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II CHRONICLES The following comments are from Navigator's and Quiet Time Diary journals. One verse will be entered, then the comment, then the date. 1:7 In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask what I shall give you." Young Solomon had just become King of Israel. He knew his father David's devotion to the Lord God and wanted to continue to do the same. I chose this verse because no one has seen God, but God appeared to Solomon in this verse. I believe it was probably in a dream, as it refers to "that night." (DRM 4/8/08) 1:10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours? God had just asked Solomon what he wanted, as
he had just had 1,000 burnt offerings from the new king. 2:5 The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other Gods. Solomon is ready to build the temple and has
asked for assistance. 3:2 He began building on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. From the descriptions that I have read of
David's preparation for the temple before his death, I was surprised that
Solomon did not start the temple earlier in his reign. 5:10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. The Bible doesn't contradict itself. In Hebrews 9:4, the ark contained additional items. How can this be? My theory would be that the other items were added later. God's Word is true, and faith is required to answer questions that don't seem to agree. Many years passed between the writings. (DRM 4/8/08) 5:12 . . . and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets. . . This is part of the description of when the
Ark of the Covenant was brought to the temple. 5:14 . . . and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God. King Solomon's temple was ready to be
dedicated and the glory of the Lord arrived and filled the temple. 6:8 But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.' God knows our thoughts and intentions, He truly can read our minds. David's mind was set on building a home for God, but his son did the construction. God knows that I moved to Illinois (now three times) with a purpose - but I have yet to see how my intent will be accomplished. (DRM 4/9/08) 6:18 But will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built. This verse leads to at least two thoughts. The first is agreement that God lives in heaven and won't be living in the newly constructed temple - but at that time His Spirit did come on occasion. The second thought is that, yes, God later did - and will - dwell with mankind on earth. That's what Jesus did and will do in the future. (DRM 4/9/08) 6:23b+ Judge between your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing down on his head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty and so establish his innocence. Solomon was dedicating the new temple in
Jerusalem and most of this chapter was his prayer to God. 6:27 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people for an inheritance. This is the second half of a statement about lack of rain (droughts) that may come upon the land from the sins of the people. I was most interested in the word "teach" - referring to the Holy Spirit - and His conviction and instruction. I depend on His teaching me and conviction of sins, but it is necessary for Him to be inside of me first. (DRM 4/10/08) 6:40 "Now, O my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place." As Solomon's petitions to God ended, he hoped that the Lord God heard his prayer. At times I feel the same way. This is where faith comes in. I must believe that the Lord God hears my prayers and is working on my behalf. Since we know history, we know how the Lord answered Solomon's prayers - and have assurance that He will answer mine (ours) also. (DRM 4/11/08) 7:5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Thus the King and all the people dedicated the house of God. It's hard to visualize the size of the herd of oxen and sheep to be sacrificed - and what they did with the remains. Part of the answer was probably in verse 8, the Feast of Dedication, which lasted seven days for all Israel. Today we can reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus, instead of animals, for our salvation. (DRM 4/12/08) 7:14 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 will heal their land. Thank God that he will forgive us of our
sins! It seems so simple, just to ask forgiveness, but most people just don't
believe that God IS real. They won't humble themselves to bother to pray to Him. 7:19, 20 "But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. The Lord had told Solomon what would happen "if" he and the Israelites turned away from Him. We all have short memories and tend to drift away - which is why we need to be constantly refilled with His Spirit and Word. (DRM 4/13/08) 8:15 They did not deviate from the king's commands to the priests or to the Levite's in any matter, including that of the treasuries. King Solomon appointed many people to work
under him, and they all obeyed his commands. 9:2 Solomon answered all her (Queen of Sheba) questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. It seems that I am more like the Queen of
Sheba (asking questions) right now, than King Solomon. (giving answers) 9:7 How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. This quote is from the Queen of Sheba, who came to visit King Solomon. I wonder if her statements went to "his head," and if he forgot Who gave him this wisdom. He didn't give his response in this passage. We (I) always have to remember to give God the credit for all the good things that happen in my life. (DRM 4/14/08) 9:20 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. I would think that at some time Solomon should have given some of his riches to the poor instead of apparently being so greedy in using the riches on only himself. The Bible doesn't tell us about this - if he gave any money away or not. I try to share as the Lord gives to me. (DRM 4/15/08) 10:14 (Rehoboam) he followed the advice of the young men and said, "My father (Solomon) made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions. Later in verse 19 it says, "So Israel
