OT: The Book of Ezra, Chapter 1

Ezra 1:1-11

1:1 The Book of Ezra opens with a perfect example of God's full control within every situation; God has an incredible ability to divinely-arrange specific details to ensure certain outcomes. In the fulfillment of prophecy spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, the people of Judah were to be released from their bondage (Jeremiah 25:11; Daniel 9:2).

The period of discipline ended, God released its iron chains. He turned the heart of their captor, Cyrus king of Persia, and built a door of exit where before had been a wall. Had they grown, learned from the repercussions of their turn to immorality? Their captivity was symbolic for In the captivity of our sins, we cannot serve righteousness. Who they were was not conducive to the lifestyle God blessed them with. 

Growth enables us to walk through doors into new spaces. God again offered freedom to His people, what would they do with it? What will we? All of His discipline and blessing is given in order to prepare and equip us for great individual purpose. Though we at times wilt in faithlessness, after a period of discipline and learning, we are again blessed with the chance to blossom. To produce good fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) as branches on the vine of God, John 15:15.

1:2-4 Cyrus made a proclamation that enabled the people of Judah to return home. Cyrus was not a believer; he was somewhat arrogant and entirely in love with his power. But God manipulated his arrogance to result in the restoration of Jerusalem. Children of God sense His divine sense of humor as they witness Him wield their enemies and captors without them ever catching on. 

Their captor actually sent the people of Judah back to their home to restore it. He thought it was his idea, but is was God's providence that made it so. Only God can arrange such an outcome; one we cannot predict or even dare to hope for; one we do not feel deserving of or necessarily adequate for. 

1:5-6 God had moved the spirits of a select few (as well as the leaders of Judah tribe and Benjamin tribe); He always has children who remain faithful to Him and thus can be trusted with divine purpose. 

1:7-11 King Cyrus brought out the articles that were taken from the house of the Lord by Nebuchadnezzer. It was to be returned, restored, rebuilt, refilled. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 36

2 Chronicles 36:1-23

After king Josiah, Judah had a final string of corrupt kings. The immoral and unjust lifestyles of the people of Judah resulted in captivity. Through their behavior, they sold themselves as slaves to sin. Their freedom in God was neglected, rejected and then fully abandoned. God is our parent; in order to discipline His children out of corruption, they were submerged in the stark reality of their own choices. 

36:1-4 Judah was no longer rooted in faith; it was therefore easy for the kingdom's enemies to uproot them, claim them and carry them into captivity. Judah released itself from God and Egypt, the nation which symbolized their ancestor's enslavement took control. The king of Egypt replaced Josiah's son, an evil king named Jehoahaz with his brother, Eliakim. He then changed Elakim's name to Jehoiakim and took Jehoazhaz to Egypt. 

36:5-8 Jehoiakim reigned evilly for eleven years. King Nebuchadnezzer captured him, stole from the house of the Lord, and decorated his own temple. Judah's faithlessness made the house of the Lord vulnerable; evil swept in and carved out of it all its treasures. Every good thing the Lord had taught the people of Judah had been tainted by corruption. 

36:9-10 Jehoiachin then took the kingship; he was also an evil man and therefore did not have the protection of God. He suffered the same fate as his father. 

36:11-14 Zedekiah became king and rejected the prophet Jeremiah. The kingdom of Judah fell further and further away from God. Obstinately, Zedekiah refused the counsel of God's prophet. He was unwilling to live the life of trust and humility God had offered. 

36:15-16 God was present in Judah's season of faithlessness. He repeatedly offered to retrieve them; He cautioned the repercussions of their choices. He sent messengers and prophets, but each were mocked and rejected. In the New Testament, Jesus spoke of the repeated attempts God has made to reach out to humanity. In the Parable of the Vinedressers, it is explained the world has harshly treated and killed the prophets He has sent:

Matthew 21:33-39 Parable of the Vinedressers 

There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

Finally Judah reached a point of no return. They could not rectify their situation without discipline. It became too late for warning; they had turned their hearts away from God so fully that there was no more God left in their hearts. 

26:17-21 The people of Judah had submitted themselves to their desires, to a lifestyle more consistent with their enemies ideologies than God's and this was the result:

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.

*Jeremiah 25:11; Daniel 9:2

36:22-23 Comprising the end of this chapter and the following next books (Ezra + Nehemiah) the kingdom of Judah steadily exited their seventy years of captivity. The generation of discipline was ended by God and He enabled them to progress toward restoration once again.

God moved the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia to release the captives of Judah. Cyrus had conquered the Babylonian empire during Judah's captivity and taken control over them. He made a proclamation throughout the kingdom to restore Judah and the house of the Lord. Cyrus accepted God as a god but not as the God; still, it was a concession which led to Judah's return to Jerusalem.

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 35

2 Chronicles 35:1-27

35:1-6 Josiah reinstated the law of God in the land of Judah, and that called for the return of the Passover. 

Initially, the Passover was a celebration which essentially symbolized the covenant the twelve tribes of Israel made with God. In Exodus 12, God informed the righteous that He would pass through the land of Egypt and eliminate the corruption within it. God's children put lamb's blood over their doors to signify their faith. In His sweep through the land, God passed over the homes which were marked by the lamb. 

It was an act of foreshadowing. In the New Testament, to be marked by the lamb is to have put Jesus (and the word of God) over our door and heart. Jesus became the sacrificial lamb on the cross; thus the life of Jesus transformed the Passover celebration. Jesus became our Passover, 1 Corinthians 5-7. In the spring, we now celebrate Jesus' Resurrection as the Passover celebration. 

35:7-15 Josiah followed the Book of the Law in the context of his time; he ensured that the Passover was celebrated precisely how the children of Israel, led by Moses, had first celebrated it. Sacrifice is now a defunct practice; in Isaiah 1:11, God declared the practice disused. But for the kingdom of Judah under Josiah's reign, it was celebrated in the spirit of Moses' obedience and David's joy for God.

35:16-19 Before Josiah, the last time the Passover was kept with such adherence and vigor was during the prophet Samuel's life! God and Samuel had warned the tribes of Israel and Judah that their life would decrease in quality under the leadership of kings. They refused to listen and steadily, the two kingdoms fell into spiritual disrepair. 

35:20-24 Josiah was wounded and killed anonymously in a battle with the king of Egypt. He had been advised not to join it, and we are not given enough information to understand why he rejected the advice. God had postponed Judah's discipline because of Josiah's heartfelt commitment to righteousness, but eventually, Josiah's life ended and a new season began.

35:25-27 Josiah was the last righteous king of Judah; he lived and reigned in accordance with God's will as no king after him would. The Book of Chronicles was written to re-inspire God's people as they were released from the captivity the corruption in these chapters culminated in. The period of discipline and repercussion was over; it was time to spiritually recommit and rebuild. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 34

2 Chronicles 34:1-33

34:1-2 At the young age of eight years old, king Josiah was chosen as king of Judah and did not know much about the kingdom's God. Josiah was, however, a naturally righteous soul and subsequently conscientious king. Under Josiah, Judah had thirty-one years of straightforwardly just leadership.

34:3-7 Josiah was a young king who steadily grew in his relationship with God. As he grew up, he discovered more and more about Who God was and what His philosophy was; it was a natural progression of spirituality which led to the cleansing of the kingdom of Judah. Josiah made it the project of his kingship to return the kingdom back to God and out from the clutches of corruption. 

