Revival of the Word - Neh 8-10

Nehemiah 8 represents one of the greatest corporate worship services of Scripture! The elements of the worship, the response of the people, and the work of God through the teaching of His word all come together to form what was a glorious revival of the Word!

1. v1 “all the people gathered” - this was corporate worship!
2. v1 “they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses” - the Word of God was the focus of the gathering!
3. v3 Ezra read from it from morning until midday - the people were hungry for truth so time was not an issue!
v3 “And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law” - the people wanted to know the Word of God!
vv4-5 Ezra stood on a platform made for this purpose and was above the people - this was not to elevate Ezra but rather to elevate the Word. Architecture does communicate!
v5 “as he [Ezra] opened it [the Book of the Law] all the people stood” - Posture communicates much! This is a sign of reverence.
v6 Ezra blessed the Lord, the people said “Amen, Amen,” lifting their hands. “And they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.” - Extraordinary respect of God’s Word and profound response to it!
vv7-8 “the Levites helped the people to understand the Law,” “They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.” - The Word that was read was then explained. This was an entire day of expository preaching!

May the Lord revive the Word in our day as in Nehemiah and Ezra’s day!

Moving Forward When Facing Opposition - Neh 4-7

The great work of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem would not be accomplished without formidable opposition! It is seldom the case that the Lord’s work is not opposed. One great lesson for the church is to understand the meaning of opposition. Often we think that if we face obstacles along the way, we must not be doing the Lord’s will as if the Lord’s work is trouble-free. Quite the opposite! The Lord’s work is usually full of trouble because it is usually against the grain of everyone and everything else. Opposition is more than likely confirmation of the Lord’s will. This certainly was the case for Nehemiah!

Another great lesson for the church is that when facing opposition, we must remain faithful to the Lord and to the task at hand. Sanballat and his friends were able to postpone the work for a while, but Nehemiah encouraged the people to be about the work of the Lord! They resumed their project, working with one hand and holding a sword in the other. These were hard, tense days, but they remained faithful to the Lord and faithful to the task.

In addition, we should observe another lesson from this text. Opposition can be crafty! First, they taunted the people and that worked temporarily. Second, they conspired against Nehemiah. So when they could not stop the people, they went after the leader. They sent a man to Nehemiah with a message, which had the appearance of sincerity and truth. The message was “Run and hide.” Nehemiah knew this was an attempt to stop the work.

The result? The wall was finished in 52 days and everyone knew this was the work of the Lord! If you have a Word from the Lord, let not the words of men keep you from it!

On the Spot Praying - Neh 1-3

Nehemiah is greatly troubled. As a servant in a foreign land, he has heard of the devastation of his homeland. Jerusalem is in shambles. The wall is broken down, and the people are acting shamefully. Nehemiah is brokenhearted, and he can’t hide his feelings! He prays for the Lord to send him back to Jerusalem to repair the wall and call the people to repentance. Now if anyone can do this, it will be Nehemiah because he is cupbearer to the king!

The king notices that his cupbearer is downcast. This is not good for the king, and he questions Nehemiah, “What are you requesting?” At that moment Nehemiah prays on the spot! “So I prayed to the God of heaven” (2:4). This prayer could not have been more than a few seconds. More than likely the words of this prayer were not even mouthed with his lips. He simply in his mind begged God for grace, wisdom, and help. Then, he answered the king. He did a remarkable thing and asked the king to send him back to Jerusalem! Imagine that! The cupbearer asked permission to return home!

God answered his on-the-spot prayer! Nehemiah says, “And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me” (2:8). The king granted what Nehemiah requested because God had granted what Nehemiah requested! God hears on-the-spot praying! Sometimes on-the-spot praying is the most intense and most earnest praying that we do. If we stop for a split second and ask God for help it usually means that we are facing incredible circumstances and we need help fast. We need God. We completely depend on him. God hears those kinds of prayers! Sometimes on-the-spot, split second praying is the best prayers we pray!

When Christ Comes - 2 Thess

It is to our shame that we give little thought to the return of Christ when it is such a hope-giving, faith-sustaining theme of the New Testament. Furthermore, when we do think of Christ’s return, we hardly ever dwell on the central purpose of it. Some evangelicals only see Christ’s return as their escape from the tribulation. Others generally see it much the same way as moving to another home. We will just change locations, change addresses. If thoughts continue, we drift into the beauties of heaven, the unimaginable of “forever,” and reunion with friends and family. If we think of Christ’s return, we usually think of all the benefits it will secure for us.

