Lasso of Truth

II Chronicles 31-33

Chapter 31

v5 Still giving abundantly

v7 the gifts to the Lord were placed in HEAPS!

v20 What he did was good, right, and true before the Lord his God.

Will this be said of me? Probably not in most cases, but I can strive for this.  I can make this my goal.

v21 He did every work to the house of God with all his heart.

Chapter 32

v8  "With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles."

v9 the King of Assyria begins his campaign of FEAR against the God of Jerusalem and His people.

v19 They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of men's hands.  BUT THEY ARE NOT THE SAME!

v20 We do not have to defend God from insults and injury. HE IS GOD.  His Kingdom will stand.  He can defend Himself. And notice how God's people chose to respond.  They didn't write out carefully formulated, doctrinally sound arguments and post them publicly on Facebook.  THEY CRIED OUT TO THE LORD.

v26 Hezekiah's repentance after pride.

Chapter 33  Manasseh - pure evil.

v9 More evil than the destroyed nations.

v10 the Lord spoke to them, but they paid not attention.

v12-13 Manasseh sees his error and humbles himself.  God brings him back.  God was moved by his entreaty!  He. Wants. Us.

AND THEN MANASSEH KNEW THE LORD WAS GOD.

v15 Repentance in action.

v22 Even though Manasseh was forgiven, his actions still carried consequences.  Even after his death, affecting future generations.

This results in Amon's early death.

Next time: II Chronicles 34-36

 

 

 

II Chronicles 27-30

Chapter 27

v2 He did right, but his people continued to act corruptly.

v6 "So Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God."

Chapter 28

v1 Ahaz

v6-7 The nation is being destroyed from within, because of their ungodly ruler.

v11 They even made slaves out of the captured people. But god wasn't having that.

v15 The captives are set free.  And clothed, fed, anointed with oil.

This is what God does.  He sets captives free.  He clothes the naked, feeds the hungry, and anoints the lowly.

v24 Ahaz has not learned his lesson.  He continues to provoke God.

Chapter 29

Hezekiah

v15 The king organizes the Levites to set about repairing the house of the Lord, and in so doing, their relationship with Him.

v27 I bet this was an awe-inspiring moment.  Restoration of sacrifice, offering, and worship.

v34 The people brought so many offerings that there weren't enough priests to prepare them all. It was like they'd been yearning for this moment for years. 

It is a RELIEF to do and live the way you were created to.  We were made to be with Him.

Chapter 30

v  The king invites Israel and Judah to join them at the house of the Lord, for Passover.

v9 "For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him."

He. Wants. Us.

v21-23 The people are restored to their God and experience such joy that they extend the celebration another week!

Obedience to the True God isn't oppression.  It evokes joy, celebration, worship, ELATION!  They didn't want the party to end!

v26 For there was great joy in Jerusalem.

v27 Their prayer came to His holy dwelling place, to Heaven.  THE RELATIONSHIP WAS RESTORED!

Next time: II Chronicles 31-33

 

II Chronicles 24-26

Chapter 24

v1 Joash was 7 years old when he became king.

v10 It feels good to use your money for God's purposes. "All the officers and all the people rejoiced."

v14 They collected more than they even needed.

v19 Even though the remaining priests were evil, God kept sending righteous prophets to the land to speak truth to the king.

He is always giving us the opportunity to make good choices and turn our lives around to His way.

v22 He gives in to evil once again and murders the son of the man who raised him.

Sin binds us.  Satan always plays to our pride and greed, and we are eager to follow him into it.

v25 Even Joash's men felt he had gone too far, and they conspired against him.

Chapter 25

v1-5 the difference a godly king makes on the prosperity of a nation.

v2 ...yet not with a whole heart.  How often is this true o me!

v3 Except for the murder thing...

v8 A man of God warns him not to go into battle:

"...for God has the power to help and to bring down."

v9 This is exactly what God has been showing me about money!  The king is concerned, because if her fires the army from Israel, the 100 talents will go to waste.  But the man of God responds, "The Lord has much more to give you than this."

