http://woh.org/index.php en admin@example.com Copyright 1972 1972-11-05 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible135 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible135 The Bible emphasizes the importance of the family. It says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Our faith has a tremendous influence upon others, especially those who live in the same home. Many are saved through the influence of parents. We can set a good or a bad example for others in our family. Our Scripture today tells about two kings, both of whom were influenced to do evil by members of their family; in the one case a wife, in the other case a mother. Jehoram was an evil king, and the Bible gives this explanation, “He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done; for the daughter of Ahab was his wife” (21:6). How important it is to choose the right marriage partner. The Bible says, “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” Young people, be godly and choose only godly persons as your best friends. You may not like that advice, but it is for your own good. Ahaziah was also wicked. Here the explanation is “for his mother was his counselor in doing wickedly” (22:3). How sad, for a mother to be a bad influence upon her child! Parents, you play an important role in the lives of your children. What kind of example are you setting for them? Father, give us the strength to set a good example for the other members of our family. In Christ. Amen. 2 Chronicles 21-22 Day 135 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible134 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible134 Yesterday we saw how Asa relied on the Lord. Yet near the end of his life a prophet said, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. You have done foolishly in this” (16:7,9). Asa was so angry that he threw the prophet in prison. So often in the Old Testament, men who had been strong in the Lord earlier in life slipped toward the end. We must be constantly on our guard, lest as time passes we drift away from reliance on God. Now Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, becomes king. “He walked in the earlier ways of his father” (17:3). Jehoshaphat is commended for what he did, “sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments” and also for what he did not do: “he did not seek the Baals” and he walked “not according to the ways of Israel.” In doing what is right, we must avoid the sins of others around us. Jehoshaphat sought to use his influence to encourage others to live godly lives. He sent priests to teach the Word of God throughout Judah. But he had his faults. He made an alliance with wicked Ahab, and in spite of the warning of the faithful prophet Micaiah, he joined with Ahab in a disastrous battle. Later he entered another alliance. There is only One who receives no mixed verdict-Jesus Christ. Father, we all fall short of being all You want us to be. Forgive us. For Jesus' sake. Amen. 2 Chronicles 17-20 Day 134 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible133 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible133 This section of Scripture deals with two kings, Abijah and his son Asa. They had this in common: they relied on the Lord (13:18; 14:11). O, that this might be the common bond between us and our children, that we all rely on the Lord our God for all of our needs, physical and spiritual! Abijah was outnumbered by Jeroboam, king of Israel, two to one. But Judah was victorious and the writer makes the reason clear: “They relied upon the Lord.” Regarding Asa, we read that he “did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God” (14:2). Our fellow human beings only see part of us. God sees us through and through and what is important is that we do what is right in His sight. Asa broke down idolatrous altars. We must stand in opposition to all that is wrong, using our influence to rid the world of evil, using means appropriate to righteousness. He commanded others to seek the Lord. We are not kings with power to command, but we do have many opportunities to influence others, especially our own children. When an Ethiopian army of a million strong came against him, Asa was given the victory because he relied on God. May our reliance, too, be upon Him. Father, give us the grace to rely on You in every circumstance of life. For Jesus' sake. Amen. 2 Chronicles 13-16 Day 133 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible132 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible132 While the writer of Kings tells of both Solomon’s strengths and weaknesses, the writer of Chronicles only focuses on his strengths. If we are honest with ourselves we must admit that we tend to notice the faults of others more than their good points. Another difference between Kings and Chronicles is that, while Kings keeps shifting back and forth between descriptions of the kings of Israel in the north and those of Judah in the south, Chronicles only deals with the southern kingdom. Solomon dies and is replaced with his son Rehoboam. Having described the folly of Rehoboam in being harsh, following the advice of the young men, the Chronicler goes on to focus on Rehoboam’s good points. He plans to fight Israel, but listens to the Word of the Lord through his prophet and changes his plans. He does a great deal of constructive building. He attracts the Levites and the common people from the northern kingdom who “set their hearts to seek the Lord” (11:16), so that they move into the southern kingdom. Finally, the Chronicler considers the sins of Rehoboam. Even here the emphasis is on how he humbled himself and repented. Yet the final verdict must be: “He did evil” (12:14). Father, help us to learn from the failure of the kings to obey You. In Jesus' name. Amen. 2 Chronicles 8-12 Day 132 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible131 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible131 There are some great themes which run through the Bible. This passage includes some of the greatest. One theme is that of the covenant. God has made promises to His people and He will surely fulfill them, for He is a God of steadfast love. The Hebrew word translated steadfast love is a beautiful word which expresses God’s covenant faithfulness. His love is not fickle; it is utterly dependable. He shows His love by keeping His promises. Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman, so let there be steadfast love, a love which faithfully keeps the promises made. Another theme is the seriousness of sin and the possibility of forgiveness. This is the main emphasis of Solomon’s great prayer. All sin is most serious because it is sin against a faithful God. Therefore, there must be heartfelt repentance and faith. Yet another theme centers around the word if which is found several times in this passage. God will bless wonderfully, but only if His people will walk in His ways and keep His commandments. If they turn away from obedience, the wonderful promises will not be fulfilled. We live in a day when there is danger of “cheap grace,” when people think God will bless them regardless of how they live. The Bible says that continued blessings depend on faithful obedience. Father, we praise You for Your steadfast love. Forgive us of our sins. For Jesus' sake. Amen. 2 Chronicles 5-7 Day 131 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible130 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible130 Second Chronicles takes the story of God’s dealings with His people from the beginning of the reign of Solomon to the return from the exile. It begins with God inviting Solomon to pray for whatever he wants. We are also invited to pray for anything. God is pleased because Solomon does not pray for riches, honor, revenge or long life. God is pleased that Solomon has his priorities straight. His one desire is for wisdom so that he may carry out his calling as king in such a way as to be a blessing to the people. Jesus teaches us not to be anxious about material possessions, something which we really need to hear in a world whose materialism is influencing us more than we realize. But Jesus does teach, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these thing will be added unto you.” When we ask for the right things because we have the right priorities, God gives us what we ask for and much more besides. In his wisdom, Solomon now begins to plan for the building of the temple. His logic is this: since God is far greater than all gods (they do not even exist), His temple ought to be greater than theirs. So he builds a temple after the pattern of the tabernacle, only with all dimensions doubled and he uses a great deal of gold. We should surely give God our best, not the leftovers. Father, we do not ask for riches or honor, but give us wisdom to carry out our calling. In Christ. Amen. 2 Chronicles 1-4 Day 130 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible129 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible129 It is fitting that we should give generously to build church buildings in which God may be worshiped and His Word may be taught. But we should always keep in mind that the New Testament says that the church is people, that we together are to be a holy temple. Again and again Paul speaks of doing that which edifies, that is, that which builds up the church of Jesus Christ. Therefore, let us give generously so that the church may have the resources to teach its people the Word and especially that the church may send forth the Word of God to others that they, too, may be built up in the faith. Notice how David gives. “Because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God” (29:5). In response to the grace of God by which He has redeemed us through Christ we should have a great devotion to the church, the building built on the one foundation, Jesus Christ. That devotion ought to motivate us to give generously. The Bible sets a tithe as a guideline for giving, but in the light of the great opportunity to build God’s temple by spreading the gospel today, and in the light of the great resources God has placed in the hands of many Christians, these should give more than a tithe. Father, give us grace to build the church by generous giving and according to Your plan. In Christ. Amen. 1 Chronicles 28-29 Day 129 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible128 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible128 A few days ago we considered the services rendered by musicians and gatekeepers. Here these are mentioned and several other types of service as well. The New Testament says that the church is made up of members, each of whom has some talent to be used in service. The church is to be a team, with each member playing his or her part in the Lord’s work. Some of the Levites were in charge of the treasuries. Today the deacons have a very important job keeping account of the offerings of God’s people and distributing them to do God’s work. Other Levites were to be officers and judges out in the field (26:29). Elders