Rediscover God’s Word   one post at a time…

The book opens with the closing words of 2 Chronicles, for God’s plan was not finished. Judah had rejected Jeremiah’s warning, but the prophet’s words came true. God is at work in human history. His purposes will be accomplished, regardless of the nations’ activities. Jeremiah warned of coming judgment, but he also promised restoration; and the promise was fulfilled (Jer. 29:10).

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The greatest treasure you have is not money but the Word of God, which too often is “lost” amid the “rubbish” you can easily accumulate. Do you treasure God’s Word? (See Ps. 119:14 , 72 , 127 , 162) Is it “buried” somewhere?

God’s Word is not a relic to admire in a religious museum. They did not put the Book back in its niche in the temple. Rather, they read it publicly and honored it as the living Word of God. The king trembled at God’s Word (Isa. 66:2) and immediately sent for God’s message. There is always a fresh word from the Lord as you read the Bible and seek His will.

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When you come back to walk with the Lord, the evidences of the new life are there to see. Cleansing. For too long, the worship of Jehovah had taken place alongside the worship of the heathen gods; that would now end. The people assisted the king in destroying the obscene images and pagan altars. After all, the nation had just celebrated Passover, and the week following Passover was to be a time of “housecleaning” (Exodus 12:15–20).

Serving. It is not enough to get rid of the bad; we must also establish and strengthen the good. The king made certain the priests obeyed God’s law and ministered at the temple. Had the priests been ministering faithfully to begin with, the nation would not have gone into apostasy.

Giving. If the priests are to serve, the people must support them. One of the first signs of spiritual awakening is the generosity of those whose hearts God has touched. Nobody had to plead or urge; the giving came from the hearts of people who were right with God.

Testings usually come after times of great blessing, and Hezekiah faced three of them. (1) War. After other times of awakening, the nation was given protection and rest from enemies (2 Chronicles 15:15; 20:29–30), but this time, God allowed the enemy to come in. God was testing the faith of the king and the people to see how deep it really was. It is one thing to participate in a huge religious meeting, but quite something else to have your land invaded and your capital city threatened.

(2) Sickness. Hezekiah’s illness was both a national and a personal crisis, for he did not have any sons to take the throne. God had promised that David’s family would never lack for a man on the throne, so Hezekiah prayed that he might be able to live and have a son.

(3) Honor. Hezekiah weathered the invasion and the illness, but he capitulated to pride. It began when he failed to thank God for sparing his life, and apparently even God’s chastening did not cure him. The extent of his wealth and the praises of the visiting dignitaries made Hezekiah proud, and God had to deal with him.

We have learned that if Satan cannot conquer us when he comes as the lion (1 Peter 5:8), he will come again as the serpent (2 Corinthians 11:1–3). You may be in greater danger when things are going well than when you are fighting a battle, so keep alert.

MANASSEH
Manasseh rebuilt what his father had torn down and then tore it down again so he could rebuild. (Compare Genesis 26:18.) He did not learn from the past or listen to the prophets, so he had to live with the punishment God sent him. Some people only learn the hard way.

How gracious of God to see Manasseh’s repentance, hear his prayer, and restore him to Jerusalem. But even God’s forgiveness could not automatically nullify the king’s bad example or undo the terrible damage he had done in the land. Sin has consequences long after sinners are forgiven (2 Kings 23:26; 24:3).

God is ready and willing to forgive, and we should seek that forgiveness early. The longer we wait, the more damage we do; the more damage we do, the more we and others will suffer because of our sins.

AHAZ
The spiritual leadership that began with Uzziah and continued with Jotham disappeared with Ahaz. We wonder why the godly examples of his father and grandfather did Ahaz no good. Historians tell us that Ahaz was coregent with his father for four years, which means he started when he was sixteen. Did Ahaz become proud? Did he listen to wrong counsel?

The Ammonite god Molech was worshiped in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. The king even put his children on the heathen altar. When a father is disobedient to God, often the children suffer most. King Josiah defiled the place (2 Kings 23:10) and made it a garbage dump. The word gehenna came to refer to the place of eternal judgment, hell.

Judah experienced a humiliating defeat from Israel, but God mercifully overruled and rescued the people. It was a prophet, not a king or general, who saved the day.

Instead of repenting and returning to the God of his father and grandfather, Ahaz adopted the gods of the victorious enemy. It seemed logical to him because the enemy was winning! Instead of going by the Word of God, he took the pragmatic approach (Proverbs 3:5–6). Have you ever done that? It is dangerous!

