Tag: 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:3 Liberty to Pray

2 Chronicles 34:3 (KJV)
For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

There are fourteen generations between King David and King Judah. So, it’s approximately 420 years, twice as long as the United States has existed.

Considering the history of Israel and Judah, the ebb and flow of godliness among those who were the seed of King David and ruled in Judah, there must have been vast portions of time when, as in our day, history was “rewritten” to make David out to be less of an example. At times, the Word of God fell into less prominence than at other times. Josiah began to seek after the God of David, his father, when he was sixteen. It was a full ten years later before they even found “the book of the Law of the LORD.”

Thank God for people who seek the Lord even when they have little to go on. I’m guessing that before discovering the Bible, it would have been similar to those centuries before the printing press when believers may have had only portions or fragments of the Word of God. They followed the Lord the best they knew how until there was a full and infallible book in their hands. (I notice that Josiah, who had been seeking after the God of David for more than a decade, rent his clothes and had a fresh “vigor” in his relationship with God once he had read the Word of God.)

I cannot tell what will be on the morrow. I do know, just as the prophets told Josiah, there will be a day of judgment and pouring out of God’s wrath. I also know that God will spare those who seek Him and are safe in the shelter of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Who can tell whether there may be another “time of refreshing” when we see the heart of the people return to follow after the God of their fathers? I believe the Word of God gives us liberty to pray for a fresh revival of souls who open the Bible and seek to follow God as He is revealed in “the book…”

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

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2 Chronicles 34:3 Liberty to Pray

2 Chronicles 33:13 All Eyes on Christ

2 Chronicles 33:13 (KJV)
And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.

I see three key passages in this chapter.

2 Chronicles 33:10 (KJV)
And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.

What grace God displaying speaking to Manasseh and his people. This king had turned from the way of the Lord deliberately and wickedly. But God spake to them anyway.

2 Chronicles 33:13 (KJV)
And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he wasGod.

Then he knew that the Lord was God. He could have and should have known. His father, Hezekiah knew. Oh, how wise to come to this knowledge before God chastens.

2 Chronicles 33:23 (KJV) 
And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.

Manasseh’s father walked with the Lord. Manasseh chose a different path, at least at the first. He humbled himself, but it was too late for his son. Amon trespassed more and more.

The parents are not responsible for the sins of the children nor are the children accountable for the sins of their parents. But there definitely is a contributing element in the relationship.

The key is to get our eyes off that relationship and put them completely upon the Lord.

Jude 1:21 (KJV)
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Keep looking for the mercy of Jesus Christ. That is the way to stay right in the middle of a loving relationship with God.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 33:13 All Eyes on Christ

2 Chronicles 32:10 A War of Faith

2 Chronicles 32:10 (KJV)
Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?

Wow!

Judah had been blessed in the days of Hezekiah. They had restored sincere worship to the living God. They had removed idolatry from throughout their land. They had seen the fame of their land, king, and their Lord exalted throughout the world.

But then came Sennacherib. 

There will always be someone who thinks to win what belongs to God for himself.

Hezekiah did what he could.

  • He built up the wall that was broken
  • He strengthened himself. I think that means militarily
  • He diverted the waters to prevent Sennacherib from having it

But then, knowing the fierceness of Assyria and the size of its army, Hezekiah placed his faith in God.

  • Sennacherib had the strong arm of the flesh
  • Judah had the Lord their God

Sennacherib knew precisely what the battle was about. It was about faith. “Whereon do ye trust…?” 

He challenged the people. What follows is meant by Sennacherib to be both reasonable and then blasphemous.

  • No other god had defeated him
  • Hezekiah had probably offended God

And then the Bible says, “He wrote also letters to rail on the Lord God of Israel.”

2 Chronicles makes little of whatever conflict happened.

  • Assyria lost their mightiest men
  • Sennacherib returned home and
  • His own children killed him, in all places, in the house of his god.

God’s work goes through times of prosperity and challenge. But regardless of which, the test we face remains the same, 

“Whereon do ye trust…?”

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 32:10 A War of Faith

2 Chronicles 31:1 Only Then

2 Chronicles 31:1 (KJV)
Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

The “all this” that “was finished” was, as John Gill puts it,

  • The temple cleansed,
  • The priests and Levites sanctified,
  • The Passover and feast of unleavened bread observed, and
  • The other seven days of rejoicing kept

After all this was finished, they:

  • Went out to the cities
  • Broke the images
  • Cut down the groves
  • Threw down the high places

Only then did they return to their own possessions.

The passage is violent, and I would not suggest an application that is equally violent. But there is an application. View this as missionary. View this as an impassioned effort to 

  • Reach the lost, 
  • Rescue the perishing and 
  • Raise up the name of Christ

A people who have been blessed of God ought to spare nothing to bring that blessing to others.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 31:1 Only Then

2 Chronicles 27:9 Strength in Adversity: How God Equips Us for Life’s Challenges

2 Chronicles 27:9 (KJV)
And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

I’ve read the Bible enough to know a correlating passage.

Isaiah 6:1-3 (KJV)
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Isaiah, the prophet, served during the days of King Uzziah, considering him to be a wonderful blessing to the nation. Jotham was also a good king; for sixteen years, Isaiah could rest in that.

But he was still actively involved in ministry when the tide changed. Ahaz may have been the most wicked of the kings Judah ever experienced. Isaiah could no longer reflect on the goodness of Uzziah’s rule nor rest in the prosperity of Jotham’s reign.

He had but one recourse. He must reside in the holiness of the reign of Lord of hosts.

