Blog – Read Through the Bible

September 30 / II Chronicles 13-16

II Chronicles 13-16

Dear RTB’ers,

Sorry about not posting yesterday. Unexpected travel came up after my three-hour morning class and I wilted into bed for the night! So today, four chapters, one on Abijah and three on Asa. For both of these men, I Kings gives much shorter accounts, only eight verses for Abijah and only sixteen for Asa.

So, Abijah… He gives a great speech, fully seeking the Lord, and the Lord gives him a tremendous victory. The account in I Kings does not necessarily disagree, but it certainly downplays Abijah’s faith and his victory. As to his faith, I Kings 15:3b has “his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD.” Similarly, I Kings 15:6 is the only verse that speaks of that war: And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. Today’s chapter on Abijah paints a much more glowing picture!

Asa’s three chapters cover wars and religious reforms. As to the wars, seeking the Lord instead of outside “help” is certainly the better way to go – a mighty victory over the invading Egyptians and a victory over the Northern Kingdom topped with Asa’s failure of relying on Syria instead of the Lord. Asa is confronted for this action by Hanani the seer: Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. … For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars. (vv. 16:7, 9) Asa then becomes diseased in his feet and continues to seek outside help instead of seeking the Lord: Yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but sought help from physicians. (v. 16:12b) Asa is highly regarded by the authors of both I Kings and II Chronicles, but suffers a sad ending to his great beginning…!

Blessings!

September 28 / II Chronicles 11-12

II Chronicles 11-12

Dear RTB’ers,

Two chapters today, completely opposite in content – obedience, faithfulness and security in chapter 11, then pride, apostacy, and subjection in chapter 12. It was great to see that priests and Levites had come from Israel to Jerusalem to worship the true God. I would hope that some “common folk” were included in those groups of people. It reminds me a bit of our beginnings at St. Andrew’s when people came from all over – Richmond, Danville, Lawrenceburg, Frankfort, Georgetown, Paris, Winchester – to be with Pastor David Brannen and the leadership at St. Andrew’s who were seeking the Lord by following traditional, historical Biblical teaching.

It only took five years to go from the strength and security that Rehoboam had inherited to the Egyptian plunder of Jerusalem and the temple. Two telling sentences today: So they listened to the word of the LORD… (v. 11:4b) and …he abandoned the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him… (v. 12:1b) Carol said it well yesterday; “It is a cautionary tale. What gods are we following? Whose advice? What rhetoric is ‘tickling our ears’?”

To whom are we listening?

Blessings!

September 27 / II Chronicles 9-10

II Chronicles 9-10

Dear RTB’ers,

The Queen of Sheba’s visit and Solomon’s wealth and wisdom… God clearly delivered on His promise to Solomon. When Solomon had asked only for wisdom and knowledge to guide his people (back in II Chr. 1:7-12), God had offered him also riches, possessions and honor (v. 12). We see that played out today in the Queen’s visit!

The Chronicler brings Jeroboam into his account without any introduction (II Chr. 10:2) and a rebellion ensues. In fact, Jeroboam had been somewhat highly placed in Solomon’s reign: Now the man Jeroboam was a valiant warrior, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, he appointed him over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph. (I Kings 11:28). However, God, Himself had intervened into Israel’s affairs through the prophet Ahijah when Ahijah met Jeroboam alone in a field: Behold, I am going to tear the kingdom away from the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes … because they have abandoned Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and keeping My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did. (I Kings 11:31b, 33) Jeroboam had fled to Egypt, then returned upon Solomon’s death and, with Rehoboam taking the harsh advice from his friends, Jeroboam became the leader of Israel’s ten tribes, the Northern Kingdom. From this point on, the Chronicler has little to say about that Northern Kingdom, except where the Southern Kingdom, Judah is involved.

Also, no mention of Rehoboam seeking God’s counsel. A warning for all of us…??!!

Blessings!

See also:

September 26 / II Chronicles 7-8

II Chronicles 7-8

Dear RTB’ers,

Chapter 7 is Solomon’s dedication of the temple and God’s response, including a very famous verse (God speaking), …if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (v. 7:14) I have often heard this verse spoken in the context of our own national repentance prayers.

Then chapter 8 tells of Solomon’s spiritual, civil, and military accomplishments. I read an interesting sidenote from Bible Gateway: “Verses 8:13-16 are unique to Chronicles and underscore the Chronicler’s concern to show continuity with the past and his association of David with Moses.” Again, the Chronicles author’s desire to keep David in a positive light.

Finally, the one verse that most got my attention today because it surprised me a bit: Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the LORD has come are holy.” (v. 8:11) Yes, Solomon married foreign wives – in many cases, probably “political” marriages to daughters from nearby nations – and his foreign wives led him away from the Lord. (See I Kings 11:1-13, esp. verse 4.) However, in the verse noted above, in his earlier days Solomon was careful to seek the Lord more fully. As Bible Gateway also noted, “Holiness matters.”

A good thought for the day – holiness matters.

Blessings!

