Daily Bible Devotionals

“Haman was furious when he saw that Mordekhai was not kneeling and bowing down to him. However, on learning what people Mordekhai belonged to, it seemed like a waste to lay hands on Mordekhai alone. Rather he decided to destroy all of Mordekhai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole of Achashverosh’s kingdom.” Esther 3:5-6  (CJB)

We live in difficult times, and our nation has an unclear financial future.  As anyone who has ever had money in the stock market knows, there are no sure bets on Wall Street!  Israel was about to learn this lesson the hard way.

Life for the Jews in exile could not have been much better.  One of their own was queen (although most would not have been aware of that because of the secret pact in chapter 2:1, 20).  Furthermore, one of their own had just rescued the King and was sure to be rewarded for that heroic act.  There is an old saying: Rising tide lifts all boats.  What that means (in the context of chapter 2) is that when a couple of Jews are favored in the King’s eyes, it should raise the profile and prospects of the Jewish community as a whole.  Humanly speaking, they were as secure as any exiled people could be.  All of that, however, would quickly change.  The Jewish “stock” on the “Susa Board of Exchange,” which in chapter 2 reaches all-time heights, plummets in chapter 3 to all-time lows.

Chapter 3 begins easily enough – a promotion of one individual and a seemingly insignificant act of defiance on the part of another.  However, the chapter ends with the shocking revelation of an entire nation of people being placed under a death sentence.  It is a death sentence that has been repeated throughout the generations and tragically will be repeated again.

“In the first month, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of Achashverosh, they began throwing Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman every day and every month until the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.  Then Haman said to Achashverosh, ‘There is a particular people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom.  Their laws are different from those of every other people; moreover, they don’t observe the King’s laws.  It doesn’t befit the King to tolerate them.  If it please the King, have a decree written for their destruction; and I will hand over 330 tons of silver to officials in charge of the King’s affairs to deposit in the royal treasury.”  Esther 3:7-9 (CJB)

The entire Jewish people are made to pay for a crime committed by one of their own.  Ironically, the same individual, who in chapter 2 is instrumental in bringing about the meteoric rise in Jewish stock, now becomes the reason for its dramatic drop.

Looking at the big picture, it is clear that Satan is positioning His people while God is positioning His.  That’s not to say that good & evil exist in some balance.  God has no equal, evil or otherwise.  It simply reminds us to expect Satan always to attempt to foil the Lord’s plans.

But fear not!  Greater is He who is in us!!  1 John 4:4

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Esther 2. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had ordered all the officers of his household, that they should do according to each man’s pleasure. Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus. On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him.” Esther 1:8-12 (NKJV)

King Ahasuerus knew how to throw a kegger! 180 days of partying were not enough, so he decided to top it off with a 7-day banquet featuring an open bar. On the last day of this soiree, the king decided to show off his “trophy queen.” Problem: She don’ wanna come. Headlines read “Queen Cools, King Ablaze.”  

It sounds like the plot for a great movie based on a true story. How will it end? You’ll have to keep reading. Is it relevant to our generation? Absolutely!

We don’t catch a glimpse of the Lord’s involvement until chapter 2, but that is precisely where the lesson is for us today. Even when we cannot see God, He is ever-present, accomplishing His purposes according to His will.

Some people believe that a person must be righteous in order to be used by God. That is not true, especially in today’s passage! God is not hindered by anyone or anything. Now, if you want to please God in His use of you, then you had better be pursuing His honor; but God can use you either way. In today’s chapter, God is using the worldliest of people in the midst of an utterly decadent scenario so He can position His servants where they can exert maximum influence for His kingdom. Drunken kings and obstinate queens are merely tools in God’s hand.

Perhaps God seems distant or even absent from your life. Maybe you wonder if He knows your name or cares about your personal well-being. When people feel God is absent or fail to perceive His power & authority, they tend to either lose hope or arrogantly taunt Him. Neither reaction is justified. God is ever-present, and He is almighty. In short, He is Lord, whether we believe it or not.

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

The generation of Jewish people who went into Babylonian exile could very well have felt abandoned and forsaken by God. While He may have been silent, God was still at work. The Lord was orchestrating events to provide for His people’s deliverance. Feeling forsaken? Hold firm to the truth of God’s Word; cling to His promises. He is with us, He cares, and He has the power and the plan to deliver us! Wait on the Lord.

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“In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, ‘What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.’” Nehemiah 13:15-18 (NKJV)

When I was a kid growing up in Arkansas, the city I lived in had a “blue law” that prohibited retail businesses from opening on Sundays. Apart from a few restaurants, everything in town was closed for business. The city’s managers, along with the voting public, felt it was best for our community to rest on the Lord’s Day. Truth be known, the majority of our city council were deacons in their local churches. While they could not enforce whether people went to church, they could make it nearly impossible for anyone to do anything else!

I remember when that law was amended to allow businesses to open in the afternoon on Sundays, and I recall when the law was repealed altogether. At the time, I was not a follower of Jesus, so I rejoiced when I finally had the opportunity to skip church and go shopping. If you were to ask Nehemiah, he would say it was blasphemy!

A friend of mine recently challenged me by asking how well I felt I was following the 4th commandment: “Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy,” as the Lord commanded us to observe it. I thought about it and realized I was not doing a good job setting aside a day of complete rest to read God’s Word and reflect on Him.  

You don’t hear a lot of pastors teaching on this subject of setting the ENTIRE day aside, primarily for two reasons: 1) It is hard enough to get people to worship at a church for an HOUR every week, and 2) The people being preached-to are the ones who are already setting-aside time to attend church! But the idea about the Sabbath is not simply to attend a weekly congregational meeting; the Sabbath is about committing a whole day to do nothing but seek & worship the Lord.  

When was the last time you committed a whole day to simply worshipping the Lord, forsaking all other opportunities? For most of us, sadly, the answer would be never.  

I challenge you to try it and see how the Lord refreshes your soul. As the Lord says concerning our tithe, “Test me on this…” (Malachi 3:10b). Test the Lord by devoting yourselves to His prescribed day (and His prescribed way) of rest.

“Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps. And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem.” Nehemiah 12:27-29 (NKJV)

As I mentioned earlier, many scholars see the gates around Jerusalem as representative of the different ways that people enter into the Lord’s presence. If there were an issue that stood between you and God, there was a gate you could enter through, which corresponded to your particular issue. The names of the gates were symbolic. You could leave your burden at that gate, so to speak, and enter, unhindered, to meet with the Lord. To facilitate your entrance into Jerusalem, gatekeepers and musicians were stationed.

“After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and Levites were appointed.” Nehemiah 7:1 (CJB)

There is an old saying: music calms the savage beast. That idea is definitely true when it comes to worship music. The reason for music within the context of a worship service is to prepare the hearts of worshippers to receive the message of God’s Word. If we must lay down our “loads” before we enter Jerusalem, music softens the heart and sweetens the experience; music, therefore, is the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down.

Traditionally, Jerusalem was to be open 24-7. That is 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. The symbolism was that the Lord was accessible at all times. Therefore, gatekeepers and musicians conducted their duties in shifts so there would continually be praise before the Lord.  

“Those who were musicians, heads of the Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night.” 1 Chronicles 9:33 (NIV)

Can you imagine a church today, with the surrounding neighborhoods completely inhabited by its worship team and their families? The sole reason for their close proximity was that they continually led music - a never-ending jam session.

I like the relationship between gatekeepers and musicians. There is a kind of balance between the FREEDOM of music and the ACCOUNTABILITY of gatekeeping. Too much liberty with no accountability leads to anarchy. Too much accountability without freedom to worship just seems kind of fascist. I thank the Lord for that balance of holiness and grace, which allows us to fear the Lord as we boldly approach His throne.

“The leaders of the people took up residence in Jerusalem; while the rest of the people cast lots to bring one-tenth of them to live in Jerusalem the holy city, with the other nine-tenths in the other cities. The people blessed all those who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.” Nehemiah 11:1-2 (CJB)

A “tithe” is ten percent. When followers of Jesus give ten percent of their income to support the ongoing ministry of their local congregations, it is called a “tithe.” Of course, the tithe is the minimum requirement, and any faithful believer will offer over & above the minimum whenever the need arises, as the Lord leads.

Nehemiah proposed a “tithe of the people” to repopulate Jerusalem and continue rebuilding. Not only was this decision good for the city of Jerusalem, but it was also a brilliant political move because it evenly distributed Jerusalem’s population among all the returning exiled tribes.

Historically, most of Israel’s problems came while the kingdom was divided after Solomon’s reign. Ten tribes rejected Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem because they rejected the Davidic kingship, which came from the tribe of Judah. The dispute grew to include the issue of where & how to worship. Nehemiah’s solution had Jerusalem populated by representatives of the entire remnant. Jerusalem was to be a cosmopolitan city yet focused on God.

We have a similar situation in the United States. Right on the border of Virginia and Maryland, a district was developed (the District of Columbia…the “DC” of Washington DC), which houses our federal government. The reason for the development of the District of Columbia is so that no state can boast of housing the nation’s capital. Our capital was designed as a city with no favoritism to any State. This is the idea for Jerusalem’s repopulation plan: God’s agenda would reign. With an evenly spread demographic, every tribe would be inclined to rush to Jerusalem’s aid because each family had relatives there.  

Beyond the practical and political reasons for this arrangement, there are more spiritual concerns. The people who repopulated Jerusalem were not chosen by election or whimsy. God chose each person. He made His will known through the “lots,” …a legitimate way of seeking the Lord’s will in Nehemiah’s day. Believers today don’t need to cast lots. We each have the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), given in Acts 2 on the day of Shavuot (Pentecost).  

God chose people bent on holiness who would be confronted with opposition yet view opposition as an opportunity to stand faithfully. Perhaps those people would never have chosen to live in Jerusalem, but God knew what was best. Similarly, I never would have chosen to follow Jesus on my own, but He pursued me, and eventually, I believed the gospel. God has also chosen to give eternal life to those who believe in and follow Messiah Jesus. Therefore, when the Lord calls, I am eager to depart this body and be present with the Lord, taking up residence in the New Jerusalem!

“Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding—these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:” Nehemiah 10:28-29 (NKJV)

Before Israel rebuilt the actual walls of Jerusalem, they had to rebuild the “spiritual” walls of Jerusalem by seeking God’s Word and praying. Then, before houses could be built within the walls of Jerusalem, the “homes” of Jerusalem had to be established through knowledge of God’s Word and personal & national confession. In today’s chapter, those “homes” are further distinguished by separation from “the peoples of the land” and toward “the Torah of God.” They were to be a nation in the World but distinguished from it.

We live in a day and age where tolerance and political correctness seem to rule the day. This generation of “Millennials” (18-30 years old) is characterized by a strong distrust of institutions and absolutes. So, it is hard for me to envision such a “separation,” as today’s passage describes, taking place in our culture, yet Jesus commands us to be “in the World but not of the World.” He even prayed to the Father about such an arrangement.  

“I have given them Your Word, and the world hated them because they do not belong to the World – just as I Myself do not belong to the World. I don’t ask You to take them out of the World, but to protect them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the World, just as I do not belong to the World. Set them apart for holiness by means of the Truth – Your Word is Truth. Just as You sent Me into the World, I have sent them into the World. On their behalf I am setting Myself apart for holiness, so that they too may be set apart for holiness by means of the Truth.” John 17:14-19 (CJB)

In a culture that seeks to be liked by everyone, I am reminded of the old saying: If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. More than simply standing for “something,” believers are standing on God’s Word, the very thing that distinguishes/separates them from the World. But if you fear being disliked or rejected because of your pursuit of holiness, consider Jesus’ words.

“If the World hates you, understand that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the World, the World would have loved its own. But because you do not belong to the World – on the contrary, I have picked you out of the World – therefore the World hates you. Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is no greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you too; if they kept My Word, they will keep yours too.’” John 15:18-20 (CJB)

Holiness has a price, but the rewards are worth it!

“Our kings, our leaders, our priests and ancestors did not keep Your Torah, pay attention to Your commands, or heed the warnings You gave them. Even when they ruled their own kingdom, even when You prospered them greatly, in the great rich land You gave them, they did not serve You; nor did they turn back from their wicked deeds. So here we are today, slaves. Yes, in the land you gave our ancestors, so that they could eat what it produces and enjoy its good – here we are in it, slaves! Its rich yield now goes to the kings you have set over us because of our sins: they have power over our bodies, they can do what they please to our livestock, and we are in great distress!” Nehemiah 9:34-37 (CJB)

My grandfather, Virgil, was born in 1905. He was a very sharp guy up till the day he died in his mid-90s. For instance, when Virgil turned 90 years old, the State of Arkansas renewed his driver’s license! A year before he passed away, I had the opportunity to visit with Virgil and ask about his upbringing and what it was like living through the Great Depression. He smiled and said, “We can’t choose when, where, or to whom we are born. We can only choose how we live in response.” The returning Israelite exiles did not have the option to choose to be born in a time of God’s disfavor towards their parents or to be born into Babylon slavery. They only had the choice of how they’d worship.

If I could give today’s chapter a title, I would call it “How Our Actions Affect Others.”  With all of Israel assembled in the garments of humility, sackcloth, and ashes, Nehemiah led the people in a national confession. The confession was not just for the personal sins of the people in the assembly; it was also a confession of the sins of Israel’s forefathers, sins for which their descendants were still suffering the consequences. They were acknowledging how personal sin brought down an entire nation.

National sin begins when one person decides to step outside of God’s Word. Unless repentance comes quickly, a lawless mindset quietly spreads throughout the whole community. Compromised communities become compromised cities. Compromised cities infect a state, then a nation, and eventually the World. Recall how one bite of “forbidden fruit” has affected all mankind with a horrible sinful aftertaste. That is distressful news, and when confronted with it, the returned exiles had a choice to make. Would they continue fueling God’s disfavor or reverse it within their generation to set up their descendants to win? They chose God.  

Israel returned to God’s favor by retracing their parents’ steps back to the Lord. Instead of departing from God’s Word, they sought it. Instead of denying their sin and rebelling against God, the returned exiles humbly confessed their sins. As a result, personal holiness affected the community, cities, states, and nation, as it were.

Friends, America is in trouble, and the future looks bleak. The source of its woes is not financial; it is spiritual. We have departed from God’s Word and sold ourselves into credit and moral bondage. So, how should we respond to the revelation of God’s Word in our time? We should humble ourselves by personally repenting & turning back to the Lord. Your personal holiness can set national revival into motion.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Nehemiah 8. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Then it was, when the wall was built, and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. And I said to them, ‘Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house.’” Nehemiah 7:1-3 (NKJV)

As noted earlier, the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem is both a historical account and a symbolic picture of the Church today. Therefore, one question begs to be answered: Why did God’s people have to leave the land in the first place? Answer: They departed from God’s Word and began to follow after idols. Jeremiah said it well:

“How lonely lies the city that once thronged with people! Once great among the nations, now she is like a widow! Once princess among the provinces, she has become a vassal. Bitterly she weeps at night, tears running down her cheeks. Not one of all her lovers is there to comfort her. Her friends have all betrayed her; they have become her enemies.” Lamentations 1:1-2 (CJB)

After repeated prophetic warnings, God’s great patience transitioned into His justice. God allowed Israel and Judah to be besieged by the Babylonians. Furthermore, the Babylonians plundered and destroyed the city of Jerusalem. Solomon’s Temple, which had stood for approximately 400 years, was burned to the ground. Lest we consider God a tyrant, we should note that Israel’s idolatry has been going on since the generation after Joshua.

“When that entire generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation arose that knew neither the Lord nor the work He had done for Israel. Then the people of Israel did what was evil from the Lord’s perspective and served the Ba’alim” Judges 2:10-11(CJB)

Israel had been on a slow yet steady departure from God’s Word for many generations. Since the history of Israel is also a warning for the Church, we must ask how a nation collectively becomes idolatrous. First, individuals depart from the Word. Then, those individuals share their non-Biblical word views within the assembly. Eventually, the whole community becomes saturated with idolatrous thinking.  

So, how does a nation become virtuous? The very same way. Individuals (you & me) must return to the Word! When those individuals assemble, a culture of holiness develops, and the walls surrounding God’s people begin to be rebuilt. Important to note: We are not building ghetto walls to enclose ourselves. The walls of “Jerusalem” are walls with gates so that we can go in & out, and others can enter as well! True, we need gatekeepers and watchmen, but the intent is to allow those seeking virtue to enter.

“So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about it, and the surrounding nations became afraid, our enemies’ self-esteem fell severely; because they realized that this work had been accomplished by God.” Nehemiah 6:15-16 (CJB)

Have you ever had to deal with a bully? Because of their size, expertise, or influence, some people feel the need to intimidate, harass and threaten others. At the core of the bully’s heart is low self-esteem. Even if they have considerable power, they fear losing it, so they feel compelled to prove their dominance over and over.  

Some bullies are seriously pathologically mean and dangerous. They continue bullying long after being locked away in prison with other bullies. But most bullies cower in the midst of opposition. I’m not tall, so when I was younger, I was bullied. A big guy wants to prove himself, so he looks for the smallest guy to harass. What these bullies didn’t know was that I had a big brother, and the two of us were always fighting. So, I was bullied by several kids, but only once. You see, I knew how to fight. It is amazing how much blood a well-placed punch to the nose can produce. Bullies learned that there were easier wins out there than me. Has Satan learned that about you?  

Nehemiah and the struggling Jewish community faced a collection of bullies. They mocked Israel and puffed up their feathers like a peacock, but all their threats were nothing more than hot air. They were trying to intimidate Israel against following the Lord because history had proven that when Israel believed God, they were unstoppable. In short, their power through intimidation was coming to an end. Once the wall of Jerusalem was completed, the bullies’ true colors came out: they became afraid, and their self-esteem fell severely. Israel had won a great victory by submitting to God amid opposition. In fact, God had won a great victory through the lives of His submitted people. He led His people back to Himself by guiding them, step-by-step, to a right relationship with Him. He was reversing their steps, back up the same path their parents’ generation had walked down in their departure from God.

Yes, there was victory, but that did not mean the enemy gave up trying to undermine Israel’s return to the Lord. The enemy never quits; it just changes its tactics.

“Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them. For many in Judah were pledged to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.” Nehemiah 6:17-19 (NKJV)

If bullying does not prove effective, perhaps politics or intermarriage will. Maybe it will be something else. The reality is that the enemy never stops trying to stop us, so we must never stop pursuing the Lord. That is why we search His Word, every day.

“The earlier governors, before me, had burdened the people, taxing them more than one-and-a-half pounds of silver shekels for food and wine; and even their servants lorded it over the people. But I didn’t, because I feared God. Moreover, I put all my energy into working on this wall. We didn’t buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for work.” Nehemiah 5:15-16 (CJB)

It is amazing how effectively a follower of Messiah can lead simply by communicating to those around them that there is no personal agenda for which the leader is exploiting the laborers. Nehemiah was not rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem for political advancement or personal profit. He simply labored as unto the Lord, and the people respected and followed him because of it. Jesus exhorted His disciples similarly.    

“Jesus said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like one who serves.’” Luke 22:25-26 (NIV)

As a loyal subject of an earthly king, Nehemiah was “on leave” to Jerusalem only for a season. Afterward, he had to return to Shushan, where he came from. Still, he faithfully labored on behalf of his ancestors, his contemporaries, and the next generation. Nehemiah’s selfless attitude was very similar to Abraham’s.

“By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:9-10 (NKJV)

In our generation, we also must have the attitude that this World is not our home. If we keep this perspective, we will be free of the Worldly distraction that constantly nags us to get our “piece of the pie.”  Again, as with Abraham and Nehemiah, this World is not our home. Furthermore, we are given a task not unlike Nehemiah’s. He rebuilt the wall and gates of Jerusalem, but we are tasked to build God’s holy temple!!

“So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s family. You have been built on the foundation of the emissaries and the prophets, with the cornerstone being Messiah Jesus Himself. In union with Him the whole building is held together, and it is growing into a holy temple in union with the Lord. Yes, in union with Him, you yourselves are being built together into a spiritual dwelling place for God!” Ephesians 2:19-22 (CJB)

Not are we building His dwelling place, human stone upon human stone, but we ourselves are stones, stacked & mortared in the apostle's teaching, with Jesus as our chief Cornerstone.

“Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, ‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.’ And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon.” Nehemiah 4:13-17 (NKJV)

We live in perilous times. War, financial uncertainty, moral decay, family breakdown - dangerous times.   Would it surprise you to know that it’s all spiritual? Yes, in real-time, here on earth, it seems like the “enemy” is some extremist, corporate tycoon, media giant, or family member. But in reality, the enemy is the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. When we have human conflict, it is really the effects of the Lord in our lives standing in opposition to the effects of the “enemy,” both in our lives and the lives of others.

“For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” Ephesians 6:12 (HCSB)

There is hope, therefore, beyond human conflict because if our oppressors submitted to the Lord, they would cease oppression and join us as brothers. It is part of the reason we suffer affliction for the cause of evangelism. We must love a person beyond their actions against us and see them apart from the “enemy’s” influence on them.

It is important, then, for us to take Nehemiah’s struggle to build the walls of Jerusalem both literally and metaphorically. True, the citizens of Jerusalem faced strong human opposition and risked their lives to rebuild the city’s walls and gates. But it also reminds us of a greater reality: The mission field is also a battlefield!

While we “wrestle not against flesh and blood,” recognizing the greater spiritual narrative, we still face human opposition. We need each other. The purpose of “community” is to render our weaknesses ineffective. So, from today’s passage, we can glean that we need to work together to rebuild the “walls of Jerusalem” in the Church at large. That means pastors and laity, husbands and wives, parents and children, and denominations with other denominations. When we work alone, the “enemy” has a greater chance of picking us off. But when we work in close proximity, we can lean into each other, or shall we say we lean into “the Lord’s strength, working within each of us”?

We must die to the notion that God exists solely to provide for our comfort and pleasure. We are created to live in community, which means dying to ourselves and living to serve the body of believers, trusting that they are doing the same for you by God’s grace. If the World saw that, many unbelievers would be more willing to believe!

“Also the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.  And next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, made repairs. Next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok the son of Baana made repairs. Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.” Nehemiah 3:3-5 (NKJV)

I believe that Jerusalem is the center of the world. I know it may seem a bit mystic to some, but I am not alone in that belief. Israel dominates news coverage more than any other country in the world, and what is happening in Jerusalem dominates the coverage of Israel. Furthermore, according to Revelation, the entire world will be driven to Israel for a final battle. When it is all said & done, the city that will descend from Heaven is literally the “New Jerusalem  .”Center of the world.

In ancient days, the center of Jerusalem was the Temple, with the Ark of the Covenant at the Temple’s center. Because of Jerusalem’s “central” position in the world and God’s presence in the Temple, many theologians consider the gates of Jerusalem to be symbolic of how one must “enter in” to meet with God. Perhaps, we should consider their rebuilding… Going with that thought, the “Fish Gate” is considered to be representative of evangelism.  

“Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’” Luke 5:10b (NIV)

To be honest, the narrative of “who was rebuilding & where” can be pretty dull. But here, in chapter 3, we have a bit of drama. The nobles of T’koa would not labor toward the Fish Gate. As another translation puts it, “they would not submit themselves to supervision.”  Regardless of the debate concerning the symbolic nature of Jerusalem’s gates, one thing is true: Nobility does not mix with evangelism.

Here is what I mean. To evangelize, we must make ourselves uncomfortable and literally be “servants.” We must be willing to risk our images, dignity, and reputations to share the gospel. It takes getting out there among the “unwashed masses,” so to speak. In other words, we must be willing to smell like fish to catch them!  

Nobility, by definition, is directly opposed to evangelism. Nobility rejects servanthood and is preoccupied with “deserving.”  Nobility says, “I am too good for this. I don’t deserve to be treated this way!”  And when you break it down, “de-serve” means to “lessen, or completely diminish” a servant’s role. Nobility cannot evangelize.

Are you living out your calling to share the gospel? Are you boldly evangelizing with humility, or are you paralyzed with nobility? Do you refuse to do the work of an evangelist because it is “beneath you,” afraid of what people might think of you?   As Jesus did for you, do for others. Let’s humble ourselves and build that Fish Gate!

“And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. Therefore the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.’ So I became dreadfully afraid, and said to the king, ‘May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?’ Then the king said to me, ‘What do you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.’” Nehemiah 2:1-5 (NKJV)

I have spent my whole adult life as a touring musician and speaker. During that time, the Lord has given me a unique experience in which I have visited over 1000 churches scattered throughout the United States (and several countries). One thing I have observed is that when God decides to move in a mighty way, He doesn’t just tell one guy His plan. He begins working in the hearts of several people, giving them pieces of a vision, and then He starts bringing those people together. Then, BOOM! A movement develops.

The rebuilding of Jerusalem is the best observable example of what I am talking about. First, God spoke to Isaiah, who prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem unless the people repented. Then we have Jeremiah, who was the “on the scene” reporter during Jerusalem’s destruction, who also prophesied the season of Israel’s exile (and the terms of their return). Today’s passage can seem like Nehemiah was a random lucky guy. But when we connect the Bible’s books like pieces to the puzzle, we see God was preparing the hearts of several men scattered abroad. Then, He drew them together to accomplish great things. Notice how Daniel, Nehemiah, and Ezra all had pieces of the same vision:

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.’” Ezra 1:1-3 (NKJV)

“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.” Daniel 9:1-3 (NKJV)

As you pursue God’s Word every day, and He reveals pieces of His great plan to you, He is actually preparing you to join others to accomplish His perfect will in our days

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Nehemiah 1. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly. And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, ‘We have trespassed[a] against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this. Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. Be of good courage, and do it.’” Ezra 10:1-4 (NKJV)

At times, God appears to turn a deaf ear to prayer. Isaiah wrestled with this problem:

“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you.” Isaiah 59:1-2 (NIV)

Sin was separating the Jews from God in the days of Ezra. It was, therefore, essential that Ezra’s prayer of confession in the previous chapter should be followed up with repentance, which took form in the separation from foreign wives.

It is hardly surprising that a large crowd gathered around Ezra when they saw him weeping and throwing himself down before the Lord. This was strange behavior for such a prominent leader, as it is strange for our generation’s otherwise dignified leaders. The cause of Ezra’s intense agitation was the marriage of God’s people to non-Jewish, idol-worshipping wives. It has been said that children live by rules and adults live by principles. With that in mind, the whole scenario of today’s chapter can be viewed, in principle, as a metaphor for any intimate relationship that believers may be considering, personal, social, or business. The apostle Paul knew this very well:

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV)

As stated yesterday, it was not as much the nationality of the foreign wives as it was their idolatry that the Lord was opposed to. For the record, this specific instance of putting away foreign wives and children is one of those moments - like Peter’s suggestion to cast lots to choose another apostle after Judas committed suicide - where the Lord makes no comment as to His approval or disapproval. We are simply given the facts. According to the Torah, both the Israelite men and their foreign wives should have been removed from the community of Israel. We know from reading Nehemiah that it was still a problem in his day (Nehemiah 13:23-27). The questions that arise are: 1.) How strongly do we believe God’s Word, and 2.) Are we willing to put away those “foreign wives” (aka Worldly sins) that separate us from the Lord?

“Now, after all this has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our deep guilt – and even so, you, our God have punished us less than our sins deserve and have given us a surviving remnant – are we to break Your commands again by making marriage with the peoples who have these disgusting practices?  Won’t You become so angry with us that You would destroy us completely, so that there would be no surviving remnant and no one escapes?  The Lord, God of Israel!  You are just; yet we have been left a surviving remnant that has escaped, as is the case today.  Look, we are before You in our guilt; because of it, no one can stand in Your presence.” Ezra 9:13-15 (CJB)

A few years ago, I was in my living room, watching TV, when I heard my son Wyatt in his room, playing CDs on his stereo.  This was usually not a problem, but on this occasion, he was only playing the intro to one of the songs over and over.  Finally, I got irritated with the whole stop-start, so I busted into his room and told him to let the entire song play.  That’s when I realized he wasn’t playing a CD.  He was playing the song on his guitar.  I was amazed because it sounded like a recording from the original artist.  How quickly he had become a really good guitar player!  I have never seen someone pick up an instrument and absorb it so quickly.  When I asked how he had learned the song, he pointed to his computer: YouTube.

It helps to have an instructor, someone to sit right there and teach us.  But, sometimes, the video instructor is better than a living, breathing person.  The video is free; you can rewind, pause, and replay infinitum until you have mastered the course.  

One of the values of books like Ezra and Nehemiah is that they let us observe how they petitioned and prayed to the Lord.  Just like YouTube, we can read and reread their prayers.  And every time we do, we learn a bit more.  They are not parading their spirituality by including the text of their prayers for all to see.  They are teaching us how to beseech our Heavenly Father, and today’s chapter is just that.

Ezra knew how to pray in times of crisis because he was familiar with the path to the throne of grace.  He was on “speaking terms” with God at all times.  In today’s chapter, the central theme of his prayer is confession.  It was the condition of the nation which prompted him.  The widespread moral failure of Christians and unbelievers should not result in paralyzing despair but in sincere supplication to Almighty God.  Only He can heal our wounds, restore our standing with Him, and save us from inevitable judgment.

It is also important to note that many Christians and Jews alike have misinterpreted today’s passage to say that God is against people of different nationalities intermarrying.  We know from the Bible that God is not against His children intermarrying the “peoples.”  Otherwise, the book of Ruth would be tough to explain…as well as other Gentile women listed in the genealogy of Messiah Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife).  If we read closely, it was not the “nationality” but the “morality” God was concerned with.  He was against “making marriage with the peoples who have these disgusting practices.” (v. 14)

“Then, there at the Ahava River, I proclaimed a fast; so that we could humble ourselves before our God and ask a safe journey of Him for ourselves, our little ones and all our possessions. For I would have been ashamed to ask the king for a detachment of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies along the road, since we had said to the king, ‘The hand of our God is on all who seek Him, for good; but His power and fury is against all who abandon Him.’ So we fasted and petitioned our God for this, and He answered our prayer.” Ezra 8:21-23 (CJB)

Years ago, the Southern Baptists decided to hold their national convention in Las Vegas. I know it’s ironic. When the Las Vegas mayor showed up on the first day of the convention to welcome the pastors, the SBC president asked if there was an area of need in the community that the Baptists could pray for. The mayor said, “Well, we’re in the middle of the desert, and we could sure use some rain.” So, the pastors prayed for rain. The next morning, the keynote speaker arrived early, placed an umbrella on the pulpit, and asked, “How many of you brought one of these this morning?” The crowd nervously laughed because nobody had brought an umbrella. Then, the speaker went on to say, “We need to learn to pray, believing that God is listening. Otherwise, our testimony about God is ineffective.” Perhaps they should have read Ezra 8.

Verses 15-31 record the results of Ezra’s three-day stocktaking at the canal and also give us insight into the character of this remarkable man of God. Ezra displayed five traits that equipped him to be God’s “man of the hour”: Wisdom, Piety, Faith, Management skills, and Gratitude.

Today’s passage focuses on his Piety and Faith. Ezra “proclaimed a fast” as an acknowledgment of his sinfulness and an expression of his earnest desire to obtain divine guidance and the protection that comes with following Him rightly. Ezra asked God to be the guardian of the people. His mention of the “children” was a tender-hearted plea to the compassionate heart of the loving Heavenly Father. As a parent, I am always asking for God’s spiritual and physical protection of my children. Verse 23 says he “fasted and petitioned” the Lord. The idea of “petitioning” indicates more than a simple prayer. It was more like pleading with God. How did God respond? “He answered our prayer.” How slow we are to pray when God is willing to answer our supplications!

Concerning Ezra’s faith, he used strong terms to tell King Artaxerxes that the Lord was a mighty God who would indeed protect those who trusted and obeyed Him. With the journey imminent, Ezra began to realize the serious hazards he would face. To ask for assistance would have lessened the king’s esteem of Israel’s God, so Ezra put His faith where his mouth was, so to speak. How easy it is to proclaim the Lord’s greatness and sing of His might, but when trials test our faithful proclamations, how often do we seek shelter in the World? Like Ezra, we must READ God’s Word, BELIEVE it, LIVE it, and PROCLAIM it.

“On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.  For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” Ezra 7:9-10 (NKJV)

The rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity came in stages.  First, Ezra came and restored the worship.  As worship was restored, Zerubbabel rebuilt the temple, the place of worship.  Then, Nehemiah arrived and rebuilt the walls and gates of Jerusalem.  The wall acted as a barrier against attack and protected those living within the city.  Stability radiated outwardly.  It is not enough to fortify the walls and build a place of worship.  Is that really “revival”?  Revival begins with the individual’s heart before the community is strengthened.  That meant YOU.  

From the moment Ezra puts his suitcase down in Jerusalem, we learn why God had chosen him to rebuild worship.  Ezra had prepared his heart to 1) Seek the Law of the Lord, 2) do it (live according to God’s Word), and 3) teach statutes and ordinances.

Do you want to be used by God?  Would you like to have the faith to stand firm and commit to being a “kingdom builder”?  Then you also must SEEK God’s Word, discipline yourself to OBEY His Word, and be a disciple-maker, TEACHING others how to seek and serve the Lord.  Anything that falls short of (or adds to) that simple formula will not perpetuate and sustain discipleship.  That is because anything other than God’s prescribed pattern of discipleship will never develop a firm spiritual foundation from which to stand against the troubles and attacks of this World.  Consider Jesus’s words:

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things which I say?  Whoever COMES TO ME, and HEARS My sayings and DOES them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.” Luke 6:46-48 (NKJV)

The good news is that God does not leave the task of fulfilling that pattern of seeking, doing, and teaching entirely up to us.  Every follower of Jesus, at the moment of their belief in Him, is given the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit).  The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to reveal the truth of God’s Word and enable believers to perpetuate the gospel effectively.

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1: 8 (NKJV)

So, boldly seek God’s Word and commit to living faithfully and sharing it with others!

“Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was made in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. And at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found, and in it a record was written thus: In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: ‘Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, with three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber.’” Ezra 6:1-4a (NKJV)

As a high school senior, I was nominated to the United States Air Force Academy.  My father, being an Air Force Lt. Colonel, was very proud of me.  In fact, it had been my dream to fly fighter jets.  But there was one problem: My eyesight was way below the vision requirements for entrance into the Academy.  Still, I went forth with the procedures and interviews all the way up to the medical physical.  I had asked my eye doctor to write me a “dummy” prescription, hoping to slip past the exam, but I wasn’t counting on the Air Force doctors.  They used special drops to dilate my eyes.  When I walked out of the eye exam that day, I knew I had failed the physical, but I still had some youthful hope, some naïve notion that I would magically be allowed into the institution. Thus began my waiting for the official Air Force Academy decision.  

It can be challenging to await the arrival of an important letter.  The Jews must have felt some apprehension about the reply Tattenai would receive to the letter he dispatched to the powerful Persian King Darius.  Would Darius bother to search the old dusty records and back up the claim of the Jews that Cyrus had commanded them to build their Temple in Jerusalem?

Some of the Jews may have been dreading the answer from Darius; perhaps, ALL of them feared that the king would force them to stop building.  Are you afraid of something that might happen in the future?  You might be anxious about an upcoming medical procedure, impending unemployment, or family problems – the list is as vast as our imaginations!  God may surprise us and turn a terrifying prospect into a blessing.  Whatever happens, whether the future is better or worse than we imagined, it will be overseen by our loving, ever-present, all-knowing Heavenly Father.  The God who cared for His anxious people awaiting the reply of King Darius watches over us and plans the path ahead. (Proverbs 3:5-7)

By the way, I did not pass my Air Force Academy physical: eyesight.  I dejectedly accepted a track scholarship at a state college in Arkansas.  One night two years later, on our way home from a track meet at the University of Indiana, I heard the gospel and decided to follow Jesus.  Sometimes, what we think is bad news turns out to be the best news ever.

“Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them. At the same time Tattenai the governor of the region beyond the River and Shethar-Boznai and their companions came to them and spoke thus to them: “Who has commanded you to build this temple and finish this wall?” Then, accordingly, we told them the names of the men who were constructing this building. But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, so that they could not make them cease till a report could go to Darius. Then a written answer was returned concerning this matter.” Ezra 5:1-5 (NKJV)

Turning from Ezra 4 into Chapter 5, we move fourteen years from Cyrus’s reign to that of Darius 1. Cyrus was killed during battle in 530 B.C.  Darius came to the throne in 522 and reigned until 486 B.C. He was Persian by birth and brought up in Zoroastrianism, which is based on the concept of an ongoing struggle between good and evil. Darius established this religion as the state religion of Persia, which was most likely the motivation for his support of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. While he did not believe in the Lord, rebuilding His Temple was simply to provide a “balance” of religions. God uses a myriad of means and motivations to accomplish His purposes.

The mood of God’s people at the time of Ezra 5 was one of abject depression. The people were so downhearted that they abandoned their attempt to renovate the Temple. They never wanted to see another brick or trowel (4:24). The two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, had their work cut out as they tried to cure the “cancer” of discouragement raging among the Jews. And that’s what discouragement is, isn’t it? Cancer. It begins growing slowly, and by the time you notice, it has traveled throughout the community and threatens to kill progress in its tracks.

Most believers in Messiah Jesus sometimes feel dejected while doing the Lord’s work. There are Saturday evenings when the pastor vows never to preach another sermon and when Sunday School teachers are ready to quit their classes. Volunteers grow weary of their duties amid their busy lives. The layman who goes out, sharing the gospel among the community, sometimes wonders if all his efforts are actually worthwhile after a street full of people refuse to engage in spiritual conversation. Ezra 5 can teach us how to cope with discouragement.

God did not forsake His people in their sadness or leave them to wallow in their self-pity. Instead, He sent two prophets to spur them on to action. Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the Judeans in Jerusalem. Then, they set out to join in the work. The gospel speaks best with “sleeves-up.”  That is, the prophets were not simply messengers telling the people to have courage; they were also willing to practice what they preached! And that is what we are called to do: Know God through His revealed Word, and then roll up our sleeves, getting to work by mixing the “spit” of our preaching with the “sweat” of our brows. Lead with your labor.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Ezra 4. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Though fear had come upon them because of the people of those countries, they set the altar on its bases; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening burnt offerings.” Ezra 3:1-3 (NKJV)

In an age when most people never enter the doors of a place of worship on the Sabbath, and most others have dismissed the belief in Messiah Jesus as irrelevant and outdated, we need to ask ourselves some pertinent questions. As Christians, we claim to have the true gospel, but why are we making so little impact on the unreached masses?

Ezra 3 spells out four essential ingredients for spiritual blessing: Unity, Zeal, Obedience, and Worship. These components are indispensable and are found in every period of revival. Hence, they are urgently needed today.  

When the Jews returned to Jerusalem, they found the Temple in ruins. Their task was to restore the worship of God and rebuild the Temple. Our task is very similar. We must ask the Lord what job He has set aside for each of us to restore worship and build the “temple” made with “human stones,” the greater community of Messiah (The Church), in our generation.

We find those answers in Ezra 3. As you study today’s chapter, bear in mind that the reason for God’s choice of Israel is a companion to the reason why He has chosen to establish the Church: so that unbelievers may know His pattern of how to worship Him. The mission of God’s people (then and now) is that we would bear witness of Him to those who have yet to know Him in a saving way or are yet to worship Him rightly.

In considering the “four essential ingredients” for revival, perhaps it might help to ask a few simple questions. These questions will help you analyze yourself and determine whether you are a catalyst for (or hindrance to) revival.

1) Is there a fellow believer in my congregation with whom I have a rift?

2) Is my lack of zeal frustrating my ministry leader and holding back God’s favor on our congregation? In short, am I the “Jonah” who needs to be thrown out of the boat?!

3) How would I respond to God if He were to ask me if I genuinely believe I am living by His Word?

4) Is the Savior who shed His blood for me more precious than anyone or anything else?

5) Does my worship focus attention on men or God?

6) How could I increase these four “ingredients” in my congregation?

“These now are the people of the province who came from those captive exiles King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had deported to Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.” Ezra 2:1-2 (HCSB)

Be honest! Did you really read every word from chapter 2? I bet you were tempted to skip it and go on to chapter 3, as was I. Though Ezra 2 is a difficult chapter to read, it contains some valuable spiritual lessons.  

The primary spiritual benefit we derive from Ezra 2 has been summed up well by H.A. Ironside:

“Most of the names are for us only names, but God has not forgotten one of the persons once called by these names on earth. He will reward each according to his work. Nothing of good or ill shall be overlooked by Him, who looks not on the outward appearance but on the heart. How little did any of these devoted Jews of Ezra’s day think that God would preserve a registry of their names and families for future generations to read and thus to learn how highly He values all that is done from the devotion of the heart to Himself and for the glory of His name!”

This genealogical section proves that the returning exiles were legitimate descendants of the Jews who occupied Israel before their deportation to Persia. More importantly, it demonstrates that God cares about and is intimately aware of the goings-on of His children. Do these people seem insignificant to you? Well, they are very significant to the Lord, and that should be comforting to us, especially when we feel alone, forsaken and insignificant in this World.

Furthermore, the gift of the land of Canaan to the Israelites and their preservation as a nation were tied in with God’s plan to send His “Son,” Jesus, the Messiah, Savior of the World. We should be thankful that God remembered these people, for in remembering them, we have faith that He also remembers us!

There are a few names worth mentioning, mainly because the persons named may be confused with other prominent Biblical persons with the same name. These people are Joshua, Nehemiah, and Mordechai. They are NOT the “Joshua” who led Israel into Canaan after Moses died, the “Nehemiah” who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem (he came later), or the “Mordecai” who was Esther’s uncle.

We will encounter more of these lists of names as we go further into Ezra’s book. It will be helpful to keep Ironside’s comments in the back of our minds, knowing full well that if the Lord is slow in returning. Our names may be added to a similar list to encourage future generations. And, of course, ALL believers’ names are written on the most important list: The Lamb’s Book of Life.

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’” Ezra 1:1-2 (NKJV)

In an age of clap-happy worship and entertainment-oriented evangelism, the book of Ezra directs our thoughts to a holy God who demands reverent worship and uncompromising loyalty from His people. Furthermore, Ezra calls us back to a renewed obedience to God’s Word (something close to my heart) and a wholehearted commitment to the work of God in fellowship with the people of God.

Even in the first few verses, Ezra assumes that we are already searching the Scriptures, for it begins with the words, “in order that the Word of The Lord prophesied by Jeremiah be fulfilled.”  How could we appreciate that Jeremiah’s prophecy was fulfilled unless we were intimately familiar with its predictions? How could we understand the magnitude of God’s sovereign intervention unless we were familiar with the pagan brutality of the Medo-Persians?

Imagine that Iran became so powerful that they defeated Israel and the United States, carrying us back to their country as slaves. Furthermore, imagine that once enslaved on Iranian soil, we were forbidden to read the Bible and worship the Judeo-Christian God. Instead, we were forced to worship Allah and recognize the Koran as the supreme spiritual authority. Then, amid such spiritual oppression, what if the president of Iran announced, one day, that his ability to rule has come from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and that Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus are to go to Jerusalem and build a synagogue to our God! Sounds far-fetched? That is precisely what happened in Ezra’s day. Persia is where modern-day Iran resides.

And the overriding message of Ezra is one of hope and certainty in God’s Word. I am certain that is a message we could all use these days, so we must read closely and be encouraged that the peace of God does not always mean the absence of conflict; rather, it is the presence of peace amid conflict that passes all understanding. Hold on – for God is faithful to His Word, and nothing can keep Him from accomplishing His purposes. He can even turn the source of opposition towards His people into a tool to deliver His people!

“And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy. Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand.  And all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon. Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions. And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.” 2 Chronicles 36:15-21 (NKJV)

We are in a season of history characterized by great struggle and resistance to the Word of the Lord. Anyone who claims that Messiah Jesus is the Only Way (John 14:6) is labeled a fanatic, brain-dead at best. During this season, perhaps more than ever, we must ask ourselves what our highest values are. Because many people in the church value “not offending” above proclaiming God’s Word. They are afraid of offending people or being made uncomfortable but do not seem to have any problem offending God, Who calls us to suffer on Messiah’s behalf. (Philippians 1:29)  Before God judges, He graciously sends His messengers, the prophets, with words of 1) Exposing Sin and 2) Restoration. Consider Jesus’ words:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Luke 13:34-35 (NKJV)

God’s merciful rebuke of His people is always ultimately meant for their restoration.

“For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.” Jeremiah 29:10-14 (NKJV)

“So all the service of the Lord was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, according to the command of King Josiah. And the children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests and the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.”  2 Chronicles 35:16-19 (NKJV)

Do you remember the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s, what it was like sitting in a tent in Costa Mesa, California, while Chuck Smith preached and Love Song sang “Little Country Church” for the first time? Chances are, you don’t. Most folks were late responders to that movement, so they cannot recall how it felt when revival broke out. Fifty-seven years had passed since Hezekiah died, and in those years, Judah was ruled by the evil kings Manasseh and Amon. Sure, Manasseh repented and found forgiveness, but it was all too little, too late. The kingdom had gone to the dogs.

Then came the boy-king, Josiah, bent on reform. (2 Chronicles 34:1-3)  His efforts to clean out the temple led to the discovery of the Book of the Law. When the Law was read to Josiah, he believed it and sought the Lord’s forgiveness for Judah’s idolatry. More than lip service, Josiah was willing to put his faith into action. (2 Chronicles 34:29-33)  And he reaped the harvest of revival!  

People respond differently to the Word of God. Some hear the gospel, humble themselves in repentance, and commit to following Messiah Jesus. Others get angry and seek to distance themselves from Him, often becoming violent toward God’s messenger. Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, was that kind of man. He received the same Word as his father, yet he sought to kill the messenger, Jeremiah, to the prophet. Which begs the question: How do YOU respond to the revelation of God’s Word?

“So the king sent Jehudi to bring the scroll, and he took it from Elishama the scribe’s chamber. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and in the hearing of all the princes who stood beside the king. Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning on the hearth before him. And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe’s knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. Yet they were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words. Nevertheless Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah implored the king not to burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them. And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them.” Jeremiah 36:21-26 (NKJV)

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah, because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place, and not be quenched.’ But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, in this manner you shall speak to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Concerning the words which you have heard - because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord. “Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.”’ So they brought back word to the king.” 2 Chronicles 34:24-28 (NKJV)

King Josiah had childlike faith. And that makes sense because he was just a child (8 years old) when he assumed the throne. At age sixteen, Josiah began seeking the Lord. By 26 years, he had purged Israel of its idols. It is not enough to simply do away with idols. You must replace idolatry with Biblical worship. So, when the renovation of God’s temple began, the priests found something extraordinary: The Book of The Law of Moses…the Bible! Hilkiah, the priest, was clueless about the book’s value, and Shaphan, the secretary, gave the king a financial report before announcing, “Hilkiah has given me a book….”  But when King Josiah heard the words of the Bible, he knew his nation was on the verge of divine annihilation. His humble response led to salvation. It stands in stark contrast to King Zedekiah’s response many years later.

“So the king sent Jehudi to bring the scroll, and he took it from Elishama the scribe’s chamber. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and in the hearing of all the princes who stood beside the king. Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning on the hearth before him. And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe’s knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. Yet they were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words. Nevertheless Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah implored the king not to burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them. And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them. Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch had written at the instruction of Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: ‘Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.’”  Jeremiah 36:21-28 (NKJV)

Our nation is on the verge of judgment. Will we be a Josiah or Zedekiah generation?

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Chronicles 33. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Now because of this King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven. Then the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there. Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. And many brought gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.” 2 Chronicles 32:20-23 (NKJV)

I love mixed martial arts (MMA). It is a trendy sport these days, isn’t it? In fact, MMA is the fastest-growing sport in the world, because it encompasses disciplines from various martial arts. That recipe of varied styles makes the fighting more dynamic and match-ups totally unpredictable.  

Remember, before there was MMA, and we only had regular boxing? I recall staying up past my bedtime as a boy to watch the ending of Muhammad Ali’s fights on television, especially in those long drawn-out fights of his later career. Then came my college years, and the boxing world saw the rise of Mike Tyson. Different from the entertaining “rope-a-dope” styles of Ali and the fighters before him, “Iron Mike” Tyson would end fights in the first couple of rounds. Some fights ended in the first few seconds! After a while, though, Tyson fights became boring and predictable. (Although probably not so boring for his opponents!) We got tired of the long, drawn-out promotional build-up of the “fight of the century,” only to see the challenger lying on the canvas before Tyson could break a sweat.

That is kind of how today’s chapter feels. Verses 1-19 are all the build-up of a battle to finally crush God’s people (and His Word, along with them). And we know that if the battle had been against Hezekiah and the Assyrian army, the Vegas odds would have been in Assyria’s favor. But Assyrian king Sennacherib made a huge mistake: He taunted the God of Israel. And that meant picking a fight with an unbeatable opponent. Hezekiah (along with his friend the prophet Isaiah) knew it!

“‘Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.’ And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 (NKJV)

Sennacherib insulted Hezekiah, specifically his faith in God. Then, he insulted God.  Finally, he insulted the faith of the citizens of Judah. We know that fear and dread fell on the people because it falls on us whenever the World insults our faith in God and His Word. But after all that hype and bluster, YHWH whistled to the bench and summoned one angel, who ended it in the first round! (James 4:7)

“Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the Lord his God. He was diligent in every deed that he began in the service of God’s temple, in the instruction and the commands, in order to seek his God, and he prospered.” 2 Chronicles 31:20-21 (HCSB)

There is much confusion in the Church at large these days concerning the Old Testament. Some Christians believe there is not much value in reading it, while others place too much emphasis on living out the Law to the letter. We know we are saved by God’s grace, through our faith, whenever we make the object of our faith Jesus and His atoning work (on our behalf) on the cross. Since our salvation is by Grace, through Faith, there is no worth to our “good works” concerning our salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-9)  But is there any merit to living according to God’s Word? Absolutely! The Apostle James (James 2:14-26) had much to say about that. I recall a pastor saying, “We are not saved by faith and works. Rather, we are saved by faith that works!”  If you have genuinely placed your faith in Jesus, you should desire to live according to the Word. He is the “Word made flesh.” (John 1:14)

Hezekiah fully understood that it is not just enough to be God’s “chosen.” You must also choose to live for God. Salvation may be by grace through faith, but blessing follows obedience. Hezekiah followed the command of Deuteronomy 6:1-7, to wholeheartedly seek the Lord.  

“Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:1-5 (NKJV - See also: Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

Having begun with exhorting the people to observe the Passover (remember God’s miraculous deliverance and provision in times past), Hezekiah then fast-tracked Biblical literacy, which started the chain reaction of revival. Interestingly, when Jesus was asked about the greatest command, He answered with the same passage:

“‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’  Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18) On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’” Matthew 22:36-40 (NKJV)

Is obeying God’s Word important to Christians? Just ask “the Word made flesh”:

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46 (NKJV)

“Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought the burnt offerings to the house of the Lord.  They stood in their place according to their custom, according to the Law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood received from the hand of the Levites.  For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites had charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to the Lord.  For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, ‘May the good Lord provide atonement for everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.’  And the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people. So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing to the Lord, accompanied by loud instruments.  And Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the Lord; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to the Lord God of their fathers.” 2 Chronicles 30:15-22 (NKJV)

I was recently discussing a potential business venture with a friend, and as we tried to figure out the logistical details, he wisely said, “A good plan today is better than a great plan tomorrow.” His point was clear: You can’t always have every base covered at the time of launch. Some details have to be worked out as you go, and some opportunities can be lost due to “paralysis-by-analysis.”  Today’s passage is an excellent snapshot of God’s mercy, grace, patience, and longsuffering in the Old Testament. The people chose to worship the Lord, even though they weren’t quite sure how to worship Him.

Thanks to Hezekiah’s leadership, the call to worship the Lord in Jerusalem went out to not only Judah but also those Israelites living in the idolatrous Northern Kingdom. How were they to worship Him? By remembering the Passover, the miraculous deliverance of God’s people from Egyptian bondage when they obeyed His Word. Everything was against them. The priests and the people were not sanctified. It wasn’t the Biblically prescribed time to observe Passover, and the nation was divided politically. It sounds like the United States today!

But the encouraging message today is how God overlooked all of those factors and decided to honor their faith, by His grace, despite their absence of good works. It is Ephesians 2:8-9 in action, smack in the middle of the Old Testament! (combined with 2 Chronicles 7:13-14)  God weighs the heart, not strictly the actions.   Messiah Jesus cleans His “fish” AFTER He catches them. And that is comforting to those of us whose prayer of salvation consists of, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

“So the service of the house of the Lord was set in order. Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly.”  2 Chronicles 29:35b-36 (NKJV)

When it comes to decisions where faith in God’s Word must be employed, I follow a simple rule: Work as if it all depends on me, knowing that it all depends on God. That seems to be the overriding principle of today’s passage. After all the hard work that Hezekiah, the Levites, priests, and the people put forth, Hezekiah still gave the credit to God. He understood that God’s Spirit works through the diligent efforts of His people but that He doesn’t need our works to accomplish His plan on earth. Suppose we let that idea settle in on our operational theology (how we live out our faith). In that case, we can find joy in the fact that the God of all creation chooses not only to declare us co-inheritors but also co-laborers with Messiah in the outreach & salvation of lost people, Him working through us as we work.

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.  According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-11 (NKJV)

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”  2 Corinthians 5:20-21; 6:1-2 (NKJV)

Notice the progression of Hezekiah’s righteous upbringing, which leads him to make the faithful decision to restore the doors of the Temple. Then Hezekiah recruits faithful men to clean-out the Temple, consecrate themselves, and minister to others on behalf of the Lord. It is the same process concerning our personal salvation. It all begins at the “door” of our hearts and our choice to follow Jesus, followed by our being filled with the Holy Spirit, Who sanctifies our hearts & actions. That leads to co-laboring with other believers in effective evangelism & discipleship.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock….” Revelation 3:20a (NKJV)

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

“Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, as his father David had done. For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made molded images for the Baals. He burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.  And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They defeated him, and carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to Damascus. Then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a great slaughter.”  2 Chronicles 28:1-5 (NKJV)

In today’s chapter, we get to peer under the “hood” of God’s rebuke and see the mechanics of chastening from every angle. We begin with a young king, not quite old enough to buy beer. Age, in & of itself, is not a problem, but Ahaz’s admiration for the sophisticated choices of worship in the Northern kingdom led him to imitate his cousins. A little leaven spoils the whole lump, and King Ahaz’s personal choice to compromise spreads throughout the entire kingdom. Speed of the leader, speed of the team. The problem was that the very culture Ahaz sought to imitate was the one that defeated & took him captive, along with his people, the tribe of Judah.

“And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they also took away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.” 2 Chronicles 28:8 (NKJV)

But all is not lost! God sends His Word to Judah’s Israelite brothers/captors. He lets Israel know that their defeat of Judah is not because of His blessing. They themselves were idolaters. No, God had been using the Northern Kingdom of Israel to teach Judah a lesson: If you worship their idols, you will suffer their fate. It was a forecast, not only to Judah but also to Israel, as to what Assyria would shortly do to them for the same sins. NOTE: Just because the Lord is using you to rebuke someone else does not mean that He condones your sin any more than theirs.

“But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: ‘Look, because the Lord God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven.’” 2 Chronicles 28:9 (NKJV)

WHY? The sad truth of today’s chapter is that the rebuke from the Lord was all avoidable. We must commit to seeking God’s Word, obeying & sharing it with others.

“For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 28:19 (NKJV)

“Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (although he did not enter the temple of the Lord). But still the people acted corruptly.” 2 Chronicles 27:1-2 (NKJV)

The story of King Jotham is short and relatively straightforward. He honored the Lord, and the Lord responded to Jotham’s faithfulness by securing his kingdom. Perhaps you were wondering (as was I) how a king could be pleasing to God yet not enter the Lord’s temple for the entire duration of his reign. The answer to that question is found in the story of Jotham’s father, King Uzziah, at the end of yesterday’s chapter.  

King Uzziah who also did well in the sight of the Lord, but toward the end of his reign, Uzziah grew proud and began to take his worship of the Lord less seriously (and himself too seriously). Uzziah’s pride culminated in entering the temple and trying to participate in activities that the Lord had set apart exclusively for the priests He had chosen.

“But when he (Uzziah) was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord—valiant men. And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, ‘It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the Lord God.’ Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the Lord had struck him.” 2 Chronicles 26:16-20  (See also: Leviticus 10:1-3) (NKJV)

So, with the memory of how his father’s spotless reputation became spotted with leprosy still fresh on his mind, Jotham decided not to tempt his own fate by standing before the Lord. It was an overreaction. And that’s a shame because God’s Word is clear that children are not to be punished for the sins of their fathers. (Ezekiel 18:20)  Furthermore, God’s testimony of blessing in response to Jotham’s faithfulness was clearly displayed, to the point where Jotham should not have been afraid of Him.  (2 Chronicles 27:6)  Perhaps Jotham’s lack of faithful public worship aided the people’s apostasy and his own son’s idolatry.

Aren’t you thankful that, through Jesus, we may boldly approach the Throne of Grace? (Hebrews 4:16)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Chronicles 26. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Now it was so, after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up to be his gods, and bowed down before them and burned incense to them. Therefore the anger of the Lord was aroused against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, ‘Why have you sought the gods of the people, which could not rescue their own people from your hand?’ So it was, as he talked with him, that the king said to him, ‘Have we made you the king’s counselor? Cease! Why should you be killed?’ Then the prophet ceased, and said, ‘I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.’” 2 Chronicles 25:14-16 (NKJV)

Smoking is a terrible habit. Not only is it expensive, but it always leads to lung damage, hastening the demise of its victims. Sure, smoking looks cool, everything from how a person holds a cigarette, clips off the tip of a cigar, or lights a pipe, slowly dragging and releasing the smoke. But imagine feeling like you are drowning, 24/7, unable to get a full breath of air. No, not for me.  

Am I the only one who finds it difficult to watch those TV commercials where people who’ve had their voice boxes removed (because of lung cancer surgery) are talking through those vibrating devices pressed against their throats? And what is their message? “THIS is where smoking leads!”  I feel sad to see kids smoking, and I wonder if they have ever considered that “cool” can have tragic consequences.  

Want to know what really confuses me? Every time I visit a hospital, I see nurses and doctors standing outside, smoking!   I can understand kids or foreigners (whose culture may be void of lung cancer awareness), but healthcare professionals?? Unbelievable, and yet, there it is. It is precisely how we feel when we read about a king of Judah who heeds a prophet’s warning to rid his army of idolatrous Israelites, sets out on a quasi-righteous battle against idolatrous Gentiles, yet secretly practices idolatry himself! And it sickens us to the point where we ask, HOW CAN THIS BE? God is showing us what happens to a king (or anyone for that matter) who “kind-of” follows Him, whose devotion is half-hearted.

“Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart.” 2 Chronicles 25:1-2 (NKJV)

Just as the man who unwraps a new pack of cigarettes glances at the “Smoking Causes Lung Cancer…” warning, then jokes to his friend, “These things will kill you,” before he sparks up, so many people read the Bible with the same attitude toward sin. There are two things that confound a fool: How slow God is to judge and how quickly He shows up! Learn Amaziah’s lesson, but not how Amaziah learned it. Learn it in the manner God intends for you to learn so that you will seek His Word and obey it wholeheartedly.

“Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem.  His mother’s name also was Zibiah of Beersheba. And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.” 2 Chronicles 24:1-2 (NKJV)

When I was 17 years old, I packed up my ’72 Chevelle convertible, drove out of Fort Smith, Arkansas, and headed for college.  Those post-high school years are so refreshing because you finally get the chance to put all of your theories of life to the test.  That season reminds me of the bumper sticker that reads, “Hire a college student while they still know everything!” Yes, happiness was Ft Smith in my rearview mirror, and I was ready for a fresh start.  I wish I had been more pious as a kid, but I pretty much stopped going to church during my first year of college.  Seriously, up to that point, I had really just gone to church because my parents made me.

If you can relate to that story, you can understand what was going on in Joash’s head once Jehoiada, the priest, died.  

“But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old when he died. And they buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and His house.  Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king.  And the king listened to them. Therefore they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers and served wooden images and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass. Yet He sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the Lord; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.  Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, ‘Thus says God: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper?  Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.’ So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, ‘The Lord look on it, and repay!’” 2 Chronicles 24:15-22 (NKJV)

In today’s chapter, we find an important lesson for the Church today.  You can mandate that people act like fully devoted disciples of Jesus, but how will they act when nobody is looking?  (Of course, God is always watching.)  

What happens when the charismatic authority figure is removed from the scene?   More importantly, what is the difference between acting like a disciple and being a real one?  It is the same difference between your reputation and your character.  Your reputation is the side of you that everyone sees, but your character is the side of you that only God may see.  Keep seeking Him in His Word, determined to live as He requires, and share His Word with others so they can live for Jesus, too!

“Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the people, and the king, that they should be the Lord’s people. And all the people went to the temple of Baal, and tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars and images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. Also Jehoiada appointed the oversight of the house of the Lord to the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had assigned in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was established by David. And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter. Then he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the Lord; and they went through the Upper Gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom. So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword.”  2 Chronicles 23:16-21 (NKJV)

Yesterday, it looked as if the spirit of the antichrist would prevail in its attempt to utterly destroy the kingly line of Judah. And why is that a terrifying notion? Because the royal line of David was to be the birth line through which Messiah (the “Son of David” – Matthew 1:1) would come.  

“Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. And he was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.”  2 Chronicles 22:10-12 (NKJV)

While we may be terrorized by people and world systems that operate (often unaware) under the influence of the spirit of the antichrist, it is important to remember that for every “Athaliah,” the world throws at you, God has reserved a “Jehoshabeath” to harbor you. There is no panic in heaven, only planning.

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 (NKJV)

Today’s narrative reminds us of a similar plot to kill God’s “anointed” when God proved that His deliverance could reach even beyond the grave to rescue His people.

“Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!”  Luke 24:5-6a (NKJV)

“Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah.  But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom.  So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him.  And he was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.” 2 Chronicles 22:10-12 (NKJV)

Let’s turn our focus to the future for a moment.  The Bible tells of a time forthcoming when a world ruler will arise and persecute God’s people.  The Bible calls him the “antichrist.” This will be an era immediately following the rapture of the Church yet before the second coming of Messiah Jesus.  During that time, there would be a revival among the remnants of those left behind.  That group of believers would be annihilated by the antichrist and his army were it not for the intervention of the second coming of Messiah.  It is easy to think of the “antichrist” as someone who will arrive in the distant future.  But did you know that the “spirit of the antichrist” is present in the world today?  

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.  And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world.” 1 John 4:1-3 (NKJV)

Yes, the spirit of the antichrist has been present throughout history.  It destroyed ¼ of the world’s population when Cain killed Abel; it attempted to irreparably pollute the human gene pool in the days of Noah; it sought to kill all the Hebrew males around the time that baby Moses floated into the arms of the pharaoh’s daughter; it almost eliminated the Hebrews (and the Messianic hope for the world) during the Egyptian exodus, until the Red Sea closed-in; it tried to destroy the Jewish people in the days of king Ahasuerus before Esther & Mordecai intervened; it almost killed all, the babies in Bethlehem in the days of Herod’s rule, yet baby Jesus was allowed to escape...and so forth.  Must we mention Hitler, Stalin, Arafat, and a host of others who sought to destroy the Jewish people, along with Christians?

“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.” 1 John 2:18 (NKJV)

Today’s chapter deals with the spirit of the antichrist, operating through Athaliah to eliminate the Messianic line, yet the Lord prevails!  We praise God, Who preserves His people despite the spirit of the antichrist, which seems to prevail in our culture!

“Moreover the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians who were near the Ethiopians.  And they came up into Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.  After all this the Lord struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease.  Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so he died in severe pain.  And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers.  He was thirty-two years old when he became king.  He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed.  However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.” 2 Chronicles 21:16-20 (NKJV)

The book of Lamentations, found directly after the book of Jeremiah in Christian Bibles, is named “Echah” in the Hebrew Bible.  While the book is genuinely a lamentation over the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people, the word “echah” does not translate as “lament  .”Echah means “how” in Hebrew; more specifically, it is a question: “How?”  Therefore, the Hebrew mindset (in approaching the book of Lamentations) is not focused on mourning the loss but rather on how the loss happened, how it can be reversed, and how it can be avoided in the future.

We approach today’s chapter with the same question.  How could other nations ransack the king of Judah’s house and take away all his possessions?  Jesus addressed that exact issue.

“Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.” Matthew 12:29 (NKJV)

How was the king of Judah bound?  He was bound by his promotion of idolatry.

“Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotry, and led Judah astray.” 2 Chronicles 21:11(NKJV)

How could a king of Judah promote idolatry?  Because his father allowed it to fester.

“And he (Jehoshaphat) walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.” 2 Chronicles 20:32-33 (NKJV)

How will our nation return to the Lord’s favor, where we could sing, “God shed His grace on thee” with conviction?  We must first tear down the “high places” in our hearts, by repenting & receiving the grace of Messiah Jesus.  Then, we must seek God’s Word, obey it, and share it with others, so they, too, will repent.  That’s how!

“So Jehoshaphat was king over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not directed their hearts to the God of their fathers. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel. After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted very wickedly. And he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber. But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, ‘Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.’ Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.” 2 Chronicles 20:31-37 (NKJV)

This is how this chapter ends. Weren’t you expecting a “Well done, good and faithful servant?”  When I first read this years ago, I felt like Jehoshaphat got the raw deal, especially after he sought the Lord and rallied the people. But God’s standard is not fickle. He does not change his mind or show favorites, and this chapter is a good example of how we should be thankful that our salvation comes from God’s grace (through our faithful belief) and is not the byproduct of our works.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)

Governments can legislate morality and tear down idolatrous “high places” in their communities, but they cannot tear down the high places in people’s hearts. After all the beseeching and tearful sacrificing, once the Lord’s deliverance was experienced, the people went right back to the party. As the old hymn pleas, have you “decided to follow Jesus? No turning back, no turning back”?

“The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live? But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.”  Ezekiel 18:20-24 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Chronicles 19. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab. After some years he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria; and Ahab killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people who were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead. So Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, ‘Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?’ And he answered him, ‘I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war.’ Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, ‘Please inquire for the word of the Lord today.’” 2 Chronicles 18:1-4 (NKJV)

There is a tendency in our culture to compartmentalize our faith. Our actions and ideas say to God that He is welcome to speak into religious aspects of our lives, but there are other areas where we feel that we know better and where the Bible seems out-of-step with the “real world.” The Bible warns us against such a notion.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV)

Jehoshaphat obviously felt that God had His place, but when it came to politics, he chose to strengthen Judah by marrying into the pagan Israelite royal family. His statement of allegiance to his pagan relatives was exactly the opposite of Ruth’s words when she left her Moabite culture and gods to follow Naomi back to Bethlehem, saying, “Your people are my people; your God is my God.” (Ruth 1:16)

Jehoshaphat’s decision is akin to the type of compromise we should avoid; in seeking to develop friendships with the world, we pit ourselves against God. Jehoshaphat’s “family planning” led him to the verge of war. Interestingly, he did not seek the Lord concerning marrying into a pagan family, but when the stakes rose to warfare, he felt that decision should fall into the compartment where he had stuffed the Lord. When you are hanging out with carnal Christians, your definition of “prophet” falls tragically short of the Bible’s standard.

“Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, ‘Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?’ So they said, ‘Go up, for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.’ But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there not still a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of Him?’ So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.’ And Jehoshaphat said, ‘Let not the king say such things!’”  2 Chronicles 18:5-7 (NKJV)

In all things, we must seek God’s Word and live according to it.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7 (NKJV)

“Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel. Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave presents to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honor in abundance. And his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord; moreover he removed the high places and wooden images from Judah.” 2 Chronicles 17:3-6 (NKJV)

I have been in the music business all of my adult life—specifically, the Christian music business.  “Christian” music is the only style of music that is defined exclusively by its lyric content.  In Christian music, what is being said is more important than how it is delivered musically.  That is why Christian music comes in the forms of Praise, Worship, Rock, Choir & Orchestra, Country, Rap, etc.  What makes it “Christian” is not the style of music; it is the subject matter of its lyrics, namely, God’s Word.

Because Christian music albums are marketed products just like any other genre of music, Christian music sales follow the same basic principles of marketing and promotion as secular music: supply & demand.  Christian music marketing departments focus their efforts on raising demand among the population for Christian music and supplying products (specifically, the music of artists on their label roster) that tailor-fit the demand they have raised (or identified through market research).  Seems simple?  Well, it is, in principle.  

But what happens when God’s Word commands us to proclaim His Word boldly, but potential consumers may be offended by the message of God’s Word?  Then tension arises between two competing value systems: the principles of sales and the great commission!  Sadly, sales often win that battle, so much of what could (and most certainly should) be boldly proclaimed through Christian music becomes watered-down to meet the limited spiritual demands of a broader-market Christian consumer.  

Why do I mention all of that?  Jehoshaphat faced a similar dilemma.  As the king of a people (Judah) who were mingling idolatry with their worship of YHWH, Jehoshaphat had to choose whether to give the people what they wanted or what they needed, as commanded by God.  He could have sought popularity, which would have surely meant taking a more liberal stance on idols.  Or, Jehoshaphat could have risked popularity by choosing to trust God and rule according to His Word.  Jehoshaphat chose wisely.  He tore down places of idolatry and sent righteous men throughout the land to teach God’s Word.  And he got both revival AND prosperity.  Oh, that such boldness would overtake Christians today!  

“So they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the Lord with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people. And the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.”  2 Chronicles 17:9-10 (NKJV)

“And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: ‘Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.’ Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.”  2 Chronicles 16:7-10 (NKJV)

We live in an era where the growing sentiment among the general population is to rely on the government to provide for us. More & more, people believe it is the government’s responsibility to ensure our healthcare, college education, wages, and overall well-being. This idea of entitlement is very attractive because it takes the responsibility off us to be individually accountable. We would rather be corporate consumers than individual contributors. But a problem arises whenever we place our trust in politicians to be our providers. And that problem is that we need politicians who seek the Lord. Shouldn’t we skip the middleman and seek the Lord as our provider? Should we not labor with integrity as we search God’s Word? Judah had that exact problem. Their king just decided to quit seeking God. Perhaps it was because the people stopped seeking God. (2 Chronicles 15:17)  

Today’s chapter shows the exact scenario as yesterday (2 Chronicles 15). Judah was in distress and on the verge of being wiped out by war.   In chapter 15, the prophet exhorts the king with God’s Word, reminding Asa of God’s promise and strengthening him by remembering God’s abiding presence and love for His people. It is the same idea conveyed by David, running for his life from King Saul.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)

It was the same message that King David exhorted the people of Israel with whenever they were threatened by foreign armies.

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” Psalm 20:7 (NKJV)

King Asa chose wisely in chapter 15, but by chapter 16, he figured he did not need to consult God, choosing to trust in a foreign army. He should have listened to David.

“And David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.’” 2 Samuel 24:14 (NKJV)

“Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded, and he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle.  ‘Listen to me, Asa!’ he shouted.  ‘Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin!  The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with Him!  Whenever you seek Him, you will find Him. But if you abandon Him, He will abandon you. For a long time, Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them. But whenever they were in trouble and turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought Him out, they found Him.  During those dark times, it was not safe to travel.  Problems troubled the people of every land. Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem. But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.’” 2 Chronicles 15:1-7 (NLT)

If you wanted a secure job in the Bible, “prophet” was probably not high on your list.  Prophets are like Navy SEALs.  Nobody calls a Navy SEAL to clean toilets or work in the lunchroom.  When a Navy SEAL gets called, the SEAL team member knows his job will involve a life-or-death scenario.  Prophets carry life-or-death messages.  When God calls a prophet, it always involves taking His Word into a hostile environment.  And so often in the Bible, the recipient of a prophet’s message responds by seeking to kill the prophet.  Jesus reminded Jerusalem of its historical past and unwillingness to receive the prophets’ messages.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!  She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!” Luke 13:33 (HCSB)

Yet, we are called to act as prophets in our generation.  New Testament “prophecy” does not involve “special” or “new” revelation, as if we are writing new books of the Bible in our day.  Prophecy in our day involves seeking God’s Word and sharing what the Spirit reveals to us with the people with whom He wants us to share it.  The Apostle Paul exhorts us to seek that type of prophecy above all things:

“Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” 1 Corinthians 14:1 (HCSB)

In today’s chapter, not only did the prophet boldly proclaim God’s Word at an inconvenient time, but the king received God’s Word!  In our culture of “political correctness,” remember that we follow the God of the great “perhaps.” Perhaps men will seek to kill us, and maybe they will thank us for being forthright.  Still, we should not live in fear of offending men.  We should fear offending God!  

“When Asa heard this message from Azariah the prophet, he took courage and removed all the detestable idols from the land of Judah and Benjamin and in the towns he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim.  And he repaired the altar of the Lord, which stood in front of the entry room of the Lord’s Temple.”  2 Chronicles 15:8 (NLT)

“So Abijah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David.  Then Asa his son reigned in his place.  In his days the land was quiet for ten years. Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him.” 2 Chronicles 14:1-5 (NKJV)

I must confess that I do not know much about the stock market.  When I was a child, I recall sitting at my grandparent’s kitchen table and my grandfather being very interested in the stock pages, but he never turned to me and explained what all those numbers and plusses & minuses meant.  Sure, I get the basic concept of the stock market, but my greatest understanding comes from the idea of “trends.” You cannot look at a snapshot of a particular stock and simply focus on its value today.  It may spike upward today, only to fall sharply tomorrow.  If you buy high today, but it goes low tomorrow, you lose money!  You must focus on the stock’s trend, the broader view, to understand whether a company is gaining (or losing) value as it moves into the future.

That attitude of “trending” is how we must view the southern kingdom of Judah to adequately understand whether we want to buy into their brand of YHWH worship.  We already know that the northern kingdom of Israel is a losing stock!  (A laughing stock, were it not so tragic.)  They have forsaken YHWH altogether and went with the diversified portfolio of two golden calves.  Consequently, they are trending sharply DOWNWARD.  It will not be long before Assyria defeats the destabilized kingdom of Israel in a hostile takeover, toting the Israelites into exiled captivity.

Now, let’s look at the southern kingdom of Judah.  If we take a snapshot of Judah’s stock performance today, they are up and to the right, exactly where you want to be.  Kings are seeking the Lord, reforms are being made, and mandated anti-idolatry measures are employed by the king.  But before we declare a “bull market,” is there still a market for golden bulls in Judah?  Perhaps, and one sentence bothers us.

“He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment.” 2 Chronicles 14:4 (NKJV – Compare with Jeremiah 31:34; Heb. 8:11)

Morality cannot be legislated.  Sure, you can make sin illegal, but has that ever transferred into a value system that people adopt?  Tear down the “high places” on the hills, but does that remove the high places in people’s hearts?  While we are glad to see a snapshot of a moment of revival, we can predict the morality trend of Judah is moving downward.  Idolatry still lives in people’s hearts; you just can’t see it because morality is being thrust upon them.  But what if the next king advocates idols?  Will they oust or embrace him?  Time will tell the trend.

“Have you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests, like the peoples of other lands, so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of things that are not gods? But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests who minister to the Lord are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties. And they burn to the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense; they also set the showbread in order on the pure gold table, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps to burn every evening; for we keep the command of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him. Now look, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the alarm against you.  O children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper!”  2 Chronicles 13:9-12 (NKJV)

Jeroboam was in big trouble, although I am confident nobody in his army thought so at the beginning of today’s chapter.  Jeroboam had sought worldly counsel, adopted the values of the pagan nations he aspired to be like, and now was scornful toward pious Judah to the point where he wanted to annihilate them!  In following after idols (and enticing others to follow him), Jeroboam literally followed the pattern of cursing that King David had described in Psalm 1.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV)

Judah’s king Abijah, on the other hand, had kept the Lord’s Word with its priesthood intact.  Unlike Jeroboam, who walked by sight and not by faith, Abijah walked by faith, believing God’s promises to all who seek Him as He prescribes.  Notice how Abijah’s warning to Jeroboam has nothing to do with how large his army was.  (He was outnumbered.) Instead, his warning to Jeroboam consisted of knowing he had the most important plot of land on any battlefield: The Moral High Ground.  He did not have a made-up priesthood.  He had the legit one!

“The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your generations.  When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.” Numbers 10:8-9 (NKJV)

Did you know that all followers of Jesus have legitimately entered His priesthood?

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Chronicles 12. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Now when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.  but the Word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, ‘Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, “Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up or fight against your brethren!  Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.”’ Therefore they obeyed the words of the Lord, and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.” 2 Chronicles 11:1-4 (NKJV)

God is not a pacifist.  God is a perfectionist.  But He is not a perfectionist in the obsessive “can’t see the big picture” sort of dysfunctional meaning that our culture has attached to perfectionism.  He is perfect in that while His process of drawing glory out of every circumstance seems chaotic and random, all things eventually work together for good, according to His purpose.  (Romans 8:28)  He is both Author and Perfector.  (Hebrews 12:2)

That being said, there are times when followers of Jesus may assume they know God’s will, so they will set forth to accomplish something for His glory that He never wanted to be done.  They literally, for seemingly well-meaning reasons, begin moving in the opposite direction of His will!  That’s why it’s so important to seek the Lord in prayer and faithfully obey His leading, which may make no human sense!

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (HCSB)

Modern Christianity carries this notion that God is always against war or physical violence of any kind.  But that notion is ignorant of God’s Word.  God is SOMETIMES against war and SOMETIMES for it.  We must trust His wisdom, that He knows the appropriate times for both peace and warfare.  There is a time forthcoming when His judgment will eclipse His Grace, and it will happen in His perfect timing.

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up…A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”  Ecclesiastes 3:1-3; 8 (HCSB)

“Then the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, ‘Shall I again draw near for battle against the children of my brother Benjamin?’ And the Lord said, ‘Go up against him.’” Judges 20:23  (NKJV)

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.  He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”  Acts 17:30-31 (NKJV)

“Then the king answered them roughly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders, and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!” So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from God, that the Lord might fulfill His word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.” 2 Chronicles 10:13-15 (NKJV)

Jeroboam was an evil king. He was the one who instituted the worship of two golden calves in Bethel and Dan to keep Israel from worshipping in Jerusalem. His rational? Jeroboam believed that the people’s hearts would turn back to the Lord if they worshipped God as He prescribed, in the place where He caused His Name to dwell. (1 Kings 12:35-33)  When you worship together in the temple Solomon built, it is difficult to hate Solomon’s son (along with your own Judean and Benjamite Jewish cousins). Question: If Jeroboam was so evil, why would the Lord give Jeroboam His word that he would rule Israel? First, let’s look at a portion of the Lord’s declaration to Jeroboam.