has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day." 11:15 And he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made. I can only think "how quickly they
forget!" King Rehoboam was the son of king Solomon who was the son of king
David. 12:1 After Rehoboam's position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the Lord. In this chapter we learn that God can and
will punish kings (and people) who abandon His laws. If we repent, God will be
kind and will show us His mercy, and keep us in His Kingdom. 12:9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's palace. He took everything; he even took the golden shields which Solomon had made. All of the riches of Solomon's time were gone soon after his son Rehoboam reigned as king. Verse 14 summarizes his life: "He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD." It must have been very difficult for Rehoboam to lose all of the great riches - and we should learn to keep our heart on doing as the Lord directs. (DRM 4/16/08) 13:18b . . . and the men of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers. Trusting the Lord for everything is the right desire for every true Christian. We KNOW that He is alive and listens to our every desire, request and analyzes our every motive. (DRM 9/25/88) 14:7a,c "Let us build up these towns," he (king Asa) said to Judah, "and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars . . . so they built and prospered. The Lord kept king Asa out of war for 10 years, so Asa decided to build the cities as described here. Walling cities was common in that time to protect them from continuous attacks from opposing armies. (DRM 9/26/88) 15:4 But in their distress they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. It seems that when we (I) get in "trouble" that we are more likely to call upon the Lord God for deliverance. Thankfully, He hears our call (prayer), but I think it would be better if we (I) never leave His side in the first place. Lord, don't let me leave You. (DRM 4/17/08) 15:12,19 They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul. 19There was no more war until the 35th year of Asa's reign. Complete dedication to the Lord by the nation of Israel. — They changed so quickly! After a "few" years people forget the Lord — Please don't let that happen to me! (DRM 9/27/88) 16:7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: "Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. After reading how kings easily forget the Lord (even after 35 years of honor) just makes me think that God is telling us not to disobey or deny Him - and is showing us the consequences. (DRM 9/28/88) 17:6 His (king Jehoshaphat) heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah. Obedience to the Lord is essential to spiritual peace. All believers should destroy the idols and material things that we worship or idolize. (DRM 9/29/88) 18:13 But Micaiah (the prophet) said, "As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him (the king) only what my God says." While I am not a prophet, I should be a good witness to others about what God through Jesus Christ has done in my life. Let me also be truthful and state only what God says to me. (DRM 9/30/88) 19:6 He (king Jehoshaphat) told them, "Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. . . " Our court system should be reminded of this verse occasionally. It's easy to forget that God is watching our EVERY action and that we are here to please HIM. (DRM 10/1/88) 20:3 Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. An invading army was coming towards Judah (v. 2) and Jehoshaphat was being tested to see where his devotion was - he chose to pray to God for deliverance for his nation - with a prayer that reminded God of His promises to the nation in the past. I have to remember that, so long as I am devoted to Him alone, that He will watch over me. (DRM 4/18/08) 20:17 You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you." This is part of a statement that the Lord God
gave Jahaziel to proclaim to all Judah. 20:21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army . . . When King Jehoshaphat was cornered, he prayed
and trusted in God to find him a way to win the battle that the king could not
avoid. The king had his men sing and honor the Lord and the battle was won. 21:20b He (King Jehoram) passed away, to no one's regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the Kings. King Jehoram was not a popular king by anyone. Jehoram had forsaken the Lord (v.10) and killed all of his brothers. God dealt with Jehoram by giving him a short life (40 years) and killing all but his youngest son. (DRM 10/2/88) 22:3 He (Ahaziah) too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong. Certainly evil men are shown in the Bible, but rarely do I think of evil women like this. Lord, let me not meet or fall in love with a deceiver that does not love You as I do. (DRM 10/3/88) 23:16 (new king) Jehoiada then made a covenant that he and the people and the king would be the Lord's people. (also 2 Kings 11:17) The new young King Jehoiada had the desire to serve the Lord. He had been saved from death by a (sister) and kept hidden for 7 years. After that long, he probably knew that it was God's will for him to rule. (DRM 10/4/88) 24:2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest. King Joash was "two-sided." While the priest Jehoiada was alive, he served the Lord and even had the temple rebuilt. When Jehoiada died, Joash switched sides and became evil. Lord, let me depend on You, and not others for my inspiration. (DRM 10/5/88) 25:14 When (king) Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. This king had honored the Lord God until this incident where he suddenly turned away from God. In