2 Chron 35:1–36:23, 1 John 2:28–3:4, Ps 105:23–45

Today’s Themes: God’s Love and Promises

Serve Each Other

The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place according to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at each gate. They did not need to depart from their service, for their brothers the Levites prepared for them. 2 Chronicles 35:15 (ESV)

This is a great example of the way ministry works and how it helps all those involved with it.

Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 12:25 “that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.?”

Paul also tells us us in Ephesians 4:16 “from (Jesus the head) whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Ask God how you can serve the body of Christ today. Also see 1 Corinthians 12:25, Romans 12:4–8

Look Back

No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as was kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 35:18 (ESV)

The last leader to follow the Passover correctly was Samuel. King Josiah returns to God’s word and is the first king to hold a full Passover in accordance with what God had prescribed to Moses.

We learn from this that we should get our practise as Christians from God’s word but we should not neglect looking back at those who have gone on before us and looking at their example.

As the saying goes “if it is not broke, don’t fix it”. We must humble ourselves and learn from the 2000 years of church history we already have as it’s leaders align with God’s word. See Hebrews 12:1–2

Josiah was only aged 26 when he held this biblical Passover.

Listen

Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo. 2 Chronicles 35:22 (ESV)

Like other good kings , Josiah’s downfall come from pride and stubbornness.

God in his sovereignty was using Neco to pass judgement on the people of Carchemish, Josiah was not to get involved.

We need to be careful to not just react to a situation and reach out in our own understanding when God is at work. The key to avoiding this is to seek God’s in prayer and to be led by his Holy Spirit

Paul has an example of this in his own life in Acts 16:6–7 “And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them”

Pride and Rebellion

He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel. 2 Chronicles 36:12–13 (ESV)

King Zedekiah was evil, he had no humility to listen to God’s prophet or loyalty to honour the king.

We need to avoid both the attitudes of pride and rebellion, we should humbly submit to God word, our ministers and even the authorities. See 1 Peter 2:12

No Other Remedy

The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy. 2 Chronicles 36:15–16 (ESV)

This demonstrates the great love that God has for his people however against common conceptions, this mercy and love has a limit. Although it is immense, there came a time where there was no remedy.

When Jesus spoke about the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, he was teaching that those who resist and turn away from the Spirit’s drawing cannot be forgiven. Matthew 12:31–32.

Those who reject the Gospel cannot instead receive the gospel version 2. Hebrews 6:4–6

If we reject God’s word, Gods plan of salvation and Gods Spirit, there is no other remedy.

The King’s Declaration

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 2 Chronicles 36:22 (ESV)

The book ends by showing us that God, the true king is in complete control. This is a great testament to God’s sovereignty. God was able to stir up and use this pagan king for his own purposes.

The very declaration of king cyrus is a reflection of God’s declared will from his throne as the king of the universe which he ensures always comes to pass.

God remains victorious, all the earthly kings have faded away. Now Israel’t true king will restore them to the land in preparation for the 1st coming of the King fulfilled by Jesus the son of David.

God’s Great Love

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1 (ESV)

We thank God for his love in the context that he has made us his children.

God’s love is great because it is by God own act of love that we belong to God in as secure and permanent a way as a child belongs to their own loving parents.

God’s love is great because of the quality of the love he shows too, God’s love is not like that of men and he does not have the shortcomings of earthly fathers.

It is Father’s Day today, those of us who are dad’s should reflect on Gods incredible love demonstrated to us by making us his children and pour that love on our own children. Thos who are not fathers can reflect on God the Father who has adopted them and made them become his child.

Purifying Hope

And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 1 John 3:3 (ESV)

God calls us his children now, we do not know what we will be when Jesus returns but it will be even greater somehow (probably largely due to the fact that we will have eternal resurrection bodies).

The joyful hope of what we will become when Jesus returns should help us stay pure.

Morally pure living is the response of those who hope to become like Jesus at His return.