have the important responsibilities of administration and discipline. Individuals in these chapters are mentioned as counselors and men of understanding. Elders are to serve by giving good advice both to the pastors and members of the congregation. Great wisdom is needed to do God’s work well, and He promises such wisdom to those who pray for it in faith. Hushai the Archite is mentioned as the king’s friend (27:33). Perhaps this is the best service of all. Everyone needs a special friend, one with whom we can share our anxieties, one who will give us good advice because he loves us enough to tell us the truth. Father, help us to work together in the church as a team and especially to be a friend. In Jesus' name. Amen. 1 Chronicles 25-27 Day 128 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible127 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible127 We must use our lives in service to the Lord. But there is something else we can do. We can prepare our children to play their role in the building of the kingdom of God. David was not to build the temple but he could make as many preparations as possible so that his son could build. We must first of all introduce our children to Jesus Christ. Only then can they be of service to Him. Beyond that we can give them the best possible education to equip them for service. David prepared by purchasing the land for the temple. This happened in an unexpected way. The land was a place to offer sacrifices of thanksgiving. God had stayed the plague caused by David’s sin of pride in numbering the people. David also prepared materials for building the temple. More importantly, he prepared Solomon by giving him advice. He told him that he would only prosper if he was careful to obey God’s Law. Let us give this advice to our children also. We are saved by grace alone, but being saved we are called to a life of obedience, with the promise that God will bless such obedience. David also prepared Solomon by encouraging him not to be afraid. Faith brings courage to obey. Father, help us to be very wise in preparing our children to serve You. For Jesus' sake. Amen. 1 Chronicles 21-24 Day 127 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible126 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible126 David wants to build a house for God, a temple in which to place the ark. But God says that instead He will build a house for David. God will establish the household of David forever. This is ultimately fulfilled in Christ, for David’s descendants no longer occupy a throne in the land of Israel but Christ, the descendant of David, will be king forever. We must focus on what God does for us before we consider what we can do for God. Salvation is by pure grace, completely the work of God. We now are to serve Him in gratitude for such a great salvation. And we must look to God for help as we serve Him. This, also, is of grace. Let the focus be on what God does for us and let this motivate us to serve Him faithfully. God’s wonderful promises evoke a beautiful prayer from the heart of David. In it he humbles himself. He also exalts God. He says that what God has revealed gives him courage to pray. So it should be with us as we pray. After we read of the promises God made to David, we read of David’s victories, one after another, against those who had been a threat to God’s people. God was already beginning to fulfill His promise to build the household of David. May we too experience victories over the evils which still hold us in their grip. Father, we praise You for what You have done for us. Enable us to serve You faithfully. In Jesus' name. Amen. 1 Chronicles 17-20 Day 126 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible125 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible125 David now turns to concerns about the ark of the covenant. He provides a tent in which to house the ark. Then he has the ark moved to Jerusalem. But it doesn’t make it. The ark is being moved contrary to the clear instructions in the Word of God. Uzzah reaches out to keep it from tipping and he is struck dead. Having secured his borders by decisively defeating the Philistines, David again turns to the matter of moving the ark to the tent he had erected in Jerusalem. In the meantime, he or someone else must have been studying the Scriptures, for now he uses the means clearly specified in the Word and succeeds in bringing the ark into the place he had prepared for it. We need to know what the Bible says. We need to do what the Bible says. As a pastor, I often had men say to me, “I know that God wants me to get divorced so I can marry this other woman who will make me happy.” They did not want to hear it but I had to say, “I know God does not want you to get divorced because the Bible says you should remain faithful to your wife.” If we want to be truly successful in life, we must not follow our whims but God’s Word. Having moved the ark into place, David had a choir sing a psalm of praise to God. Father, help us do what You tell us in Your Word that we might avoid the price of disobedience. In Jesus' name. Amen. 1 Chronicles 13-16 Day 125 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible124 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible124 The writer of Chronicles now tells us the same story we studied in 2 Samuel, adding some details and omitting others. Here he tells us of all the people who helped David. Even David could not do what needed to be done by himself. So also, we need to work as a team with others