Gadfly's Muse

2 Chronicles 21 & 22: Dreary Times Indeed

Image: Ominous Conditions, 2020, Cape Henry, Va.

2 Chronicles 21:20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

So the house of Ahaziah had no one to assume power over the kingdom. (2 Ch 22:9). 

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I cannot imagine very many things more discouraging than to die and have it said of my passing "to no one's sorrow, (he) departed."  To my way of thinking there is no excuse for such a life.  Even the worst "jerk" in the world can have it said that "he did good" in some way or another.  But to die with nothing to your credit, either objectively or relationally, such that no one really cares that you pass, is to be judged as "worthless."  That, to my mind, is anathema.

I can remember growing up down South when virtually everyone was poor, either relatively or absolutely. In that culture respect was a valued commodity and respect, most often, was given based on a person's work ethic.  A man who only scrabbled a meager living out of the mediocre soil but diligently did his best would be known as such and his company welcomed even among those who were relatively affluent.  Then there were those to whom the label "trash" was either explicitly applied or were generally accepted as such.  Mothers would steer their daughters away from those families.  At community gatherings they would be "tolerated" but not warmly.  These were those men, present in every society, who just existed, without ambition and often without a very firm moral compass.  Their families were pitied and some quiet donations were made to the women and kids.  But, on the whole, when such a man drank himself to death or worse, got carted off to jail, few mourned... even among his relatives.

Thus to die, unmourned, is a judgment on a man's worth, as a human being and it is a sign of the collective judgment of most communities that the judgment is usually just.  Certainly in the case of Jehoram and, following him, Ahaziah, the charge of "worthless" can be justly applied and God's Spirit certainly makes it clear.

These chapters essentially give us a synopsis of the same events in 1 Kings 22-2 Kings 8.  We see the drastic reversal of the good king Jehoshaphat's godly rule.  Jehoram wickedly undertakes to massacre his brothers (21:4) at the vicious insistence of his wife Athaliah.  She was the daughter of the notorious Ahab, king of Israel and his wife Jezebel.  Jehoram willingly gave himself to her counsel and therefore, like his father in law proceeded to alienate himself to God and therefore set himself up for failure.

Elijah was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom and it is unusual to read that he wrote a letter to Jehoram warning him of God's impending judgment.  Notice the degree of the judgment in the letter (21:12-15).  The entire nation of Judah will suffer because of their king's stupidity.  Wars and plagues followed inevitably and as was proper, the suffering people attributed their misery to their king.  

No wonder his horrible death (21:19) aroused no sympathy for him or his family.  (Note the parallel in Jehoram's death with that of Herod's in Acts 12:20-23.  Like Herod it could be said of Jehoram that his death was a result of him not giving "glory to God." (Acts 12:23)

Then we read of Ahaziah, Jehoram's son, who reigns for only a year but long enough to establish his own reputation for wickedness and for the same reason - the influence of Athaliah and her counselors from Ahab's court.  His burial, a type of honor, was because he was Jehoshaphat's grandson... otherwise, we might speculate, he might have been left to the dogs as was his grand-mother Jezebel.

Now there comes the throne the only queen Judah ever has: Athaliah.  We already know what's coming and it does.  The blood of the remaining royal heirs of the house of David runs in the street.  It is only by the courageous actions of Jehoshabeath that one remaining son, Joash, is saved.

In the next chapter we will read of Athaliah's downfall and murder.  What we should see as linking her story to Jehoram's and Ahaziah, is that she also will die unmourned.  In fact, her death will be a day of rejoicing.  So judgment is manifested in this life which gives us a fair degree of certainty that it is analogous to the judgment each of these received at the hands of the Great King whose righteousness is unblemished and pure in both mercy and justice.

What should we take from this?

I think we should take to heart the implicit lesson that a "worthless" life will be recognized as such.  Jesus taught of the hypocrites that "by their fruits you will know them" and so it is in general.  In today's age where media 'image' obscures a clear insight into the actual lives and character of national figures, it is more difficult for a community to arrive at a consensus on them.  But, in our common lives lived in community, we have the opportunity for closer observation of our acquaintances and also, vice versa.  Within that fellowship a man or woman of low reputation is most often, deserving of such.

So, perhaps we ought to be asking ourselves, "how am I perceived by those who know me?  Is my life such that people will mourn me when I depart?"  Such questions can only be answered when we begin to notice how we are received by others and how they act around us.  Too often we live in our own little worlds and we determine for ourselves how others ought to think of us.  What can be surprising is that such is not the case or that it is not accompanied by a genuine appreciation for our character or works.  

Perhaps we might consider that such a perception is really a judgment on whether we are living for God or not.  A heart that is given over to Christ will always be lead into good works and will not fail to bear good fruits.  Such a heart will always be sorely missed by those he/she leaves behind when they depart.

 

 

2 Chronicles 19:4 - 20:37: The Battle is the Lord's

Image: "Shining Through", 2019, Severna Park, Md

2 Chronicles 20:17  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.”

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Jehoshaphat proved the wisdom of the old saying that when you fall off a horse you need to get right back up on it.  Yesterday's reading ended at 19:3 with Jehoshaphat slinking back into Jerusalem after his ill-advised and sinful alliance with Ahab.  Hanani had told him that the "wrath of the LORD is upon you!"  Not a good thing to hear.

It says much about Jehoshaphat's character that he doesn't go into his inner chambers and essentially "suck his thumb."  Rather we see him setting about to bring justice and righteousness to Judah even beyond what he had already done.  Ch. 19:4 - 11 tells us that he streamlined and straightened the government of the nation.  It is very enlightening to see how he set up two basic lines of justice: that which had to do with breaking the direct laws of God and that which dealt with transgression of his, the king's, commands and regulations.  He didn't mix up these two and that was good.  The priority, I think, was given to enforcing God's commands because he puts the judges on notice that they are to "act in the fear of the LORD, faithfully and with a loyal heart!" (19:9)  Oh to have such an imperative working on the hearts and minds of those in equivalent positions today.

Jehoshaphat then distilled the whole idea and purpose behind his actions into a simple clear observation: (vs. 11, directed toward the overseers of the judges) "Behave courageously, and the LORD will be with you."  Here is an important principle.  When God's people are disciplined in righteousness and pursue it then they can have great confidence that God will be with them.

I think this sets the stage for what happens next in chapter 20.  Jehoshaphat and indeed, all of Judah, are called to be courageous and trust the Lord.  A huge army gathers against them comprised of those nations that God had not allowed the Israelites to destroy previously (notably Moab and Mount Seir).  These ingrates now saw Judah as weak after Ahab's death in the North and Jehoshaphat's retreat, so they mustered up an army and came to get a share of the spoils.

Notice how Jehoshaphat leads the people to God in all of this.  Building on the groundwork he laid in the previous chapter he reminds the people of what God had revealed to them before.  In 2 Chronicles 6:28-30 Solomon had stood before the temple and cried out to God and called on Him to hear the cries of His people when each of them "knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple, then hear from heaven... and forgive.... and give to everyone according to all his ways..."  Jehoshaphat points back to this prayer and the implicit promise in it and leads the entire nation into a cry for forgiveness in humble repentance.

And God does exactly that.

The people assemble on a high hill to see what the Lord will do and there they find that He has already done it.  God sent a Spirit of Judgment on the assembled armies and they turned on each other in an orgy of annihilation.  I am reminded of the legion of unclean spirits cast out of the Gerasene demoniac who then were sent into a herd of pigs.  The pigs promptly jumped off a cliff into the sea and drowned.  The chaos of demonic forces shows forth in the release of dark forces in a form of insanity.  That is what happened to those pagan armies gathered to wage war against Judah.  What they learned is that God stands watch over His own and He does not hesitate to strike down any who arrogantly assume that they can inflict harm upon God's elect with impunity.

Once again, I do not think we can separate the end of chapter 19 from the events of chapter 20.  Jehoshaphat planted the seeds of righteousness in chapter 19 and the fruit that grew from it was the humble faith seen in both him and the people of Judah on the day of crisis.  This is where we can learn from these things also.

We need to understand that there is a discipline to a true Christian walk.  As Jehoshaphat instituted judges to call people to account when they stray into unrighteousness, so we need to be accountable for our lives.  We need to be accountable to our own conscience by training ourselves in righteousness so as to develop a reliable conscience.  We need to be accountable to others and God, just as He did here with Jehoshaphat, has set aside "elders" to be over us who, in turn, are to give account for our own souls (Heb. 13:7 & 17).  God does this for our good because, as it was with Judah, there will always be "testing" of our faith, both as congregations and as individuals.  Our hope in the face of such testing will be strongly influenced by how well or how ill we have prepared ourselves by the daily discipline of spiritual training.

An active Christian witness and hope grows out of a committed and constant pursuit of righteousness in ourselves, our families and our congregations.  When that is present then we will find, when crisis arises, that indeed, as with Jehoshaphat "the battle is the Lord's."

 

2 Chronicles 18:1 - 19:3: Enemies of our God Should Never Be Our "Friends"

Image:  Confusion, 2020, Severna Park, Md

2 Chronicles 19:2–3  And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Therefore the wrath of the LORD is upon you. 3 Nevertheless good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from the land, and have prepared your heart to seek God.”

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Very few today, I imagine, are inclined to think highly of politicians, our modern equivalents of princes. We don't expect much from them as far as setting moral examples... we are not inclined to think they can or will really do what they promise... and we usually get what we expect.  I can't really say that, other than a few extraordinary instances, that politicians / princes were better in the past.  I do think that the general public now is more cynical than earlier in our history.  The relentless march of events has quickened as the modern gushing cataract of information ties everything in the world together in an instant.  The individual human in authority can do no better than swim hard against the torrent.. trying to do something that might make a difference... somewhere... but little can be accomplished and the people who might make the best leaders simply don't want the hassle.  Those that seek office do so, not really to make a difference, but for personal greed or power.  The problem with princes is that they are prone to human error and worse, human sin.  

In today's reading we see how the "problem with princes" is not a new thing.

We are clearly taught in Scripture to not be "unequally yoked" with unbelievers/ wicked people (2 Cor. 6:14).  Now most sincere Christians readily assent to this principle when it comes to marriage but the proscription is not just limited to marriage.  It is actually and specifically directed toward alliances of any type in which association with the idolater is, at minimum, an unhealthy example to others and at worst, a direct negative pull on the believing population.  Paul, in context, is concerned that alliances with such people essentially elevates their gods (Belial in Paul's words) to that of Christ.  That does not mean that commerce and contracts for services with pagans is not allowed, but it does mean that no alliances, even for some common good, are to be entered upon.