God’s Promises

For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant. So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. Psalm 105:42–43 (ESV)

Thank God today that he keeps his promises, we can sing and rejoice that God is faithful, our God who makes and keeps promises.

 

2 Chron 33:1–34:33, 1 John 2:18–27, Ps 105:1–22

Today’s Theme: Repentance and Restoration

Abortion and Witchcraft

And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 2 Chronicles 33:6 (ESV)

The evil of abortion which is in fact the murder of a little baby is an abomination before God. Many would read about Manasseh’s infanticide in horror while contending that a woman has the right to choose, after already becoming pregnant, whether they want to have the baby, and if they don’t they should have the right to “get rid of it” or in more honest language, murder it with impunity.

We must stand up for these poor little ones in the womb, they stand defenceless while someone else often for the sake of convenience, inflicts unimaginable pain on them while killing them.

The killing of children (Abortion) is spoken of in the same context as witchcraft, both acts are extremely wicked. Abortion is the new Molech.

If You have ever been involved in an abortion there is hope and forgiveness for you to be found in Jesus.

Humility and Repentance

And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. 2 Chronicles 33:12–13 (ESV)

The repentance of Manasseh is a strong picture of how merciful God really is. Manasseh was like a monster, he was guilty of more evil than the average person, yet when he humbled himself and cried out to God in repentance, God forgave him.

God’s mercy and goodness lead even the worst of sinners to come to know him. Gods goodness should lead us to repentance Romans 2:4

Relationship with God

Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, behold, they are in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 2 Chronicles 33:18 (ESV)

Notice the verse says “his prayer to his God”. We do not just repent to a distant God to keep him happy, God desires that we come into a good relationship with himself and has made it possible through Jesus.

Our repentance should bring reconciliation in our relationship with God,

New Beginnings

For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images. 2 Chronicles 34:3 (ESV)

The number 8 represents new beginnings in the bible. This new king Josiah who lived before God just like David began to reign when he was only aged 8. Now we read in the 8th year of his reign at age 16 he began to seek the Lord.

12 speaks of God’s government, which makes it even more significant that it was in the 12 year of his reign that the purging of the land began, restoring God’s order.

At age 16 he began to seek God and at age 20 began restoring the land. This is wonderful and shows there is hope for our young people and God can use them mightily. 1 Timothy 4:12

Respond to the Word

And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes. 2 Chronicles 34:19 (ESV)

Our response to God’s word is so important, when we hear Gods word we should be in a place of humility allowing the word to change us and not us reinterpreting and therefore changing the word.

God’s word is a precious treasure, notice it was found in the treasury with all the gold.

We should treasure the word of God and ask God to make our hearts alive to the message it has for us so we can respond to it as we ought to.

Paul encourages us in Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Be Humble

because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. 2 Chronicles 34:27 (ESV)

Again we read about the importance of humility, we must be humble and have tender hearts before God.

We are reminded in James 4:6-8 “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Read the Bible

And the king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. 2 Chronicles 34:30 (ESV)

This lesson is simple, we must read or listen to the bible.

Without the commands, directions and warnings of Gods word we would not know who God is, what the gospel is or even which direction to turn when we repent or what needs to be repented of.

The conscience and nature as witnesses to the truth are limited. We should give God thanks for the treasure of his revealed word “The Bible”, God’s special revelation.

Eternal Security

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 1 John 2:19 (ESV)

John is quite plain, those that end up leaving the faith were never truly saved according to this verse. This is because those who have truly been saved are held secure by the Lord, endure till the end and are saved.

Confess Jesus

No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.    1 John 2:23 (ESV)

This is why we need to reach out to the Jews, although they worship the same God as us, the God of the bible. They reject Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Messiah. As this verse says, without Jesus we do not have a relationship with the Father.

It is significant that today we have a course at church on Evangelism by Jews for Jesus

The Anointing

But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. 1 John 2:27 (ESV)

This is a great encouragement to all of us as God’s people, we receive the anointing of God the Holy Spirit when we are born again. The Holy Spirit is the one who abides in us and his purpose is to teach us so that we abide or stay in Jesus which is in line with the earlier note about eternal security.

