the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we are allowing some false god to run our life. Verse twenty-five continues, And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers. Ahaz set up high places throughout Judah to burn incense to these false gods. All, he needed to do was repent and turn to God once more and he would have been successful, but he looked everywhere except to God. There is nothing else that will give us success in our spiritual life but obedience to God. Verse twenty-six states, Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. As with the other kings, we are told that rest of his actions were recorded, in his case in the in the book of the kings, though some were said to be recorded in other books. Verse twenty-seven adds, And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. Ahaz was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the burial place of the kings. As stated, many times, where we are buried doesn't really matter, but our relationship with Jesus Christ will determine if we spend our everlasting life with God and His people or not.
Thursday, October 3, 2024
2 Chronicles 28:9
2 Chronicles 28:9 says, But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven. Oded, a prophet of God, went to the host of the people of Israel, or Samaria, and told them that God had allowed them to defeat Judah because of Judah's sin against Him. God didn't want them to feel too powerful but wanted them to know that they were only successful because of His allowing them to be and not because of any false gods that they worshipped. One day, those who feel successful because of putting their faith in anything other than God will realize they were wrong to do so. Verse sixteen adds, And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God? Oded then said that they intended to keep the people of Jerusalem as bondmen and women, but then also asked them if they had not also sinned against God. Before we begin to look down on or misuse the people of the world or even fellow Christians who may have fallen into sin again, we need to look to our own life and ask if we have not sinned, and the answer will always be, yes, we have. Verse eleven continues, Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you. Oded warned them to return the captives to Judah. Though Christians today who have died for their faith may not be set free in this lifetime, God has already set them free forever, so all they need to do is to remain faithful to Him. Verse twelve states, Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war, Four men of Ephraim, Azariah, Berechiah, Jehizkiah, and Amasa stood up against the returning army. If we stand with God, we may often be outnumbered, but we must still stand with Him. Even if those in power are going against God and seem to be prospering by doing so, we cannot join them but must continue to follow God's commandments. Verse thirteen adds, And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the Lord already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. These four men proclaimed God's truth, and that was that the army could not bring the people of Judah captive without further adding to God's wrath against them. This started with a prophet, Oded, proclaiming God's warning to Israel and then was followed by four men believing him. The gospel is spread today by one person believing God and then a few more believing, and others believing them, and it has the potential to change the world. If people do not believe, then they will one day face the wrath of God as unforgiven sinners. Verse fourteen continues, So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation. The army left the captives and the spoils before the congregation, or the rest of the people. Though they were armed and could have kept the captives by force, they surrendered them and the spoils to the people to determine what to do with them. Though we are not told that they suddenly believed in God and surrendered to His authority, they at least didn't add to their sin by attempting to keep everything. Of course, if people simply stop sinning more, it does not bring them forgiveness from God, but only putting one's faith in Jesus Christ can do so. Verse fifteen concludes, And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria. These four men clothed the captives, fed them, and even transported the weak and feeble to Jericho and their brothers. Four men changed the statues of the captives by listening to the one man of God who warned them against keeping them captive. We can never be the one Man Who sets the captives free from the power of sin, since that is Jesus Christ alone, but we can be one of the ones who declare God's truth and stand on it no matter how large the opposition may be. Then, He will return those who believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord to spiritual freedom. All we can do is stand with God and witness to the lost people of the world.
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
2 Chronicles 28:1
2 Chronicles 28:1 says, Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father: When Ahaz became king, he was just twenty-years old and he ruled for sixteen years. He had inherited a kingdom that was right with God. Unfortunately, he didn't do right in the sight of God. There are still people who become powerful today when they are young, but if they don't follow Jesus Christ and don't obey the commandments of God, they will never have any lasting success or power. One day, they will be held accountable by God. Verse two adds, For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, who should have been following God as His chosen people but were worshipping idols instead. Ahaz made molten images of Baal to worship. It would be a shame if lost people, or even others who profess to be Christians, looked to others who profess to be Christians for guidance, and we led them to put their faith in anything other than Jesus Christ alone. Verse three continues, Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. He worshipped these idols in the valley of Hinnom, following the abominations of the heathen and he went even further by burning his children in sacrifice to Moloch. When people begin to serve other gods, there is no end to how depraved they may become, even if at one time they had called themselves Christians. Being a Christian in name only will never save us and may even lead us to actions that are totally against God. Verse four concludes, He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. Not only did he make images of Baal to worship, but he worshipped in the high places thinking this would make him closer to God. We will find God wherever we are as followers of Christ, whether in the valley or on the mountaintop, because the Holy Spirit indwells us. Verse five states, Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. Since Ahaz didn't follow God, God removed His protective hand from him, and the king of Syria defeated the people of Judah and carried away many captives, including Ahaz. If we turn away from God, we set ourselves up for defeat. If we have truly accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are forever His, but that doesn't mean we will never suffer spiritual defeat in this world if we have strayed away from His guidance. Verse six adds, For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. Being a valiant man of Judah did not bring them success, because they had turned away from God. We may be brave people today as Christians, but if we turn away from God, we will no longer have His protective hand on us. One hundred and twenty thousand of the brave men of Judah were killed in one day. Verse seven continues, And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king. Those who weren't taken away captive by the Syrians were still not safe, since the people of Israel went to war with them, killing Ahaz's son, Maaseiah, Azrikam the governor, and Elkanah who was said to be next to the king. Though the people of the world thought they had killed our King, Jesus Christ, He still lives and will reign forever and we need to be known as people who are spiritually close to Him, even if we were to be carried away captive or killed by those who oppose Him. Verse eight concludes, And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. Two hundred thousand women and children were taken away captive to Israel and a lot of bounty was taken to Samaria. When the people of Judah turned away from God, He removed His protection from them and in spite of their numbers, they were defeated. We we turn away from God as individuals or as a nation, He may no longer protect us.