Jehoshaphat was a "good" king.  We would call him a sincere Christian today.  But he was a finite and fallen human being.  The problems of his day appeared overwhelming to him at times.  There was the growing menace of Assyria to the North and East.  There was always Egypt to the South and, of course, there was the long standing war with Samaria, the Northern Kingdom.  Jehoshaphat sat back and figured that the best hope for standing against the external threats was for Israel and Judah to stand together.  So he sought an alliance with Ahab.... yes... that Ahab... the one married to Jezebel.  They sealed the alliance in the customary way by marrying their offspring - Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram to Ahab's daughter Athaliah.  Sounded like a good plan.

In the course of events, as such things inevitably do, there came the occasion to exercise the alliance.  The kings of Syria had taken Ramoth Gilead, a key city on the "Gilead Trade route" crossing the area.  Ahab says "let's go take it back"... Jehoshaphat says "Sounds like a good plan but let's check with God first."  The rest of the story unfolds as we have previously read in 1 Kings 22.  The battle goes bad wrong, Ahab is killed and Jehoshaphat scuttles back to Jerusalem.  

There he is met by another prophet, Hanani.  He does not bring good news.  He makes it very clear what the problem is.  Speaking much as did Nathan when confronting David, he asks a pointed, rhetorical question: "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD?" (19:2)  When phrased this starkly there can only be one answer... "of course not!"  It was true in that day and it is true now. 

No matter how strong is our individual faith, and it appears that Jehoshaphat demonstrated his commitment to the One True God even with Ahab, we can still be tempted to justify undertaking some common cause with unbelievers and heretics.  I am not speaking about peaceful cohabitation within the prevailing social order... I am talking about making alliances with such folk in order to pursue some goal which is actually to be desired.  

Jehoshaphat was right to worry about foreign powers.  Modern Christians are right to seek to oppose abortion, the normalization of perversion in its manifold forms, the undermining of social institutions and the fragmentation of order.  We should and we must oppose such things.  That does not mean that we should ally ourselves with God's enemies in seeking to pursue them.

We must remember that it is never just one "issue" which characterizes a person or a group as being among "God's enemies."  A pagan who reviles God may still oppose abortion.  Those who sneer at Christ may still be concerned to promote traditional, heterosexual marriage.  What Christians must guard against is the idea that the "enemy of my enemy is my friend!"  No!  An "enemy of God" must never be viewed as a friend... much less someone to whom we should become allied, by marriage or willful covenant in some other way.

Christians are most strong when they embrace weakness (2 Cor. 12:10).  This "weakness" is actually strength.  It is the absolute conviction that Truth will prevail and we must align ourselves with Truth in every instance.  Necessarily that will set us at odds with the culture because of our "inflexibility."  I am not concerned to address how we should be "winsome" at the same time... that is not the point of the passage.  What we must never develop is a willingness to so prioritize God's Word that we are willing to downplay some teachings in order to promote others.

It did not work for Jehoshaphat and it earned him the Lord's wrath.  Modern Christians should heed his example.

 

 

2 Chronicles 16 & 17: A Bulwark For The Faithful

Image: Fort Carroll, 2013, Baltimore Harbor, Md.

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”

2 Chronicles 17:10 And the fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.

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The drama which is history often takes surprising turns.  Take, for example, Fort Carroll in the Baltimore Harbor.  It was conceived in the 1840's as a first line of defense for the harbor which until that time had relied on Fort McHenry.  The War of 1812 had demonstrated that enemy ships lying in this vicinity were beyond the effective range of the guns at McHenry.  This fort would be an impediment to any ships wishing to bombard the city.  It was named after the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence.  The Officer in Charge was one Brevet Col. Robert E. Lee, U. S. Army.  It was never really finished because advancing technology rendered it obsolete but it served in various capacities up into the 20th century.  To me it provides a glimpse into a different world when people thought differently and had an entirely different perspective on life.  

These two chapters also allow for just such a glimpse.  The times were different then and the swirling forces of international relations presented themselves in strange ways.  Both Asa and Jehoshaphat have to be accepted as pretty good kings.  Asa had ruled well and wisely and had, on the whole, sought to lead Judah in obedience to God.  But toward the end of his life and reign, the ebb and flow of international strategy presented a new challenge.

Baasha, king of Israel and not a nice guy, began constructing his own Fort... and for somewhat similar reasons.  By fortifying Ramah he threatened the trade lifelines that kept Jerusalem and indeed, all of Judah, alive and prosperous.  This "fort" could not be tolerated so Asa had to do something.... or did he?  That was the question.

Asa made a "covenant" with Ben-Hadad of Syria and essentially bribes him to attack the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  He does this and Baasha has to pivot away from Ramah and move his forces North to fight the Syrians.  Asa then goes to Ramah, takes all the construction materials and uses them for his own purposes.  

Now, at first glance and by the standards of worldly politics, this might be viewed as pretty good statecraft.  Asa avoids battle and shedding the blood of his own soldiers and gains security for his commerce.  God saw it differently.

Remember, this is the same Asa who saw the million man Ethiopian army put to flight (2 Chron. 14:12).  It was he that brought revival to Judah and lead all Judah to take an oath to seek God and find Him (15:15).  Furthermore, we were told that in all this God "gave them rest all around."  So, what we are really seeing here is Asa in his declining years, losing his spiritual edge.  In the words of Hanani, the prophet God sends to Asa, he was being tested by the God whose eyes run to and from throughout the whole earth to see "whose heart is loyal to Him" (16:9).  Asa is weighted and found wanting.  God tells him that from now on "you shall have wars."