34:8-13 Josiah turned his attention onto the house of the Lord which needed massive reparations. The house of the Lord came to represent the condition of the faith of Judah; when it was whole and organized, Judah had been faithful to God. But when it fell into disrepair and was scavenged to hollowness, Judah had neglected their faith and abandoned God. 

With money dedicated the the house of the Lord, Josiah appointed men to hire workmen, craftsmen, foremen, builders, gatekeepers, scribes, officers and restorers to bring the house of the Lord back into its former glory. 

34:14-15 Hilkiah the priest found a precious thing in the formerly abandoned house of the Lord: the book of the Law. Judah had veered so far away from God that His commandments were lost to the kingdom.

24:16-18 Shaphan brought the book to Josiah as well as a report that the house of the Lord had undergone the process of restoration. Shaphan proceeded to read the book to Josiah; perhaps that seems simple but how many people truly commit themselves to the word of God? Josiah chose to become a student of it. Since his youth, Josiah held the highest position society offered, the most authority there was to be had, and yet he chose to humble himself to the Lord.

34:19 Josiah had an unexpected reaction to the words of the Law: he was tormented, horrified by how comprehensively and directly Judah had disobeyed God's commandments. 

34:20-21 In his moment of painful realization, Josiah asked Hilkiah, Ahikam, Abdon, Shaphan and Asaiah to open communication with God. Josiah understood then more than ever before how close Judah was to the brink of no return. He knew that unless the kingdom made a collective effort of repentance, they would soon find themselves cut off from God. The prospect of a God-less kingdom pressed Josiah into prayerful action. 

34:22 Hilkiah consulted Huldah, a prophetess, and she received a word from the Lord. 

34:23-25 Huldah relayed a message from God to Judah: He was indeed angry with the kingdom's corrupt behavior. Judah had practiced idolatry and the immoral practices of evil nations. The kingdom had forsaken the philosophy of God and thus abandoned righteousness, compassion and humility. The kingdom had so much mud and dirt on it that it was nearly unrecognizable as a place of the people of God. Judah was in dire need of God's discipline and He promised to deliver it, but He chose to spare Josiah. 

34:26-28 God had a specific message for Josiah; He was so pleased with Josiah's goodness and humility that He postponed Judah's discipline until after he had lived a good and peaceful life. Josiah had made sincere and arduous efforts to aligned himself and the kingdom with the word of God; his actions were acknowledged, appreciated and rewarded. 

Josiah had wept and prayed to God and He heard it all. It mattered to Him. God shows loving-kindness to those who know Him, Psalm 36:10 and Josiah had made a vehement effort to know Him. Therefore, Josiah was seen by the sharp eyes of God and saved by His generous mercy.

34:29-30 Josiah taught the kingdom how to properly worship once again. He read God's words to those in attendance; he reminded Judah of its everlasting covenant with God. He reminded Judah that never before had there been a more beneficial contract than the one God had drafted and proffered to them.

34:31 Josiah renewed the covenant, recommitted the himself to the conditions of it with full heart and soul.

34:32-33 The congregation stood at Josiah's command, alert and accountable before God. Josiah inspired the diligent service of the tribes to God. His faithful leadership kept them in alignment and adhered to God and His philosophy. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 33

2 Chronicles 33:1-25

33:1-9 All of the progress that Judah had made in faith was destroyed by Manasseh. Manasseh disrespected the house of the Lord and the philosophy of His word. He restored idol worship to the kingdom; sacrificed children; put his trust in witchcraft and sorcery and was thoroughly an evil man. 

God had promised to remain with the tribes of Israel as long as they upheld righteous lifestyles. Manasseh's lifestyle of transgression was so toxic that he was worse than the people Israel and Judah were supposed to set an example to. Judah was at serious risk of severing their tie with God. 

33:10-11 Before the implementation of any discipline, God first tried to speak with Manasseh. The reason why two-way communication with God is so important is because by listening to Him in the beginning, we can avoid drastic measures in the end. But Manasseh met God's counsel with obstinate refusal to listen; therefore, God had to reach him in a more drastic way. 

33:12 The Assyrians took Manasseh captive, just as sin had done to his soul. From a place of desperation, Manasseh finally acknowledged God. The full reality of the consequences of his behavior shook him. Brought to his spiritual knees, Manasseh implored God to hear to him and humbled himself greatly. This was a wholehearted prayer and change of character. 

33:13 God was magnanimous about finally having Manasseh's attention, and He answered the desperate man's prayers. God orchestrated Manasseh's release from bondage (He is so meticulously able!). So often, many only learn from experience, and some not even then. But Manasseh did learn; it became startlingly clear to him that the Lord was God. 

33:14-15 Manasseh corrected his foolish and corrupt behavior. Once again, the structures and figures of idolatry were removed from Judah. The king of Judah actively repented. He actively worked on and changed his character. He scrubbed himself and the kingdom of immorality. 

33:16-17 Moreover, he lived with gratitude for God. Not only did he listen to God, but he also listened to His voice. He kept the line of communication open and active. He made reparations to the house of the Lord but also to his soul and kingdom. Neither he nor the kingdom were made perfect but their genuinely-righteous efforts were enough. 

33:18-20 Manasseh passed away and his son, Amon, became king. 

33:21-23 The books of Kings and Chronicles speak of the constant rise and fall of faith in Israel and Judah. Collectively, humanity has had a tumultuous and inconsistent relationship with God. Even though He has been steadfast, peoples, kingdoms and nations have chosen to live in opposition to Him. Manasseh's son Amon was one such man; he reigned with a selfish heart and evil mind. 

33:24-25 Amon's servants conspired against him because of his evil nature and deposed him, killed him in his house. The people who supported Amon (because they benefited from his corruption) retaliated against the servants and killed them. The people of Judah placed Amon's son, Josiah as king. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 32

2 Chronicles 32:1-33

32:1-2 Judah had reestablished its faith; newly minted with a return to their God, a circumstance arose by which the resilience of their faith would be tested. After all, faith has its definition because of its nature: for it to have its presence and power, it requires unwavering trust in the face of fear and intimidation. 

God does not test our faith, life does. He works vigorously, sleeplessly to prepare us, fortify us and secure us in Him because He knows we will inevitably need that preparation and fortification. Polished faith, surface faith is limited, tenuous. It is the rough and toughed faith that is beautiful. It is the faith fought for which delivers us from our fear and enemy when they step into our lives. 

The king of Assyria, a man named Sennacherib was the manifestation of intimidation. So much of what the people in scripture experienced was literal interpretation of symbolic tribulations the people of our generation (we) would come to face. Perhaps kings no longer boast at our gates but fear certainly does. 

Sennacherib camped outside the walls of Jerusalem with a bold and direct intention: to destroy and conquer it. In 2 Kings 18, we read the complete story. Hezekiah was scared. Sennacherib had a reputation of destructive success. This was no ordinary enemy, and the king's intimidation was fierce enough to cause Hezekiah to waver in faith. For some reason, fear is often clever enough to convince us that our omnipotent God is less clever, less able than the intimation at our gate.

32:3-6 Hezekiah, king of Judah, organized a united effort to stifle Sennacherib before a siege. They cut off his army's water supply and fortified their walls of defense. So often we make our own preparations before we even consult God. Once we exhaust our limited power and ability, we (some of us) then turn to God. We should embrace our deficiency by embracing God; by wrapping ourselves around Him in all circumstances, understanding that He is our strength and ability at all times. Our own strategy, material, and ability is measly and insufficient compared to His. 

32:7-8 Finally Hezekiah delivers the only message the people of Judah needed to hear and absorb:

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.

Anytime we feel fear is a time in which we neglect to acknowledge the love and power of our God. Our enemy, no matter who or what it is, no matter how tall or wide or fierce or wise it is, is always less than God. In Numbers 11, God promised a seemingly impossible blessing and Moses worried. Moses could not comprehend how God could deliver such a promise. Are we not the same? Do we not feel that certain things we hope for are too far our of reach even for God? God responded rhetorically: has My arm been shortened? Because God has taught us that nothing is outside of His reach; everything is within His reach, even impossibility. So why would we believe Him incapable? Where did we get that notion and why did we foster it?

God made quick work of Sennacherib and every other enemy of His faithful children and He always will. 

32:9 The thing about fear, enemy, and intimation is, they each latch onto doubt. They specifically target weak faith. Like termites they endeavor to eat away at faith until it cracks and crumbles. Sennacherib was a foolish boaster, a twig in comparison to God's muscle. Yet his record and boasting was fierce and loud enough to disguise his irrelevance. Sennacherib had a record of victory only because he had yet to face our Lord. 

32:10-12 Sennacherib mocked Judah's faith. Evil and fear always begin by testing us for weakness. They prod with taunting until they find a vulnerable area. But if our faith is fortified, they never find one. Would you let a worm persuade you to abandon trust in your dragon? Analyze the method of fear and enemy to get you to crumble:

Sennacherib tried to break the confidence the people of Judah had in their king. 

Sennacherib boasted his might and record in effort to intimidate them into surrender and submission. 

Sennacherib infiltrated their faith with seeds of doubt as to the ability of their God. 

Sennacherib then attacked their own reasoning ability, he told them they were deceived, persuaded, wrong. 

Sennacherib tried to position God on the same level as the false gods who failed to save their people. 

Can our confidence be broken? Can intimidation bend us into surrender and submission? Can doubt blot out our trust? Can we be turned against our own minds? Can our God be moved? Such questions are the tactics of evil and fear! Anticipate their tired method and render it powerless over your faith. 

Their effort is fruitless and they are irrelevant... as long as we realize it.  

32:17-19 The Assyrians used every avenue possible to infiltrate the faith of Judah. They tried to frighten them and trouble them so that they could take the city. We are not a possession our enemy can tame and claim and it is imperative that we remember that. Through our faith we retain our freedom. 

32:20 Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah shut out the noise of fear and enemy and prayed to God. The clamor of chaos should, rather than distract us from Him, cause us to hone in on the quiet power of God. Instead of worrying and scrambling, all we need to do is tap into solemn prayer. In fear and confusion and noise, delve into the quiet rest and reassurance of God. 

32:21 Sennacherib had kicked up so much dust and such loud clamor until finally Hezekiah simply prayed. We easily access a power so complex its too difficult for our fear and enemy to dismantle. Acknowledge the sheer and massive wonder and blessing in that!

The longer we wait to consult God, the more time our enemy and fear has to kick up dust and loud clamor. The longer we wait to invite God into the situation, the more time we give our enemy to intimate and persuade us. The longer we wait to rest and rely on God's power, the longer time the termites have to hack away at our strength. 

It is so simple: God, will You handle this for me because I am scared and unable? He immediately, powerfully, actively answers YES. Before we even finish the prayer our enemies begin to fall. Therefore never hesitate to pray. We do not need to try anything first. We do not need to utilize and deplete our own strength first. When an enemy confronts you, let them realize Who stands before you already. Let them walk directly into a solid wall and war they cannot win.

In Numbers 12:8, Moses, a meek man, was confronted by an intimidating force. God responded indignantly on Moses' behalf: why weren't you afraid to confront Moses? To God it was utterly ridiculous that anyone would have the audacity to challenge a soul so connected with God. Even, perhaps especially, a meek one. Let God respond to your enemies the same way. Based on your relationship with God, your enemies should be too scared to bother you...and if not, too scarred by the consequences to ever do it again. Not because of your own ferocity but because of God's ferocious defense over you. 

32:22 God delivered Judah. He guided them on every side into victory. God ensured a quick and thorough victory. 

Sennacherib raised up a circus of chaos, arrogant boasting, and intimidation... his performance was a noise, irrelevance, and joke that culminated into nothing. God's performance was quiet and comprehensive power. 

32:23 Judah responded with celebratory gratitude. Judah acknowledged that God had been their strength and rescue; not only did they not abandon Him in their time of fear, they did not neglect Him in their time of joy. 

There two major part-time believers: People who believe when times are good and people who believe when times are bad. Their faith wavers like a seesaw; they always come crashing into the ground. Our relationship with God should be balanced: we should be grateful for what we receive. We return His love. We should be productive with what He nurtures into us and our lives. 

32:24-26 This chapter skims over what is covered in more depth in 2 Kings 18-20. Hezekiah was an imperfect man (as we all are) and by God's grace, only nearly restored himself before the complete destruction of his character. God allowed an abeyance of Hezekiah's discipline because the king eventually did humble his prideful heart. 

These few verses within the chapter remind us that often we fight two "battles": external and internal as well. Simultaneously we deal with the within as well as the without. God is present in both battles. As we build and do construction on the system of our world and condition of our home and community, we also have a responsibility to build and do construction on ourselves and He is present and active within each.

32:27-30 God caused Hezekiah to prosper. He had power and property, treasures, spices, military, food, livestock and cities in abundance...

32:31 ... but to whom much is given, much is expected, Luke 12:48. God gives abundantly with the expectation that we will share; that we will utilize our blessings to bless others. God gives us a blessing and we see our name on the tag and celebrate. But often we neglect to register the implication that comes with the gift: This is yours... to give (implied). This is yours...to share (implied). This is yours... to let abound (implied).

God gives us access to His bountiful warehouse not so that we can endlessly acquire but so that we can tirelessly distribute. 

Hezekiah was tested, could the strength and celebrity of those who lived in opposition to God's principles impress him? Did Hezekiah adhere to God's commandments because of what it got him or because he loved God? Realize that these questions are as relevant now as they were for this ancient king then. 

32:32-33 Hezekiah passed away and was succeeded by his son, Manasseh. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 31

2 Chronicles 31:1-21

31:1 All of Judah and the remnant of Israel cleared the kingdom of Judah of idol carvings and altars. They made a concentrated effort to remove idolatry from their lifestyle. In our present time, the removal of idol worship looks quite different but is the same in nature. For us, it often means to remove elements of media from our lives and to disengage from the consumerist, celebrity culture our world society.

Judah's removal of the false-god altars was their way of clearing space to make room for the true God. In their hearts and their lives, they wanted their natural and default reverence to go to God. Humans are influenced by their surroundings; but creating a culture of faith and surrounding ourselves with things which reflect and uphold God's philosophy, we stabilize ourselves in Him. We cannot always help what we hear or see but we can create an atmosphere which causes those things to be analyzed and filtered by our faith before they influence and transform our mind.

31:2-3 Hezekiah organized the divisions of what essentially was an early church. The king of Judah even gave his own possessions as offerings to God; his faith was not hypocritical, he gave much in service of his faith and love for God. He believed, he taught but most of all he walked it. Our most effective influence in life is our own example.

31:4 From the start, God had organized a system in which teachers of His word were supported by the society they served. In history, that system has been quite drastically abused but it was constructed, initially, in innocence. For example, the apostle Paul's entire life was to preach and travel; he was never in one place long enough to even have a job. God wanted anyone who humbly and wholeheartedly taught His word to be able to focus solely on it and the students.

31:5-6 The children of Israel were motivated and organized by Hezekiah to explore their faith. They faithfully gathered and brought the best of their harvests to tithe in gratitude to God. They began to understand the two-way nature of their relationship with God.

31:7-10 Heaps of offerings to God were collected. Heaps! What do we, today, give in heaps to God? The "first-fruits" of our generation are love, attention and compassion. If we give in heaps to God the best of ourselves (our devotion, our effort, our time), He is eager through those things, to give back to us.

31:11-15 Faithful men of God distributed to Him the heaps the children of Judah and Israel had brought to Him. How beautiful would it be, at the culmination of our lives on earth, to meet God in heaven and distribute to Him all the we collected for Him? The smiles, the laughter, the friendships we create and gather in His name on earth are offerings to Him. The patience we travel lengths to possess is a journey we embarked on for Him. What we gave to others, we collected for Him, Matthew 25:40. Make it to heaven with heaps for God.

31:16-18 The abundance of the tithes allowed for the administrators and their families to be provided for. The nature of God is bountiful. He gives bountifully and He inspires others to give and live bountifully. God's generosity ensures that His children and filled to bursting with love and joy and wonder, peace and rest and hope.

31:19 Everyone who worked arduously and faithfully was compensated for their effort. This is symbolic, God appreciates our holy work. What we do in humility, He blesses with exaltation.

31:20-21 Hezekiah worked tirelessly to restore Judah to their true God, and to all that He represents. Read verses 20-21 with this particular emphasis to viscerally understand its beauty:

Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. 

So he prospered.

Thus, therefore, inevitably he prospered because He sought good with all his heart! The success and restoration of Judah was due in entirety to their commitment to God and His response. What a summation of a life! Imagine your name written and then followed by those verses. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 30

2 Chronicles 30:1-27

30:1-5 Hezekiah sought to restore the celebration of the Passover. In Exodus 12, the Lord passed over His righteous children who were marked by lamb's blood when He administered destruction of evil and corruption. It was symbolic of Jesus, our Lamb. For when we have the figurative blood of Jesus over our hearts and homes, we have the protection of His righteous power. It was a significant moment for the twelve tribes which became the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, yet they had stopped celebrating it. They had stopped celebrating God. 

30:6-9 Messengers were sent throughout the kingdoms to those who had yet to be captured by sin and enemy. They delivered a piece that is as relevant today as it was then: 

“Children of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. And do not be like your fathers and your brethren, who trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, so that He gave them up to desolation, as you see. Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.”

God is compassionate, gracious and merciful. God is powerful enough to flood every facet of your life with His compassion, grace and mercy. His love and power burst through the chains and prisons our sin, desire and enemies have trapped us in. To receive His power and protection, the runners told them (and us) to do these things: 

Live in alignment with righteousness.
Yield to God.
Enter the eternal sanctuary of the Lord.
Return to the Lord.
Serve the Lord. 

30:10-11 Only a few listened to the message. The others mocked and rejected. Foolish people are too arrogant to submit themselves to a lifestyle of humility and compassion. Too few are willing to serve. But a few did listen, a few of the remaining kingdom of Israel did humble themselves.

30:12-13 God built upon the faith of the few; He moved the collective body toward righteousness. As He always does, He gave His children a chance they would not have had without Him. He pushed powerfully through their obstinacy and foolishness so that they could keep their lives and their freedom. 

30:14-17 Of the people gathered, many were unfamiliar with worship. The kingdom of Israel especially had wandered to far from God that this experience was entirely new for them.

20:18-19 Hezekiah made a tender prayer for the new believers: 

“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.

This  somewhat rag-tag group would have been beautiful to God. It was a group of His children changing the direction of their path. Regardless of the condition of their kingdom or the leadership of their king, these people had shown up to know God. They had made a initial, personal step toward faith. Hezekiah knew that their genuine effort would be cherished by God. He knew that they were as worthy of His purification and sanctuary as any other believer. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32, we learn that God rejoices even more over the return of His children who were lost.

20:20 God healed the people because they were present. With God is is never about perfection; it is always about presence:

I am not perfect but I am here. 

I do not know but I am listening. 

I cannot see but I am following. 

30:21 So the children of Israel who were present... kept the traditions of the ancestors, the celebration of the God who pulled them out of the chaos. When we are alert in the proximity of God, He is able to organize, establish and strengthen us. Subsequently our faith deepens. 

30:22 Hezekiah encouraged the priests for their task at hand; they had so many new students of the faith! 

30:23-26 With gladness, the people extended their celebration of God. The kingdom rejoiced because it had been so long since such faith thrived in Judah. Present with God, joy is our natural expression. 

30:27 Their collective prayer reached heaven; their collective effort in faith would reach the facets of their kingdom. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 29

2 Chronicles 29:1-36

29:1-2 At the time when the northern kingdom of Israel was crumbling and succumbing to their enemies, Hezekiah became king of Judah. Israel's faithlessness and subsequent corruption culminated in captivity; Hezekiah however, worked fervently to keep Judah aligned with the Lord. 

29:3 Upon taking the kingship, Hezekiah immediately began the restoration of the house of the Lord. In order for the kingdom of Judah to return to its own faith, Hezekiah ensured that they would have a place to do so. 

29:4-9 The priests and Levites of the house of the Lord needed spiritual motivation and Hezekiah provided it. Their faith needed a jump-start, an invigoration, a new energy after the kingdom had largely turned to corruption. The condition of the kingdom was poor, and Hezekiah pointed out that the reason was because of the unrighteous behavior of its population. Yet Hezekiah knew that the Lord would find forgiveness if the people could find repentance. If they could re-adhere to the word and law of God, it would again keep them.

In nation, in kingdom, in community, in family and within self, spiritual restoration is always possible. Spiritual energy and faithful work ethic are the cobblestones in the path that will always lead directly (back) to God. The northern kingdom did not restore itself and therefore the kingdom of Israel had been claimed under the authority of their enemies; the siren call of sin and temptation led them there. They had no spiritual energy, no faithful work ethic and their relationship with God withered and then broke apart. They became the property of their enemies. 

29:10 Hezekiah understood that Judah was on the brink of experiencing precisely the fate that its sister-kingdom was facing. God had expressed his displeasure with the corruption within their lifestyles. It was their chance to make necessary corrections and cuts ties with injustice and greed, violence and idolatry. 

20:11 Hezekiah's fervent advice: do not neglect your relationship with God. It is critical for us to keep our line of communication with God open and clear. Our faith is like an umbilical cord; it is the source of our spiritual nourishment. Through our faith we receive God's direction, instruction, counsel and discipline. Moreover, we receive His friendship and love, comfort and joy. Our connection with God is vital to our well-being and to the condition of our home, community and nation. 

The kingdom of Israel had severed its tie with God. Lie and corruption, greed and arrogance weathered and cut their connection with God until they found themselves separate from Him. Their access to His protection, provision and wisdom was too far out of reach in the moment when they were precisely in the reach of their grasping enemies. 

29:12-16 Some of the Levites responded to Hezekiah's wake-up call. They cleared the temple of debris and cleaned it. Symbolically, they began a renovation of their hearts and faith. The cobwebs were cleared, the holes patched. Suddenly they awakened, spiritually, to their bleak situation and restored themselves to their faith. 

29:17 It was a process and a personal effort but they understood that submission to God was a much differently reality than submission to sin. Corruption lusts for followers, pretends it can fill all their desires. But God loves His children, and can fill all of their needs. 

29:18-19 The men reported back to the king that they had fixed the destruction the previous, unfaithful king had caused. Finally, Judah began to make progress toward restoration. Corruption had disrespected and nearly destroyed the kingdom God had gifted the people. Gratitude and appreciation began to make it strong and clean once again. 

29:20-24 Sacrifice had once been the method through which people expressed their trust and devotion to God. It is now a defunct practice but was never what God truly desired:

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,

And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

All along, God wanted  (and still wants)  people to have mercy and knowledge of God, that is, an understanding of humility, natural justice and compassion. To have those things would mean to live in direct opposition to corruption, greed and arrogance. 

In Hosea 6, God expressed His frustration with Israel and Judah. The priests, because of Hezekiah, finally perceived God's frustration and began to change the way of the kingdom. Their method was sacrifice, ritual which required the people to devote the best of what they had in acknowledgement that God so deserved it. Our relationship with God is largely based on the understanding and process that when we pour ourselves out on His behalf, He will always fill us back up. Israel and Judah had stopped pouring themselves out; they had stopped receiving from God. Procuring material of the world (wealth, power, property, fame) is direct opposition to that spiritual process.

In the beginning, God wanted people to understand that faith was something you did, not just something you believed. In the New Testament, we know more accurately what work in faith looks like thanks to the example of our Messiah and the written works of His apostles. The correction of our own behavior requires that we clean out our own hearts and minds and redirect our attention to rebuilding and restoring that which injustice has destroyed in self, home and society. 

29:25-30 Judah began to worship the Lord. Hezekiah was largely responsible for maneuvering the kingdom back into faith. The worship was not as natural as it had been during King David's reign, but it was a genuine effort. Our relationships with God are like any relationship, they evolve and grow and strengthen over time. The more time we spend in His company, the more aware we are of how deserving He is of our praise. The more natural we are in expressing it. 

29:31-35 Those who had a willing heart, brought offerings to God. A relationship with God cannot be forced or unwilling. He would not want it even if it could be. God wants authentic relationships with His children. 

29:36 Hezekiah and the people were rejoiced that progress had been made. Likely they could already feel the clarity, joy and solemnity that comes from proximity to God. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 28

2 Chronicles 28:1-27

28:1-4 Ahaz became king of Judah at the age of twenty. Immediately, Ahaz revealed that he served false gods. Ahaz practiced idolatry as much of the world, even today does. Instead of utilizing and appreciating the counsel, instruction and discipline of God, Ahaz preferred to submit to false gods that could not disagree with the corrupt lifestyle he wanted to live. 

28:5-8 The kingdom of Judah had the non-existent protection of their false gods in a battle against Syria and Israel and were thus defeated thoroughly. Ahaz's father, Jotham, had prepared his path according to God's wisdom and protection and therefore the kingdom remained stable and impenetrable. Under Ahaz's corrupt command, Judah collapsed and was raided by their enemies. 

28:9-11 God intervened; because Israel was also a corrupt kingdom, He did not allowed it to fully enjoy its victory over Judah. The captives of Judah were returned because God was displeased with how Israel treated their captives. God allows us to win victories not to acquire slaves but to retain our own freedom. 

28:12-15 A few faithful men of Ephraiam administered God's command: Azariah, Berechiah, Jehizkiah, and Amasa declared the word of God. Israel's own corruption rendered them unworthy and too irresponsible to have any possession of Judah. In an act of deep compassion and obedience to God, they...

rose up and took the captives, and from the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them and gave them sandals, gave them food and drink, and anointed them; and they let all the feeble ones ride on donkeys.

These men saw their defeated enemies as brothers in need and took action. 

28:16-21 The moral decline of Judah caused the kingdom to be vulnerable from all sides. God protects and fortifies the righteous. Ahaz depleted the treasures of his kingdom to purchase support from a frequent enemy... to no avail. He failed and simultaneously degraded the kingdom. God's children do not have to deal with desperate times or measures. It was easy for Judah's enemies to toy with them.

Because of God, we do not have to purchase protection or support. We do not have to give away our faith or morals to make compromises. Ahaz was without help because he shoved help away and replaced Him with false gods. Ahaz preferred to submit to his own foolish maneuvering rather than God's perfect authority. 

The righteous understand God's authority as protection whereas the corrupt perceive it as confinement. Corruption's desire leads one out past the borders of justice and compassion. Ahaz refused protection because his corruption wanted to act contrary to God's law... it left him prey to the world.

28:22-27 Ahaz's behavior continued to descend into corruption. He established and perpetuated idolatry in the land of Judah. Ahaz reigned in a time when only few had access to God's written word; a leader's behavior was tremendously instrumental in shaping the nature of the kingdom. He destroyed Judah's relationship with God. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 27

2 Chronicles 27:1-9

27:1-2 The son of Uzziah and Jerushah became king of Judah at the young age of twenty-five. Jotham did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and followed his father's best example rather than his worst. The people within the kingdom however, lived corrupt lifestyles.

27:3-4 In the face of the kingdom's faithlessness, Jotham reinforced the house of the Lord. It is especially important for God's children to remain faithful and productive in faith in the midst of corruption. It requires strength and resilience of character.

27:5 While battling the corruption of his own kingdom, Jotham faced external enemy nations. With God, we are able to face enemies from multiple sides because he is our comprehensive offense and defense. 

27:6 Jotham because mighty... because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God. There is the recipe, the blueprint, the map, the instructions on how to become mighty. Mighty in heart and courage. Mighty in wisdom and joy. Mighty in purpose of fulfillment. Mighty in righteousness and peace. 

Jotham consulted God on his movements. Before he did anything, he prepared the steps according to God's counsel and law. God is able to communicate with us when we are eager to listen and learn. 

27:7-9 Jotham passed away a faithful servant of God; he lived a righteously and purposefully tidy life. He did his best, he loved and listened to God. In his place, his son, Ahaz became king and unfortunately, was not faithful like his father. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 26

2 Chronicles 26:1-23

26:1-5 Son of Amaziah and Jecholiah, Uzziah, was placed as king at the age of sixteen. Uzziah remained king of Judah for fifty-two years in Jerusalem and generally, he was a good king. For most of his life, he had a consistent relationship on God; in almost all of his actions he utilized and valued God's law and counsel. Uzziah and Judah prospered because of their relationship with God; our faith is our source of provision and as long as we adhere to it, it nourishes. 

26:6-8 Uzziah was made able by God to diminish Judah's enemies. As long as we join the spiritual army against evil, God ensures that we have the victory in war and battle. Judah was surrounded by corruption; they and we have been appointed by God as fellow-workers. It is our blessed opportunity on earth to extinguish elements of evil: injustice, corruption, hatred, greed. 

Our battle is not against a person or entity so much as it is against "principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." The advice from Ephesians 6:12, is for us to build our character and lifestyle against what evil stands for and manifests in what should be a holy earth. 

26:9-10 Whenever Judah was faithful to God, not only was their offense strong, but so was their ability to defend themselves and fortify their kingdom. Our God is so generous and comprehensive with His love, He wisely builds His faithful child to be strong. God rescues us whenever we need Him to, but He also builds us up as fortified mountains: solid; strong; brave; wise. 

26:11-15 Uzziah built an advanced military. God ensures that His children are prepared and equipped with the abilities and tools they will require for their specific part in this battle. In the Old Testament, we frequently read about military strength. In our generation especially, our battles often look differently and take place on smaller scales. For example, sometimes teachers are fighting a battle for a classroom of children to have a voice and strength in the world. Sometimes a person fights for animal rights in their community. There are so many ways in which we participate with God in winning this war against injustice. 