This is not Paul’s emphasis on Christ’s return. In fact, we overlook so many times the greatest benefit secured for us by his return is HIM not these lesser, secondary accessaries!

2 Thessalonians 1:10 – “when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.”

The return of Christ is about Christ! The stunning display of his glorious perfections will sweep us away! We will glory in Him as our eternal Savior. We will glory in Him from basking in his radiant glory! We will marvel not at streets of gold or that grandma has been in heaven 50 years already! We will marvel at the beauty and majesty of the Son of God, who is our older brother and has given us an inheritance! We will marvel that One so lovely could or would save ones so vile as we! We will marvel at His infinite power and might to slay the enemy with the breath of His mouth! He will come one day, and we will marvel forevermore! Think on this when you think of Him!

Another Will Of God For Us? 1 Thess 5

In 4:3, Paul says, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” In 5:16-18 he says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” So...which is it? Is God’s will for us to be holy or is God’s will for us to rejoice, pray, and give thanks? Or does God have two “wills” for us?

The answer is that these two statements about God’s will for us may not be identical but they are not different! They both essentially mean the same thing, just state it in different ways. Sanctification is the lifelong process of growing in the grace of the Lord, which results in Christlikeness. Sanctification is to be set apart, not only by declaration at the moment of the new birth but also by lifestyle from a new life in Christ. Sanctification is not perfection, but it is to live and love and be different than those who are not in Christ. This is God’s will for us. We are not saved so that we can blend in with the world. We are saved to be set apart for God!

In 5:16-18 Paul is simply listing ways in which our actions set us apart from the world. In other words, these three things are present when we are becoming more like Christ. Only believers can rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all things! We don’t always do those things because we are not perfect, we are in a process of sanctification! But we CAN do those things, and by God’s grace, we often do those things. And when we do, we are different from the world; we are set apart from the world!

4:3 is the statement of God’s will for us. 5:16-18 are examples of God’s will for us.

The Will of God - 1 Thess 4

This is a question that sometimes drives believers to the edge of their minds and souls. What is God’s will for me? Usually, this happens when a decision or crossroads is before us. Is it God’s will for me to take Path A or Path B? Is it God’s will for me to go to college here or here? Is this church the place God would have me serve? What is God’s will for me in this situation?

Paul answers that question in the broadest sense. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (4:3). If what lies at the bottom of our hearts in asking and wondering and worrying about all the specifics is that we foremost desire to please God, then this verse will forever set us at ease. God’s will for us, the way in which we will glorify and please God with our lives, is to grow in Christ!

The will of God for us is to continually grow in the likeness of Christ! To be sanctified. To be increasingly set apart from the world and increasingly conformed to Christ. To pursue holiness and put off the desires of the flesh! This is God’s will. This is the answer to the question that nags us so often. What is God’s will for me? Be like Christ!

When sanctification becomes our platform for life, some of these secondary, specific questions are answered. When standing at a crossroads, which way will lead you to grow in holiness? When the choices before us seem to be equally good, it is not which one you will choose that matters most, but how you will conduct your life when you do choose a path. God’s will is your sanctification! Live for Him. Love Him. Let go of this world and cling to all God is for us in Christ. That is God’s will for us!

Paul's Prayer for Them - 1 Thess 3

When we pray for fellow believers, what do pray for? Usually, we pray for some kind of healing or comfort or safety. We may pray for someone having surgery. We may pray for someone traveling on vacation. The bulk of our prayers for one another in the faith oftentimes does not have much to do with our faith. We could learn a lot about true intercession from Paul’s prayers.

In Thessalonians, Paul prays that God would give these believers one thing, one vital thing, one thing essential to their faith and testimony and Christian growth. Paul prays that the Lord would cause them to love one another and all people as they should since they are believers, loved by God! “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints” (3:12-13).

Notice Paul does not leave the increase of love in their hands! Paul prays that the Lord would “make” this happen! Sounds strange, but it is definitely true, even believers will not normally, naturally love one another! We need the Lord to work in our hearts. Also notice why Paul is so adamant about them loving one another! It is a crucial component of their sanctification and their preparation to meet the Lord! If we do not love one another and love all people, that is, living for believers and without prejudice, growth will not occur and we will not be ready to meet our Lord!

We need love for one another and for all people. It is inseparable from our faith!

Election and Assurance - 1 Thess 1-2

Does the doctrine of election weaken the doctrine of assurance? If election is accepted as biblical truth, will it not result in believers spending their lives wondering whether or not they are elect? It is possible that could be the outcome, but it is not necessary! In fact, Paul provides us with the solution to how election and assurance actually work together. A study of this passage reveals that the most assured believers in the world should be those who hold to the doctrine of election.