Because Asa looked to find security in political maneuvering he fell into the trap of not "seeking God and finding Him" in that situation.  The very thing that he had taught Judah before and the very thing that had ensured the peace and prosperity of his nation up to this point.  When he side-lined God he gave up his best Ally.

Jehoshaphat's story, in chapter 17 is different.  He not only walked in God's commandments (17:4) but he also undertook to have the people taught the Word of God (17:9).  Here we see a man whose eyesight is clear.  It is not fortified cities or forts in a harbor which promote domestic tranquility and international security.  It is the "fear of the LORD" (17:10) that is wrought in the hearts and minds of the surrounding nations that will hold them at bay and make them "play nice."  We are told that because Jehoshaphat did these things and because Judah embraced his leadership and the teachings of God, that the surrounding nations "did not make war against Jehoshaphat."

Ok... Asa plays by the world's rules and according to its "wisdom" and he is told that he will "have wars."  Jehoshaphat places his trust in God and teaches all of Judah God's Word so that they may learn from it and serve Him faithfully... and the surrounding nations are intimidated by the "fear of the LORD."  What seems to be the teaching here!

Throughout all the institutions of modern American culture the principles of "worldly wisdom" rooted in a careful, pragmatic, somewhat "cost-effectiveness" based decision process is inculcated in present and future leaders.  The very type of "wisdom" Asa displayed is explicitly commended as the goals of diplomacy.  On the other hand, trusting in an Invisible God and calling on Him for wisdom and leadership, is considered lunacy and treated with scorn.  Yet, what is it that God is teaching us?   Is it not that the "Gospel is foolishness to the Gentiles and to the Jews a stumbling block?"  

We have to be careful not to fall into these kind of subtle traps.  God's people must model to the world that ultimate peace and strength come not from the number and qualities of our physical weapons... but derive first and foremost from an unflinching trust in our God.  When the people of God prove to be unconquerable by the weapons of the world then and only then will that world become open to another "interpretation" of why this is so. Then and only then will it be possible that the "fear of the Lord" falling on our enemies is our most certain and unfailing hope.

2 Chronicles 13-15: The Fruit of Revival

Image: Grand Tetons, 2015, Photo Credit: Dave Johanson

2 Chronicles 13:18 Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD God of their fathers.

2 Chronicles 15:3–4 For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; 4 but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.

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James Orr is perhaps the leading author among the historians of "Revival".  Reading his book evokes a deep longing in sensitive hearts for the benefits that such a phenomenon can bring about.  The so called "2nd Great Awakening" or the "Great Revival" of the 18th - early 19th centuries has it critics and I agree with many of their complaints.  In many ways the move to "revivalism" in our churches did great harm.  It shifted the emphasis in our churches from a comprehensive, collective, covenantal embrace of Christian calling to an, often, hyper-individualistic, experiential "individual relationship with Jesus".  It fed the already existing "anti-intellectual" suspicions among the common people and set the stage for new Christian "sects" whose teachings and practices often were based on serious error.  Thus, I am not blind to the dark side of the movement.

But there is no denying the good fruits that came from it either.  It aroused a strong desire for godliness... sometimes issuing forth in amazing transformations.  The rough-hewed, hard living, hard fighting, hard drinking frontiersmen of the day were, on many occasions, transformed into serious, godly men who gave up their wicked ways and changed the entire rest of their lives.  Orr, to my recollection, records how a revival began in an upstairs room in a saloon above the bar.  I think it was in Memphis, back when that town was filled with cutthroats, outlaws, prostitutes and corrupt leaders.  I am again relying of my memory, but he records that at the height of the revival, on Sundays, the town was quiet except for the singing in the churches, the bars were closed and even the police officers were in the churches... there was no threat of crimes.  I am probably not accurate in some of this but I know that a similar situation did transpire... and it was the result of a hearty movement of the Holy Spirit working peace in the hearts of an entire town.

How I long to see something similar in our day and time.  How I wish the bloodshed in Baltimore would cease... or at least dwindle to negligible proportions (except, of course, to the individuals who are shot).  What a wonder it would be if a "Christian Consensus" was again established in our broader communities so that we did not have to watch our children like hawks or live in fear of what they might encounter.  "Revival" is devoutly to be desired.

Our chapters in 2 Chronicles today describe how such a revival occurred in Judah under the kings Abijah and Asa.  We read of the mighty works of God in defeating Jeroboam's vastly superior army by Abijah and an even greater victory over the million man Ethiopian army by Asa.  But the major fruit of this time of revival was peace.  Abijah only ruled for a few years but Asa ruled for much longer.  Asa made it his business to lead Judah into "seeking the Lord" and (15:4) we are told that "He was found by them."  The transformation of Judah was such that many in the Northern Kingdom of Israel abandoned their homes there and moved south to join Judah because they saw that the "LORD, (Asa's) God was with him."