We should be encouraged and thank God for his anointing today.

God’s Presence

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Psalm 105:4 (ESV)

We should long for and seek God’s manifest presence with Joy. When we rejoice in God we receive strength, this is the remedy if we feel weary, seek Gods strength by seeking God’s presence.

2 Chron 31:1–32:33, 1 John 2:15–17, Ps 104:16–35

Today’s Theme: Wholly (100% or With Everything or Totally)

Destroy Them All

Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession. 2 Chronicles 31:1 (ESV)

The people were inspired by the faith and single hearted, total dedication of their King Hezekiah, this spurred them on to destroy every high place and idolatrous altar.

We are called to have this same passion and dedication in our lives too. We are called to wholly follow the Lord. When putting sin to death in our lives we should have no mercy on our sins and compromises, we need to destroy them all.

Romans 8:13 teaches us “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Colossians 3:5 commands us “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

We should not leave room for compromise, we should determine in our hearts to destroy all idolatry, sin and compromise.

Give Everything

As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. 2 Chronicles 31:5 (ESV)

The tithe being 10% has always been a representation of everything, so the people symbolically gave God 100% of everything, not just 10% of everything.

We should at least give God a regular tithe or 10% representation from our income today. The New Testament does not talk about the tithe specifically but does speak about the spirit and meaning of tithing in the scriptures about giving everything to the Lord and being generous as we give.

Jesus told the rich young man to sell everything, give to the poor and come follow him in Mark 10:21. Jesus extends this call to all his disciples in Luke 12:32 -34 where he encourages them that the Father wants to give them the kingdom, so they should sell all they have and give to the needy and instead focus on storing treasure in heaven. Jesus culminates this lesson by stating “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”

In Romans 12:8 Paul teaches us to give generously and in 2 Corinthians 9:7 tells us “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Faithful Commitment

They were enrolled with all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, the whole assembly, for they were faithful in keeping themselves holy. 2 Chronicles 31:18 (ESV)

In the spirit of the gospel call to give God everything we give God our very lives and so should lay it all on the line to walk in sanctification and holiness like these Levites.

Jesus told us to take up our cross and follow him in Luke 9:23. Jesus also taught us that those who remain faithful till the end will be saved in Matthew 24:12

Word Study: Faithful, in the hebrew this word is “Emuna” the root words for this include trustworthy, wearing to prove to be firm, reliable, permanent and to believe. In this sense the word means steadfastness, trustworthiness, faithfulness, honesty, official duty, firmness and to be dependable.

Meditate on the meaning of this word today and listen to the Holy Spirit as he shows you how faithfulness needs to be applied in your life.

With All Our Hearts

And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered. 2 Chronicles 31:21 (ESV)

We should not be half hearted when we do anything especially when we serve the Lord.

Hezekiah worked for and sought the Lord with all his heart and we should do the same.

James 1:8 warns us that we should not be doubtful and double minded.

Paul teaches us in Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”

Work Resolutely

He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was broken down and raised towers upon it, and outside it he built another wall, and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David. He also made weapons and shields in abundance. 2 Chronicles 32:5 (ESV)

As we work for the Lord we need to be resolute. We need to make up our minds, set our aims and give ourselves over completely to see the task completed.

This is where both our firm faith and hard work go hand in hand. Our purposeful working gives expression to our deep rooted faith.

James teaches that faith without works is dead in James 2:20-26, he finishes the lesson by saying “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

Confidence

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. 2 Chronicles 32:7–8 (ESV)

Hezekiah was a man of great faith, he knew that God was with him, because he was 100% dedicated to God he had the confidence to know and boldly declares that heavens armies were with them. His words inspired faith and confidence in the people too.

We are at war, and we need to have faith in our great God just like Hezekiah. God fights our battles for us.

As Paul teaches on Gods eternal plan, we read in Ephesians 3:11–12 that we have confidence through our faith in him “This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.”

We should declare the truth to one another to build up all our faith and confidence in the Lord as we stand and God fights.

The Danger of Pride

And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart. 2 Chronicles 32:31 (ESV)

Pride was the great pitfall for Hezekiah who like David was a man who really loved and served the Lord. When we read this true account we need to ask the Lord to help us to stay true to him.

Notice the verse said God left him to himself to see what was in his heart. We should be very grateful that we have been given new hearts through the gift of God the Holy Spirt. See Titus 3:5

One way to guard against pride is to always be grateful to the Lord.

Restricted Love

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15 (ESV)

We should not just love everything, no way. So as Christians we do not love the things of the world in terms of lusts of the flesh, covetousness, envy and pride which all find their roots in idolatry and materialism.

Our Love should be for God and all that God loves.

The Things we love serve as a good test and indicator to us of where we are with God. If our affections and desires are for the things of the world we need to repent and turn our hearts to the Lord again.

Our Provider

These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. Psalm 104:27 (ESV)

God is the great provider for all creation

2 Chron 29:1–30:27, 1 John 2:7–14, Ps 104:1–15

Today’s Theme: Consecration

Like David

And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. 2 Chronicles 29:2 (ESV)

Hezekiah is one of the only kings that is attributed with doing what was right just like king David. This means he was a man who loved the Lord and was passionate for God’s glory. We can learn a lot of good from Hezekiah’s life and reign. His relationship with God would be the start of a season of restoration.

Put God First

In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. 2 Chronicles 29:3 (ESV)

Hezekiah put God first in the very first month of his reign, he started his great work of consecration and restoration of the house of the Lord. The Lesson for us is that we should put God first in all we do. Jesus told us to seek God’s kingdom first (Matthew 6:33) and reminded us that the first commandment is about putting God first too (Matthew 22:37-38).

Remove The Filth

and said to them, “Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place. 2 Chronicles 29:5 (ESV)

Word Study: The word consecrate in this verse is the hebrew word qadas which can be traced back to a root word which means “to cut” and so basically means “to set apart”. Other root words point to “pure” and “devoted”.

The word itself means to be holy, set apart from common use, subject to special treatment, clean and to dedicate.

Like Hezekiah commanded we to must remove all filth from our lives and live as consecrated people to our God for his service. Jesus said the truth would consecrate us in John 17:17-19.

Paul tells us in response to Gods promises to be with his people, that we should clean ourselves in 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” See 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 for fuller context.

Do Not Neglect Your Calling

My sons, do not now be negligent, for the LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him and to be his ministers and make offerings to him.” 2 Chronicles 29:11 (ESV)

God has consecrated us for ministry just like he did with the Levites. We should not neglect our calling, we should actively seek to fulfil it.

Jesus said to the unfaithful servant in the parable of the talents that he should have done something with the money he was given and that he was wicked for living in selfish fear and not investing his Lords money (Luke 19:20–24). In the same way we must not have this wicked attitude, we must use what God has given us to bring him glory.

Paul reminded Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:14 “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.”

A Clean Church

The priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it and carried it out to the brook Kidron. 2 Chronicles 29:16 (ESV)

God has not only called us to be consecrated as individuals but also as a collective body of people. This is why we have Pastors and Elders, they are there to protect us as the flock and to keep the church clean, removing bad doctrine (teaching / thinking) and the resulting bad behaviour from church practise.

When dealing with a church that needed some serious cleaning up in Corinth, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” in other words uncleanness spreads in the community so cut it out from the root.

The Inspiration of the Bible

And he stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to the commandment of David and of Gad the king’s seer and of Nathan the prophet, for the commandment was from the LORD through his prophets. 2 Chronicles 29:25 (ESV)

An important side note, this tells us clearly that the scriptures and the prophecies it contains were not just written down. The bible is the inspired word of God. We need to follow God’s word to cleanse ourselves and live a consecrated life. See 2 Timothy 3:16

Sing With Gladness

And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped. 2 Chronicles 29:30 (ESV)

The consecrated life is one of joy filled praise. When we live a consecrated life it is not boring or miserable, it is full of praise and singing.