See also:

September 25 / II Chronicles 6:12-42

II Chronicles 6:12-42

Dear RTB’ers,

But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house that I have built! And now arise, O LORD God, and go to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might. (vv. 18, 41a) Solomon is here speaking to the Lord in real human terms. He had heard from his father, David that the Lord had indeed appeared to him. (See 2 Samuel 24:17, II Chronicles 3:1.) So it seems that Solomon truly believed that the Lord would come to dwell in His temple. And our first verse tomorrow says that Solomon’s prayer was immediately answered: As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. (v. 7:1)

All that, God’s wonder and might in powerful display! But back to the first line quoted above – But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Solomon would never know that God could indeed dwell with man on the earth. The thought of a Messiah was not yet well founded in Jewish thought – that came about more clearly during the Exile. But Solomon could not have imagined Jesus, born as a baby and living with man on earth for 30+ years. Yes, God did indeed dwell with man on the earth. And today we reap the benefits of that Incarnation. Glory!

Blessings!

September 24 / II Chronicles 5:2-6:11

II Chronicles 5:2-6:11

Dear RTB’ers,

…then the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not rise to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. (v. 5:13b-14) It’s hard to imagine what that must have been like. We don’t do incense much in our “lower” Anglican services; it was much more common in my Catholic boyhood – and it was very much a sweet smell. That’s probably the closest that I can come to picturing this “glory of the LORD” filling the temple, but I’m sure that my recollection does not do today’s reading justice! The priests could not rise… They must have fallen forward on their faces! What will it be for us to meet God personally, physically? Yes, falling forward, most likely! Unimaginable…!

Blessings!

September 23 / II Chronicles 3:1-5:1

II Chronicles 3:1-5:1

Dear RTB’ers,

Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. (v. 3:1) It’s always been interesting to me that the temple was built on Mount Moriah, the place where Abraham had gone to sacrifice his son, Isaac. (Genesis 22) God had intervened before that human sacrifice, and Abraham offered a ram as a burnt offering instead of his son. Then some thousand years later the temple was built on this location for animal sacrifices as substitutionary offerings for Israel’s sins. So interesting…

Gold is mentioned nine times in chapter 3 and seven times in chapter 4, often as a covering but other times as the construction material itself. President Trump has a fascination for gold, mostly as an overlay on walls, statues and other items. Perhaps his fascination comes from these Biblical accounts?

Finally, similar to John’s “one other thing”, The cherubim stood on their feet, facing the nave. (v. 3:13b) This is the first time that I can recall noticing that the cherubim were standing on their feet. We don’t find that mentioned in I Kings 6:23-28, the earlier account of the construction of the temple. I had always imagined the cherubim somehow suspended up against the back wall. Again, interesting…

Blessings!

See also:

September 22 / II Chronicles 1-2

II Chronicles 1-2

Dear RTB’ers,

Back to history, the Chronicler’s history, his own “take” on the Kings and Samuel books. You will recall that the Chronicles author had written his history so as to portray David favorably. But now David is gone; I Chronicles 29 ended with his death, so we move on.

We begin with Solomon also shown in a positive light, asking for wisdom instead of riches or honor. Solomon was wise in asking thusly, given that he would be the leader in David’s kingdom. The question that comes to me is, what would I ask for if the Lord appeared directly to me? And it’s an easy answer – I would like to think that I would ask to know Him more, to give me a stronger relationship with Him.

And not surprisingly, He has already answered that request – I have His Holy Spirit already living within me. And how to know Him more? …better? Just what I’m doing right now – Scripture, prayer, time. Just more of that, all day long, not just in these early hours.

So that’s my goal – time with Him, set aside more often during the day.

And the rest of you? Your request?

Blessings!

See also:

September 21 / Psalms 137-138

Psalms 137-138

Dear RTB’ers,

O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock! (vv. 137:8-9) I was remembering how the Babylonians had killed Zedekiah’s sons in his presence, then gouged out his eyes. (Jeremiah 39:6-7) What a horrible people!! Barbaric. So the psalmist is somewhat justified to wish evil on his captors…!!?? Maybe so!

For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar. (v. 138:6) Both halves of this verse moved me. A couple of days ago I reread my post from a few years back, as to how the Lord redirected me over and over through the years. Back then I was certainly among the lowly. Then as time went on I have had many “haughty” moments, pleased with my own achievements, forgetting that it was the Lord who had given me talents and opportunities and guided my steps. I have tried to be better about that, but that demon pride keeps showing up in my life! Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:24-25) Too true…!

Blessings!

See also:

September 20 / Psalm 136

Psalm 136

Dear RTB’ers,

It would be easy to be “distracted” by the main line, “His steadfast love endures forever” and not really see the beginning line of every verse in this Psalm. But when we look only at those first lines we see the psalmist thanking God for who He is (Ps. 136:1-3), for His creation (Ps. 136:4-9), for His deliverance of Israel from Egypt (Ps. 136:10-22), and for His provision for the Israelites in their present state (Ps. 136:23-25), with a final closing verse of simple thanks (Ps. 136:26). Most of the Psalm (Ps. 136:3-22) is only one sentence, with an introduction in verse 3 of giving thanks to the Lord for all that is included in the next 19 verses.

So yes, the Lord is all that and has done all that. And the foundation of all His activity is His steadfast love. We need to really embrace that understanding, the difference that it should make for us personally that His steadfast love endures forever. Amen. Glory!

Blessings!

See also: