2 Chronicles 23 -- After A Long Hard Night...

“In the seventh year, Jehoiada decided to DO something.”

He and his wife had hidden the king’s son for six years from his evil grandmother, who’d killed every other heir to the throne.  People were therefore fearful of her and did not want to cross her.  But Jehoiada trusted God and stepped out to do something.  He put together a plan under God’s guidance and protection and brought the young princess to the throne.  And the evil queen mother was executed.

My commentary ended the chapter saying, “God could do it then, and He can do it today – but we must trust Him to have HIS way.”

Father, I’ve been going through some very tough times yesterday and today.  I do trust You.  I pray that You will direct me to do something.  Help me, Father!  I love You and trust You.  That’s all that matters.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

2 Chronicles 21-22 God Disposes Of Those Who Fight Him

God had promised that David’s dynasty would continue, but once Jehoshaphat died, the marriage of his son Jehoram to Ahab’s daughter threatened that.  My commentary said, “The wall of separation was gradually crumbing between David’s dynasty in Judah and the descendants of Ahab in Israel.  The future of God’s great plan of salvation depended on the continuation of the Davidic dynasty, so Jehoram was playing right into the enemy’s hands.  By compromising with the evil rulers of Israel, Jehoram displeased the Lord and weakened the nation… Jehoram followed the example of Jezebel and murdered all his brothers and anybody who might threaten his authority … The Philistines and Arabs invaded Judah, robbed the palace of its treasures, and took Jehoram’s wives and sons, except for young Ahaziah, also known as Jehoahaz.”  Jehoram died soon after when his intestines came out of his body!

Ahaziah wasn’t any better.  He colluded with his uncle Joram, who’d become king of Israel.  But God had called up Jehu, and a prophet had secretly anointed him as king.  He killed both Joram and Ahaziah then called on loyalists to help.  The tossed Ahaziah’s mother out of a high window and Jehu ran over her with his chariot until he was certain she was dead. 

Some may not like the violence of these chapters, but God certainly did not like the sin that was destroying the two nations.  Each of those who died were sinning against a flood of light.  They’d chosen sides against the Lord, and that is never a winning proposition. 

Father, I know that I cannot fight You and win.  You are the sovereign ruler of the universe.  At times when I am tempted to disobey, remind me of the foolishness of such action and bring me humbly back to You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

2 Chronicles 19-20 A Good King, But A Nagging Failure

God had saved Jehoshaphat from death in battle, and when he returned, Jehu asked him, “Why did you help evil people?  Why do you love those who hate the Lord?  That is the reason God is angry with you.  But there is some good in you.”  There’s no mention of Jehoshaphat responding.

Jehoshaphat appointed judges and warned them to be fair and that they were judging for the Lord.  They were to warn the people not to sin against the Lord, and he promised that if they failed in that duty, God would be angry with them.  But they would not be guilty as judges if they warned the people not to sin.

This chapter contains the awesome story of Judah being attacked by the very people they’d sold arms to!  Jehoshaphat cried out to God and God caused the three armies to turn on each other!  All their soldiers died and the army of Judah simply walked in and gathered the spoils!  This caused other nations to fear God.

Unfortunately, Jehoshaphat kept making poor decisions.  He still wanted an alliance with Israel, and he agreed to help fund a merchant fleet, but before they could set out, they were all wrecked.  God did not allow Jehoshaphat to sin successfully.

Verse 33 in chapter 20 said a lot about the nation of Judah itself.  Despite having a good king, their problem was “the people did not really want to follow the God of their ancestors.”  That’s also a big problem in America today.

Father God, please remove the blinders Satan has placed on so many of our people.  They’ve bought the lies of Satan and don’t know the truth about You.  Please cause our nation to turn back to You and to see the importance of obeying Your commands.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

2 Chronicles 17-18 A Good King Who Didn't Listen

“Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, became king of Judah … The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he lived as his ancestor David had lived when he first became king … He obeyed God’s commands … He wanted very much to obey the Lord … Jehoshaphat sent his officers to teach in the towns of Judah … They took the Book of the Teachings of the Lord and went through all the towns of Judah and taught the people.”

Again, a good start.  But according to my commentary, he made three costly compromises:  He married his son to Ahab’s daughter, he went to battle with Ahab, and he foolishly joined with Ahab’s son, trying to get rich by importing foreign goods.

Jehoshaphat was disobeying God.  “He should have never allowed the Davidic line to mingle with that of Ahab … If Jehoshaphat had died, then his son would have taken the throne and Ahab’s daughter would have been the Jezebel of Judah,” my commentary said.  Ahab could have then united the two thrones.  “But God is sovereign in all things and protected Jehoshaphat, while at the same time allowing a random arrow to hit an opening in Ahab’s armor and kill him.”