The praise and the offering started at the same time because our praises are an offering to God. The whole assembly worshiped which reminds us of our corporate worship today.

Today lets remember to sing with joy to the Lord, he has consecrated us to himself, our response should be one of delight, gratitude, joy and heartfelt praise.

Consecrate yourself

But the priests were too few and could not flay all the burnt offerings, so until other priests had consecrated themselves, their brothers the Levites helped them, until the work was finished—for the Levites were more upright in heart than the priests in consecrating themselves. 2 Chronicles 29:34 (ESV)

We can’t consecrate someone else, we all are responsible for our own consecration and God wants us to be like these Levites who were upright in heart in the way they sought to be set apart.

The priest were higher than them in position but that did not intimidate the regular Levites they had their hearts set on serving the Lord. We should not let the religious deadness of other put us off, we should set our own hearts to serve the Lord. See Philippians 2:12–13

God’s Mercy

For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.” 2 Chronicles 30:18–19 (ESV)

We thank God for his mercy, in this great call to repentance and restoration God was not looking for perfection but hearts that were set on seeking him. We need to hear the call to repentance today, humble ourselves and come before God and he will show us mercy and set us apart again for his glory.

We need the mercy of God in our sanctification, it is only with God’s help that we can walk in true consecration.

Encourage One Another

And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the LORD. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 2 Chronicles 30:22 (ESV)

Hezekiah shows us a great example, we should encourage one another in the service of the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

The Indicator of Love

Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 1 John 2:10 (ESV)

If we have hate in our heart for our brothers and sisters in Christ it is an indicator that we are not walking in the light. Love is like an indicator in our hearts that we are walking in consecration as we ought to. We need to examine our hearts today, if we are walking in love, we are walking in sanctification / consecration.

Splendour and Majesty

Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. Psalm 104:1–2 (ESV)

God our great King is clothed in splendour and majesty, he is clothed in light, this is why we need to be consecrated because our God is awesome and holy.

 2 Chron 26:1–28:27, 1 John 2:1–6, Ps 103:15–22

Today’s Theme: Strength

Prosperity (strength) is conditional

He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper. 2 Chronicles 26:5 (ESV)

Prosperity from the Lord is conditional, as king Uzziah set his heart to seek God while under the instruction of Zechariah, we read that God made him prosper and later that God helped him (verse 7).

As we serve and honour the Lord he will cause us to be prosperous, this is not a golden ticket to material wealth and freedom from suffering, no, this is true fruitfulness and real prosperity.

Consider the word prosper, here we see the essence of the word is to be strong, effective, powerful and successful. The hebrew word Salah is also used in the context to hurry (rush), to prevail, to thrive, to accomplish and to be useful.

So God conditionally caused the king to be strong. It is the same for our lives, God will empower us to be strong, effective and successful as we serve him.

This theme of strength from God is all over the New Testament, Paul picks this up in Romans, at the start of the letter in Romans 1:11 he states “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you” later at the end of the letter he affirms in Romans 16:25 “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and …”

God helps us be strong

In Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong. 2 Chronicles 26:15 (ESV)

All this prosperity and help from the Lord ultimately made Uzziah strong.

We should not take God’s help for granted, it is a wonderful grace to us that God helps us. Without God’s help we will not be able to do anything meaningful for his kingdom. See Ephesians 3:16 and 1 Peter 5:10

In one sense God helps all people as Jesus teaches us he causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust  (Matthew 5:45). In another sense God’s own people receive very particular and special help to fulfil Gods purposes.

God helps us through the Helper, God The Holy Spirit.

Jesus said in John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,” In verse 26 we learn that the Helper will teach us, in 15:26 we read that the Helper will bear witness about Jesus and in 16:7 Jesus encourages us it is to our advantage that he leave so the Helper can come.