Basically the same thing He pressed upon my heart when I faced the wasted money wrapped up in all of our extra "stuff." Don't you think the
Lord is capable of making up for any lost money?!?!

v13 The scorned troops acted our and raided Judah.

v14 why? We all are born with a tendency toward idolatry. We want security we can feel and see.  We want to cover all our bases, just in case.

v15 God makes a great point.   Why would you believe in gods of the people you have imprisoned?  They can't even set their own worshipers free!

v17 There is nothing that will turn God's favor from you like the worship of other gods.  Everything this king had built, is ruined.

Chapter 26

v1-5 a good king, with a godly mother.

v14 This godly king was well known--famous--for his battle preparations and inventions.

v15 "he was marvelously helped until he was strong."  AMEN

v16 But he threw it all away instead of letting the priests burn incense to the Lord, he walked in and did it himself.  And when the priest warned him to stop, he became belligerent.

So the Lord SMOTE him with leprosy!

v21 His fame, his glory were over.  He was separated from the rest of the kingdom, and his son Jotham became acting king in his place.

GOD DOES NOT PLAY AROUND WITH THIS STUFF.

Next time: II Chronicles 27-30

II Chronicles 20-23

Chapter 20

v9 I love this part of Jehoshaphat's prayer:

    "Should evil come upon us, we will stand before your house and before you and cry to you in our distress, and you will hear us and deliver us." 

(Because we can't deliver ourselves!)

v12 and this part: "God, we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you." YES

v14 " The battle is not yours, but God's." YES

v17 "Stand and see the Salvation of the Lord."  JUST STAND!

v22 Singing and praising as an act of war. AMAZING

This passage is full of amens for me.  I can imagine being in the crowd, getting more pumped up and excited byt the message, seeing with my own eyes how God was working for us.  We get consumed with flesh and blood, terrified of our earthly inadequacies, when what's REAL has very little to do with all that.  The real battle is fought AND WON by God, in the Spiritual realm.  All we have to do is stand and see.

v35 Later when Jehoshaphat acts on his own power and plans, God destroys his efforts.  

These two examples are clear when they are in black and white:

1) Winning a war by singing and praising the Lord.

2) Working, planning, and paying to have ships built, only to have them broken and destroyed.

This makes it seem like following the Lord would be the obvious choice.  Of course, usually the difference between the two, plus the consequences are more subtle than they look here.  It's so much easier to see where someone else went wrong.

Chapter 21

v4 Jehoram inherited the throne legally, and then had all of his brothers killed anyway.  For insurance? Greed? Sounds like the plot of a family crime drama.

v6 Ahab's daughter was his wife.

v12 Elijah sends Jehoram a note.

v15 God is going to strike these people with a terrible illness, and Elijah goes into graphic detail regarding the nature of it.

v19 God does not endure the mockery of His name. (But, as I'm learning, He does not need US to defend it, either.)

v20 He departed with no one's regret.

Chapter 22

v3 The power of a mother's influence.

v4 I pray at the very least that the counsel and influence I have on my children does not lead to their destruction.

v11 The king's daughter hides her brother to save his life.

v12 He stayed hidden in the house of God for 6 years.

Chapter 23

v7 A plan to protect the true king's life.

v11 The rightful king is crowned.

v15 The wicked mother pays for her crimes.

NEXT TIME: II Chronicles 24-26

II Chronicles 17-19

Chapter 17

Jehoshaphet's leadership takes the Word of God into the cities, to the people.

Chapter 18

v7 Ahab hates this prophet of the Lord, because he never says anything good.

v10-11 All the other prophets were egging them on, stroking the egos of the kings.

v12 The guy who went to pick up Micaiah even prompted him to say nice things and go along with the other prophets.

v18-22 Micaiah described a terrifying scene between God and a Deceiving Spirit.  He was allowing Ahab's prophets to be deceived.

Ahab seriously was the most self-serving, sniveling human being. 

He didn't like Micaiah's prophesy, so he put him in jail (until his safe return). I'm sure Micaiah was rolling his eyes, thinking ok, so I'll be in here forever, because you ARE NOT COMING BACK ALIVE.

So Ahab tries to outsmart God by dressing up his ally Jehoshaphat like him, so the enemy will kill the wrong guy.  (What a friend!)

But then "randomly" some guy shoots on arrow that just happens to pierce his armor at the perfect place.  And mortally wounds him.

You can't outsmart God, Dummy.

Chapter 19

v6-7 Jehoshaphat's advice to the Judges is really great advice.  We say this to little kids all the time, but sometimes forget that it's actually true. 

"Consider what you are doing.  You are not working for man, but for the the Lord who is with you."

Next time: II Chronicles 20-23

 

II Chronicles 14-16

Chapter 14

King Asa.  Asa's prayer: this must be memorized and repeated in times of danger!

"Lord there is no one besides you to help between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you, and in your name have come against this multitude.  O Lord, you are Our God; let not man prevail against you."

I love the imagery of God, standing as a barrier between the strong and the weak. "We trust in you."  So many of us have a skewed picture of Almighty God, one that makes it hard to trust in Him.  But He is trustworthy, no matter how we see Him.  We can trust in Him.

"Let not man prevail against you."  Not that they could, right?  But as we picture God standing there, fending off the strong and protecting the weak, I think this prayer is for more of the same.  Stay.  Be my protector.  Keep the strong for overpowering us.

Chapter 15

v2 Again...If you seek Him, he will let you find him.

v7 Beautiful, encouraging words.

v16 Asa was so devoted to reforming the nation that his own mother was taken down from her place of honor and power.

Chapter 16

v2 Asa's blunder.  He takes riches from God's house, and uses them to bribe king Aram to form a treaty with Judah.

Even after God shows us repeatedly that He is on our side, we still are "prone to wander".  This is what I call believing in God, without actually believing Him.

You know He's real, you know He's big, and strong, and powerful.  But do you BELIEVE HIM when He says He has the best in store for you?  That He loves you, and He knows you more deeply that you know yourself.  And not only does He want you to be GOOD and HOLY, but He wants you to be loves and happy, safe, and satisfied.

Do you believe that?

Do you believe HIM?

Or have you taken your life into your own hands?

That's what Asa did.

v10 A prophet calls him on his lack of faith and disobedience.  So he throws the prophet in prison.

Something in Asa's life changed.  Maybe he was lost in his pride.  But after he imprisoned the prophet, his feet became diseased.

v12 "Yet even in his disease, he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians."

I know that sometimes God allows trials in our lives just to wake us up and remind us to seek Him and rely on Him.  Some of those trials in my life have led to the sweetest seasons I've had following the Lord.  I pray that I never allow those trials to build up a barrier of bitterness toward the Lord, that would separate Him from me, instead of bringing me closer. 

Because what we choose to do about trials in regard to our relationship to God, is our choice. He's not going to force us to love Him.

Next time: II Chronicles 17-19

II Chronicles 11-13

Chapter 11

There is some evidence that Rehoboam has at least some fear of the Lord.

v3-4 He heeds the warning of this prophet.

v23 He acted wisely.

Am I just grasping at straws here?

Chapter 12

v5 Can you imagine having heard the news that God has given you over to your enemy?

v7 God shows them mercy.

v8 God will teach them about Himself by allowing them to become slaves.

v14 "He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord."

There are two ways to read this statement, and I'm not sure which is the right way.  Maybe both are.

#1. The fact that he did not set his heart to seek the Lord was evil.

#2. Because his heart was not set on the Lord, his natural inclination was to do evil.

I think the first is true, but I think the intent of the verse is probably the second.

We are not good on our own.  We are selfish and greedy.  We will avoid pain at the expense others.  We are lazy, deceitful, and corrupt by nature.  When we are faced with a decision, we cannot trust our gut. Our gut is just a gut. If we do not set our hearts to seek God, and I mean, continually force our hearts in the direction of the Lord, we will fall into sin.  Set your heart to seek the Lord. Turn your heart on its axis, face it toward God's will, jam something in there so it can't turn back, lock it in place and throw away the key.  Don't be like Rehoboam.  He did evil, because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.

Chapter 13

Michaiah--pretty name.

v15-16  It seems like God was waiting for them to cry out to Him before He turned the tide of the battle: Then it was that God routed [them]...God gave them into their hands.

I wonder if God does that with me.  Does He wait for me to cry out before He delivers me?  I can be so stubborn and prideful sometimes, or maybe just forgetful. Why don't I save myself the heartache of prolonged adversity and start with laying my burdens on the alter, crying out for His deliverance!