26:16 However, during our participation in the overall battle, we have a journey of our own. Through our faith and God-given purpose we also must do construction on ourselves. We must observe and correct our own behavior according to God's instruction and sometimes discipline. Uzziah's faith was strong and therefore he grow powerful; but the power seemed to have drained Uzziah's faith. The power seems to drain from Uzziah's faith in God... and fill up in his own head. 

We are beloved children of God... and we are also servants, just as God and Jesus are to us, Matthew 20:28. We are valued and supported servants, treated as kings. But we are not kings. Uzziah was king in title but his position was a position of servitude of the community. He lost that notion and began to claim more power than he was entitled to. 

God is quick to shut down arrogance because it quickly erodes character. A haughty attitude does not listen and therefore does not learn. Arrogance obscures reality and often turns a person harsh and cruel. Selfishness eats compassion and without compassion, a person has lost their humanity. Without our humanity, we are empty shells... often destructive shells.

26:17-18 A man of God tried to realign Uzziah with humility but the king obstinately refused his counsel. 

26:19-20 In fact, Uzziah was furious. He had become so arrogant that nobody was safe to even disagree with him. God tried to discipline Uzziah, it was an attempt to restore him: leprosy broke out on Uzziah's face. In the Old Testament, God's discipline often took a literal form. In our generation, God's instruction is often more subtle and figurative. 

26:21-22 Unfortunately, Uzziah who had once had a strong and healthy relationship with God, never restored it. His arrogance isolated him and removed him from the prominence his faith had build for him. It is so dangerous to mute the instruction and counsel of God, so unwise to sever our tie to Him. God is our provider, sustain-er, defender, counselor, leader, friend, King and Father. We are the children of a mighty fortress, live humbly enough to thrive inside its walls.

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 25

2 Chronicles 25:1-28

25:1-2 Amaziah was a king who obeyed God but did not love God. It was not a strong relationship; for God is not searching for subjects, His quest is for His children.

25:3-4 At the earliest opportunity, Amaziah executed everyone who betrayed his father, Joash. Joash had been severely wounded by an enemy army but his servants delivered the actual killing blow. Joash was killed by his own because he had killed innocents. Amaziah continued the bloodbath, though he showed restraint in not punishing the children of the people he found guilty. 

Amaziah did not kill their children because of Deuteronomy 24:16, which essentially states that people should not be punished for another person's actions. In that, Amaziah was obedient. But he readily killed men and women who had tried to remove a corrupt king from power. 

25:5 Amaziah built an army of three hundred thousand to go to war against Edom. 

25:6-8 To strengthen his army, he also added one hundred thousand men from Israel to his army. But Amaziah was approached by a man of God who warned him of an alliance with Israel. Israel had distanced itself from God. Amaziah was told that he would fail if he joined forces with a corrupt nation. 

25:9 Amaziah did not mind dissociating his army with Israel, but he was concerned about losing the money he had already paid them to join him. A child of God knows that God will always fill the space they leave open for Him. When we skip an opportunity because of its unrighteousness, God ensures that a better, more abundant opportunity inevitably takes its place. 

25:10 Reassured that his money would be restored, Amaziah released Israel and unhappily, they did not join him against Edom. 

25:11-12 Amaziah and his army went into the Valley of Salt and overtook the people of Seir. 

25:13 Meanwhile, the soldiers from Israel raided Judah. 

25:14 Judah became vulnerable because Amaziah adopted the God's of the enemy nation. He forfeited the protection of the true God.

25:15 Amaziah is perfect evidence that our relationship with God must be founded on steadfast love. Amaziah easily shifted from his faith in god to his faith in false gods: money and power and control. A prophet of God asked Amaziah a blunt question: Why have you sought the gods of the people, which could not rescue their own people from your hand?

It made no sense for Amaziah to trade God for false gods. Yet every day people do. Every day people become obedient to their desires. They refuse to be obedient to God, whose authority serves their benefit because they are too proud to live humbly. 

25:16 As corruption does, Amaziah closed his ears to the prophet's wisdom. He was too arrogant, too self-righteous to consider that he might have made a mistake. If we are unwilling to listen to God's discipline, we never grow in character. We become obstinate slaves to ignorance, anger and greed.

25:17 Amaziah informed Israel that Judah planned to battle against it. 

25:18-19 Judah responded that Amaziah should be careful: Israel was much stronger than Judah. The king of Israel suggested that Judah be grateful for and content with its win against Edom instead of arrogantly pursuing a battle it could not win. 

25:20-24 Israel defeated Judah. Amaziah thought he had the counsel and support of God but he had rejected and abandoned God. Amaziah made the foolish and cruel mistake of believing that he could pick and choose when to follow God. Either we have a stalwart relationship with God or we have none at all. We cannot use God when we need Him and abandon Him when we think we do not.

25:25-28 Amaziah lived a faithless and thus, tumultuous life, and then he died. Let that not be the summation of your life! 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 24

2 Chronicles 24:1-27

24:1 Joash was seven years old when he became king, because of his extreme youth, he leaned heavily on the guardianship of Jehoiada the priest. 

It is mentioned that Joash's mother's name was Zibiah. Joash reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. 

24:2 Jehoiada dedicated his life to God; Joash was essentially adopted by the priest and became the purpose of his life. He restored the kingship, reestablished it and then counseled its king all of the days of his life. As soon as Jehoiada died, it became clear that he kept Joash adhered to God. 

24:3 Jehoiada ensured that the Joash would have descendants; almost all of his family had been killed and Jehoiada did not want to leave the kingdom open to another corrupt leader without connection to God. Moreover, the messiah would come through the line of David's descendants and therefore God ensured that it continued. Jehoiada was a strong influence in Joash's life. Joash was an impressionable child and adult. He was easily influenced by the people around him. Jehoiada's influence kept Joash righteously motivated. 

David's love for God was groundbreaking. It broke the ground, the old system of rigid obedience to God and laid down the foundation for a new kind of relationship. A relationship based in love and trust. For that reason, Jesus came to earth as a descendant of David. 

24:4-7 The house of God had been severely damaged during Athaliah's reign; symbolically, her corruption caused the disintegration of Judah's faith. Joash ordered the temple to be restored but the Levites were not initially eager to follow the order. Perhaps they were weary; the kingdoms constant ebb and flow, to and from God might have been discouraging. 

God needs us to be passionate for justice and the restoration of peace. It is not always easy to remain hopeful, passionate and determined but our faith in God should reignite our spark whenever the plight of the world blows it out. Because of Him, we know that our efforts are not unseen or irrelevant. 

24:8-11 At the king's command, Judah was invited to participate in the restoration of the temple. It would be through the entire kingdom's contributions that the house of God, the faith, would be restored in Judah. They were able to gather an abundance; when we commit ourselves to a righteous cause, God provides abundant tool and material for us to be successful. This chapter is similar to Exodus 35 in which Moses conducted the same nature of collection for God. 

This chapter represents personal dedication to God. The people of Judah gave what they had to rebuilt the faith. Much the same is required from us in the New Testament and now. God has given us gifts with which we are called to rebuilt everything our God stands for: justice, compassion, and truth, love, joy and rest. 

24:12-14 Joash and Jehoiada gave all of the dedicated material to the house of the Lord for reparations and labor. The house of the Lord was returned to its original condition and was reinforced.  The house of the Lord was reinforced symbolically because after a season of corruption, what it stood for meant much more to the people who had (if only in part) taken it for granted. 