Imagine this.  Let the mind soak in the implications.  A people who "enter into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul" (15:12) are transformed in such a manner that they truly become a light unto the world.  The fruits and blessings of revival flow as a spiritual river but produces physical, tangible, beautiful fruit.  Those hearts who are trapped in darkness hunger for the good things they see in a people at rest with God.  They come, not at first because of the teachings, as important as those are.  They come because they want what the People of God have... peace, rest and security (among other things).  "...Be ready to give a defense (answer) to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you" Peter tells us (1 Pet. 3:15-16).  This is a necessary reminder to us:  If we have this "hope", as it truly is, as it is manifested when a revival of religion unleashes it in our souls, then that "hope" will become visible... and attractive.  Evangelism will flow from one heart to another as "hope" dominates the personalities and transforms the characters of those who are washed in it.

So it was in Judah under Asa.  So it has been in our own country's past.  So it can be again.

All it takes is for the people of God to want enough to pray for it and devote themselves to seeking God in everything they do.

2 Chronicles 12: Dangerous Times

Image: Dark Skies, 2020, City Dock, Annapolis, Md

2 Chronicles 12:8 Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.”
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Rehoboam's life should be a lesson for all of us.

He starts off with a great job and then, right off the bat, loses the majority of his kingdom to Jeroboam through his arrogance and conceit.  Then, still having at least a good job, with lots of perquisites, he forsakes the law of the LORD and drags all Israel along with him (12:1).  Here is the "stupidity" of sin.  Rehoboam, like a gambler on a losing streak at the craps table, thinks that if he can just hang in there for "one more throw of the dice" that his luck would change and he would get everything back.

No... not even.  Having only the smaller kingdom under his authority he now sees the powerful Egyptians come tramping up to make war on him.  There wasn't much of a battle.  "Why?" we might ask... and presumably Rehoboam might ask.  Why is it that his armies can't keep Pharaoh's men at a distance... why wouldn't the huge walls of Jerusalem protect him, his throne and his remaining wealth?  Because... dummy.... God is doing all this.  God will not let unrighteousness reign in the hearts of His people and let it count for nothing.

In verse 8  God makes it clear.  "They will be his (Pharaoh's) servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations."  Here it is plainly laid out for us and for Rehoboam.  As Jesus would say later - "You cannot serve God and Mammon."  The more important question is "why would anyone in their right mind desire to serve Mammon instead of God."

The ways of the world promise abundance and ease and only in the most superficial way will they bring about what they promise.  A man can save his own life and lose his soul.  The gods of this world are harsh task masters, requiring total immersion in their service, and all the while bringing on the storms of resistance, turmoil, fear, anxiety and jealousy.  Yet, in contrast, as Jesus says, God's "yoke is easy and (His) burden is light."

No one, on the most passing glance, would judge that Rehoboam's decision to chase after other gods made his life easier.  When a man sets his heart on rebelling against God it's like banging your head on a stone wall... the only way to feel better is to stop bashing your brains out.  So it was with Judah.  Upon confrontation by God through Shemaiah, there was some repentance among the elders and Rehoboam.  Some... and life did get a bit better.  The kingdom stayed intact though the wars with Jeroboam to the North continued (vs. 15).  In verse 12 we are told that "things also went well in Judah."  When God's people stop kicking against the goads there is relief from the pain.

It seems like a straight-forward lesson.

We do not win our way into heaven by being good.  There is not one who is born righteous (other than Jesus), not one.  Therefore we have a debt to pay immediately upon birth that is greater than any tarnished "good work" that we do could offset.  We are saved by grace alone through the finished work of Jesus of Nazareth the Christ of God.

Still and all, the life we live on this planet will reflect the ethical law of the universe as created by God.  Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled.   Those who seek to be "peace-makers" will be blessed.  Their lives may not have the outward vestiges of riches and sensual delights that those who serve Mammon may exhibit but in their core, in their conscience, in their sense of self and purpose in life, they will be far richer and more at ease than those who are running after the wind.

God's face is against the wicked... and, at some level, they will know it and feel it throughout their life.  Far better for Rehoboam, and for us, to seek the narrow way that leads to righteousness... that is where the lasting rewards lie.

 

 

2 Chronicles 10 & 11: The Great Divorce (Apologies to C. S. Lewis)

Image: Light & Darkness, 2019, Severna Park, Md

2 Chronicles 10:16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:  “What share have we in David?  We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.  Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now see to your own house, O David!” So all Israel departed to their tents.

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C. S. Lewis' thought provoking book, The Great Divorce, teaches that there is a large difference between the "truth" of our existence in this world and the way we "understand" it.  People, in their willful sinfulness, live in a delusion, they are "divorced" from the truth... the truth about themselves, the truth about what is real and the truth about what they and the world can be.  People live in a grey "town" of ordinary life that is actually a stage or level of Hell itself.  The journey to heaven is undertaken in the spirit and by the spirit, in a manner similar to Christian in The Pilgrim's Progress, and as the journey continues the spirit becomes more and more flesh.  The journey actually takes place in the "real world" where light has shown what that world truly is.  Lewis scholars will probably take issue with my paraphrase of the story but let's go with it as it is.

In these two chapters of 2 Chronicles we read of the "Great Divorce" between Israel (Samaria, the Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom).  We are given few details of the events leading up to this schism, indeed the authors expect us to know many things which were written elsewhere (e.g. ch. 10, vs. 15 with its reference to 1 Kings 11:29-39).  The authors, like Detective Joe Friday ("Dragnet") are interested in "the facts, ma'am, just the facts."  They want the readers to understand the historical event that ruptured Israel into two kingdoms though the sordid details of Rehoboam's and Jeroboam's roles are left out.