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
2 Chronicles 27:1
2 Chronicles 27:1 says, Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok. Jotham started to rule when he was twenty-five and ruled until he was forty-one, which is a fairly young age to have his reign end. We aren't guaranteed a long life even if we are following God. Verse two adds, And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the Lord. And the people did yet corruptly. Though Jotham did what was right in the sight of God, he didn't go into the temple to burn incense as Uzziah his father did. He could not get the people to mend their ways though. We really can't force others to mend their ways spiritually but can only make sure that our ways follow the path that God leads us down. Matthw Henry points out that we aren't told a lot about Jotham's reign compared to what we are told about those who did wrong in God's sight, and people today may not long note what we have done for God, but we need to just continue to follow His will whether they do or not. Verse three continues, He built the high gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. Jotham repaired the house of God, and we need to repair the house of God, our bodies as followers of Christ, by building up the things done for Him, but also by tearing down the things that go against His commandments. Verse four states, Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers. Jotham also carried out may building projects to improve Judah. We need to be involved in plans that build up the kingdom of God in the community and the country and not just in the confines of the church building. Verse five adds, He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him, both the second year, and the third. Jotham also engaged in a war with the Ammonites, and he won, I believe because he was following God's leadership. I do know that if we are following the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we are always going to be victorious spiritually, even if we are defeated physically. The Ammonites brought Jotham gifts for three years after he defeated them. We cannot serve God expecting people of the world to bring us gifts if we defeat those who do not serve Him, but our reward is everlasting life with God. Verse six continues, So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God. It is clearly stated here that Jotham did not become great because of his own abilities, but because he followed the ways of God. If we begin to rely on our own strength and not the power of the Holy Spirit, we will not be successful in our spiritual life. Verse seven says, Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. As already stated, we are not given a long account of Jotham's reign, but like all kings before him and all kings and rulers since, he died and was buried. We will likewise all die one day unless Jesus returns first, whether we are in a position of power in the world or not. Verse eight adds, He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. Verse eight just repeats how old Jotham was when he started to reign and how long he reigned. Verse nine continues, And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead. After Jotham died, he was buried with the other kings and his son Ahaz became king. As Christians, our King, Jesus Christ will never die and be replaced. We must therefore always look to bring honor and glory to Him.
Monday, September 30, 2024
2 Chronicles 26:16
2 Chronicles 26:16 says, But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. When Uzziah became strong in the world, he went into the temple and burned incense on the altar of incense, which was a transgression against God's law. Only priests were supposed to do this, and Uzziah was taking over their role. As Christians, we may do something that sounds good, but if we are not doing it under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, it is not going to be pleasing to God, and if it is contrary to the word of God, it will always be displeasing to Him. Verse seventeen adds, And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men: Azariah and eighty priests who were said to be brave men went into Uzziah. We may not have a lot of people stand with us, but if someone is doing something against the will of God, we need to bravely stand against them. Verse eighteen continues, And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God. Amaziah and these eighty priests told him that he had done something that was against God's law, since only the priests were to burn incense to God. It took some courage on their part, but at least they were united in their stand against what Uzziah was doing and to ask him to leave the temple. It may take some courage on our part to take a stand against those in power today if they are doing things against God's will, but we must always do so by the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit, even if we stand alone. Verse nineteen states, Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. Uzziah was angry with them, and still had the censer to burn incense in his hand, I believe to show them that he was going to do what he wanted to do. While he was doing this, he was afflicted with leprosy in his forehead. We might think he would have been afflicted with leprosy in his arm that held the censor, but it was actually his thoughts that had caused him to think he could do whatever he wanted to do. It is our thoughts that will lead us to sin today, and we can always be certain that God is going to get to the root of sin and not just punish the symptoms or results of that sin. Verse twenty adds, And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him. Azariah and the priests saw that Uzziah was stricken with leprosy and hurried to get him out of the temple and Uzziah himself hurried to leave, since it was against God's law for a person with leprosy to be in the temple. We don't need to rush people out of church today of they are doing something against God's will, but if they won't be corrected, then we cannot allow them to continue to do what they have been doing and act as if it is okay. Our worship needs to be pure. Verse twenty-one continues, And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land. Uzziah didn't die for bis actions, but he was cut off from the people and the temple. His prideful actions led to his downfall, and if we act out of pride and not out of obedience to God, we will not die spiritually if we have accepted the salvation of Christ, but we may be cut off from spiritual blessings. Verse twenty-two says, Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write. We are told that Isaiah the prophet wrote the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from beginning to end. God will write down our actions from the time we are born until the day we die, and nothing will be hidden from Him. Of course, if we are a Christian, He will also write the day that we were born again, and this will be the most important fact. Verse twenty-three adds, So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead. Uzziah died and was buried, and Jotham his son reigned in his place.