HEZEKIAH
When Hezekiah became king, the situation at the temple was not unlike the condition of some churches today (2 Chronicles 29:7). Closed doors speak of no access to God and no service for God. He has set before us an open door (Revelation 3:8), and we close it.

The lamps were out, which indicates no witness (Matthew 5:16), and the incense altar was cold, which signifies that no prayer was going up to God (Psalm 141:2). There were no sacrifices on the altar (Romans 12:1–2), but there was plenty of rubbish in the temple. No wonder the nation was experiencing the wrath of God instead of the blessing of God.

Hezekiah’s formula for revival was simple: sanctification, sacrifice, and song. He started with the priests and Levites, for if God’s servants are not clean, God cannot bless their work. Then the priests sanctified the temple, offered the sacrifices, and sang the song of the Lord.

It all happened suddenly (2 Chronicles 29:36), but what happened was not new or novel. It was simply a return to the ways of the Lord (Jeremiah 6:16).

When God’s Spirit is at work, Jesus Christ will be glorified, and God’s people will be unified. Hezekiah called the whole nation back to the celebration of the Passover, the feast that depicts Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, and many participated with oneness of heart (2 Chronicles 30:12). What an occasion of blessing it was!

How tragic that the spiritual leaders were to blame for delaying the event (2 Chronicles 30: 3). How tragic that some of the people laughed at the invitation (2 Chronicles 30:10; Matthew 22:1–14). But how wonderful that God blessed abundantly, healed the people and sent them home rejoicing (2 Chronicles 30: 21, 23, 25, 26). The people who turned down the invitation missed a special opportunity.

God looks at the heart and does not permit ceremonial matters to get in the way of His grace (1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 50:7–15; 51:16–17; Hosea 6:6). Hezekiah saw to it that the people were taught the Word (2 Chronicles 30: 22) because the Word nourishes the heart and cleanses the life, long after the memories of great events have faded away. The people experienced great joy as a result of sharing in the Passover feast (2 Chronicles 30:26). The Jews would have great joy at the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:43). Other people who experienced great joy from the Lord are the wise men (Matthew 2:10), the apostles (Luke 24:52), and the new believers in Samaria (Acts 8:8). The message of the gospel is good news of great joy (Luke 2:10). Are you sharing it with others?

AMAZIAH
Amaziah was halfhearted in his religious life and was not loyal to the Lord. Instead of trusting God for victory, he hired men from Israel; then he worried about the money he would lose if he obeyed the Lord! Once you start measuring obedience by profit and loss, you are not living by faith (Matthew 6:33). When you start asking yourself, “Is it profitable?” instead of “Is it right?” you had better read Philippians 2:1–11 and Hebrews 11:24–26.

Amaziah argued with God’s will but finally obeyed it; then the army became angry with him and declared war! They had been paid, so they should have gone home rejoicing, but they wanted a chance to fight and get spoils of war. Such is the wickedness of the human heart. Amaziah lost money and was upset; the soldiers made money and were angry. Money does not satisfy the heart.

The king refused to hear God’s servant and threatened to kill him (2 Chronicles 25:15–16), but in the end, Amaziah died. He lived for the wrong values and by the wrong counsel, and he died a failure. God is seeking disciples who are wholehearted (Matthew 6:19–24).

UZZIAH
The starting point in Uzziah’s success was his seeking God and wanting to do His will (2 Chronicles 26: 5). Unlike his father, Uzziah was a man wholly given to the Lord. He believed and practiced Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1–3 .

The turning point was his pride (2 Chronicles 26:16). He became famous (2 Chronicles 26:8, 15) and strong, and God helped him wonderfully (2 Chronicles 26:7, 15); but he could not handle success. If God’s blessings do not humble us, they will eventually destroy us. It is true that “a man’s pride will bring him low” (Proverbs 29:23; see also Proverbs 11:2; 16:18).

The finishing point was his isolation as a leper (2 Chronicles 26:19–21). Not content to be a king, he also wanted to be a priest. He did not respect the boundaries God had established, so God shut him in a narrow place as a leper. God gives the wide places to those He can trust with freedom (Psalm 18:16–19).

Uzziah did not commit a gross sin of the flesh. He sinned in the realm of spiritual things . It is possible to disobey God in the temple with a censer in your hand, but if you do, expect God to deal with you drastically.

JOTHAM
Uzziah sinned and was disciplined by the Lord, but that one event did not destroy his godly influence. His son Jotham followed his father’s example but avoided his father’s sin, and the Lord honored him.

Jotham lived a brief life and had a short reign, but he was faithful to the Lord. It is not how long we live that counts but how we live. Although Jotham’s chapter in Chronicles is short, John 2:17 is still true.