Listen to Paul’s assurance of election. “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (1:4-5). Paul was assured of their election because he had proof! First of which was that hey heard the gospel, and they received it!

A second proof was that they began to imitate Paul and the other believers. In other words, they began to live as Christians. (1:6) Specifically, they held on to the Word with joy even under great persecution. (1:6)

A third proof was that these believers became examples to others. They lived out their faith to such a degree that it was recognized and admired by other believers. (1:7)

The fourth proof was that their testimony of changed lives had spread far and wide. (1:8-10)

Reception and love of the Word coupled with a changed life are the best assurances that one is chosen by God and has truly chosen Christ!

Put Off and Then Put On - Col 3-4

When God changes our hearts, we change our spiritual clothes! New hearts result in new lives so totally transformed that we are like new creatures. This calls for a new wardrobe!

Paul calls on the Colossians to “put off the old self with its practices.” The old self is the sinful nature that we used to dwell in. As unbelieving sinners, we walked and lived in habitual sin. We enjoyed it. We were enslaved by it. Now in Christ, we have a new nature, but the old inclinations toward sin still hang around like a ghostly fog. Our nature now desires to please God but a battle rages between the lingering desires for sin and the new desire for God. Therefore, we must actively, aggressively do something. We must “put off” or “put to death” sins of the flesh. Paul gives a few examples of those items to be discarded; sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk, and lying.

We are not to be spiritually naked though. We have items to “put on” in place of those we discard. We are to put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love.

This is a huge task! Where will we find the strength necessary to move us from justifying sin to slaying sin, from pretending to have fruit of the Spirit to flowing with the fruit of the Spirit? Paul grounds us in the Word to find our success in changing our wardrobe. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (3:16). This comes after all the “put off” and “put on” talk. The more we dwell in and delight in the Word, the more we are freed to love living to God and detest living to self!

Who is He? Col 1-2

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (1:15-20).

Christ is God in the flesh. Christ is above all creation because he was the agent of all creation. He created all things for his glory. He was not created. He existed before anything was created. He is God. He holds sway over all creation. He sits as head of the true church. He is the first to resurrect, never to die again, therefore, eternal life is only to be found in him. He will be eternally praised for eternal life bestowed upon his people, the church. His flesh does not weaken or decrease his deity. His deity does not weaken or decrease his humanity. He is fully God and only as fully God and fully man could he reconcile man with God. He accomplished the will of God and the redemption of His people through his cross!

He is Christ. He is Messiah. He is God. He is Jesus!

He is to be praised. He is worthy of all honor and riches and glory and majesty. He is the Son of God, the Prince of Glory, the Savior, the Redeemer! He is life! Apart from him, there is only death. In him, there is only life! Praise forevermore be to the Son of God!

Does Sin Bother You? Ezra 9-10

Does sin bother you? I mean truly bother you? When you recognize sin in yourself or in the church, does it grieve you? Are you noticeably moved and heartbroken? Or have we grown accustomed to it? Has it become just another aspect of our day or existence? Have we accepted it?

Sin bothered Ezra, as it should us as well. When he learned of how the returning Israelites had so quickly returned to their erring ways, it ripped his heart out! He prayed, “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens” (9:6).

The sin of God’s people caused Ezra feel shame, to blush in the presence of God. It moved him to pray! In his prayer, he did not excuse the sin, he exposed it for what it was. The people were committing iniquities. The people were once again piling up sins to heaven, which is what got them exiled to begin with!

But sin did not only move Ezra in shame and in prayer, it moved him to call for repentance! He wept before the people and called them to radical action! They were to get right with God and renew their covenant commitment to him. (Don’t get caught up in the divorce issue that this text raises. Go to the NT to find your footing on that issue!) The issue here is that sin bothered Ezra enough that he called for change!

Does sin bother us like this? Does it cause us to weep, to pray, to blush before God? Does it grieve us so that we DO something about it, namely, change in accordance with God’s will? Believers are bothered by sin!

Exposing the Expositor - Ezra 7-8

What are the essentials in a preaching pastor? What are the must-have qualities? Should he be a big personality? What about his sermons? Is he to find ways to make the Bible more palatable? How would one know if his current preaching pastor conforms to the biblical model of preaching pastors? How do you expose the expositor?