Sure is nice to live in times of peace and prosperity. But those times are too often squandered with eyes set upon all the wrong things. When Uzziah died, and those things were set in motion to place Ahaz on the throne, God prepared him by showing him:

  • The holiness of God
  • The sinfulness of men and
  • The need for continued ministry

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 27:9 Strength in Adversity: How God Equips Us for Life’s Challenges

2 Chronicles 26:5 Understanding the Visions of God

2 Chronicles 26:5 (KJV)
And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.

I am interested in the description of Zechariah, where the Bible says he “had understanding in the visions of God.”

Albert Barnes wants to reword that to say, “Who instructed him in the fear of God.” That’s an admirable activity, but it is not what the Bible seems to say.

John Gill writes, “who either had prophetic visions granted to him, or had divine wisdom to interpret such that others had; or, as others think, had a gift of interpreting the prophecies of others, the writings of Moses and David…”

  • He was a prophet, receiving visions from God or
  • He had the gift of interpretation,[1] explaining the prophecies or
  • He had the gift of understanding, explaining the written Word of God[2]

I would like to entertain the third as the most encompassing of these views. Zechariah understood the Word of God and was gifted to teach others that Word.

So long as Zechariah was present to give that understanding, it seems that King Uzziah kept on a humble walk with the Lord. Whether Zechariah gave this understanding of the word of God directly to Uzziah or perhaps preached to the children of Judah so clearly that they were able to support the king in a walk with the Lord,[3] I do not know.

I do know we need men today who, like Zechariah, have an understanding of the visions of God and who can express them to those around them.

[1] 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (KJV)
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

[2] Which, of course, would include the prophets.

[3] 2 Chronicles 7:14 – whenever God’s people walk with the Lord He is likely to give them leaders of the same heart.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 26:5 Understanding the Visions of God

2 Chronicles 21:12 A Ministry of Letters

2 Chronicles 21:12 (KJV)
And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,

It should not surprise us to see that Elijah, a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel, would have a ministry to the southern kingdom of Judah through the written word. After all, the Word of God, in its entirety, is ministered to us through the written Word.

Elijah’s letter to Jehoram is a judgment against him (he said much the same things to the king of Israel). However, I would like to point out that he extended his ministry through writing.

We have so many forms of media these days.

All of them have some legitimacy for ministry. It is a way to extend ourselves beyond our means. I believe it is relevant and appropriate so long as we do not use it to divert people away from a local church.

People tend toward that, anyway.

Ego might rationalize it as ok, so long as they keep listening to us.

Elijah did in the letter the same thing he did in person. I apply that in this way; a ministry of media ought to encourage people to do precisely what a ministry in the church would do – to be faithful to a local church and to the pastor of it.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 21:12 A Ministry of Letters

2 Chronicles 20:12 When We Don’t Know What To Do

2 Chronicles 20:12 (KJV)
O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

There are reasons why we may not know what to do.
Sometimes it is because we do not accept what it is we ought to do.
The nature of man doesn’t settle well with the Spirit of God. We wrestle between the two. We often do not know what to do because we do not want to do what we believe is the will of God to do.

Sometimes it is because the object before us seems to be overwhelming.
Jehoshaphat was in that place. The enemy’s forces were simply too great for him to devise a plan.

Sometimes it’s because God’s will for one is not the same as another.
God had forbidden Rehoboam from fighting against Israel but had helped his son in the same fight.

I am thankful for the children of Issachar who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do. God has given us a way to know what we ought to do.[1]

  • Through the Word of God
  • Through the man of God and then
  • Through the house of God

We can know what to do if we are willing to accept the resources God has provided.

[1] 1 Chronicles 12:32 (KJV)
And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 20:12 When We Don’t Know What To Do

2 Chronicles 13:3 Timing Is Everything

2 Chronicles 13:3 (KJV)
And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour.

Timing is everything.

God would not permit Rehoboam to fight against Israel, even though, at that time, Rehoboam had the resources to defeat them. Time passes. Rehoboam died, leaving his son, Abijah, to be king. Jeroboam’s rebellion progressed to the point where, when Israel and Jerusalem did square off in combat, Israel had Judah outnumbered two to one. 

It looked terrible for Judah.

But Jeroboam also had:

  • Rebelled against the house of David
  • Replaced the worship of God with idols of golden calves and
  • Cast the priests of the Lord the sins of Aaron

In a turn of events that hearkens back to Gideon’s handful,[1] God gave Abijah the victory because it could never have been claimed that Abijah had won it for himself.

It will always be God’s plan for His people to prevail. However, His plan will never be for us to believe we succeeded in our strength or because we are so much better than others.

God will give us time and opportunity to be humbled. Then, in a time we think it is impossible, God will turn what we see as an inevitable loss into a remarkable victory for the glory of God.

[1] Judges 7:2 (KJV)
And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 

Judges 7:7 (KJV)
And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 13:3 Timing Is Everything

2 Chronicles 7:15 Our Place is a Person

2 Chronicles 7:15 (KJV)
Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

Solomon’s prayer had everything to do with the place they had built to worship God. Therefore, the idea that it would be “exceeding magnifical”[1] makes sense because the people of God, in the Old Testament, essentially rested their faith upon that Temple.

While I believe true faith rested upon the Lord, even in the Old Testament.[2] God endorsed the concept of resting their faith in the Temple in our text. He would indeed be attentive unto the prayer made in that place.

Jesus is the reason for that. The Temple was a shadow of the Person, Jesus Christ. God’s eyes are open, and His ears are attent unto the prayers of His people when they pray in faith and in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. 

We do not hope in a place, a building, a ritual, or a location that represents our faith. Our faith looks to Jesus. 

  • God sees that. 
  • God hears that. 
  • God answers that.

[1] 1 Chronicles 22:5 (KJV)
And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.

[2] The Psalms make that clear.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 7:15 Our Place is a Person