What is emphasized in these chapters is that this "divorce" was from God.  God had determined to rip the fabric of Israel into two parts, the larger share going to Jeroboam and the lesser share, though more beloved of God, to remain with Rehoboam. (cf. 10:15 & 11:4).  "This thing is from Me," God declares and therefore we and the first readers are to shut our mouths and be silent before Him.  The people of God are His people and He can do with them as He pleases but He never does so in an arbitrary manner... there is meaning and purpose to His actions.  We remain silent because of His august sovereignty but also because we, through faith, understand that what ever He is doing is right and just.  It is not always easy... but it always the right thing to do.

Like Lewis' main premise then we must step back from the "grey world" of the physical events themselves and see these things with our spiritual eyes... as they really are.  We must look at the truth of this "great divorce."

What God is doing is revealing to us that both Israel and Judah were ripped apart because of sin.  The sin in Rehoboam's heart lead him to arrogantly reject the good advice of his elders and impetuously alienate the majority of his subjects.  Like a domineering husband he did not love his wife as Christ loved the church.  He sought to abuse her and humiliate her.  He, in effect, drove her out of his house.

The sin in Jeroboam's heart lead him to rebel against Rehoboam.  His pride and ambition completely obscured his spiritual vision.  There was no seeking after God and no desire to submit to God's ways.  Like a lustful wife (cf. the story of Hosea and Gomer, Hosea 1) his heart was inflamed with lust for idolatrous worship and gods who would indulge his passions.  He would go down in history as the king who lead Israel astray.  Jeroboam thus became the unfaithful wife who ran after other lovers and gave herself in prostitution to demonic gods.

God hates divorce (Mal. 2:16) but He sometimes ordains / decrees it.  He hates idolatry and evil perversions even more.

So, what we see here is God bringing about divorce in His People.  Judah remains relatively, and only relatively, faithful though her kings vary a great deal in faithfulness.  God remains the offended Party and it is against Him that the true insult is registered.  This is the overview that our spiritual eyes reveal to us as we look at these events.  God has put His "wife" (Israel) away because of her adultery.

But there is more.  We see Lewis' insight into "hell on earth" before us also.  We see both nations to some extent but particularly the Northern Kingdom being immersed in darkness and cut off from the light of truth.  Israel, in particular, "thought themselves wise but became fools."  They pursued power and amassed wealth but then these very things took possession of their souls and drove them into misery.  Hell is being given over to sin and to experience its consequences.  The people of Israel would be constantly in agony, either internally or at the hands of foreign powers.  There would be little relief.  The Word of God would come to them through the mouths of prophets, but as we read in the Revelation given to John, they would not repent.  They loved the darkness more than the light.

This is the great divide between the "real" world and that "world" as perceived by those who are dominated by the flesh.  They cannot see their own peril nor can they conceive of a better world than that which they inhabit, and yet, their world is the one they choose.  

God brought judgment on His people in the division of the kingdoms in these chapters.  One day He will bring judgment on this world again and he will begin with the household of God (1 Peter 4:17-18).  As long as we can call today "today", we must earnestly seek God's grace to give us eyes to see and ears to hear so that we may repent and be saved.

 

2 Chronicles 8 & 9: We All Need "Heroes"

Image: Sumptuous Surroundings, 2009, Atrium, Greenhouse Exhibits, Longwood Gardens, Pa.

2 Chronicles 9:7–8  Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 8 Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God! Because your God has loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”

2 Chronicles 9:21 For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.
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Now we have to come to grips with these two chapters for what they do say but also, for what they do NOT say!

They cover the entire reign of Solomon.  They give us some summary statements about his consolidation of his empire with the building of cities and walls and garrisons and such.  We are reminded that the remaining pagans in the land, those nations which inspired so much fear and caused so much grief, the Hittites, the Amorites, Perizzites... etc. were all reduced to "forced labor" and such no longer disturbed the domestic tranquility.  "Oh, by the way," we are told, "Solomon married the daughter of Pharaoh.  But he put her in a separate house outside the holy area."  Solomon made certain the temple services were well conducted and furnished with every means of beautification.

We are told of the Queen of Sheba's visit and how astonished she was at his wisdom and power.  Along the way it is mentioned that she brought him a lot of expensive gifts but just to drive the point home, he gave her more than she gave him.  Solomon was not going to allow any thought that she made him rich.  We are told about the ships that he sent to Tarshish under the guidance of Hiram's master seamen and that they brought an even greater abundance of riches.

And, to my never failing delight, we learn that they brought not only gold, and silver and ivory... but they also brought "apes and monkeys." (9:21)  I have this vision of the streets of Jerusalem abounding with monkeys screeching and howling and hanging from the balconies.  What more could an Israelite want!

Now, except for a few details, just about all of this (except the monkeys) was included in the history of Solomon's reign we read in 1 Kings and in greater detail.  What we do not find in 1 Chronicles is Solomon's later apostasy... his many wives and his sensuous harem of concubines.  We are not told, as in 1 Kings 11, that all these women "turned his heart after other gods" and that he not only indulged in the "abomination" (1 Kings 11:5) of pagan worship but actually promoted it, building places of worship for hideous "gods" such as Chemosh.

We don't read these things in 2 Chronicles because they would detract from the purposes for which the book was written.  The people who returned from Babylon needed to be inspired.  They needed a "hero" or, at least, a "heroic" time in their past which would motivate them to do the hard work of regaining some of that glory at least.  "If God could do this for Solomon then we have to believe He can and will do it again, for us!"