Ezra is a supreme OT model of the biblical preacher. In chapter 7, we find four qualities of the expository preacher. First, God has called this person to preach the Word. “For the good hand of his God was on him” (7:9). Pastoring begins with a divine calling. One must know without a doubt God has called him to pastor, or else, he will live in doubts amidst difficulties.

Second, the expositor is going to love studying the Word, and therefore, spend large amounts of time doing so. “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord” (7:10, same for the following quotes). One cannot preach the Word of God if he is not deeply acquainted with it.

Third, the expositor’s first response to the Word is not to preach it but to live it. “And to do it.” The expositor preaches just as many sermons through life and example as he does in the pulpit.

Fourth, the expositor teaches the Word of God no matter the result or response. His text is not according to what men wish to hear but according to what God has said. “And to teach his statues and rules in Israel.”

If you have a preaching pastor like that, you have just exposed an expositor!

Decrees: Divine and Human - Ezra 4-6

A remnant has returned to Jerusalem and are rebuilding the Temple by decree of Cyrus, King of Persia. It is not long until they are confronted with opposition. (It never takes long when you are doing God’s work!) A decree is handed down from the new Persian king, Artaxerxes, to cease working on the Temple. However, when Darius acquires the throne, he issues yet another decree, and the work continues and is finished!

Now that’s a lot of decrees! However, those are not the only decrees in play in this narrative. Those three decrees are human decrees given by kings. There was a decree issued hundreds of years earlier by The King! Isaiah 44:28 says, “who [God] says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’” Through the prophet Isaiah, hundreds of years beforehand, God names the Persian king, by name, and decrees exactly what shall happen!

The lesson here is plain and clear. Human decrees result from divine decrees! God works through his creation in such a way that his glorious purposes are accomplished! “They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia” (6:14).

The divine decree is underneath these human decrees, and God ensures that the human decrees will work in accordance with his will. “For the Lord had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel” (6:22). Divine decrees determine human decrees!

Mixed Feelings - Ezra 1-3

Ezra begins with the proclamation of Cyrus, king of Persia, that Israel may return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. 42,360 of them headed home! As soon as they settle in, they get to work. The first order of business was to re-institute the offerings and feasts. After this, they set about to rebuild the Temple. At the laying of the foundation, a ceremony took place to mark the occasion. There were instruments, priests marching, thanksgiving, and praises. “They sang responsively...‘For He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel” (3:11). It was a joyful time. Well...almost.

Amidst all of the rejoicing and shouting for joy, there was the discernible sound of people weeping. These were not tears of joy. These were tears caused by a memory, a memory of the first Temple and the realization that this Second Temple would never match its glory. Why the mixed feelings? Should there have been no joy? Should there have been only joy?

There should have been joy. The people have been allowed to return home. They are free from captivity. They are free to return to the worship of God. They will soon have a new Temple. Celebration is in order.

However, there should have been weeping as well. For all the cause for joy, it was becoming clear that Israel’s heyday was over. Things would never be as they once were. They were not meant to be. There was a new day quickly approaching. The old forms of worship were to fade away. Worship would soon be directed to a person, not a place. While they may be back home, they were still in captivity, spiritually. What they need now is a Messiah, and he is on his way!

The Last Word - 2 Chron 35-36

In our English Bibles, the books of the OT have been switched around a bit from their order in the Hebrew Bible. Because of this, most Bible readers do not realize that 2 Chronicles is actually the last book of the original OT Scripture, not Malachi. Therefore, the last word of 2 Chronicles is actually the last word of the OT. There is much significance found in this last word.

Remember, Chronicles is something of a commentary on the OT. The Chronicler, whoever he was, provides a slightly different version of Judah’s history than Samuel and Kings. Chronicles highlights the times of reform and downplays the times of rebellion. The writer is intent on showing that God’s people return to him, and he returns to his people.

Also, Chronicles writes an incomplete history. When Chronicles closes, the people are still in captivity waiting to return to Jerusalem. Ezra and Nehemiah tell us of their return. Chronicles does not want us to focus on their return. We are left in captivity, waiting, at the end of Chronicles.

What are we waiting for? A person! Chronicles cuts Cyrus’s speech in half because he means to communicate a distinct message (for Cyrus’s full speech, see Ezra 1). The last word of the OT is, “Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up” (36:23). (emphasis mine)

Did you catch that? Chronicles leaves us waiting for a person, a male person, who will lead us out of captivity! That is the last word until Matthew’s Gospel that tells us Jesus is the Messiah! The OT leaves us waiting for him.