If we are willing to grow in character through faith and obedience to God, we constantly reinforce our relationship with Him. 

24:15-16 Jehoiada lived an exceptionally long life, the reason why becomes apparent in the next few versus. Jehoiada was buried among kings because he had served God as one. He had lived his life in service to God and to God's children. Those who live as servants are regarded as kings by God. 

24:17-18 Unfortunately, after Jehoiada's death, Joash took counsel from the wrong people. The people around Joash flattered him and tempted him away from his godly lifestyle and into idol worship. It might be frustrating to read about how so many kings and people turned their hearts to carved images but we have idol worship in our own time. Instead of carved images, we look up to celebrities and the gains of wealth and power. So many often put our faith in almost everything except for God. 

The Old Testament was written for us to learn from as an example, 1 Corinthians 10:11. Idol worship applies to us; the trials and tribulations of the Old Testament peoples can help us navigate our world that seems very different from this ancient civilization but is almost entirely the same. 

24:19 God sent prophets in an emphatic effort to rescue Joash and the kingdom from corruption but they refused to listen to the prophets.

24:20 The Spirit of God appointed Zechariah, son of Jehoiada, to deliver His message to the people:

“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.’”

God asks us this same question when we are away from Him: why do you inhibit yourself by disregarding Me? Our rejection or neglect of God serves only our detriment. When we forsake God, we are essentially forsaking ourselves.

24:21 In obstinate, selfish cruelty, the people kill Zechariah. Rather than hear or accept the constructive criticism, they eliminate the one who delivered it. It is so important for us to take courage from prophets of God who were not well-received. Often we deliver messages that seem not to matter to the people who would benefit from hearing them. At worse, they enrage the target audience. 

But Zechariah (and so many other prophets) were not discouraged by society's disregard or even hatred of them. They bravely and proudly followed the command of God. One thing to keep in mind: God gave the prophets their orders and their message. God directed them to their audience and at specific time. We should be careful to follow God's command rather than starting than spewing self-righteous judgement. 

If God wants us to say something, His Spirit will come upon us with the message and direction to the audience, Luke 12:12. As we grow in faith, we become more able to discern the moments when God wants us to act. Remember that Jesus cautioned even the disciples that it is not an easy job, Matthew 20:22. In fact it is difficult, arduous and without reward or regard from the world around us. The prophets who did take up the cross, the cause of God, cared only about regard from God.  

From the world's perspective, Zechariah died because of his words. From God's perspective, Zechariah lives eternally because of his words.

24:22 Joash killed Jehoiada's son. He killed the son of the people who saved his life. This verse is a reminder that we must adhere to our faith on a moment-by-moment basis otherwise we stray so far away that we might not even recognize ourselves. 

24:23-27 In an attack allowed by God, a small Syrian army overcame Judah. But it was Joash's own people who delivered the killing blow to the king. He had killed an innocent and they were outraged. The kingdom crumbled beneath Joash more and more every moment in which he walked away from God. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 23

2 Chronicles 23:1-21

23:1-2 Corruption and faithlessness swept the kingdom of Judah but was not complete in silencing the few still faithful to God. A man named Jehoiada remained motivated to restore the kingdom back to God through David's family line. Jehoiada's wife had rescued baby Joash, the rightful king, in the previous chapter. Together, the couple united under God to rebel against the evil queen Athaliah. 

They were not alone. Jehoiada had spent years organizing a rebellion force; added to his strength were Ishmael, Azariah, Maaseiah, and Elishaphat. The men traveled around Judah gathering Levites and people who were still faithful to God. 

23:3 In Jerusalem, Jehoiada revealed the gathered group that although it was believed that all of the king's children were killed, one of them was still alive. Jehoiada and Jehoshabeath had raised Joash in secret, guarding his identity, for six years. He was only seven years old but Athaliah's reign was so crooked, it was necessary for the rebellion to occur as soon as possible.

23:4-7 After the revelation of a rightful king, Jehoiada organized the rebellion for the day of the Sabbath. The king would be protected and all faithful people would be kept out of the area under attack. 

23:8-11 With implements from the house of God, the faithful rebels were armed with all they would need to have victory over evil. God will always provide us the tools and materials we need to deconstruct and remove evil. It requires commitment to faith and justice. It requires courage and adherence to God's will, but if we have that, we have everything we need to triumph. 

23:12-13 Athaliah heard the commotion of the anointing of the rightful king and panicked angrily.

23:14-15 Jehoiada gave orders for Athaliah to be captured, but not killed in the house of the Lord.

23:16-19 Jehoiada, the people and the new king all made a commitment to be God's people. To be righteous. Afterward, they tore down the structures of idol worship. Jehoiada appointed faithful men to positions within the house of the Lord, in effort that the word of God would be properly taught and followed.

23:20-21 The kingdom of Judah was reestablished from top to bottom, corruption uprooted. Judah rejoiced at the death of the evil Athaliah and at the restoration of the throne to a descendant of David. Corruption and contempt and idolatry weighed heavily on the kingdom; people rejoiced at the prospect of returning to the God who gave them peace and rest. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 22

2 Chronicles 22:1-12

22:1 Jehoram's youngest son became king of Judah for a short period of time. His older brothers had been killed by raiders. The house of Judah was ripped to shreds by enemy and corruption as faith was abandoned. 

22:2-6 Ahaziah was another evil man. He followed the advice of his evil mother and his father's evil counselors. These rulers had selfish agenda's that served their lust for power, celebrity and wealth. They did not serve God; therefore they neglected the well-being of the people they were supposed to lead into righteousness. 

22:7-10 During a trip, Ahaziah unknowingly walked into a place where God's judgement was being executed by Jehu (who was removing evil men of authority from the kingdom of Israel). Had he been a righteous man, Ahaziah would not have inadvertently met his end. Ahaziah was buried for Jehoshaphat's sake.

22:10 In an attempt to establish herself as queen, Ahaziah's mother seized her opportunity to order the deaths of all of the eligible heirs of Judah. She craved power for herself at any cost; the cost was her soul. 

Mark 8:36-37 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Souls faithful to God understand that the death of innocents and degradation of character is not worthwhile for any pursuit. Often the Bible presents us with extremes: most of us would not kill to get what we want. But we can still learn that selfish choices severely harm others and ultimately are no benefit to us. 

22:11 Though all of his sons were dead, Jehoram's daughter took Ahaziah's son (who was still a baby), Joash, and hid him in a bedroom with his nurse. Jehoshabeath saved his life and simultaneously ensured a rightful king of Judah to replace the evil reign of Athaliah. Jehoshabeath, outwardly an ordinary women, was utilized by God to protect the life of a righteous soul. She had the faith and thus courage to preserve life and philosophy of God in the midst of darkness. 

22:12 For six years, Jehoshabeath hid Joash while Athaliah reigned. During that time, Joash became an obedient and righteous child of God. He was seven years old when he became king. It is so extraordinary how God, through His fellow-workers, restores peace. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 21

2 Chronicles 21:1-20

21:1 Jehoshaphat passed from the earth and his eldest son Jehoram became king. 

21:2-3 Including Jehoram, there were several other sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. Each was loved by his father and received an inheritance from him; but tradition dictated that the eldest would become king.

21:4-7 Jehoram was eligible for the kingship because of birth order, but he was not worthy of it. He did not have the faithful heart of his father. As soon as his position as king was solidified, Jehoram murdered his brothers and anyone else who could potentially threaten his authority. 