“‘But I will take the kingdom out of his [Solomon] son’s [Rehoboam] hand and give it to you—ten tribes. And to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there. So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel. Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.  And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.’ Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.” 1 Kings 11:35-40 (NKJV)

Because of his righteousness, Jeroboam did not rule the ten tribes of Israel (aka the Northern Kingdom). He ruled because God punished the House of David for its idolatry and the people of Israel for their rebellious hearts. Both sides of the conflict underwent God’s punishment, so neither lived victoriously. Jeroboam could have followed God’s Word; God promised him success if he would. But in the end, Jeroboam chose idolatry, which led Israel into a burden far greater than Rehoboam threatened: Assyrian captivity! Rehoboam’s harsh response to Israel’s request for a lightened burden is in direct opposition to Jesus’ promise.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

“The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels[c] of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests. Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.  All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.” 2 Chronicles 9:13-20 (NKJV)

I don’t have ESP, but I know what you are thinking. You can’t get over that number, “six hundred and sixty-six,” and you’re wondering if it has any relevance to the infamous “666” in the book of Revelation. I believe the answer is “yes”; God is making a statement about Solomon’s kingdom. “Six,” the number of creations, is prominent in today’s chapter.

“This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.” Revelation 13:18 (NKJV)

“666” is not arbitrarily disclosed here, any more than the story of Melchizedek in Genesis 14 is arbitrary, although Melchizedek seems an arbitrary character until Hebrews 7. We are supposed to scratch our heads when we see that “666” pop-up again in The Revelation. We are intended to ask, “Where did I see that number before…?” as we do when we hear mention of Melchizedek in the New Testament.

So, what is the significance of “666,” and how does its mention in Solomon’s kingdom relate to the end times? While the Lord promised to establish Solomon’s kingdom, its success depended on Solomon’s seeking His Word and obeying it. The acquisition of wives and wealth directly opposed God’s requirements for kings. God is not listing His blessings as much as He is listing the setup for downfall.

“And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.” Deuteronomy 17:17 (ESV)

What we learn about in 2 Chronicles 8 & 9 are Solomon’s so-called “accomplishments,” apart from following God’s Word. “666” is an unholy trinity, where man becomes his own judge and savior and determines his own truth. God is saying Solomon’s kingdom looks impressive, but it will not stand, as in the end times. Do you see it?

“Now all the work of Solomon was well-ordered from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.” 2 Chronicles 8:16 (NKJV)

Oh, the glory days of Jerusalem! It must have been fantastic to walk through the temple complex and smell fresh paint still lingering alongside the fragrance of incense & lamb roasting on the altar. Israel’s enemies were subdued, and the children of those enemies (left unconquered by Israel’s forefathers) were pressed into the service of the kingdom. You can almost hear wise Solomon sighing to his friends, “Breathe in the goodness, exhale and relax!”  All was well, or was it? In the midst of all the progress reporting of chapter 8, one sentence seems out of place.

“Now Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the house he had built for her, for he said, ‘My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.’” 2 Chronicles 8:11 (NKJV)

Like I tell my children, “Never date someone you would be embarrassed to take to church.”  Solomon had entered into compromise. It didn’t seem like a big deal; a political marriage (or several) may ensure peace. After all, don’t we need separation of church and state?

“A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Galatians 5:9 (NKJV)

A little leaven and a lot of time are enough to bring down an entire kingdom. While I do not want our current government teaching my children their opinions of what the Bible says, it is safe to say that God does not want to separate from ANY aspect of human involvement! Eventually, disengagement leads to disenfranchisement.

“For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.”  1 Kings 11:4-10 (KJV)

A kingdom may be God-originated, but once it becomes man-centered, it ends up God-forsaken. I am awaiting the place the Son of David is preparing. (John 14:2b-3)

“When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying: ‘For He is good, for His mercy endures forever.’”  2 Chronicles 7:3 (NKJV)

There is a lot of talk in our Christian culture these days about God’s GRACE.  His grace is a good thing, indeed.  By His grace, we are saved when we faithful place our trust in Jesus’ atoning work instead of our own.  (Eph 2:8-9)  Often, we hear the words “grace & mercy” put together.  They go well together, but they are not the same thing, as if they were twins.  Grace and mercy are more like cousins.  GRACE is when we get something we do not deserve.  If I gave you a fancy watch, that would be gracious.  Mercy is when we don’t get what we do deserve.  For instance, if you stole a fancy watch, the owner would show you mercy by not calling the cops.  So, our salvation is a combination of both God’s grace and His mercy towards us.  When we enter into salvation, we 1) do not get what we deserve (eternal separation from God) for falling short of God’s perfect standard, while, at the same time, we 2) receive the gracious gift of atonement purchased by Jesus’ righteousness.

When the Temple was dedicated, the people did not sing of God’s grace.  They sang of His goodness and mercy.  Why?  They knew their guilt; each fell short of God’s perfect standard.  And when they saw that fire fall and consume the animal sacrifice (representing their sin, which leads to death), they knew that only His mercy could have redirected that fire from them to the sacrifice.  You know, sometimes people get roasted when God’s fire falls!  (Leviticus 10:1-3; 2 Kings 1:10)

God, in His grace, allowed the Temple to be built.  In His mercy, He allowed people to make right their relationships with Him.  The Lord knew on the day the Temple was dedicated that Israel would eventually forsake His grace and need His merciful reparation.  Immediately after confirming His satisfaction with the Temple and affirming His willingness to be met there, God gave the people very clear terms of how they must return to Him after rejecting His Word.  It is like receiving a new car as a gift for finishing rehab and immediately being told how to get it back after it is impounded when you drive drunk again.

“Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven, and there is no rain, command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways.  I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.’”  2 Chronicles 7:12-15 (NKJV)

Take heed, America!  We have despised God’s grace.  I hope people will seek His mercy; it may endure forever, but it is only offered for a limited time.  (Isaiah 55:6-9)

“Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple; then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.” 2 Chronicles 6:32-33 (NKJV)

There is an idea popular among Christians today that puts forth that because of Jesus’ resurrection, Gentiles (non-Jews) can now have a personal relationship with God, whereas it was impossible before.  That idea is simply wrong, and today’s passage is yet another Old Testament example of how God has always allowed Gentiles to enter into a personal relationship with Him.  So, for a fun review of Gentiles who turned to the Lord, let’s begin with a little Moabite girl named Ruth.  

“But Ruth said: Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” Ruth 1:16 (NKJV)

Isaiah spoke about God’s acceptance of anyone (regardless of ethnicity) who would turn from foreign idols and choose to follow Him.  He even promised that God would not exclude the repentant foreigner from being counted among His people, even stressing that the redemption of ALL MANKIND was the mission of the Messiah.

“Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants - everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant - even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer.  Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Isaiah 56:6-7 (NKJV - see also: Matthew 21:13)

“Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:6 (NKJV)

The apostle Paul, preaching at Athens’ Mars Hill, underscored how God is Lord-of-all and that all of earth’s inhabitants are both 1) subject to Him and 2) can be saved through receiving Messiah Jesus, by grace through faith.

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.  He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Chronicles 5. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“He also made ten lavers, and put five on the right side and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as they offered for the burnt offering they would wash in them, but the Sea was for the priests to wash in.” 2 Chronicles 4:6 (NKJV)

As a teenager, I worked as an electrician’s helper.  The man who owned the electrical company was known for having the highest standards.  My job was to gather supplies, get tools out of the truck, and clean up when the electricians had finished their tasks.  On occasion, I would be asked to tack up wire in an attic.  Although I was not an electrician, none of the licensed electricians wanted to climb into a hot attic in July!  So, I tried my best, but my workmanship showed I was an amateur.  After finishing, one of the electricians would cover my work with insulation and say, “It’s good enough for government work!”  He meant I did a poor job, but the boss would never climb into a hot attic to inspect it.  Then, one day, the boss climbed into the attic, and boy, those guys got an earful!  Was my workmanship dangerous?  No.  It was just ugly, and the company owner demanded perfection.  In the end, my boss was gracious to me, but he never let me forget the standard I should be working toward.

The idea of being “ceremonially clean” for a priest is very similar to a perfectionist boss cutting you slack because he knows you are trying your hardest.  No priest (apart from Jesus – Hebrews 7) was ever perfectly clean concerning living a sinless life.  No Levite could stand before the Lord because of his own righteousness, as if they and God were peers.  But the fact that they were imperfect did not mean there was no standard at all!  Priests were required to strive toward living according to God’s Word, and the Lord even called for a basin of water to be present so they could wash before they entered the temple.  So, what does this mean to us?  Quite a lot, seeing as we are also called into a holy priesthood.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV)

Jesus washed His disciples’ feet before the “last supper” (last Passover seder meal with His disciples - John 13:1-6).  He was preparing them for their upcoming apostolic “priestly” ministries.  While they were not clean themselves, Jesus was signifying that they should not be afraid to approach the Lord because He would make them clean by the blood He was about to shed for them (and us) on the cross.

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”  Hebrews 10:19-22 (NKJV)

“Now Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.  And he began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.” 1 Chronicles 3:1-2 (NKJV)

God is not arbitrary. That is comforting news, because it says we can trust the character of God. He is ever-present, all-knowing, and all-powerful. So, when God decides to do something, we don’t have to ask if He has seen it from all angles, understands the ramifications of His decision, has the power to finish what He is starting, or if He has the right motives.

Solomon is building God’s temple in Jerusalem, on the exact spot where the Lord told David that He wanted the temple to stand, Mount Moriah. But, when we hear that location, doesn’t it echo and harken us back to an earlier time?

“Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” Genesis 22:1-3 (NKJV)

Because of what we already know of God, that He is not arbitrary, we understand how He planned for the exact spot where the Lord led Abraham to offer up his son Isaac (and where He provided the ram as a substitute) to be the precise spot where Solomon would build His temple. Furthermore, it was on the same mountain where Jesus, the Lamb of God, would be offered as our sin substitute! (Not at the temple, per se, but on the same mountain, outside the walls of the city. About the length of an arrow shot.) Coincidence? Hardly.  

At the end of today’s chapter, we learn of two pillars that Solomon erected. Because the pillars are named, we know they acted as stand-alone statements.

“Then he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand Jachin, and the name of the one on the left Boaz.” 2 Chronicles 3:17 (NKJV)

Jachin means “Ya is One” or “Ya Establishes  .” Boaz means “Strength  .” The intended statement these pillars represent is simple: As long as the King (and Israel) seek the Lord and Him alone, He will establish them by His strength. Have you committed to following the Lord through a personal relationship with Messiah Jesus, forsaking all else to heed His calling on your life? Then He will establish you in the strength of His Spirit! Let’s keep reading to see how Solomon & Israel heed His Word.

“Then Solomon determined to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal house for himself. Solomon selected seventy thousand men to bear burdens, eighty thousand to quarry stone in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them. Then Solomon sent to Hiram king of Tyre, saying: ‘As you have dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. Behold, I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to Him, to burn before Him sweet incense, for the continual showbread, for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the set feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel. And the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?” 2 Chronicles 2:1-6 (NKJV)

One spring, my wife had the idea to spruce up our patio.  It began with a simple conversation about a table and chairs.  Then, it grew to wicker love seats, side chairs, a charcoal grill, side tables, and a fire pit. It was too much to remember, so I had to write it all down. Today’s chapter is basically a hardware store shopping list.  But don’t get bored, because if you skip through it, you will probably miss something significant: Solomon’s conviction about His Lord.

Solomon told Hiram (a pagan king) that 1) the God of Israel is greater than all gods, and 2) I need you to give me lumber and carpenters to build Him a house.  Can you imagine parachuting into Mecca and telling the Moslems worshipping there that you want to build the God of Israel a house, and you want them to give you supplies?  But that is exactly what Solomon does!  And, by God’s grace, he received what He asked for!  How faithful are you at acting upon the bold steps the Lord is leading you to take?  The apostle Paul had a similar boldness at Mars Hill, where he spoke forth the truth that there is only ONE God and that He will judge mankind, whether they believe in Him or not.

“‘Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.’ And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, ‘We will hear you again on this matter.’ So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.” Acts 17:30-34 (NKJV)

Christians who act on Biblical convictions get mocked and intellectually scrutinized, threatened, and beaten, yet some respond by surrendering their lives to follow Jesus. Since the results of our faithful witness are varied, our goal for boldly sharing the gospel must be to obey God, regardless of the results. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

“Now Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and exalted him exceedingly. And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ houses.  Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for the tabernacle of meeting with God was there, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness. But David had brought up the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim to the place David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. Now the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the Lord; Solomon and the assembly sought Him there. And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, ‘Ask! What shall I give you?’”  2 Chronicles 1:1-7 (NKJV)

It is easy for us to read the narrative of 2 Chronicles 1 and for our attention to be drawn to Solomon’s humility and God’s gracious response to it. But, in a rush to apply, many preachers skip over an important factor in the chapter: By the time Solomon became king, the act of worshipping God had become separated from the presence of God. The writer even tells us that the Tabernacle was in Gibeon, while the Ark of the Covenant was in a tent in Jerusalem. What does that mean? It means the people of Israel were more involved with the practice of worshipping God than they were concerned with the power of His presence and personally seeking His counsel.

Generations later, in the days of Jeremiah, Israel was again going through the motions of religion instead of seeking the Lord and His Word. In essence, God made a statement (through Jeremiah, His spokesman) about the ark of the covenant. God said that if the people sought a personal relationship (marriage) with Him, He would withdraw His ark altogether. There is no need to seek a person you are continually walking alongside. Sadly, Israel chose religion over relationship. So, the ark of the covenant’s absence today is a punitive sign, as opposed to a sign of life.

“Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says the Lord, “that they will say no more, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.” Jeremiah 3:14-16 (NKJV)

The great grace of God in today’s chapter is that He appeared to Solomon in Gibeon. God is not handcuffed to the ark. God can go wherever He pleases, but His discussion with Solomon led Solomon back to Jerusalem and the rejoining of His presence & man’s practice of worship. His grace leads to repentance.

“‘Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver: three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses; the gold for things of gold and the silver for things of silver, and for all kinds of work to be done by the hands of craftsmen.  Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?’ Then the leaders of the fathers’ houses, leaders of the tribes of Israel, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the officers over the king’s work, offered willingly.” 1 Chronicles 29:3-6 (NKJV)

I recently received a message through social media from a person in Nashville, Tennessee.  The message was simple: Thank you.  There is nothing particularly landmark about a “thank you” note, but this one stood out because the “thank you” came 15 years after the fact.  So much time had passed that I had forgotten the episode for which I was being thanked!  Seemingly, a distant music business colleague of mine was at dinner with his wife during a season of financial difficulty, and I paid their bill.  When he mentioned it, a vague recollection came across my mental radar.  I remember seeing them sitting there, looking stressed at the menu, so I asked their waitress to inform them that someone was taking care of their tab and that they should order whatever they wanted, especially dessert.  

I don’t mention that episode as an attempt to paint an image of myself as some kind of philanthropist.  (I am actually very cheap!  The Lord has to pry benevolence from me.)  I share that story because of what happened AFTER.  The gentleman was so encouraged that, instead of quitting the Christian music business, he continued to follow the Lord’s leading and slug it out.  Today, he is one of the few of us still making a living in commercial music (I’m not), and he counts that moment of generous encouragement as pivotal in his faith journey.  That is exactly what today’s chapter is about.  David’s generosity is contagious; it trickles down and begins a chain reaction of faithful selflessness.  We notice the same pattern of contagious faithfulness in the victory song that Deborah (one of Israel’s Judges) sang after the victory of Israel’s army under Barak’s command.

“Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying: ‘When leaders lead in Israel, when the people willingly offer themselves, bless the Lord!’” Judges 5:1-2 (NKJV)

It’s not that David’s peers felt the pressure of his generosity; the common people gave freely, too!  Oh, that we could see such leadership in the Church today!

“Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the Lord; and King David also rejoiced greatly.  Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and David said: “Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.’” 1 Chronicles 29:9-10 (NKJV)

“Then King David rose to his feet and said, ‘Listen to me, my brothers and my people.  It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the Lord’s covenant and as a footstool for our God.  I had made preparations to build, but God said to me, “You are not to build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.”’” 1 Chronicles 28:2-3 (HCSB)

“Why can’t you build the Temple, David?”  Surely, that question was raised by citizens of his kingdom.  King David had to be forthright.  The Lord had told him directly that he would not build the temple in Jerusalem.  For all of the bewildered onlookers, David was forced to come clean, “I have shed blood in war.”  But was the military conquest of numerous Philistines and various Canaanites really the disqualifier?  The Lord did not have a problem receiving the spoils of Israel’s military victories as supplies for the building of the temple.  (1 Chronicles 26:27; 2 Samuel 8:11; 2 Chronicles 15:11)  Furthermore, every man of military age (20 years old and above) was ordered to pay a “ransom” for himself as atonement for lives he may take during war.

“Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: ‘Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel.  You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.’” Numbers 1:1-3 (NKJV)

“This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs).  The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord. Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the Lord. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel when you give an offering to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves. And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.”  Exodus 30:13-16 (NKJV)

We are safe to assume the “too much blood” shed during war was related to the blood of only ONE man: Uriah the Hittite.  Uriah’s was the only unjust killing of David’s reign: “Why then have you despised the command of the Lord by doing what I consider evil?  You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife—you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword.” (2 Samuel 12:9)  Forever in Scripture, the Lord reminds us that Bathsheba was never legitimately David’s wife.  “Then David fathered Solomon by Uriah’s wife….” (Matthew 1:6b)  What sin must you deny today before it disqualifies you from ministry tomorrow?

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Chronicles 27. Click the links below to watch or listen now.

“Concerning the divisions of the gatekeepers: of the Korahites, Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph.”  1 Chronicles 26:1 (NKJV)

“Of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasuries of the house of God and over the treasuries of the dedicated things.” 1 Chronicles 26:20 (NKJV)

A quick review of the past few chapters reveals a pattern of progression for spiritual growth.  It is a pattern for Israel as a nation, as well as for us.  In chapter 22, David prepares to build the temple.   You may recall that David was prohibited (by the Lord) from building the temple himself because his hands were “stained with bloodshed  .”But that did not exclude him from preparing the next generation, namely his son, Solomon.  What provisions are you making to give the next generation of believers a greater chance of living successful lives of faith?

“So when David was old and full of days, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.  And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.  Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and above; and the number of individual males was thirty-eight thousand.”  1 Chronicles 23:1-3 (NKJV)

In chapter 23, David gathers the Levites.  As we learned in previous chapters, the Levites had not sought the Lord’s counsel at the Ark of the Covenant for many years while Saul reigned.  Perhaps they had become unsure of their priestly calling.

Once the Levites had been separated from the general population, the process began to sort them into their respective divisions and duty stations.  David made sure that the Levites all knew their duties by publically seeking the Lord (casting lots) so the Levites could be confident that their duty selection was not simply an arbitrary whim of David.

We begin to notice that worship for the Israelites is getting more and more intimate as it moves closer to the presence of God.  Chapter 25 focuses on the Musicians, whose job it is to stand at the gates of Jerusalem and play music that facilitates the various ways the worshipper enters into and exits corporate worship.

Today’s chapter focuses on the gatekeepers themselves.  The gatekeepers are those who allow the “sheep” to enter and protect the flock from “wolves” who may attempt to creep into the congregation, causing division in the community.  There is freedom in our relationship with God through Messiah Jesus, but never forget that accountability is also necessary, even in a congregation of grace.