Next time: II Chronicles 14-16

II Chronicles 7-10

Chapter 7

v7 The offerings brought that day were so many that the alter (that Solomon had just made!) couldn't hold them, so they had to consecrate the court and make the offerings there!

v20 God's warning if Israel should turn away from Him.  The house, the temple, which was just dedicated as holy because God made it holy.  Nothing about the actual house is holy in itself.  If God chooses to leave it, because of the actions of His people, it will be cast out, left in ruins.

Sometimes we give too much reverence to the church building, as if just being inside it will make us better or more worthy.  But that is a form of idolotry.  Without the God for whom that building was built, the church is just a pile of wood and concrete.

Chapter 8

v11 Because she wasn't of God's chosen race?

Chapter 9

v1 I love this story.

v4 She was breathless.  This is how I want to see God and all He has done for me.

Breathless.

v4 Not only is God as good as you have heard, He's so much better than that.

v21 I love this strange list: gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks!

Chapter 10

v8 But he forsook the council of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him.

How many times have I made this same mistake? Asking advice from lots of different people, when I don't really want advice at all.  What I really want is for people to tell me how clever and wise I am (and pretty and funny and thin), and that what I've already set out to do is exactly the right course.

v10 These young councilors merely played into his ego and cruelty.

v15 "It was a turn of events from God."

Even through this wicked king, God would use their situation to show Himself to His people.

Next time:  Chapters 11-13

II Chronicles 4-6

Chapter 4

v5 "like a lily blossom" Pretty imagery.

v17 This is a very cool bit of detail as far as the actual process is concerned.  They cast the metal objects in the clay of the ground.  I'm picturing them making an impression in the ground, and then pouring the molten bronze into that.

Chapter 5

v1 That must have been a fulfilling day.

v13 It was the trumpet, singers, cymbals, and instruments, playing in unison and praising His name that invited the presence of the Lord to enter the house.

Next time I'm singing in church with the rest of the local Body, I'm going to imagine the building filling with the cloud of His presence, invited by the sound of our voices and instruments--with such weight that I can't even stand.  That is so powerful.  If I knew how to write songs, I would write one about this.

Chapter 6

v1-11 Speeches like this one are valuable.  To build on your ability or willingness to trust God, start by remembering how He has already been faithful to you.  How He has kept promises, and has taken care of your needs through the years.  Make a list.  Put it somewhere you can see it all the time.  Trust comes more easily through remembrance.

v14 When I first started reading this prayer of dedication, I thought, Man! Solomon is a little bossy with the God of the Universe!  But all of the things that Solomon asks of Him are things that God has promised--faithfulness, listening to prayers, forgiveness...  These are also actions that a king might decide he is qualified to carry out.  Through his words, Solomon is dedicating this place as God's to reign.

v40 "Now, Oh my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and Your ears be attentive to the prayer that is offered in this place."

Wouldn't that be a beautiful way to start off a prayer session?

Next time: II Chronicles 7-10

 

II Chronicles 1-3

Welcome to II Chronicles, y'all!  Since most of the information in this book is review and repetition from previous books, we are going to approach it much in the same way as we did I Chronicles.  I plan to read through fairly quickly, pausing to reflect on perspective that wasn't explained before, or new insight that God shares.

Chapter 1

v10 Solomon's request wasn't just noble.  It was extremely humble. He saw his task as too great to do well without the wisdom of the Lord.

This is how we should be approaching parenthood, or any sort of leadership task facing us.

Chapter 2

v5-6 I love Solomon's perspective of God.

I find this life to be counter-active to true belief in God.  We can know about Him, serve Him, trust Him, etc without truly believing in Him.  I have to continually remind myself who He is, who I am serving, and ask whether my actions show that I actually believe Him to be who He says He is.

"Who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him?"

But Solomon doesn't find service to God pointless either!  He continues on, doing whatever part he can--and leading his people to do the same.

v13-14 This description to Huram-abi is a amazing.  Look at the talent this guy has!  We should be eager to hone our natural abilities and gifts.  There is no telling how God will use them!

Chapter 3

v4-10 All this stuff overlaid with gold... Were they hammering it on in thin sheets? Dipping it in molten gold?  I'm curious.

v17 Seems funny to name pillars.  I would have been more likely to name the cherubim.

 

Next time: II Chronicles 4-6