Jehoshaphat had wisely asked for a prophet of the Lord, but then did not follow what that prophet said!  He also allowed Ahab to make him a target in the battle – the only one wearing royal clothes!

The prophet Micaiah even told Ahab that a deceiving spirit had been sent to him.  My commentary says, “God deals with people on the basis of their character.  ‘With the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd (Ps. 18:26).”  God warned Ahab, and by not listening, he lost his life.

Father, I want my character to reflect You and Your Son.  Please help me to be pure in character.  Show me anything within me that doesn’t reflect You, and change me to be more like You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

2 Chronicles 14-16 Starting, But Not Finishing Well

“Asa did what the Lord said was good and right … Asa called out to the Lord his God …”  He started well.

But then God sent him a message by Azariah:  “The Lord is with you when you are with him.  If you obey Him, you will find Him, but if you leave Him, He will leave you … You should be strong.  Don’t give up!”

During the last five years of his life, Asa seemed to forget that message:  “You depended on the king of Aram to help you and not on the Lord your God … The Lord searches all the earth for people who have given themselves completely to Him.  He wants to make them strong.  Asa, you did a foolish thing …”

My commentary divided his life into three periods:  Peace and victory, reformation and renewal, and relapse and discipline.  At first people were drawn to Asa because it was so obvious that the Lord was with him.  He led the nation to renew its commitment to the Lord.  “They sought the Lord with all their hearts and He heard them.”

“A perfect heart isn’t a sinless heart but a heart wholly yielded to the Lord and fully trusting Him,” by commentary said.  Asa had made a good beginning, but he didn’t finish well.

Father, please soften my heart and help me to be wholly yielded to You.  I want to fully trust You in everything.  Don’t let me fall away.  Hold me tightly in Your arms and help me to renew my commitment to You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

2 Chronicles 13 -- God Uses Imperfect People

The prophet Shemaiah had told Rehoboam and the entire Southern kingdom, “The Lord says you must not go to war against your brothers (the Northern Kingdom).”  But in this chapter we read, “And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.”  Chapter 15 says Abijah was not a godly man.  He gained the throne after the death of his father, Rehoboam.  My commentary said, “He may have had David’s blood in his veins, but he didn’t have David’s perfect heart beating in his breast.”  He’d kept up a running war with Jeroboam the way his father had done.

Abijah did try persuasion, reminding Jeroboam that God had ordained that David’s sons rule the kingdom and that Aaron’s sons must serve as priests.  Jeroboam had scrapped all that when creating a religion that was convenient, to keep his subjects from traveling to Jerusalem to worship.

Jereboam sent part of his army to attack Abijah’s army from the rear while Abijah was focused on Jeroboam’s threat from the front.  But upon discovering this subterfuge, Abijah and his army literally cried out to God.  The Lord responded, sending immediate victory.

Abijah wasn’t a godly ruler, but he did understand God’s truth.  He had faith in God’s power.  “God uses imperfect people to do His will, if only they will trust Him,” my commentary added.

Father, I’m far from perfect, but I trust You.  Please use me to do Your will.  Please enable others to see that my heart is fixed on You and show them how to trust You, too.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

2 Chronicles 12 -- God Won't Put Up With It For Long

Verses 1-2 say that Rehoboam “Did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.”  It sounds like it’s never enough to simply read God’s Word.  We need to start with heart preparation, which might include prayer and confessions plus a willingness to hear and obey what God has to say.

Rehoboam led well for several years, but then “he allowed and encouraged the building of idolatrous shrines … Idolatry and immorality go together, and it wasn’t long before the pagan sins condemned by the law became commonly accepted practices in Judah.  (Sounds like America today!)  The Jewish people were no longer a light to the Gentiles; instead, the darkness of the Gentiles had invaded that land and was putting out the light,” my commentary said.

We usually dislike the term loving discipline because any discipline that seeks to reign in our actions doesn’t feel like love.  God had been patient for a year, but “the longsuffering of God had come to an end.”  God brought the king of Egypt in to discipline His people, and He had the prophet Shemaiah deliver the message.  “Whenever God’s people experience discipline because of their sins, they can make a new beginning by hearing the Word of God and humbling themselves before the God of the Word,” my commentary said.  “God’s people discovered that their freedom to sin brought them into painful and costly bondage to Egypt, for the consequences of sin are always costly.”

As Charles Spurgeon said, “God does not allow His people to sin successfully.”

Father, please show me each day what I need to do to prepare my own heart to seek You.  Show my boys this too, Father.  Keep us ever mindful of the costliness of sin and make sure we remember that You do not allow Your people to sin successfully.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford