APRIL 22 2 CHRONICLES 6-9

2 Chronicles 6-9

The temple is completed! The glory of the Lord has filled it!

Now Solomon speaks, first to the people, then to the Lord. In his magnificent prayer, he wonders, “Will God indeed dwell with human beings on earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house that I have built!” (2 Chronicles 6:18) He is absolutely right; the only way God could dwell in the house that Solomon built was if God wanted to. Similarly, God also wanted to dwell on earth in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ!

God responds to Solomon’s prayer by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifices Solomon had offered, and by answering his prayer in a night-time vision. Solomon had asked the Lord to be responsive to the prayers His people, and God said, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14) But, if they won’t, God promises to “pluck” them out of the land!

In 2 Chronicles 8-9, the rest of Solomon’s life and accomplishments are recounted: his building projects, his armies, his alliances, his visit from the Queen of Sheba, and his incredible wealth. 

Of note is what the Chronicler does NOT tell us: how Solomon descended into sin and idolatry. Why does the Chronicler white-wash Solomon so? His purpose was not to rehearse what was already well-known, but to encourage the re-building of the temple and the reinstitution of the temple worship for the returning exiles. 

Tomorrow, we read of the kingdom divided.

In His love,
Pastor Gary

 

april 21 2 chronicls 1-5

2 Chronicles 1-5

 Here is “a high and holy moment,” as Bishop Woodie White used to say.  

Sure, we’ve already read about the building of the temple in 1 Kings 5-8, but this time, we read through the eyes of a Levite, who was, perhaps, a priest. 

The first chapter highlights Solomon’s holiness. In those days, the pieces of the Tabernacle had become separated; David had carried the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, but the “tent of meeting” and the bronze altar were at Gibeon. Solomon went there to worship. That night, the Lord famously asked Solomon to ask Him for something, and Solomon asked for the wisdom to rule God’s people. God was so pleased with this unselfish request that He gave Solomon what he had NOT asked for as well: wealth and honor.

Solomon makes good use of both, as he obtains materials (chapter 2), builds the Temple (chapter 3), makes its furnishings (chapter 4), and places the Ark. When he does, did you notice that God somehow animates the gold-overlaid cherubim in the Holy of Holies? (2 Chronicles 5:8) They “spread out their wings” over the Ark! I suppose if God can make a donkey talk, He can make gold statues spread their wings! 

The holiest moment, however, is not when the cherubim spread their wings, but when the “glory of the Lord,” the cloud of His presence, filled the House! I still pray for the glory of the Lord to come to the temple. But now, the temple is the church and its individual members; and the glory is the presence of God’s Spirit! (1 Corinthians 3:16)

Your fellow Bible trekker,
Pastor Gary

APRIL 19 & 20 1 CHRONICLES 28-29

1 Chronicles 28-29—May the Risen Christ brighten up your Easter Weekend!

What a sad strange passage to fall on Resurrection Weekend! 

David makes a final plea for temple donations; he prays a final prayer for Solomon and the building of the temple; he offers one last sacrifice to the Lord; he leads one final celebration meal; and he oversees the ordination and consecration of Solomon as king and Zadok as high priest. Under the Lord’s direction, David has insured the continuation of the kingdom.

Then David dies.

But what about Psalm 16? In it, David had written, For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your Holy One see corruption (Psalm 16:10). What went wrong? Nothing.

Peter quotes this psalm on Pentecost and adds: Brothers and sisters, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.

Blessed Easter!

Monday, we finally build the temple! 
Until then,
Pastor Gary

APRIL 18 1 CHRONICLES 22-27

1 Chronicles 22-27—Blessed Good Friday to All!

 

 David was not allowed to build the temple, but that didn’t keep him from making preparations. Or to say it another way: David did everything but build the temple.

 He gathered all the materials; stone, timber, iron, bronze, gold and silver...

• He commissioned Solomon, his son, like this: “The Lord came to me, saying, ‘Solomon...shall build a house for my name.’” (1 Chronicles 22:8-10)
• He summoned all the leaders of Israel to support Solomon in this work. (1 Chronicles 22:17f)
• He organized the Levites, who were to be the caretakers and worship leaders in the temple. (1 Chronicles 23)
• He organized the priests of the temple, those Levites who were descended from Aaron. (1 Chronicles 24)
• He appointed some gifted Levites, most notably the “sons of Asaph,” as temple musicians. (1 Chronicles 25)
• He created divisions of gatekeepers for the temple long before there were even gates to keep! (1 Chronicles 26:1-19)

 Every big project needs a financial administrator, and David choses Ahijah, another Levite, and others to assist him. (1 Chronicles 26:20f)

 

All of these appointments involved the Levites and their various clans. In 1 Chronicles 27, David numbers and organizes the other tribes’ fighting units and leaders. One tribe would take care of the temple, the other eleven would protect it!