Lastly, we see the Levites who oversee the treasury.  Where your heart is, there will be your investment.  If you do not give tithes and offerings to the Lord, there is no doubt that you are consumed with worldly things.  The closer we get to Him, the more we offer ourselves (and our belongings) to the ongoing work of the gospel.

“Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals.”  1 Chronicles 25:1a (NKJV)

The two greatest days of a touring musician’s career are 1) the day they buy their first tour bus and 2) the day they sell it!  Everything that goes wrong on a tour bus costs at least $1,000.  Being successful is hard work.  As they say in Nashville, “If it were that easy to grab, there wouldn’t be any left…and there’s a lot left.”  You have to fight to get to the top, and you have to fight to stay there.  Success in the music business isn’t for sissies.  Perhaps that is why David chose his musicians from the army.  This is especially so for worship music.  Worship is spiritual warfare.  

And what are our weapons?  Harps, stringed instruments & cymbals?  Perhaps, but the true weapon is prophecy.  When I say “prophecy,” I am not talking about predicting the future.  The kind of prophecy the Lord describes in today’s chapter is to musically speak forth the Word of God.  It is akin to the type of prophecy the Apostle Paul speaks.

“Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NKJV)

Paul is not exhorting the believers in Corinth to predict the future or write new books to the Bible.  He is telling them that the most important thing to seek, in addition to love, is God’s Word and that His Spirit would enable them to understand it.  “Prophesy” conveys more than an intellectual acquisition of information; it conveys that we receive knowledge with the expressed intent that we would share it with others.  That is the kind of prophesy these soldiers-turned-musicians were called to: Seek God’s Word and sing about what the Spirit revealed to them from God’s Word.

As we read the rest of today’s chapter, take notice of this phrase, “Direction of their father…” (verses. 2, 3, 6)  True to Deuteronomy 6:6-7, the father’s duty was not only to teach his children how to excellently play the various instruments in the temple orchestra.  His most important role was to teach his children to value God’s Word!

Psychologists say, “hurt people hurt people.” What they mean is that people who display abusive behavior were probably, themselves, abused.  Conversely, if a person is well-disciplined, they will disciple others well.  Notice how the musicians were also drafted into teaching roles, perpetuating the values (set forth by King David) of the Levitical musicians throughout their generations.

“Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals. And the number of the skilled men performing their service was: Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah; the sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied according to the order of the king.  Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the Lord.  Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to exalt his horn. For God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.  All these were under the direction of their father for the music in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the authority of the king. So the number of them, with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the Lord, all who were skillful, was two hundred and eighty-eight. And they cast lots for their duty, the small as well as the great, the teacher with the student.”  1 Chronicles 25:1-8 (NKJV)

“Then David with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to the schedule of their service.  There were more leaders found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and thus they were divided.  Among the sons of Eleazar were sixteen heads of their fathers’ houses, and eight heads of their fathers’ houses among the sons of Ithamar.  Thus they were divided by lot, one group as another, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of the house of God, from the sons of Eleazar and from the sons of Ithamar.”  1 Chronicles 24:3-5 (NKJV)

Some people believe God has not been fair to them.  They look at others with better lifestyles, more interesting jobs, or a beautiful spouse, and they feel cheated.  They know God is omniscient (knowing all things), omnipresent (always present in their lives), and omnipotent (having the power to affect change), but they have serious questions about His character.  How could He possess all those attributes yet withhold their idea of “blessings” for them?  If you have felt this way about God at times, you are not alone.  I have felt that way.  Surely, the Levites entertained that idea, as their duties were being decided by a roll of the dice (lot).  And so did the apostle Peter, as he compared his ministry calling to that of the apostle John.  

“Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”  Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”  Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?  You follow Me.”  John 21:20-22 (NKJV)

After recounting the great victories of the Bible’s faithful men, the writer of Hebrews then lists a group of equally faithful martyrs who suffered greatly.

“Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still, others had trials of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword.  They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy.  They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”  Hebrews 11:35b-40 (NKJV)

It’s easy to see how someone could read those verses and wonder how God could be so unfair.  But there is one problem with that notion.  God is NOT fair.  He is JUST.  Fairness assumes everyone gets the same thing.  Justice demands that God (in His infinite wisdom) always chooses rightly and knows how to dispense His blessing of grace through hardship as well as abundance.  Believers who acknowledge that, have truly found peace, which passes understanding!  (Philippians 4:7)

“The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all.  The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was set apart, he and his sons forever, that he should sanctify the most holy things, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister to Him, and to give the blessing in His name forever. Now the sons of Moses the man of God were reckoned to the tribe of Levi. The sons of Moses were Gershon and Eliezer.” 1 Chronicles 23:12-15 (HCSB)

Several years ago, a friend showed me a magazine advertisement for a high-end tequila maker.  No, we were not planning a church staff party.  He brought the ad because the tequila company was owned by the son of a relatively well-known pastor friend.  My friend could not understand how the son of a successful pastor could be engaged in such a worldly business venture.  I assured my friend that ministry callings cannot be assumed or thrust upon the next generation.  Apples may not fall far from the tree, as they say, but even preachers’ kids must choose whether they will personally remain connected to the tree’s root!  (John 15:5)

Aaron’s sons Nadab & Abihu chose to offer unauthorized fire to the Lord, and they got toasted for it!  Despite the efforts of Hebrew scholars to protect Moses’ image (changing the spelling of Moses’ name in Scripture), God has allowed it to be exposed that Moses’ grandson initiated pagan worship.  (Judges 18:30)

“Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.”  Judges 18:30 (NKJV)

Moody University’s Dr. Michael Rydelnik, in the New American Commentary Studies The Messianic Hope, exposes the Hebrew Masoretic Bible compilers’ wrongful edit.

“This verse records the establishment of the first pagan priesthood in Israel.  The consonantal text’s original reading indicated that “msh” (Mosheh or Moses) was the grandfather of Jonathan, the founder of this pagan priesthood.  The Masoretes inserted the raised letter “n” (or “nun”), making the word read “mnsh” (Menasseh or Manasseh).  According to the Hebrew scholar Tov, the suspended “nun” was a correction of ‘an earlier reading which ascribed the erecting of the idol in Dan to one of the descendants of Moses…the addition can therefore be understood as a deliberate change of content.’”  Rydelnick goes on to say, “The motive for the change is critical.  Keil and Delitzsch cite R. Tanchum, who said that the written ‘Moses’ reading ought to be corrected with a suspended “nun” so that it would read ‘Manasseh.’  Keil and Delitzsch also quote Rabba bar bar Channa who argued for the ‘Manasseh’ reading ‘because it would have been ignominious to Moses to have an ungodly son.’  Therefore, the nun was suspended to protect the honor of Moses.”

Important to note is how God is no respecter of men (or their children).  We stand before the Lord as individuals, each of us called into a holy priesthood.  (1 Peter 2:9)

“And David said to Solomon: ‘My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of the Lord my God; but the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight. Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around.  His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son, and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.”’” 1 Chronicles 22:7-10 (NKJV)

Reading today’s passage, I am reminded of the old man who was bragging to a friend about  his new hearing aid.  His friend asked, “What kind is it?” The man glanced at his watch and said, “About 4:30.”  Sometimes, your response testifies that you aren’t hearing the conversation clearly!

David believed he heard the Lord say his son Solomon would build the temple.  Because the name Solomon is derived from the word “shalom,” meaning “peace,” David assumed the Lord was talking about his immediate son, Solomon.  So, David began setting aside provisions and architects & builders so Solomon could begin construction without hindrance upon David’s death.  

Indeed, Solomon oversaw the temple’s construction in Jerusalem, and the Lord blessed it with the signs of His presence.  But when the Lord was speaking to David, there was ANOTHER “Solomon” that He was ultimately referring to; Not just the boy named “Peace” (Solomon), but the man whose title is “Prince of Peace.”

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches.  I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16 (NKJV)

“The book of the genealogy of Messiah Jesus, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” Matthew 1:1 (NKJV)

Just as David had subdued all of Israel’s enemies, clearing a pathway to a peaceful reign for Solomon, God is doing so, even now, for Messiah Jesus.  That is why Jesus quoted David’s prophetic Psalm 110:1, where David testifies to God’s statement of the certainty of security for the Messiah’s Kingdom.  

“The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.’”  Matthew 22:44 (HCSB)

The temple in Jerusalem was beautiful, but the kingdom of Solomon became corrupted.  Only the Kingdom of Jesus is established FOREVER.  (1 Chronicles 22:10)

“So Gad came to David and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Choose for yourself, either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the Lord—the plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.” Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.’ And David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress.  Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.’” 1 Chronicles 21:11-13 (NKJV)

When I was a boy living in Shreveport, Louisiana, I recall opening the door of our home and chatting with a man who was holding a clipboard.  He asked me about various aspects of our lives, and I was happy to oblige.  When I think about that moment today, I would be terrified to know my own children would open the door to a stranger, much less carry on a 30-minute conversation!  But those were different days, and people had more trust back then.  It turns out the man was with the United States Census Bureau, and he was gathering information for our government.  

Given my pleasant experience with census takers for many years, I was perplexed why King David’s census was considered evil by the Lord.  Furthermore, why was Joab, the head of David’s army, so against it?  David’s census was sinful because David was not taking God at His Word, that He would establish David’s kingdom.  David was not interested in counting heads; he counted who was “for” or “against” him.  He had stopped walking by faith and trusted his own eyesight, what he could see and account for.  Obviously, the census must have revealed that the majority of “Israel” was against David’s anointed kingship.  (**At that time, the kingdom was divided by those who were still influenced by Saul’s hatred of David {aka Israel} and those who supported David {David’s family tribe Judah, plus some of the Levites}).  Hence, God’s fury broke out against “Israel.”

Once David saw the gravity of his sin, (that his lack of faith had led to the destruction of the very people he was anointed to shepherd), his heart for his “enemies” turned toward empathy.  David, the fearful king, turned back into David, the shepherd.  He pleaded with the Lord that His discipline would be turned from the people and directly onto himself; it was his own sin that led to their plague.  (Hebrews 12:5-11)

“And David said to God, ‘Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered?  I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done?  Let Your hand, I pray, O Lord my God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.’”  1 Chronicles 21:17 (NKJV)

We are reminded of the sinless One, the “Son of David,” who gave His life for us.

“I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:11 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Chronicles 20. Click the links below to watch or listen now.

“It happened after this that Nahash the king of the people of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place. Then David said, ‘I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.’ So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father.  And David’s servants came to Hanun in the land of the people of Ammon to comfort him.  And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun, ‘Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you?  Did his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?’ Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. Then some went and told David about the men; and he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed.  And the king said, ‘Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.’ When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the people of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Syrian Maacah, and from Zobah.” 1 Chronicles 19:1-6 (NKJV)

In the midst of a rapid-fire retelling of David’s various conquests, the author of 1 Chronicles slows down to focus on an incident of disrespect and public humiliation.  David’s ambassadors have been stripped naked, their beards & heads shaved.  This disrespect is in stark contrast to chapter 8, where Tou, king of Hamath, chooses to stand alongside David when he learns how David had conquered Hamath’s mortal enemy.  It reminds us of how we must choose to embrace Jesus or fight against Him after we learn He has conquered our enemies, death & Satan.  Yesterday, a king blessed Israel, and he was blessed; today, a king curses Israel, and he is destroyed.

“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:3 (NKJV)

Perhaps we should consider what God considers to be an act of war.

“Adulterers and adulteresses!  Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4 (NKJV)

It is true that God did not send Messiah Jesus into the world to condemn people on the occasion of His first coming.  (John 3:16-18)  And God wants none to perish, but for all to come unto repentance.  (2 Peter 3:9)  But that does not mean there is not a reckoning forthcoming.  Jesus’ second coming will not be a heartfelt counseling session.  He will enact vengeance as David rode out to avenge his ambassadors.

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.  He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31 (NKJV)  (Matthew 7:21-23)

“David took the gold shields carried by Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem. From Tibhath and Cun, Hadadezer’s cities, David also took huge quantities of bronze, from which Solomon made the bronze reservoir, the pillars, and the bronze articles.  When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Tou and Hadadezer had fought many wars. Hadoram brought all kinds of gold, silver, and bronze items. King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had carried off from all the nations—from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and the Amalekites. 1 Chronicles 18:7-ll (HCSB)

Whether or not you like the New York Yankees baseball team, you must admit their winning tradition is impressive. Sure, you can argue that they spend too much money on players or that they are overhyped, but the fact is they almost always have a winning season, even if they don’t go to the World Series. People expect the Yankees to win, and, quite frankly, we are surprised when they lose. Winning can be that way; winning can become so routine that it becomes boring. That is kind of how we felt about Israel during the early part of David’s reign. They just win so much that we lose interest in the narrative.  

We must resist the urge to skip past the next two chapters because God is trying to communicate something to us who seek His Word: 1) Battles will still come to the faithful. His “shalom” (peace) is not the absence of conflict. His peace passes understanding precisely because we have hope in the midst of conflict. 2) Trials that we face will ultimately be won by His power. Notice how David is fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham.

“Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses sue you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV)

The nations who curse David and war against Israel are defeated and David takes their spoils. Those who fear David and seek to make peace with Israel willingly offer up their wealth as gifts. As a result, they fall under David’s protection. And what did David do with those spoils? He set them aside to honor the Lord.

“Now David said, ‘Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparation for it.’ So David made abundant preparations before his death.” 1 Chronicles 22:5 (NKJV)

“Now it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, ‘See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.’  But it happened that night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, ‘Go and tell My servant David, “Thus says the Lord: You shall not build Me a house to dwell in. For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent and from one Tabernacle to another. Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, have I ever spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’”1 Chronicles 17:1-6 (NKJV)

It was a beautiful night up there on the roof of David’s cedar palace.  Beef BB-Q, roasted vegetables, choice Golan wine, Levitical band, and singers echoing through the alleyways…all complete with a perfect view of the Tabernacle, the tent where the ark of the covenant resided.  But something is eating at King David as he stares down at the Tabernacle.  Is it right for the king to live in a house of cedar while the ark of the Lord is in a tent?  David thought not, so he declared to his best friend, the prophet Nathan, that he would build the Lord a house of cedar like the king’s palace.  It seems like a benevolent gesture, but nobody asks God if He wants a house.  Nobody considers that the sheer presence of the Tabernacle is a hint that Israel will someday be in exile again.  Perhaps that is why the Levites (whose job was to minister at the Tabernacle) had no inheritance in the land.  Their inheritance was to serve the Lord.  Because so, the Levites could keep their inheritance, no matter where the Lord caused (or drove) them to dwell.

“At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand before Yahweh to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as it is today. For this reason, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance like his brothers; the Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord your God told him.” Deuteronomy 10:8-9 (HCSB)

The problem with a temple is that temples themselves, with all of their opulence, can be worshipped more than the God they are built to honor.  Temples can also house idols.  Pagan practices incorporated into temple worship can defile a temple and infuriate God, as the bed of an adulterer can be defiled and disgust the spurned spouse.  Then, God must seize the worshipful attention of His people by dramatic means.  Only when Israel is ready to worship the Lord again will He allow the temple to be rebuilt.  But, we are getting ahead of the story.  No, David will not build a temple for God.  His son, Solomon, will.  But it will be destroyed, as will the temple that is rebuilt.  (Ezra 1:1-3)  

Ultimately, we await the New Jerusalem, the everlasting temple-city (Revelation 21:2), where Messiah Jesus builds a house for us! (John 14:1-3)

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.  Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.  For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.  Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place.  Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and strength.  Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him.  Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!  Tremble before Him, all the earth.  The world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved.” 1 Chronicles 16:23-30 (NKJV)

Many years ago, my family moved to suburban Chicago.  Having never lived outside “Dixie,” we were so excited to learn that Chicago had “Little Italy” and “Chinatown” sections of the city, not to mention thriving Eastern European & Latino cultures.  Growing up in Arkansas, Taco Bell was the most exotic thing we ever experienced!  So, we would take these day trips to the various ethnic centers of Chicago, and the whole experience was amazing.  Still, even though we had a good time living among the hospitable Italians, Chinese, Polish, etc., for a day, there was the lingering reality that we were foreigners on their turf.  I never walked away from those areas of town with a compelling desire to learn their language, explore their literature & philosophers, or adopt their traditional dress, apart from the random T-shirt.  At the end of the day, we were sheep of a different fleece.

Whenever we read the TANAKH (Old Testament), it is easy to simply view the narrative as pure history with little to no application for today’s world.  And while there is a growing multitude of Jewish believers in Yeshua (Jesus), for the vast majority of Christians, the Old Testament recounts the history of a foreign people.  For so many folks, they might as well be reading about the history of the Ming Dynasty.  Perhaps that is why so few Christians read the Old Testament.  It may also explain why most Christians don’t read their New Testaments, either, for that matter.  After all, the entire Bible (Genesis-Revelation) is a Jewish book written by Jewish guys who primarily explain to other Jewish guys that Jesus is the Messiah.  All the while, they are trying to figure out how to cope with all those Gentiles who were coming to faith in the Jewish Messiah!

In today’s passage, the Lord reminds us that He is not just the God of Israel (the Jewish people).  Rather, He is the God of the whole earth!  After all, He created the whole earth with all its people.  All religion, apart from that written in the Bible, is man-made and, hence, false.  God’s hatred of false gods is inflexible; He says the world He created is firmly established and shall not be moved.  And He underscores Israel’s reason for existing as His “Chosen”: To glorify His Name and tell of His wondrous works, in the hope that people who are weak in their faith will be encouraged and that people who do not know Him will turn from their sin, embrace Him and His Word, and receive salvation. (Gen 22:15-18; Acts 17:22-31) This has ALWAYS been His desire for ALL people throughout history.  Biblical history is also OUR story.

“And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. He said to them, ‘You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it.  For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.’ So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.”  1 Chronicles 15:11-15 (NKJV)

Today’s passage contains some information that is usually passed over whenever pastors teach the story of the Ark’s return.  Typically, the emphasis & application revolve around whether the ark was to be carried or carted.  Then, we become somewhat distracted by David’s scandalous, near-naked worship dancing.  (As would I if my pastor were to attempt a reenactment!)  But in chapter 15, we notice David rebuked the Levites, who either 1) rebelled against moving the ark away from the Tabernacle or 2) were ignorant of God’s requirements.  First, let’s consider God’s command for the Levites to bear the ark, literally to “shoulder” the burden.   No Levite should have been unaware of this most simple responsibility.

“At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day.”  Deuteronomy 10:8 (NKJV)

While we cannot be certain that the Levites were on board with the idea of David’s kingship or whether the ark should be moved, 1 Chronicles 13 gives us a clue as to the Levites’ potential ignorance concerning how to interface with the ark.

“And David said to all the assembly of Israel, ‘If it seems good to you, and if it is of the Lord our God, let us send out to our brethren everywhere who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and their common-lands, that they may gather together to us; and let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul.’” 1 Chronicles 13:2-3 (NKJV)

At some point during Saul’s reign, the Levites stopped inquiring of the Lord at the ark.  Most likely, they quit when God withdrew His counsel from Saul.  

“But Samuel said to Saul, ‘I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.’” 1 Samuel 15:26 (NKJV)

We, too, have a responsibility to “shoulder  .”And it seems that many believers in our generation have lost what it means to “take up your cross, daily.” (Luke 9:23)

“Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, with masons and carpenters, to build him a house.  So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.  Then David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David begot more sons and daughters. And these are the names of his children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.”  1 Chronicles 14:1-7 (NKJV)

On a fly-over, today’s chapter looks very positive.  Tyre’s king, Hiram, is building David a moth-proof (cedar) castle while the Lord guides David to victory over his most bitter enemies, the Philistines.  But check out the titles of chapters 13 & 15: The Ark Brought From Kirjath Jearim; The Ark Brought To Jerusalem.  All of the action from today’s chapter occurs when God’s ark is not in close proximity.  King Hiram promises to build David a house during a season when David is not regularly seeking the Lord.  Sure, when he needs to fight a battle, David seeks God, but allowing a foreign king (along with multiple marriages and children born to foreign women) to establish his “house” (dynasty)?  Not the type of thing we like to hear from the man “after God’s own heart.”  Eventually, in chapter 15, the ark returns.  Perhaps some guilt wells up in David as he gazes upon God’s tent.

“Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, ‘See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.’ Then Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.’ But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, ‘Go and tell My servant David, “Thus says the Lord: Would you build a house for Me to dwell in?”’” 2 Samuel 7:1-5 (NKJV)

Today, we have a stern reminder that our hope, security, and, dare we say, “dynasty” will never be firmly established through worldly channels.  And by no means will we establish God’s kingdom through worldly methods or strategic relationships with non-believers!  God does not need us to build His house; we need Him to build ours, through the One whose title is “Son of David,” Messiah Jesus.  (Matthew 1:1)

“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son.  If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you.  Your throne shall be established forever.” 2 Samuel 7:12-16 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Chronicles 13. Click the links below to watch or listen now

“Other Benjamites and men from Judah also went to David at the stronghold.  David went out to meet them and said to them, ‘If you have come in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you, but if you have come to betray me to my enemies even though my hands have done no wrong, may the God of our ancestors look on it and judge.’  Then the Spirit took control of Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said: ‘We are yours, David, we are with you, son of Jesse!  Peace, peace to you, and peace to him who helps you, for your God helps you.  So David received them and made them leaders of his troops.” 1 Chronicles 12:16-18 (HCSB)

David was in a sticky situation.  He was running for his life, hiding in a cave (aka the stronghold), and he had no idea whom he could trust.  Then, people started showing up, ringing the doorbell, and asking if they could see David, the fugitive!  Think about it for a moment.  How secure was David’s stronghold if 400 strangers could find it?  For that matter, how stupid was Saul that he and his army could not find it?  Only the Lord can supply the friends you need while keeping your enemies at bay.   But I digress… The narrative (of the same instance in today’s passage) in 1 Samuel 22 helps us understand what a complicated situation David was dealing with.

“David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam.  So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him.  So he became captain over them.  And there were about four hundred men with him.  Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, ‘Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.’ So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.” 1 Samuel 22:1-4 (NKJV)

When we combine the two instances (1 Chronicles 6 and 1 Samuel 22), we see that 400 men showed up, and David chose 30 to be captains over them.  Of what did David’s interview process consist?  One question with a caveat: “Do you come in peace, to help me?  If so, I will be united with you; if not, the Lord will be against you.” (Isaiah 48:22; Ezekiel 13:9-11)

I like how the Bible notes the response of Amasai came when, “the Spirit took control” of him.  The original language translates as “the Spirit clothed Himself with Amasai  .”Once Amasai had determined in his heart to follow David and fully immerse himself in that subordinate role, the Spirit-filled him as he uttered the words of allegiance.  Likewise, when we faithfully choose in our hearts to repent and follow the “Son of David,” Jesus (Matt 1:1), we receive the Holy Spirit, Who dwells inside us.

“Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 (HCSB)

“All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, ‘Here we are, your own flesh and blood. Even when Saul was king, you led us out to battle and brought us back.  The Lord your God also said to you, “You will shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over My people Israel.”’ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron.  David made a covenant with them at Hebron in the Lord’s presence, and they anointed David king over Israel, in keeping with the Lord’s word through Samuel.”  1 Chronicles 11:1-3 (HCSB)

In contrast to chapter 10, where Saul perished because He abandoned God’s Word, David’s kingdom is miraculously established.  God’s favor is on David, and He is going before him in battle.  Not just militarily, God is also turning the hearts of the people toward David.  After a season where the best fighting men from throughout Israel were drafted into the army to hunt down David and his men, we have this statement of allegiance, “We are your own flesh and blood. ”Only God can do that!  David, the “man after God’s own heart,” lives within the blessing set apart for those who pursue God rightly.  

But we know David’s story, don’t we?  We know David will not remain faithful in certain situations.  And we see God’s favor lift off of him.  Nathan, the prophet, had the difficult job of pronouncing the Lord’s rebuke to his friend (and king), David.

“Nathan replied to David, ‘You are the man!  This is what the Lord God of Israel says: “I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more.  Why, then have you despised the command of the Lord by doing what I consider evil?  You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife—you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword. Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own wife.” This is what the Lord says, “I am going to bring disaster on you from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them publicly. You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.”’” 2 Samuel 12:7-12 (HCSB)

So, at this point, we ask ourselves, “If David, God’s anointed, cannot maintain a righteous relationship with God, how can ANY man stand before Him?”  Perhaps it helps to keep reading.  Because salvation (throughout the Bible) has always been by God’s Grace, through faith in Him.  Instead of asking how we can maintain righteousness before God, we should ask what He requires for us to return to Him whenever we fall.  We confess our sin and turn from it.  And He forgives us.  (1 John 1:9)

“David responded to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Then Nathan replied to David, ‘The Lord has taken away your sin; you will not die.’” 2 Samuel 12:13 (HCSB)

“Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the Lord’s word. He even consulted a medium for guidance, but he did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.” 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (HCSB)

In my years of ministry, I have served at many funerals. And funerals can bring out the worst of people. I recall one hot summer afternoon at a national cemetery in Riverside, California, when family members got into a fistfight over who owned dad’s Lincoln Continental.  On another occasion, I watched a falcon shoot out of a tree and attack one of the doves released at the memorial of an Air Force fighter pilot.  Somewhat fitting, I suppose. The dove owner screamed, “NO!” but the old pilot’s kids laughed and said, “That’s so like our dad!  He would have hated doves.”  

One afternoon, I was summoned to the office of a pastor who wanted to discuss the music for an upcoming funeral of a lady who had passed away in her mid-50s. “That is really young,” I noted. He replied, “Yeah. Lung cancer. Cigarettes killed her.” The same could be said of Saul. Saul’s own sword did him in, and Philistine arrows brought him to the point of suicide. But it was the idolatry that killed him.  

How did Saul, the Lord’s anointed king for Israel, fall out of the Lord’s protection and provision? He simply began disregarding God’s Word. Ignoring God’s Word led to Saul’s seeking wicked counsel, literally a witch! Then, he became the ultimate mocker of God’s Word when he began pursuing David, who was so steeped in God’s Word (at that season of his life) to the point that he would not even fight back against Saul. Perhaps that is why David wrote song #1 in Israel’s hymnal because it mentions the same downward pattern for anyone who departs from the Bible.

“How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers!  Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2 (HCSB)

With that in mind, consider Messiah Jesus’ description of how His followers should equate Bible pursuit (and its faithful application to their lives) with loving Him.

“Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.  My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”  John 14:23 (HCSB)

Jesus isn’t saying that we are saved by obeying His Word. We are saved by Grace through Faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). In essence, He is saying, “If you are truly saved, you should pursue My Word with the intent to know it, live according to it, and share it with others.” If rejecting the Word led to Saul’s death, consider Ezra’s life.

“Now Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the Lord, obey it, and teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.” Ezra 7:10 (HCSB)

“These are the singers, heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites, who lodged in the chambers, and were free from other duties; for they were employed in that work day and night.  These heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites were heads throughout their generations.  They dwelt in Jerusalem.” 1 Chronicles 9:33-34 (NKJV)

No doubt, today’s passage is a nugget of Scripture that every worship leader would like mentioned at their annual job review.  The words “free from other duties” are convenient whenever the pastor calls for staff members to “up their game” and volunteer during their off hours!  But before any music staffers claim 1 Chronicles 9:33 as their life verse, perhaps they should take notice that music was required day and night, every day and night.

In 1796, a cabinet-maker named C.F. Martin founded the Martin Guitar Company in New York City.  Guitar making was a craft he had learned from his violin-making father, Johann Georg Martin, in Germany.  These days, Martin Guitar Company is run by Chris Martin IV, the great-great-great-grandson of the company’s founder.  It is safe to say that before a “Martin” child is born, their career in guitar manufacturing has already been determined!

In today’s chapter, notice the term “throughout their generations.” The Lord reminds the Levites that their duties/careers had been pre-assigned before they were even born!  Specific tasks were assigned to each specific family among the Levites.  And they were to teach their children how to do the family ministry task perpetually.  There was no discussion, “But I want to be a dentist!” If your family carried the poles to the tabernacle, that would be your job.  In our post-modern culture, the idea of a pre-determined occupation is like a pie-in-the-face of individual liberty.  But take a step back and consider that the God of all creation has given you a role to play in His kingdom.  And that role is so vital that He personally chose for you to be born into your specific family with its specific task so that you can be trained to both execute and revere your calling to His glory.

Before you laugh off this notion that the Lord pre-assigned work for specific people in ancient days, remember that He has also selected specific work for YOU!

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV)

The Levites had no real estate inheritance in the Promised Land.  Their inheritance was to serve the Lord; hence, their dwelling places had to be allocated from among the other tribes’ land.  But when Israel was eventually driven from the land because of their rampant idolatry, the Levites were the only tribe to retain their inheritance.  Likewise, there is no “Christian homeland.”  Our inheritance is to serve the Lord!

“Ner begot Kish, Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal. 1 Chronicles 8:33 (NKJV)

Today’s chapter is devoted entirely to the family tree of “King Saul of Benjamin.”  It’s interesting how the author of 1 Chronicles (Ezra, who taught the exiles returning from Babylonian captivity how to fear the Lord rightly and who most likely compiled the Old Testament) wanted to stress how the values of the tribe of Benjamin led to Saul’s wicked reign and continued beyond him to his son, Esh-Baal.

Esh-Baal is known as “Ishbosheth” in 2 Samuel 2:8.  After the death of Saul and his sons Jonathan, Malchishua, and Abinadab (1 Samuel 31), Abner, commander of Saul’s army, attempted to establish Esh-Baal (Ishbosheth) as king, in place of David.

“David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, The Lord bless you, because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord when buried him. Now, may the Lord show kindness and faithfulness to you, and I will also show the same goodness to you because you have done this deed. Therefore, be strong and courageous, for though Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.’  Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth and moved him to Mahanaim.  He made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin – over all Israel.” 2 Samuel 2:5-9 (HCSB)

There are times in the Bible when the Lord commands the army of Israel to “completely destroy” an enemy.  And there are times when He directs a more merciful approach.  Skeptics may suggest that God is merciless when He declares total war, but we must never put the character of God on trial.  We must simply trust that He knows who will repent and follow Him and who will not.  Today, God has allowed us to peer into His wisdom so that we may trust Him, regardless of whether He chooses to extend mercy or levy judgment.  Just the mention of Esh-Baal should strike loathing in the reader.  Frankly, the mention of the tribe of Benjamin itself (harkening to its historically dubious value system) should make us bristle.

“So all the men of Israel gathered united against the city. Then the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, ‘What is this outrage that has occurred among you? Hand over the perverted men in Gibeah so we can put them to death and eradicate evil from Israel.’  But the Benjaminites would not obey their fellow Israelites.  Instead, the Benjaminites gathered together from their cities to Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites.” Judges 20:11-14 (HCSB)

Lest we be prejudiced toward all Benjaminites, today’s chapter also mentions Merib-Baal (aka Mephibosheth,  2 Samuel 21:7), reminding us of God’s grace to the meek.

“The sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eladah his son, Tahath his son, Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead.  The men of Gath who were born in that land killed them because they came down to take away their cattle. Then Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.  And when he went in to his wife, she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name Beriah, because tragedy had come upon his house. Now his daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon and Uzzen Sheerah; and Rephah was his son, as well as Resheph, and Telah his son, Tahan his son, Laadan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, Nun his son, and Joshua his son.  1 Chronicles 7:20-27 (NKJV)

When I was a boy, my father used to drive slowly through neighborhoods, peering intently into backyards and garages.  No, my dad wasn’t a criminal; he was looking for cars to buy.  He was crazy about sports cars.  How crazy?  He has owned over 100 Corvettes!  He has also owned over 100 MG’s, alongside a myriad of British and American muscle and racing cars…and even today, he shows no signs of stopping.  Crazy?  Indeed.  So, you can imagine how boring it was for a grade school boy riding shotgun while his father knocked on the doors of strangers and chatted with them about their automobiles.  It was about as boring as reading genealogies in the Bible!  But, quite often, my dad would skip back to the car with a huge smile on his face and say, “Let’s go!” and the next thing I’d know, we would be riding home in an exotic new ride.  Score!

When we read the story of Ephraim’s genealogy, and the name of a city called Gath is mentioned, we are intended to stop, like my father when he spied some chrome peeking out from under a tarp in a stranger’s garage.  We put our Bibles in park and ponder, “Where have I seen that name?  It sounds familiar….”  That process is called meditating on Scripture.

“And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.” 1 Samuel 17:4 (NKJV)

So, what is a man from Gath, the city of giants, doing in Egypt at a time when Joseph’s (aka Prince of Egypt) son was still alive, yet hundreds of years before Moses led the people out during the Exodus?  We must only assume the same famine that drove Jacob and Co. to Egypt (Genesis 41:54) also forced other peoples from the land of Canaan to seek provision.  It is interesting how the memory of murderers from Gath (during the days of Ephraim) was passed down throughout the generations.  Perhaps, even more intriguing is how Ephraim’s descendant, Joshua (son of Nun), is also mentioned in today’s genealogy.  Furthermore, it was Joshua’s (along with Caleb’s) courage despite the report of “giants in the land” in Numbers 13 and 18 that earned him the right to eventually lead Israel into the promised land by God’s grace when he placed his faith in God’s promise instead of clinging to the fears of past defeat.  (Numbers 14:6-9; Joshua 24:15)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Chronicles 6. Click the links below to watch or listen.

“Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s…“  1 Chronicles 5:1-3 (NKJV)

Today’s chapter focuses our attention to the Biblical ideas of “Birthright” and “Blessing.”  Biblical birthright is the right bestowed to the firstborn male to lead the family spiritually.  (That spiritual leadership is primarily after the father has passed on.)  Furthermore, the paternal “father” was not the sole determiner of birthright; it was also determined by the mother.  In the Bible, we first see the concept of that father/mother conveyance of birthright in Genesis 21.

“But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.’” Genesis 21:9-10 (ESV)

(For New Testament clarification of this instance, see also Romans 9:6-8)

While the birthright is conveyed through very specific terms, it is also transferable to another child if the firstborn son refuses to follow God and be a spiritual leader.

“Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field exhausted.  He said to Jacob, ‘Let me eat some of that red stuff, because I’m exhausted.’ That is why he was also named Edom.  Jacob replied, ‘First sell me your birthright.’  ‘Look,’ said Esau, ‘I’m about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?’  Jacob said, ‘Swear to me first.’ So he swore to Jacob and sold his birthright to him. Then Jacob gave bread and lentil stew to Esau; he ate, drank, got up, and went away.  So Esau despised his birthright.”  Genesis 25:29-34 (HCSB)

Blessing is different from Birthright.  Blessing is the byproduct of leading spiritually.  The Blessing naturally follows when a person answers the call to spiritually lead.

“But he replied, ‘Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.’  So he said, ‘Isn’t he rightly named Jacob?  For he has cheated me twice now.  He took my birthright, and look, now he has taken my blessing.’ Then he asked, ‘Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?’” Genesis 27:35-36 (HCSB)

While Jacob used deceptive measures to secure the Blessing, he suffered because of how he acquired it.  Peaceful Blessing did not come until Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord (Messiah) and was blessed by Him. Jacob’s decision to become singularly focused on living up to the character of the Birthright led to his being blessed.  That is 1 Chronicles 5 in a nutshell: When Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh led according to God’s Word, they were blessed.  But, their rejection of the Lord (in favor of idolatry) diminished blessing, leading to exile.

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.  His mother named him Jabez and said, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez called out to the God of Israel: ‘If only You would bless me, extend my border, let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm, so that I will not cause any pain.’ And God granted his request.” 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (HCSB)

In the winter of 2000, I walked into a management meeting with my band, Big Tent Revival.  A few weeks earlier, we had the #1 song on Christian Radio, Choose Life.  The band and management expected to discuss an upcoming tour and the next radio single.  But that meeting took a different turn when I announced that I felt the Lord was leading me away from the band to focus more time on raising my family.  Unexpected news is often unwelcome news.  While not everyone agreed that the band should break up, we eventually coped with the reality that the company was actually dissolving.  We then set out like gentlemen to honor the Lord.  In the months following that decision (to shut down the band), Big Tent Revival performed all of our contracted concert obligations.  We paid all of our T-Shirt and merchandise vendors, sold our tour bus, semi and trailer, sound and lights, and set a target date for our last concert: New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2000.  Riverside CA.

In the fall of 2000, about a month before Big Tent Revival played our last concert, someone handed me a book that had just been released by Multnomah Books, authored by a gentleman named Bruce Wilkinson.  The book was called “The Prayer of Jabez,” and it centered around today’s passage, 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.  I was interested in the book because I had never heard of this guy, Jabez.  Growing up, I never heard anyone preach about Jabez, and none of my hip-music business friends talked about him.  The book quickly became a best-seller, and then things got weird.  Soon, churches all over the globe were praying the “prayer of Jabez” as if it were some sort of incantation to stir up the Lord to do whatever they wanted Him to do.  As you can imagine (or perhaps you experienced firsthand), a tremendous amount of controversy was stirred up.  Skeptics began refuting Bruce Wilkinson’s hermeneutic and “prosperity” theological leanings.

So, there I was.  A guy who had followed the Lord and whose recent decisions had caused quite a few people a considerable amount of inconvenience.  I had no plan for how I was going to earn a living after the band played its last concert.  So, I read the book and was encouraged.  I also asked God why He included the passage in His Word.  Jabez’s story seemed tailor-fit for my situation yet did not include directions concerning how I should apply its message.   In the end, here is what we know about how Mr. Jabez relates to us.  If we call upon the Lord, He is available and concerned.

“When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will 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.” 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NKJV)

“These were David’s sons who were born to him in Hebron: Amnon was the firstborn, by Ahinoam of Jezreel; Daniel was born second, by Abigail of Carmel; Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur, was third; Adonijah son of Haggith was fourth; Shephatiah, by Abital, was fifth; and Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah, was sixth.  Six sons were born to David in Hebron, where he ruled seven years and six months, and he ruled in Jerusalem 33 years.  These sons were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon.  These four were born to him by Bath-shua daughter of Ammiel.  David’s other sons: Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine sons.  These were all David’s sons, with their sister Tamar, in addition to the sons by his concubines.”  1 Chronicles 3:1-9 (HCSB)

Who knew David had so many children?  We typically only think of Absalom (the rebel) and Solomon (the wise-king-turned-idolater).  And how about those wives?  Most people only know of Michal (Saul’s daughter) and Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife).  So, what are we to learn from these other women and children?  They seem to have been trouble for David.  Was there a time when God actually encouraged multiple wives?  Simple answer: No.  

Sure, God allowed multiple wives (and ancient Middle-Eastern secular culture had no problem with it), but we never see Him command it, nor do we see anything positive come from it.  Just because God allows a scenario to occur in Scripture does not necessarily mean He endorses it.  Multiple spouses always lead to conflict.  And the battle between spouses led to conflict between siblings.  Eventually, the question arises, “Who inherits the birthright and blessing?”  Consider how the apostle Paul in the New Testament describes the difference between children of the multiple-wife marriages of the patriarchs and how only one spouse carried the “child of the promise.”