in the church of Jesus Christ. The New Testament makes it clear that all Christians are part of the body of Christ, with different talents all to be used for God’s kingdom. Two men helped David by each slaying 300 of the enemy at one time. Another helped by taking his stand in the middle of a field and defending it. Yet another killed an Egyptian seven and one half feet tall. Others gave help of a more intellectual nature, such as the men of Issachar who “had understanding of the times” (12:32). Today we do battle against unrighteousness, not with spears and swords, but with understanding gained from study of the Word of God. But David received help most of all from God. We are told that “David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him” (11:9). Amasai is led by the Spirit to say of David, “For your God helps you” (12:18). We need the help of other people, but far more important is the help that God will give us as we look to Him in faith. Father, help us to work in the church as a team always relying on You. For Jesus' sake. Amen. 1 Chronicles 10-12 Day 124 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible123 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible123 Mention is made in the midst of the genealogies that Ephraim lost two sons and people came to comfort him. We are reminded that, although we have here a long list of names, all of them were human beings with the same kinds of joys and sorrows that we have. The world today is full of billions of people who are having similar experiences. We become so absorbed in our own concerns and those of a small group of people around us that we forget that. We need to become less self-centered. We need to have compassion for sorrowing people. There are so many human needs. We cannot do everything but we can help a few people. If everyone who claims to be a Christian would do that, what a different world this would be! The genealogies come to an end with a focus on the priests and Levites. Each had his task. Some seem rather menial for they had to make the bread to be placed in the Holy place of the tabernacle. But is there any task which is menial if it is done for the Lord? A monk in the Middle Ages, Brother Lawrence, wrote that he felt as close to God when washing pots and pans in the monastery kitchen as when he partook of the sacrament. May we be glad to perform any small service in the work of Christ’s church! Father, give me joy in doing whatever I can do in sharing in the work of the ministry of Christ. Amen. 1 Chronicles 7-9 Day 123 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible122 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible122 Here and there in the genealogical records we have a note about an individual. Jabez is called “more honorable than his brothers.” He was a man of prayer who desired God’s blessing and His protection and “God granted what he asked” (4:10). Mention is made of expert soldiers “ready for service” (5:20). While they were carrying out their responsibilities they were also praying and God “granted their entreaty because they trusted in him.” We must pray and we must be honorable. We cannot expect God to hear our prayer if we are dishonest in any way. And we must pray and carry out our responsibilities. Prayer is not a substitute for hard work but the hardest work will be in vain if we do not look to God for help. And our prayer must be accompanied by faith. We expect God to answer our prayer in wonderful ways because we put our trust in Him. There were also those who were “in charge of the service of song” (6:31). Faith in the true God is a singing faith. We have reason to sing. Those who provide the musical ministries of the church carry out a worthy form of service. In seminary we were warned that the musical ministry of the church could be the “war department,” but it need not be so if those who minister in music have a sense of calling. Father, answer our prayers to Your glory and use our service for Your glory. For the sake of Christ. Amen. 1 Chronicles 4-6 Day 122 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible121 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible121 If you only skimmed through these chapters, I do not blame you. This probably is the best way to handle the material before us. Until now the narrative from Genesis to 2 Kings has been pretty much in chronological order. Here, however, another author covers basically the same material as 2 Samuel, the reign of David. Tradition has it that the author was Ezra, who continues the story through his own time. These genealogies often seem boring, but they originally served an important purpose, establishing who should inherit the land at the return from exile. The author begins by listing the generations from Adam to Noah. He then lists the three sons of Noah, then the descendants of the three sons of Noah. It was with the line of Shem that God dealt especially. When we come to Abraham, God focuses especially upon him and his descendants. Our author lists the descendants of Abraham’s son Ishmael. He then lists the descendants of Isaac’s son Esau who was the forefather of the Edomites. He then considers the descendants of Israel (Jacob) who constitute the people with whom God had made His covenant. What are we to learn from this? God works through families. We influence our children and our children’s children. Father, in a day when family life is breaking down, strengthen our family and make it a good influence. In the name of Christ. Amen. 1 Chronicles 1-3 Day 121