Jehoram was an evil man. He married a daughter of Ahab (who was infamously one of the worst kings of Israel). Yet God had promised David that his descendants would endure. The world frequently operates under less than ideal situations but that is when faith can be most productive! 

21:8-11 The rest and peace that had been sustained by God through Judah's faith crumbled in chaos. Rejection of Jehoram caused Edom and Libnah to revolt. The kingdom began to fracture. Jehoram built high places for false gods and steadily, the kingdom of Judah fell away from God, too.

It is imperative that every person, family, community and nation determine their values and adhere to them.

21:12-15 God entrusted bold work to the prophet Elijah. Elijah sent a letter to Jehoram. The letter informed the king of Judah of a that God was deeply displeased with his behavior. Harlotry is a reoccurring metaphor in the Bible that relates to spiritual infidelity. Instead of steadfastly committing to God, so many submit to their desires, to fear, to anger.

God felt that Jehoram's younger brothers were better men than him, yet God allowed free will. He allowed the family and the nation to follow their own traditions, even though He knew better. God allows our individuality and autonomy because He is fair. But we benefit so much from handing over our autonomy to Him. We benefit so much more from His will rather our own. 

21:16-17 Corruption ate away the impenetrable defense of God and Judah was invaded. Our faith is a shield, it protects us from from invaders but it also keeps us from crossing the borders of God's defense. Judah crossed those spiritual borders and became vulnerable to their enemies. 

21:18-20 Jehoram died without health, peace or respect. To no one's sorrow, Jehoram departed; he created so much disaster and corruption that there was not a single person who mourned his absence. 

OT: The Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 20

2 Chronicles 20:1-37

20:1 The people of Moab, Ammon and several other nations marched into battle against Judah in number and power enough to subdue it. 

20:2-3 When Jehoshaphat was informed of their impending arrival, his emotional response was fear; simultaneously, his spiritual response was to seek God. Initial fear is unavoidable, it is an element of the human condition. Fear inserts itself into us when we are overwhelmed, but faith in God efficiently destabilizes it and rapidly dispels it.  

Jehoshaphat initiated a kingdom-wide fast. The fast served as an opportunity to meditate with God on the matter; the constant reminder of the fasted elements served as a conduit, a redirection to faith. 

20:4 As a faithful unit, the people of Judah requested assistance from God for a threat they knew they could not manage alone.

20:5-12 With all of Judah assembled with him, Jehoshaphat prayed aloud to God from the house of the Lord:

“O Lord God of fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 

Jehoshaphat began with a declaration: he immediately confronted his fear with the magnitude of his God. The face off would intimidate his fear and embolden his faith. The king of Judah asked three rhetorical questions, each a declaration of a characteristic of God:

• Are you not God in Heaven? Yes.
• Do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? He does.
• In Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? There is; they cannot.

Each rhetorical question served as a reminder to speaker and audience that because of their faith, they were not as vulnerable as the situation seemed to imply. In fact, in faith, they were not vulnerable at all.

Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine— 

Jehoshaphat remembered God's stalwart presence. He had been with them since before they were born; He has been with us since before we were born, Psalm 139:13, Ephesians 1:4. The kingdom of Judah only existed because God had enabled it to. God gave it to them so that they could keep it, not lose it. 

We will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ 

With courage in faith, Jehoshaphat proclaimed that he and the kingdom would stand in His presence. Obedient. Praying. Trusting.  In Psalm 16:8 it is proclaimed: I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. They stood straight, chin up; defiant at fear's command to bow.

And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them? 

An approaching army would not cause this body of faithful children of God to cower. They stood, unmoved, in confidence that God would protect them as He had done many times before for their ancestors.

For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

We are powerless and we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You. If you need to, start every morning and end each day with this statement. An admission of your limitation but trust in God to render you limitless.

20:13 This must have been a precious sight to the Lord: the men and women of Judah, the families of Judah, the little children of Judah standing bravely with their eyes on Him. Pure dependence on their creator. We are each loved by God as His precious child; every time we outstretch our arms for Him, He gathers us into His embrace.

20:14-17 In that moment, the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah, who received God's response to the assembly:

“Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 

Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ 

Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

From God's response, we learn how to respond to an enemy force: do not be afraid or dismayed for God has chosen to acquire our plight. He has chosen to handle it. Our frail shoulders are covered by Him whose shoulders are broad and strong. 

God directed them to stand down, stand still and to position themselves in faith. God did not command them to assume a position of attack or defense; He commanded them to assume a position of trust in His salvation. Reliance on God positions us in a place where we are not the prey of our enemies but the rescued prize of God. Vultures hit our shield of faith as God swoops down to claim us. 

20:18-19 God's response inspires Judah to do two things: bow and praise. God's love never requires us to assume any other position than trust, reverence and praise. If you can manage those, He will manage everything else.

20:20 Early the next morning, Judah rose with faith in God. Jehoshaphat encouraged them: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets and you shall prosper.

There is no reason why that encouragement is not solid advice for us in our own present day, in the face of our own present battles. Scripture is filled with instruction and prophesy given by God through His prophets. Jehoshaphat proclaimed that belief in God would establish the believer. Through faith, God builds us to be solid.

20:21 Jehoshaphat prepared for battle perhaps as no one ever had before: singing and praising God's eternal nature. What if we approached and confronted our fear and enemy with praise for God? The songs we sing to God diminish our giants, render them powerless.

20:22-24 God set ambushes (ambushers) against the enemy and they began to fight each other. By the orchestration of God, the enemy force began to self-destruct. It was that simple for God to destabilize the threat.

Faith provides God leeway in your life: the more faith, the more leeway He has to exert His will, authority, protection and provision over and within your life. It is always your choice, and by your invitation. He will not force Himself into your life.

20:25 Not only did Judah escape the threat of their enemy entirely, they came away from it with treasure. Our God is a God of surplus. The treasure symbolized the power He has to do a complete reversal of impossible situations.

20:26-28 Judah returned home with joy. In fear they praised God. In joy they praised God. Their relationship with God was unwavering. Our relationship with God should thrive under sorrow and joy, fear and contentment. Faith is not a faucet we turn on when we feel hungry. Faith is a river, an ocean, a constant source, presence and power.

We must never use God. We must love God through all seasons an conditions of life. For many of us, His are the first arms we run into with tears in our eyes. He must also, always be the first one we run to jump with in joy. Trust is as important as gratitude.

Judah's response to fear: trust and praise.

Judah's response during battle: obedience and praise.

Judah's response to joy: gratitude and praise.

20:29 The kingdoms around Judah revered God for His impossible power. The amplification of our trust and praise and gratitude toward God is seen, heard and felt by the inhabitants of the earth.

20:30 The realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around. This is one of the most serene passages of the Bible. A verse that will apply to our own lives when we respond to all things with faith in God and praise for Him. 

20:31-34 Jehoshaphat, offspring of Azubah and Asa, child of king, reigned of Judah righteously. And though imperfect as we all are, Jehoshaphat did not turn aside from God. He lived with obedience to God; he lived in love with God. 

20:35-37 In the final verses of the chapter, a flaw of Jehoshaphat is reiterated: he sometimes aligned himself with the wrong people and had to be disciplined by God. These verses are important because they help us to relate our own life and faith with Jehoshaphat's. We are not different from him: our faith has the same ability to reach the same heights his did. We are also as capable of making mistakes. We will make mistakes just as surely as he did. But just as his commitment, trust and obedience to God rescued him, so will ours.