“But it is not as though the word of God has failed.  For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants.  On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac. That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring. For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son. And not only that, but also Rebekah received a promise when she became pregnant by one man, our ancestor Isaac. For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election [to His design] might stand— not from works but from the One who calls—she was told: The older will serve the younger. As it is written: I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.”  Romans 9:6-13 (HCSB)

It is good to know that Messiah Jesus has only ONE bride, the Church!  (Ephesians 5:25-27; Isaiah 54:5; Revelation 19:7-9; Revelation 21:9; 2 Corinthians 11:2)

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“The sons of Judah were Er, Onan and Shelah.  These three were born to him by the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess.  Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; so He killed him.  And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, bore him Perez and Zerah.  All the sons of Judah are five.” 1 Chronicles 2:3-4 (NKJV)

Do you remember your great-great-grandfather on your father’s side?  Perhaps you have researched an ancestry website and discovered his name.  You may have even uncovered some military and civic records, but you probably do not know his worldview, how he treated his neighbors, or whether he loved his kids enough to spend time with them after work.  But, chances are, your values for those exact aspects of life were shaped by your relatives, two or three generations removed.  Values are passed down throughout the generations by those people with whom we live in close proximity.  Values aren’t taught; they are caught.

With that in mind, it is important for us to understand that genealogies in the Bible are more than just a list of ancestors.  They are telling the history of a person’s values instead of communicating a direct narrative.  So, a phrase like “son of…son of…son of…” conveys a familial pattern of either sin or righteousness.  Basically, “He is no different from his father, who was no different from his…”.  And the Lord, speaking through the Bible writers, assumes that every Israelite was seeking His Word every day.  (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)  Therefore, He does not feel the need to keep telling their stories.  He just mentions the characters, and we should already know the story by heart.  The fact that most Christians get bored in the genealogies is more a testimony to their Biblical illiteracy than a commentary on how boring the genealogies are!

Now, to today’s passage, notice how the tribe of Judah - the family through whom Messiah would come - was rife with Jews who acted like pagan Gentiles and Gentiles who acted like righteous Jews.  By verse 17 in today’s chapter, King David’s own sister has a child by an Ishmaelite!  (see also: 2 Samuel 17:25)  The New Testament begins with a similar genealogy, albeit a more gracious retelling.

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.  Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.  Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.”  Mathew 1:1-6 (NKJV)

Notice how Matthew 1:1 calls Jesus “Son of David, Son of Abraham.”   David, the shepherd of Israel; Abraham, the Gentile from Ur who heeded the call of the Lord.  Not only was Jesus’ genealogy (the tribe of Judah) mixed between Jew and Gentile, but He came to save Jew and Gentile: In short, He came to save the World.  (John 3:16-17)

“Two sons were born to Eber.  One of them was named Peleg because the earth was divided during his lifetime, and the name of his brother was Joktan. Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All of these were Joktan’s sons.  Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and Abram (that is, Abraham).  Abraham’s sons: Isaac and Ishmael.” 1 Chronicles 1:19-28 (HCSB)

Arms folded, feet up and crossed on the table.  That is how he sat, the scoffer pastor who laughed at my idea of leading people through the entire Bible, a chapter a day.  “They may follow you through the New Testament, but when you get to Numbers and Leviticus, you will lose half of them!  And you will lose the rest when you get mired in those genealogies in 1st Chronicles!” So, will you quit today and prove the scoffer right?  Or will you muddle through these next few days to discover why the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, included this holy roll call in His eternal Word?

Today, we focus on the sons of Eber: Peleg and Joktan.  The Bible tells us Peleg’s name means “divided.”  And with a little research, we discover his brother’s name means “small.”  A fairly bleak outlook, huh?  Divided and Small.  Those words describe Israel in the days when a terrified Gideon was visited by the Messiah (Angel of the Lord), Who sat beside Gideon and pronounced his calling.

“Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Judges 6:12 (HCSB)

Divided and Small was how Jacob felt as he nervously awaited the reunion between himself and his brother Esau, whom Jacob deceived and Esau swore to kill years earlier.  

“I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant.  Indeed, I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two camps.” Genesis 32:10 (HCSB)

Later that night, Messiah (Angel of the Lord) would wrestle with Jacob and elicit Jacob’s immense single-minded profession: “I will not let you go!”

Divided and Small is what Messiah (Jesus) prayed against in the upper room.

“I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message.  May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me.” John 17:20-21 (HCSB)

Are you feeling Divided and Small?  Put your trust in Messiah Jesus!  He will make you whole (John 5:6-KJV), and He will never cast you out.  (John 6:37)  Remember, God shines brightest when the days are at their darkest.  (See also: Abraham)

“On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah’s King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison. He spoke kindly to him and set his throne over the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and he dined regularly in the presence of the king of Babylon for the rest of his life.  As for his allowance, a regular allowance was given to him by the king, a portion for each day, for the rest of his life.” 2 Kings 25:27-30 (HCSB)

Anne Moody was a college student who was active in the American civil rights movement in Mississippi in the 1960s.  At one time, part of the civil rights strategy involved sending black students to “white” churches during Sunday morning service.  Sometimes police officers were waiting along with ushers.  It was common for black students to be turned away.  But there was one Episcopal church they entered, where two ushers asked them to sign the guest list and ushered them to their seat.  Moody describes her reaction:

“I stood there for a good five minutes before I was able to compose myself.  I had never prayed with white people in a white church.  The church service was completed without one incident.  It was as normal as any church service.  However, it was by no means normal to me.  When the services were over, the minister invited us to visit again.  He said it as if he meant it, and I began to have a little hope.”

It was only the fact that a church did not turn her away, only the freedom to sit in a worship service with whites, only the convicting earnestness of a minister inviting her back, not much at all.  But it was enough to give her a glimpse of hope.  That is the impact that Jehoiachin’s fortunes should have on us.  We should begin to have a little hope.  In the midst of His punishment, God did not completely abandon Judah or the dignity of its king.

Matthew 1:12-16 lists the noble Messianic genealogy from Babylonian exile to Jesus’ birth.  It picks up where 2 Kings 25 leaves off.  Who would think that any sure hope from God could be hidden under this failed, dilapidated, and captive people?  At this time, Israel had lost the land (the Abraham promise) and the kingship (Davidic promise).  Read Haggai, Nehemiah, and Malachi.  Life was hard for the dispersed Jewish people.

But precisely in this time, this darkest, bleakest segment of Israel’s history, that the Messiah was given!  It was when the people were trampled, beaten down, and teetering between faith and compromise, that the “Sun of Righteousness” began to blaze.  This all sends a powerful message to America today.  It is not solely our repentance but also the Lord’s stubbornness that brings redemption.  The God of power and fury turns from His fury in Jehoiachin’s “Descendant,” Jesus.  God dispensed grace and mercy for the sake of His gracious promise while at the same time weighing judgment according to His Word.  And this should give us more than a little hope.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Kings 24. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Josiah also removed all the shrines of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the Lord. Josiah did the same things to them that he had done at Bethel. He slaughtered on the altars all the priests of the high places who were there, and he burned human bones on the altars.  Then he returned to Jerusalem.  The king commanded all the people, ‘Keep the Passover of the Lord your God as written in the book of the covenant.’  No such Passover had ever been kept from the time of the judges who judged Israel through the entire time of the kings of Israel and Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to the Lord in Jerusalem. In addition, Josiah removed the mediums, the spiritists, household idols, images, and all the detestable things that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem.  He did this in order to carry out the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the Lord’s temple. Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his mind and with all his heart and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him.”  2 Kings 23:19-25 (HCSB)

Let’s recap Josiah’s reign.  He was installed as Judah’s king at age eight, too young to have been negatively affected by his father’s idolatry.  Righteous priests taught Josiah to value worship and believe in God “as a child,” something Jesus exhorts us to do.  (Mark 10:15; Matthew 18:3; Luke 18:17)  At age 26, Josiah begins repairing the temple, worn down by years of idolatrous worship and neglect.  As the workers are repairing the temple, Hilkiah, the priest, finds the Book of the Law.  When God’s Word is read to Josiah, he realizes the seriousness of Israel’s spiritual condition.  The temple didn’t just need a new coat of paint; it needed a coat of armor!  In response, Josiah begins a campaign of tearing down the “high places,” temples, and shrines of idolatry.  More than just demolishing buildings, Josiah puts to death pagan priests in an effort to rid Judah of idolatry completely.  For Josiah’s efforts, the Lord commends him.  No other king has exemplified Deuteronomy 6:1-7 like Josiah.

One problem: You can tear down the pagan “high places” from atop the hills, but you cannot destroy the high places in the heart.  Even though Josiah swept the nation clean and idolatry became a capital offense, the people still chose to be idolatrous in private, in their hearts.  So, despite all the smoke rising from the burning pagan shrines and altars, a fire is being stoked in heaven.  God’s judgment upon Judah is imminent, and their bend towards idolatry snaps back into place when the next king takes the throne.  It is not enough to turn away from our sin; we must turn toward God and pursue Him!  Revival must permeate the hearts of the people, not just their laws.  A nation can’t sustain greatness unless its people choose the Lord’s greatness.

“In spite of all that, the Lord did not turn from the fury of His great burning anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had provoked Him with. For the Lord had said, ‘I will also remove Judah from My sight just as I have removed Israel.  I will reject this city Jerusalem, that I have chosen, and the temple about which I said ‘My name will be there.’”  2 Kings 23:26-27 (HCSB)

“Hilkiah the high priest told Shaphan the court secretary, ‘I have found the book of the law in the Lord’s temple,’ and he gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.  Then Shaphan the court secretary went to the king and reported, ‘Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the temple and have put it into the hand of those doing the work—those who oversee the Lord’s temple.’ Then Shaphan the court secretary told the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book,’ and Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.  When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. Then he commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and the king’s servant Asaiah: ‘Go and inquire of the Lord for me, the people, and all Judah about the instruction in this book that has been found.  For great is the Lord’s wrath that is kindled against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this book in order to do everything written about us.’”  2 Kings 22:8-13 (HCSB)

If ever there was a message that pinpointed our generation, this is it!  It is a clarion call for us to return to a comprehensive knowledge of God’s Word and for national reform to begin with the people of God in the house of the Lord, Bibles in hand!  

It is also a perfect example of how God accomplishes His will while mankind retains his freedom to choose.  Remember, just two chapters ago, Hezekiah was pleading for his life, and the Lord gave him fifteen extra years.  But in those fifteen years, his son, Manasseh, was born.  Manasseh is listed as the most evil king in the history of Judah.  Not only did Manasseh practice idolatry, but he also brought it into the Lord’s temple.

“Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king and reigned 55 years in Jerusalem.  His mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed and reestablished the altars for Baal.  He made an Asherah, as King Ahab of Israel had done; he also worshiped the whole heavenly host and served them. He built altars in the Lord’s temple, where the Lord had said, ‘Jerusalem is where I will put My name.’ He built altars to the whole heavenly host in both courtyards of the Lord’s temple. He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists.  He did a great amount of evil in the Lord’s sight, provoking Him.” 2 Kings 21:1-6 (HCSB)

After Manasseh died, his son Amon ruled for only two years.  As evil as his father, Amon was murdered by his subjects.  By God’s grace, Amon’s son Josiah was only eight years old (too young to be affected by his father’s idolatrous worldview) when he began to reign.  Guided by righteous priests, Josiah received God’s Word as a child, believing it by faith.  As he was clearing out his grandfather’s idols from the temple, his workmen found the Bible again!  Oh, that churches in America would have the same experience and that we would purge worldliness from among us and rediscover God’s Word so that revival would, once again, sweep across our nation!

“Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king and reigned 55 years in Jerusalem.  His mother’s name was Hephzibah.  He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed and reestablished the altars for Baal.  He made an Asherah, as King Ahab of Israel had done; he also worshiped the whole heavenly host and served them.”  2 Kings 21:1-3 (HCSB)

As we learned in 2 Kings, chapter 20, Manasseh was never God’s plan.  God planned to end Hezekiah’s life three years before Manasseh was born.  But when Isaiah informed Hezekiah of God’s plan, Hezekiah prayed that his life would be prolonged.  

“Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Please Lord, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases You.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.  Isaiah had not yet gone out of the inner courtyard when the word of the Lord came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of My people, ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears.  Look, I will heal you.  On the third day from now you will go up to the Lord’s temple. I will add 15 years to your life.  I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria.  I will defend this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”  2 Kings 20:2-6 (HCSB)

Notice how Hezekiah’s plea hinted at the idea that God owed Hezekiah something more than a life cut short, based on Hezekiah’s performance as a religious reformer and his wholehearted personal faithfulness.  We must never forget that we owe EVERYTHING to God, yet He owes us nothing.  It is not as if He has acquired some indebtedness to us per our personal spiritual merit.  We are nothing without Him!    

At the height of his reforms, Hezekiah led a campaign throughout his kingdom to tear down the “high places,” those places of pagan worship that the people of Israel had erected.  It seemed unfathomable to him that God would stop the progress.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 14:12 (HCSB)

In the words of country singer Garth Brooks, sometimes God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.  In His wisdom, God had chosen to take Hezekiah from the land of the living.  And in His wisdom, God chose to answer Hezekiah’s prayer and leave him on the earth for fifteen more years.  It is not as though Hezekiah’s prayer rendered God powerless to say no.  And only God knows why He decided to respond to Hezekiah’s request, knowing full well what those fifteen years would mean to Judah’s long-term well-being.  But at the very least, we can draw this application as a stern reminder: Always entreat the Lord, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done…” (Matthew 6:10)

“Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: The time will certainly come when everything in your palace and all that your fathers have stored up until this day will be carried off to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the Lord.  Some of your descendants who come from you will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.  Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good,’ for he thought: Why not, if there will be peace and security during my lifetime?” 2 Kings 20:16-19 (HCSB)

2 Kings, chapter 20 begins with somber news and heartfelt prayer.  The unhappy information involves Isaiah’s message from God to Hezekiah: Get your affairs in order because you are going to die.  It is the conversation nobody wants to have with their pastor, that as he was praying, God told him to tell you that your life will expire very soon.  Scripture does not mention any sin in Hezekiah’s life.  All we know of him from Scripture so far is that Hezekiah was a great reformer.  So, we feel sad for the king, empathize with him, and root for him, even against God’s Word.

When we hear Hezekiah’s heartfelt prayer, we hope God will grant his plea.  There is something in our expectation that really wants to know that God is kind and that He would reconsider His plans for our lives to be more favorable to us if we would only ask Him.  Indeed, we claim God’s Word with respect to such prayers:

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.  The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” James 5:16 (HCSB)

Could there (at times) be a difference between our sincere, heartfelt urgent requests and God’s will?  As is often the case with God’s leading of His children, God only gives the command (get your affairs in order), and He does not say why He is commanding us.  Our response to God’s lordship should involve our obedience, not questioning His wisdom.

“But who are you, a mere man, to talk back to God?  Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Romans 9:20 (HCSB)

When we doubt (or even refuse) God’s choices for our lives, we open ourselves to uncertain (and often tragic) outcomes.  We will never know how the kingdom of Judah would have fared if Hezekiah had not questioned God’s choice to take him from the land of the living.  But Scripture is very clear about two major events that occurred during those 15 extra years (given to Hezekiah) that ultimately led to the destruction of Jerusalem.  1) Manasseh, Israel’s most wickedly idolatrous king, was born during those 15 extra years.  2) Babylonian emissaries went home and told of the great riches stored in Jerusalem.  All that happened because the king would not surrender to the Lord’s plan.  Have you surrendered to God’s Lordship?  Who else might be affected by your refusal to submit to the Lord?

When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the Lord’s temple. Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, who were wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They said to him, ‘This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them. Perhaps YHWH your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke him for the words that YHWH your God has heard.  Therefore, offer a prayer for the surviving remnant.’”  2 Kings 19:1-4 (HCSB)

Hezekiah was a man who was focused on reforming the spiritual integrity of God’s people.  We must remember that the events we are reading about today happened in the era of Jewish history when the kingdom was divided.  Ten Northern tribes of the Jewish Kingdom split off, refusing to worship in Jerusalem.  In Scripture, they are referred to as “Israel  .”The remaining two tribes, Judah & Benjamin (plus various individuals who left the other tribes to worship the Lord in Jerusalem), formed what is known as the Southern Kingdom, or “Judah  .”Because the Northern Kingdom went straightway into idolatry, its decline was relatively swift.  Assyria eventually conquered Israel and drove them from the Promised Land.  Only Judah remained in the land, but there was a problem.  Judah had also begun adopting paganism to their daily routine and worship.  Notice Hezekiah’s efforts to ensure Judah did not follow the same judgment as Israel.

“He did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestor David had done. He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.  He broke into pieces the bronze snake that Moses made, for the Israelites burned incense to it up to that time.  He called it Nehushtan. Hezekiah trusted in the Lord God of Israel; not one of the kings of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. He remained faithful to Yahweh and did not turn from following Him but kept the commands the Lord had commanded Moses.  The Lord was with him, and wherever he went he prospered.  He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.  He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.” 2 Kings 18:3-8 (HCSB)

Even after all of Hezekiah’s efforts of reform, Assyria’s army was now poised to attack Jerusalem.  How discouraging, after all that Hezekiah did to drive paganism from Judah, the pagan Assyrians might yet destroy them.  Hezekiah’s response: seek the Lord through Isaiah the prophet.  When our “faith tank” is empty, and we seem entirely out of zeal and strength, it is comforting to know that the zeal of the Lord never fails!  It is His strength we must rely upon to deliver us and to fulfill His Word.

“For a remnant will go out from Jerusalem and survivors, from Mount Zion.  The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this.” 2 Kings 19:31. (HCSB)

“Then the Rabshakeh said to them, ‘Say now to Hezekiah, “Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: ‘What confidence is this in which you trust? You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words.  And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? Now look!  You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it.  So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. But if you say to me, “We trust in the Lord our God,” is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem”’?  2 Kings 18:19-22 (NKJV)

I sincerely miss those days in my early 20s when I was young in my faith.  I took the Bible at face value and boldly and unashamedly set to live out God’s Word.  I took risks based on faith, and the Lord proved Himself faithful.  As He was faithful to reveal His Word to me, I was faithful to trust His Word by obeying it, and in turn, He would bring to pass the things He led me to accomplish.  So, my faith grew.  I remember one time when car expenses had drained my bank account.  I went to the mailbox to find a letter from a friend in another city who felt the Lord had led them to write me a random bank check that turned out to be exactly what my expenses were for the rest of the month!  

I remember the first time, though, when I really felt I needed provision from the Lord, but it did not come in the time frame in which I expected it.  I got so despondent.  I was depressed, actually.  It was as if I had forgotten all the faithful things the Lord had done.  I began to doubt if any of those earlier situations were truly from the Lord or whether I had just imagined it all along.  That was the beginning of a process where I came to realize that God was building my faith to trust Him in bigger things for longer periods of time.  

Hezekiah must have felt that way, as the army of Assyria was at his gates.  Where had the God of the reforms retreated, the God who allowed Hezekiah to tear down the former high places?  It is hard for us when God seems silent.  And we must learn to trust in the One who says He will never leave of forsake us.  (Deuteronomy 31:6-8; Hebrews 13:5)   So, what was the testimony of Hezekiah when the Assyrian army came knocking?  He feared Assyria more than the Lord!  And his fear rose to the point of stripping gold and silver from the house of the Lord to pay the Assyrian king to leave.  (2 Kings 18:14-16)

But what was the testimony that the Lord wanted to hear from Hezekiah?  Notice the question the Assyrian Rabshakeh asked: “But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?” (2 Kings 18:22)   Why would he assume that the God of Israel would be angry with Hezekiah for tearing down idols?  Because of the false testimony of the Israelite priests from Samaria.  (2 Kings 17:24-29)   God allowed the Assyrian army to stand at the gate of Jerusalem so the king of Judah could testify on behalf of the true God of Israel!  How do you respond when He brings opportunities for you to testify?

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Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Kings 17. Click the links below to watch or listen now!