How should we react to this idea?

I think, first of all, that we have to remember that all "history" is interpreted "history."  Every historical account is based on a compilation of "facts" that involves a selection process.  We seldom read any historical work, even biographies, that are truly totally comprehensive.  It would take us as long to read it as it took the subject of the book to live it.  Even the best historians, striving for objectivity, can never completely divorce themselves from a screening process that serves to make the point they want to make.

This does not argue against any inerrancy in scripture... what is inerrant is the point that is made or the view point which is inspired.  In other words, under the Holy Spirit's guidance, it was right and proper for 2 Chronicles to tell only these aspects of Solomon's reign.  What God wanted for His people then was for them to be motivated by Solomon's example.  They had 2 Kings to warn them against falling into his sin.

Secondly, I think we should recognize how much we, like those Israelites, need heroes to inspire us to more faithful and courageous service.  The historical list of "heroes" we find in Hebrews 11 makes no effort to remind us that each one of those listed was a fallible sinner.  The inclusion of Jephthah alone would do that, to say nothing of Samson and even David himself.  The point of the list is that these saints are worthy to be emulated in the way they remained faithful to God even under torture, "so that they might obtain a better resurrection!" (Heb. 11:35)  Certainly, we are told, that we have even better promises now but that "cloud of witnesses" (Heb. 12:1) still surrounds us and we should strive to keep our eyes fixed on God, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the "author and finisher of our faith", even as did they.

The writer of Hebrews, like the author of 2 Chronicles, knew that tough times were facing his readers and they needed a hero or heroes to inspire them in their trials.

Today, whether in movies or in history books, the pendulum has swung away from presenting past men and women as "heroes."  Every main character in the stories is presented as "flawed", often consumed by self-doubt and exhibiting a very feminine sensitivity to events.  When I was growing up I never once saw Bruce Wayne ("Batman") doubting himself or his call to fight bad guys.  

Some of this has carried over to much of our Christian discipleship.  The actual point of the various "gospels" of Jesus is to show different facets of His character.  The book of Acts is concerned to remind us of the heroism of the apostles.  We need to adopt the pictures of Jesus and the apostles as they are given us in the Scripture.  We are to be inspired by them... that is why they are there.

We need "Heroes" and God has given us, first and foremost, Jesus of Nazareth the Christ of God, and then we are given the lives of the Apostles and in subsequent history many other fallen men and women in whom God did mighty things.  We need to remember Paul's words: "Imitate me as I imitate Christ."  We need heroes and we should adopt and embrace the ones we have been given.

 

 

2 Chronicles 6 & 7: Will God Indeed Dwell With Men on Earth?

Image: "Anticipation", 2019, Severna Park, Md

2 Chronicles 6:18 “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!
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No... our daffodils are not yet more than mere stubs peeking through the soil.  But with the sun cheerfully shining through the clouds, the temperature only 23 degrees (it could be a lot worse) and the beginning of Spring only two months away, anticipation is beginning to take hold.  There is promise in the air and pleasant times to contemplate coming.  Easter is on the horizon.

Solomon was in a somewhat similar mood in our chapters today.  God had just filled the Temple with a cloud so thick that the priests could no longer perform their duties (5:14).  When he finished his prayers fire came down from heaven and consumed the offerings he had presented (7:1).  All the Israelites gathered around fell on their faces and gave voice to their amazed worship proclaiming "He is good... His mercy endures forever!"  All these events, like those that would follow in the New Testament when, at Pentecost, the Spirit made Himself known in a might way, could not help but make a deep impression on Solomon, and perhaps to a lesser extent, to all the people there.

It was wonder that prompted Solomon's rhetorical question in 6:18.  "Will God INDEED dwell with men on earth?  If heaven itself cannot contain Him, how is it possible that He will actually dwell in this temple I have built?"

Solomon was, or would become, the wisest sinner on earth, we have to give him that.  But he, along with all of the prophets at that time, still was in darkness about many things.  They were hampered in their theology ... in their knowledge of God... because the fullness of Revelation was still in the future.  Thus even Solomon was limited in his conceptions.  He had been told, though his later life shows he departs from it, that there are no other gods than the LORD.  Yet his idea of the One God was influenced by the religious cultures of the day.  He thought of God "kind of" in the same terms as did the pagans.  Here he wonders if God could be contained in the temple.  He was still thinking of God as conditioned by time and space.  There are no boundaries to God... His Presence in the temple would be His "making Himself known there" but it was not as if it contained Him.  

Yet, even his limited perceptions opened up a broader question of deep theological significance.  "Will God INDEED dwell with men on earth?"  Here the very deep tensions of his faith are brought to clarity.  God had promised to "dwell with men on earth!"  All the way back to Adam in the Garden, God had long maintained that His purpose in creation was to have a people with whom He would dwell.  How can such a thing be?  Solomon was wise... he asked the right question... the answer would not come in his life time but when it did it would be astonishing beyond degree.

Everything in these two chapters finds its common ground in this idea.  Solomon's long beautiful prayer of intercession for his people is conditioned by his belief that God would be dwelling with His people in this temple.  Their prayers of supplication, as he mentions, will be with their faces directed toward the temple from whatever geographical location they may be at the time.  If God was with His people then there was much greater certainty that He would bless them even when they sinned.  "Hear, from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive!"  He cries.  In some mystical manner, though God was present in the temple, yet He would hear from His throne room in heaven, the symbol of His sovereignty, and He would exercise His judgment and His mercy.  