We should not rely on anything in this world for help, God is our Helper, we are reminded of this in Hebrews 13:5-6

Pride, strength’s pitfall

But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 2 Chronicles 26:16 (ESV)

We need to be on our guard, we need to keep a close watch on our hearts through our responses and attitude, because one for the greatest pitfalls of the enemy and our own flesh is that the strength, success, prosperity and resulting accomplishments can quickly leave us open to pride. (1 Corinthians 10:12)

This happened to king Uzziah, the success and strength God had granted him caused him to become proud and he, in a season of madness, forgot that it was all God, God had made him strong for God’s own glory.

If we do not commit our hearts to serve God for God’s own glory and not our own purpose then we will fall foul to this pitfall.

As we grow and progress in the faith, if we do not recognise that without him we are nothing and that he is our very source of life we will become cold and uncaring (leprosy) as we look down on all the weak people from the lofty heights of our strength (which we think we accomplished ourselves.). See John 15:5.

In Gods kingdom, to help keep us all humble, the bible teaches that the strong should bear the burdens of the weak (Romans 15:1) and the greatest leader is a servant of all (Mark 9:35).

We should use the strength God so lovingly provides to humbly serve one another in Jesus name to the glory of God.

Order = Strength

So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God. 2 Chronicles 27:6 (ESV)

Jotham became strong because he ordered his life in God’s ways.

In the same way that athletes need to exercise and watch what they eat, leading very ordered lives in order to compete well and win and just as soldiers need to lead very orderly and disciplined lives in order to serve well, so do we need to order our lives.

Our faith is not a random collection of thoughts or private opinions, God has given us examples in his word and given us himself in the person of the Helper so that we can rightly order our lives.

The prerequisite to an orderly life is submission to God’s word. Paul encourages timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15 to rightly divide God’s word so it can be applied to everyday life.

We also need to submit to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14

Thirdly we need to make use of God’s other normal means of grace like scheduled times of prayer, worship, fasting and service.

Let’s determine to have orderly, disciplined lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. God’s order in our lives will make us healthy and strong for the work of the kingdom.

Controlled strength

But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand, but you have killed them in a rage that has reached up to heaven. 2 Chronicles 28:9 (ESV)

Even though God used these men to perform his judgement on the people, they had no control in their use of strength, the prophet said their rage had reached to heaven and God sent the prophet to tell them they had gone too far and they should let the captives go.

We need to have controlled strength in our dealings with one another even if we need to correct someone we should do it in meekness which is controlled strength.

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Paul tells us in Colossians 3:12 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,”

Our strong Advocate

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1 (ESV)

We have the best lawyer possible, Jesus. If we make mistakes (if you sin not when you sin) like using the strength God provides for our own ends, we can turn and cry out to Jesus to plead our cause with the Father so that that we can be forgiven.

This should fill us with comfort and strengthen our faith, we are not in this alone we are being backed up by Jesus our great and strong advocate.

The picture of Jesus as an advocate making intercession for us should also highlight the seriousness of sin and do away with any bad understanding of grace, forgiveness or confession. For example in the Roman Catholic church confession is seen by some as a cleansing act clearing them to sin again, this is wrong.

Evidence of true conversion

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 1 John 2:3–4 (ESV)

I like John, he speaks really plainly in this letter. The evidence that we are truly “saved” is that our desire will be to keep Gods commands, we will not be drawn to sin in the same way we were before, instead sin presents us with pitfalls, traps and stumbling blocks, but we do not live in it and feast on it.

Our nature has been changed by the Helper, God the Holy Spirit, if our natures are changed then so are our appetites, we will now supernaturally desire to do what is right.

The Holy Spirit strengthens true believers to live for God.

Those who consciously live in sin and claim to be Christians are simply liars.

Steadfast Love

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. Psalm 103:17–18 (ESV)

Thank God for his steadfast love which is a wonderful reward for keeping his commandments as we just read in 1 John. Here we see that our children benefit from us serving the Lord.

Sovereign King

The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Psalm 103:19 (ESV)

We praise our mighty King, he is the Sovereign God and his throne is in heaven, surrounded by the mighty Angels who he sends to perform his word.