Polar Opposites - 2 Chron 32-34

The battle lines were drawn. Assyria is going to attack Judah. Hezekiah’s back is against the wall and he is racing to build up their defenses before the coming invasion. Assyria has been rolling over every nation in their path. They are the world super-power of the day. No one has been able to stop them. They are a rolling bulldozer, and they are headed for Judah!

While Hezekiah’s back may be against the wall, his faith is grounded in the grace, power, and faithfulness of God! He knows full well that from the human perspective, Judah doesn’t stand a chance. However, he also knows this will not just involve humans! Hezekiah knows that God is in control and victory or defeat ultimately lay in his hands. If Judah will serve the Lord, the Lord will fight for them. Hezekiah boldly declares, “With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight out battles” (32:8).

Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had an entirely different point of view! He boldly declared, “For no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand...How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand” (32:15)! Hezekiah would not leave God out of the equation; Sennacherib never had God anywhere near his equation! In his mind, he was above all gods. He could defeat any nation, and therefore, any god!

So what happened? The Lord sent an angel to destroy the Assyrian warriors, and Sennacherib returned home only to be killed by his sons! “So the Lord saved Hezekiah...from the hand of Sennacherib” (32:22). You can’t avoid polar opposites in this life, but you better be sure you are on the Lord’s side when you are involved in one!

The Blessing of Unity - 2 Chron 29-31

The reforms under Hezekiah were an amazing accomplishment and turnaround for Judah. Under Hezekiah’s leadership the Temple was restored, the Levites were re-employed, Temple worship was restored, and the Passover was again celebrated! These were remarkable days of revival and refreshment. Underneath it all, was remarkable unity!

Picture the scene. The people of Judah had not followed the Lord for so long that the Holy Place was filthy! Hezekiah calls for the people to return and they follow his lead with zeal. Was it because Hezekiah was such a dynamic personality? Was he a charismatic leader?

No. Those are man’s answers. The Bible reveals that the Lord was at work among his people with Hezekiah as his instrument (29:36). The people followed because the Lord gave them a heart of unity! “The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord” (30:12). God-given unity was underneath this incredible time of restoration and revival!

So the blessing of unity comes from the Lord. Let us pray fervently that he would grant our churches to follow their leaders with “one heart.” In addition to the blessing of unity comes additional blessings because of unity. When the Passover was re-instituted, Judah celebrated for two weeks! There was much feasting and many offerings, but most of all, there was “gladness” (30:23) and “great joy” (30:26).

There is nothing more miserable than division and nothing more joyful than unity! We must pray for and strive for unity within the church!

Recognize God in Defeat - 2 Chron 25-28

King Ahaz made a terrible, terrifying, self-condemning deduction! He concluded that if Judah had been defeated by Syria, then Syria’s gods must be better and more powerful than Jehovah! A horrible, wrong conclusion. This is the way pagans think. Whoever has the most powerful army must have the most powerful god. This inevitably leads to pluralism. The more gods you have, the more bases you have covered! This is not reality.

In truth, there is only one God, and nations rise and fall according to his plan, purposes, and will. Ahaz did not lead Judah into defeat because God was more deficient than Syria’s god! Judah was defeated because God was judging Judah! Syria’s army was simply God’s means for bringing it about. Should Judah repent, turn to the Lord, and seek Him, He would free them from their enemies and restore their power. It all had to do with Judah’s relationship with the Lord not with some cosmic battle of the gods! God is not at war with other gods. God is at war with sin, and God wins!

This is the final analysis for Ahaz. “In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the Lord—this same King Ahaz. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, ‘Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.’ But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel” (2 Chron 28:22-23).

Recognize God in defeat! He has a purpose. It may not be judgment; it may be strengthening your faith and character. The correct response is to seek Him and learn the lesson he has for you! Ahaz could have repented and found life, but he rather rebelled and it was his ruin!

A Good Tax - 2 Chron 21-24

Taxes. A necessary requirement or burden upon society for the upholding of civil government. Every citizen realizes the necessity, but much disagreement abounds as to how much a person should be taxed. It is a hot issue. One which resulted in the Revolutionary War because there was “taxation without representation!”

It is not often that one finds taxing and rejoicing in the same context, but that is exactly what happened in Joash’s day! Joash, king of Judah, set out to repair the Temple. The Temple had been neglected, vandalized, and broken into to. Joash commanded the Levites to go throughout the land and gather money from the people to repair the temple. They were slow to act! So Joash proclaimed throughout the land that the people should bring the tax Moses commanded in the wilderness, that is, the offering for the tent of meeting.