 

Tomorrow, we’re getting really close to being ready to build! Until then,

Pastor Gary

 

 

APRIL 17 1 CHRONICLES 17-21

1 Chronicles 17-21

The Lord’s Covenant with David was important in 2 Samuel. It has even more importance to the Chronicler, because of its connection with the “house of the Lord,” that is, the temple. At first, Nathan, David’s prophet, counseled David to build it. Then God gave Nathan a new word that might be summed up like this: The Lord says: “You may not build me house. But I will build you one (1 Chronicles 17:10), a house and lineage that will last forever. One of your sons will build the house for me!” David receives this word with another wonderful prayer.

In chapters 18-20, David’s victories over the pagan oppressive kingdoms around Israel are summarized. Four more giants are killed (1 Chronicles 20:4-8), but this time, David needs the help of his mighty men! 

In chapter 21, the Chronicler shares just one negative story of David. David presumptively commands a census of his fighting force. God did not instruct him to do this; we must assume that David’s motives were wrong, that his census betrayed a momentary lapse of faith. God was displeased with this thing, the chronicler says. Why would the author, who has not told us anything of David faults, include this one mistake? The answer is in the punishment David asked for and God gave.

Given three choices, David chose to fall into the hands of the Lord, rather than be handed over to his enemies. So God sent a plague that took 70,000 people. The angel of the Lord desisted from working destruction at a very important spot: the threshing floor of Ornan, which David bought. This became the place where David built an altar to the Lord, and where Solomon would one day erect the temple!

Tomorrow, we get ready to build! Until then,
Pastor Gary

 P.S. My promise still stands: Did you Mortonites notice the reference to Morton High School in 2 Chronicles 4? A dollar to anyone who comes up to me and points the reference out! 

APRIL 16 1 CHRONICLES 10-16

1 Chronicles 10-16

The actual accounts of the Chronicles begin where 1 Samuel ends: with the death of Saul. So Saul died for his breach of faith...he did not seek guidance from the Lord (1 Chronicles 10:13-14). The Chronicler revisits this sad story to introduce the hero of 1 Chronicles: King David!

Don’t think we will re-read everything that 1 and 2 Samuel has to say about David. Not at all! The author of 1 Chronicles has a particular interest. Do you remember from yesterday? The author is a priest, and knows that his readers know a great deal about King David, his youth, his victory over Goliath, his persecution at the hands of Saul, his friendship with Jonathan, his sin with Bathsheba and the troubles in his own household. What this priest is interested in is priestly stuff: 

How David took Jerusalem where the Temple would be. (1 Chronicles 11:4-9)

How David attracted followers, especially his mighty men. (1 Chronicles 11:10-12:40)

How David tried and finally succeeded in bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. (1 Chronicles 13, 15 and 16)

How David’s family and fame grew. (1 Chronicles 14)

How David utilized the Levites, as the Pentateuch demanded, for everything connected with the Ark and its entrance into Jerusalem: transportation, music, worship. (1 Chronicles 15—16:7)

How David wrote a song for the Levites (the sons of Asaph) to sing on that great day! It’s a beautiful psalm, by the way! (1 Chronicles 16:4-43)

Tomorrow, we learn more of the wonderful things David did to institute and protect the worship prescribed in the five books of Moses. But the Chronicler will not remind us of any of David’s sordid side!

Until then, I am your fellow Bible traveler,
Pastor Gary

P.S. Yesterday’s promise still stands: Did you Mortonites notice the reference to Morton High School in 2 Chronicles 4? A dollar to anyone who comes up to me and points the reference out!

APRIL 15 1 CHRONICLES 1-9

1 Chronicles 1-9

We take a first look at today’s Bible reading and say, “NINE CHAPTERS?!”

But looking closer, we realize that these chapters are some of the most “skim-able” chapters in the Bible. That’s not to say that they’re unimportant! They illustrate the connectedness of God’s people to God’s first person, Adam. They demonstrate the extreme care the Levitical priests took to document the generations of God’s people. And they form the perfect prelude to this priestly re-telling of all the stories we’ve just read in 1st and 2nd Kings. As we read, let’s try to notice some of the differences. These genealogies are the first big difference.

Now, I said we could skim, but don’t miss some of the hidden gems of these chapters:

How would you like to have Achan’s epitaph in 1 Chronicles 2:7? If you’ve forgotten him, just re-read Joshua 7!


How would you like to have Jabez’ faith as described in 2 Chronicles 4:9-10. “God granted him what he asked!”

How would you like to have God respond as He did to the cries of the Trans-Jordan Tribes in 2 Chronicles18-22? Can you imagine that many animals?
How would you musicians have liked to sing in David’s choir (2 Chronicles 6:31-32)?

In 2 Chronicles 9, we learn that the Chronicles were written by those who had returned from exile. How amazingly God preserved the history of God’s people!

Tomorrow, after a few more lists, we get down to the business of telling history.

Until then
Pastor Gary

P.S. Did you Mortonites notice the reference to Morton High School in 2 Chronicles 4? A dollar to the first person who comes up to me and points the reference out!