http://woh.org/index.php en admin@example.com Copyright 1972 1972-11-05 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible141 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible141 The first verses in Ezra are the same as the last verses in 2 Chronicles, making it clear that this is a continuation of the story. Ezra tells us of the return of the Jews from exile to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. The church needs constantly to be rebuilt, to be reformed anew according to the Word of God, so there are lessons to be learned here. Renewal requires dedicated people. Many Jews had prospered in Babylon and had no interest in returning, but there were those “whose spirit God had stirred to go to rebuild” (1:5). May God fill us with the desire to see the church revived. Renewal required funds. Some not interested in going back were willing to give (1:6) and those who did return “made freewill offerings . . . according to their ability” (1:68,69). Renewal involves missionary activity and this requires finances which we are to provide as God has blessed us. Renewal required leadership. The first exiles were led back by Jeshua the priest and Zerubbabel the governor. May God raise dedicated persons to lead the church in spiritual revival today. Renewal faces discouragements. The Great Reformation under Luther and Calvin faced many difficulties, as did the people who returned from exile. We can expect the same. Father, we pray for a great revival of biblical faith in our day. For Jesus' sake. Amen. Ezra 1-4 Day 141 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible140 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible140 Because of his godliness, Josiah had been promised that the punishment which would come upon Judah would not come in his day. He died. But after his son had reigned only three months, he was deposed by the king of Egypt. The next king, Jehoiakim, did evil in God’s sight and was taken into exile in Babylon. Jehoichin, his son, reigned only three months. Having done evil in God’s sight, he also was taken into exile. Zedekiah did evil and did not listen to the word of Jeremiah. God in His mercy sent other prophets but they would not listen “till there was no remedy.” They were taken into exile, the temple was burned and the walls of Jerusalem broken down “to fulfill the word of the Lord.” The exile lasted for 70 years, as had been predicted by Jeremiah. The implication is that the Sabbaths which had been neglected by the ungodly nation would now be made up by the rest given the land during the exile. Yet, by the grace of God, it was not the end. The Babylonians had a policy of exiling the nations they conquered. But they were conquered by the Persians whose King Cyrus had a different policy. He felt that the more people who were praying for him, the better. So he sent people, including the Jews, back to rebuild their temples where they could pray for him. It was not the end! Father, we thank You that when this world comes to an end there will be a new world. In Jesus' name. Amen. 2 Chronicles 35-36 Day 140 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible139 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible139 Manasseh was especially wicked. “He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger” (33:6). In both the Old Testament and the New, we read of God’s love and of His wrath. Many churches today do not mention God’s wrath, thus distorting the biblical message. Sin fills God with righteous indignation. He punishes it with the severity it deserves. When brought into captivity in Assyria, Manasseh repented; and God in His mercy brought him back to Jerusalem. Although he undid some of his wickedness, the evil he had done produced so much fruit in the lives of the people that it was now too late. Amon, the son of Manasseh, worshiped the idols of his father and he did not repent, thus sealing the fate of the nation. Amon’s son Josiah sought God from childhood. How much better to be godly from childhood than to do much wickedness and then later repent! We are sometimes impressed by the conversion stories of people who have lived in wickedness. Praise God for His grace in saving them! But how much more wonderful when the Holy Spirit causes someone to be born again at an early age. Our constant prayer should be that this take place in the lives of many. Josiah learns of God’s Word but it is too late for the nation-she is doomed. Father, we pray for our nation, that there be national repentance before it is too late. In Christ. Amen. 2 Chronicles 33-34 Day 139 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible138 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible138 Hezekiah did what was right in the sight of God. He restored temple worship. He renewed the covenant with God. He led the people to worship with joy. He encouraged them to give generously. He reinstated the Passover. He sent missionaries to the Israelites, most of whom mocked the missionaries. When some came to partake of the Passover being ritually unclean but sincere in heart, he prayed for them and they were forgiven. He broke down altars dedicated to idols. When the king of Assyria threatened to attack, he prayed and God destroyed many of the Assyrians. When he sinned through his pride, he humbled himself before God, thereby averting God’s wrath. Because we are not in as influential a position, we may not be able to do as much good as Hezekiah. But every one of us has many opportunities to do good. By the way in which we live our lives, we can be a blessing to our family, our neighbors, our church and our community. What is your goal in life? To see how many luxuries you can enjoy? Or is your goal to do all the good you can to all the people you can in every way you can? God blessed Hezekiah. “Every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law . . . prospered.” God blesses faithfulness. Father, help us to aim not at our pleasure but at ministry by which we can be a blessing. In Christ. Amen. 2 Chronicles 29-32 Day 138 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible137 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible137 The biblical writers provide us with reliable historical facts, but that is not their primary interest. They are inspired by the Holy Spirit to interpret history, providing lessons for our instruction. Notice how often the word because is used. “Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the Lord” (27:6). Pekah “slew a hundred and twenty thousand in Judah . . . because they had forsaken the Lord” (28:6). “The Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz, king of Israel, for he had dealt wantonly in Judah and had been faithless to the Lord” (28:19). God causes some things to happen to people because of the way they live. The same is true of nations. That is how God dealt with people, both in the days of the kings and today. As we have noted before, what counted most was whether a king did what was right in the sight of the Lord. The Bible is above all God’s self-revelation; it shows us what kind of a God He is by showing us how He acts and reacts to human behavior. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He acts now as He acted in the past and as He will act in the future. Paul says that the Old Testament stories are given for our instruction, that we may not make the same mistakes the people made in the past. This is how the Word of the living God speaks to us. Father, help us to learn from the mistakes of others and therefore receive Your blessings. In Christ. Amen. 2 Chronicles 26-28 Day 137 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible136 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible136 Joash did well until Jehoiada, who had influenced him, died. Then he turned away from God. But God was still very concerned about him, sending prophets to bring him and others back. “But they would not give heed” (24:19). When Zechariah, filled with the Spirit of God, spoke prophetically, they stoned him to death. As a result, God caused the Syrians to defeat Joash even though they had a smaller army. Joash was then murdered by his own servants. Amaziah, his son, started out well. He hired soldiers from Israel to fight for him; but when a prophet told him to forfeit the money he had paid rather than continue his plan, Amaziah did so, even though he lost the money. The prophet had said, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this” (25:9). Whatever we sacrifice to do God’s will, God will restore, with more besides. However, when Amaziah defeated the Edomites, he began to worship their idols. When a prophet told him how foolish he was, the king threatened to kill him if he didn’t keep still. When Jesus spoke, He referred to the fact that God’s people had a history of failing to obey the prophets. Finally, because they would not listen to His servants, God sent His own Son, and they crucified Him! Father, work in our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, that we may obey Your Word which is preached to us. In Christ. Amen. 2 Chronicles 23-25 Day 136 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