His anger with the king, at the next battle, the king lost. Don't let me fall away, Lord. (DRM 10/6/88) 26:16 But after (King) Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. The Old Testament laws were strictly enforced in the time of King Uzziah. With power (greed, money) the king wrongly assumed that he could do anything. The Lord made King Uzziah aware of who was really in charge. (DRM 10/7/88) 27:4 He (King Jotham) built towns in the Judean hills and forts and towers in the wooded areas. Tonight I was listening to a speaker on archeology and digging up a town near Jerusalem. The proof of verses like this are necessary for more people to really believe that the Bible is true. (DRM 10/8/88) 28:23 He (King Ahaz) offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, "Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel. I always wondered why the kings left the Lord and followed other gods. This is a great "revealing" verse as it shows WHY this king acted as he did. Lord, don't let me be confused, as to think this way. (DRM 10/9/88) 29:5 Then he [Hezekiah] said to them [Jewish priests and Levites], "Listen to me, O Levites, Consecrate yourselves now, and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry the uncleanness out form the holy place. After David's time there were various kings of both Judah and Israel. This verse refers to King Hezekiah of Judah. He had just taken the throne from King Ahaz, who did not follow the Lord God. Thankfully, something caused Hezekiah not to be like his father. This is one evidence of how God can work in individual lives. (DRM 4/20/08) 29:28 While the whole assembly worshipped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. King Hezekiah had ordered this first burnt
offering to the Lord (v. 27) probably in several years. From this verse, it
seemed that he wanted the Lord God to see and hear what he was doing. 29:30c So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped. The importance of singing and praising the Lord can not be overestimated. At times it may seem that we are just "filling time," but God wants praise and this is one of the best ways to do it! (DRM 10/10/88) 30:10 So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. The couriers were asking the people to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover (v. 5). Perhaps the statement that the people should "yield to the LORD and serve Him" (v. 8) caused the negative reaction. This made me think of the same problem street evangelists have today - so it should be expected. (DRM 4/22/08) 30:23 Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated seven days with joy. I'm trying to imagine what the people did to celebrate the Passover for 14 days. I hope they spent some time learning the word of God and being re-introduced to His law. Certainly they had enough food to eat (v. 24). Hopefully some reflection took place, but I have different images between celebration and reflection. (DRM 4/23/08) 30:27 The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, His holy dwelling place. ANYONE who truly believes that God and Jesus Christ are One -- and accepts Jesus Christ as savior - can have his prayers heard - THANK YOU GOD - how long I didn't know this! (DRM 10/11/88) 31:10b Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the Lord has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over. Trusting the Lord pays dividends! Complete trust in Him for everything sometimes seems really hard and the devil likes to put doubts in our minds. Complete dedication works! (DRM 10/12/88) 32:8 ". . . with him (opposing King Sennacherib) is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said. This book was probably written 2,500 years ago, but this verse is perfect for today. The Lord DOES help us to fight our battles, and we can gain our confidence from Him. (DRM 10/13/88) 33:6 He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. King Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king (v. 1). Even at that age, I would think that his father, Hezekiah, would have explained why he served the Lord God while King. This passage doesn't explain why Manasseh did what he did, however, there is no doubt that the Lord God was not pleased with his actions. (DRM 4/24/08) 33:12 In his (King Manasseh's) distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. To humble myself before God means to confess ALL my sins to Him. This experience was life changing to King Manasseh, and will be for anyone else. (DRM 10/14/88) 33:13 When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his Kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. When Manasseh was in distress, he called on
the Lord. Manasseh changed, God didn't. After God moved Manasseh back to
Jerusalem, he knew that God did it. 34:14 While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses. Finding such a book in the ruins must have been a great event. Now King Josiah knew that God was the Lord and became even more dedicated to the Lord, as I should be. (DRM 10/15/88) 35:18a,b The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah. Total dedication to the Lord can bring some truly outstanding acts. King Josiah's love for the Lord made him greatly loved (see v. 24) by the citizens of Judah & Jerusalem. My personal love of the Lord should also "show" as his did. (DRM 10/16/88) 36:15, 16a The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; 6but they continually mocked the messengers of God. . . God loves all of His people. The new king,
Zedekiah did not listen to God through His prophets, and the Lord kept trying to
send messages that were ignored in every way (v. 16). 36:19 They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there. The fall of Jerusalem meant the close of an era. Again this shows me what happens to the people who refuse to follow the instructions of the Lord. Lord, let me always be devoted to You! (DRM 10/17/88)
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