Joash commanded a chest to made and set outside the house of the Lord. “And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished” (24:10). When the chest was full, they would empty it and the people would fill it again. This continued until the repairs were complete and all utensils were made!

How can joy and tax be found together? The key is the purpose. The purpose of repairing the Temple and restoring worship was greater than the desire for material possessions. Worship exceeded pocketbooks! The people of God rejoice to give when the end result is the worship of God. The purpose in repairing the Temple was to restore worship for the people, and that makes for a good tax!

A Faithful Prophet - 2 Chron 17-20

Micaiah was a prophet of the Lord during the reign of Ahab over Israel. Ahab had gathered around him 400 prophets who somehow seemed to prophesy in Ahab’s favor every single time! There was one man, though, who stood alone. There was one man who would not be bought or threatened. There was one man who considered God’s approval above that of Ahab. That man was Micaiah. He was the faithful prophet!

Micaiah declared in 2 Chronicles 18:13, “As the Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak.” That was his job as a prophet, but more than that, it was his calling, his life. He was to speak to others what God had spoken to him, and he was committed to please the Lord no matter if he never pleased man.

As a result of his commitment to the Lord, Micaiah was not favored by Ahab, and he suffered under Ahab’s angry resentment of God’s truth. First, Ahab said of him, “I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil” (18:7). In other words, Ahab was not concerned with truth, just with prophets who agree with him! When Micaiah would not abide by his wishes, he hated him. Second, when Micaiah stood for the truth, Ahab seized him and threw him in prison (18:25-26)!

Dear fellow believers and especially fellow pastors, if we stand for truth, proclaim truth, and refuse to please man we will suffer at some time, in some way! Some will hate us, despise us, reject us, and do all they can to silence us! Just remember, pleasing God does not necessarily mean never going to jail! It simply means staying true to his Word! In the end, Micaiah was right, and those 400 other prophets were wrong!

On the Hunt - 2 Chron 13-16

2 Chronicles 16:9 reads, “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.” God is on the hunt! He is daily, constantly canvasing the globe in search of hearts blameless toward him. And when he finds those hearts, he strongly supports those people. Consider these three observations.

First, what an image of the Lord this creates! The eyes of the Lord running to and fro throughout the whole earth, searching, piercing, discerning, looking past the surface and into the heart, detecting true blamelessness from false religious facades, pinpointing the favored few out of the many. The Lord’s eyes will run the course of humanity today, and they will glide over us. Will they stop? Will he find our hearts blameless toward him?

Second, what does it mean for the heart to be blameless toward God? We know it does not mean “sinless.” Given the context of the verse, it probably does not mean “believer” as in being “blameless in Christ.” It seems to mean that you fully trust God in a given situation, and you rely on him, not on self or others. Asa was being chided by Hanani for resorting to the king of Syria to help defeat Israel instead of trusting in God. God had already defeated the large Ethiopian army? Why not trust him now? Wherever we find ourselves today, we should ask ourselves, “Why NOT trust him now?”

Third, what does it mean for God to strongly support a person with a blameless heart? Simply out, it means that God will bring about the best solution for whatever the scenario may be.

Trust him completely today - He’s looking for those who do!

Solomon's Prayer Answered - 2 Chron 9-12

In Solomon’s prayer of dedication, he listed a number of scenarios where the people of Israel would find themselves under judgment or in great need. His prayer was that if they would turn to God in those times, that God would hear, forgive, heal, and restore. That day of dedication was so glorious, little would anyone there have guessed that Solomon’s prayer would be answered in the days of his son Rehoboam.

Rehoboam could not have found himself in a more favored position. He came to rule after his father passed away, and Solomon had passed on to him riches and power beyond any other nation. Just days after taking the throne, Rehoboam’s arrogance resulted in a divided kingdom. Surprisingly though, under his rule Judah walked in the way of David - at least for three years.

However, “When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.” (12:1) Amazing to see this constant theme of fallen humanity; when the Lord grants strength, we conclude we don’t need the Lord! As a result, judgment fell from the Egyptians. Rehoboam and the princes, however, humbled themselves before the Lord, and the Lord withheld their destruction! This is exactly what Solomon had prayed for in 6:24-25! Probably never entered his mind that his own son would fit that scenario.

There are several key applications from this text. Let us be constantly aware of where our strength lies and daily resist the sin of false self-sufficiency. Let us be quick to humble ourselves before the Lord when we sin. And let us pray for God’s mercy towards us, as Solomon did.