All of Solomon's prayer is first conditioned by his faith that he and his people were special... that of all the tribes of the earth God had made Himself know to them and that His Presence would abide among them.  From that first principle all other blessings flow including their salvation.

Here we see the wonder of the Incarnation prefigured.  Solomon was still ignorant of God's ultimate plan but imagine how far more excited he would have been if he had been given insight.  If he was astonished at the idea that God could dwell in a temple, think of how amazed he would have been if he had seen God Himself become flesh... and dwell among His people... so that the could behold His glory.  Think of the mind-blowing nature of Paul's statement that "in Him all the fullness of the Deity was pleased to dwell!"  

If God becomes Man then there are no limitations to His dwelling with His people.  If He remains God in nature, then it is still true that the highest heaven cannot contain Him.  The mystery of the incarnation, the absolute truth of the dual natures of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God, should still work on us just as it did on Solomon.

It should drive us to our knees in worship, proclaiming as did the people then, that He is good and His mercy endures forever.  It should reach deep into our hearts and cause us to sing praise as did Solomon in 6:14, declaring that there is no God in heaven or on earth like You!"  It should move us mightily to prayers of intercession and supplication.  The God who loves His creation enough to become one with it will surely hear prayers lifted in His name and answer them in ways that we would never imagine.  

All of these things are what Jesus Himself told us and revealed to us.  "Whatsoever you ask, in My name, believing, it shall be done for you."  What a wealth of encouragement that statement provides!  And it is all conditioned by the truth that God can INDEED dwell with men on earth.  He has done it and He will do it eternally in the future.

 

 

2 Chronicles 3-5: Festooned and Fitted For Glory

Image: Decorations, 2019, Severna Park, Md

2 Chronicles 5:13–14  indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying:  “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

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Anyone who has ever survived an initial church building construction program knows the Dickens's description of "it being the best of times and the worst of times" is pretty apt.  If, as it was in my experience, it is a relatively small congregation to begin with then it truly becomes an "all hands" project.  The "best of times" description applies to the unity and excitement that can take root and permeate the entire endeavor.  The "worst of times" description applies when the inevitable challenges and "hiccups" arise; when tensions, especially among the leaders, can seep over into personal conflicts and when, as it stretches out how totally weary people become.  

All of those challenges and delights have to be present though for the sense of accomplishment to rise to full measure.  There comes that glorious day when the "first worship service in the new church" takes place and the people rejoice and love each other and give thanks to God with a sincerity that strikes deep into the soul and is never forgotten.  That worship service is transformed by the sense that "it was all worth it."

So it must have been with Solomon only more so.  Who ever first wrote the words that are recorded in these chapters there can be no doubt that the glory of that completed project made everything worth it.

Note the details of decoration and design that are passed down to us.  Notice the beautiful dimensions... the incredible size of the altar (fully as wide and deep as the portico of the building itself)... the glorious cherubim placed over the mercy seat... the fabulous riches of gold and fine stones.... the delicate artwork that adorned the walls and the pillars... the immensity of the "sea" and its exact placement.  These details tell us that this building made a deep impression on the people and especially the one who first wrote them down.

(As an aside, note in ch 5 vs 9 that the "poles of the ark" could be seen from the front of the inner sanctuary and "they are there to this day."  This is most likely part of the original document that the compiler of the Chronicles as we have them used.  If, as is obvious, that these books were written after the return from exile then the Ark and its poles as well as the temple itself had long been lost.  This does not change anything as far as the accuracy and reliability of these books is concerned.  Knowing that we are reading "original sources" adds great confidence to the descriptions we are given.)

Continuing with the main point though, we can see how it all came together at the end.  There was that glorious "first worship service in the new building."  And it must have been glorious indeed.  Notice the unity of heart that filled the "trumpeters and singers" such that there was "one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD..."  Now that is worship... no disparate sounds... the voices and instruments melding into a single voice of praise.  The LORD was indeed present.  His glory so filled the temple that the priests could not longer continue their duties.  The "glory of the LORD filled the house of God."  What a sublime experience that must have been and what a exciting thing to seek for ourselves.

Every worship service should be a reenactment of that "first service" at least as far as unity of heart and joy among the congregation goes.  Every worship service should be filled with glad enthusiasm expressed in sincere praise from the heart from all who are gathered there.  There should be a real consciousness of particular blessing that motivates each person:  what great things God has done for us.... what great things God has done through us...every congregation at every worship service should strive for that simplicity of joy and fellowship.

Who can doubt that the LORD would inhabit the praise of His people in such a worship?  Who can doubt that the "filling of the Spirit" of which Paul spoke would take over and work the miracle of healing, comfort, encouragement and joy in every breast?  We should not content ourselves with paltry and somewhat token celebrations.  God is to be praised... mightily and with gusto... for "He is good, for His mercy endures forever" (5:13).

There will come a day when the entire assembly of the elect will be overwhelmed with this worship.  There will come a day when those dressed in the white robes of Christ's righteousness will sing a new song and there will be no holding back.  What a joyous day that will be and we must remember, we can get a down payment on it in this life.  Let us sing and be glad... for our God reigns.