Some closing thoughts on 2 Chronicles

As I wrapped up reading through 2 Chronicles over the last 6 weeks, I came away with a couple of overall thoughts:

1. There are consequences to our actions. When the people of Judah had good kings who encouraged the people to follow God, the nation and the people prospered. When the kings were evil and led the people away from God, they were often attacked and conquered by the surrounding countries. Although the consequences for our actions may not always be seen immediately, we do reap what we sow.

2. God is faithful. Even when the people rebelled against Him, God was faithful to keep His covenant promises. He insured that Judah would continue to exist as a people because He had promised that the Messiah would come from the line of David. Man can never overcome God's plans and promises.

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Listening to God

In reading 2 Chronicles 18, I was struck by how Ahab refused to listen to the voice of God because he was so set on doing what he wanted to do instead of what God wanted him to do. And as a result, he lost his life.

We are prone to do the very same thing. It's so easy to get caught up in all our own plans that we either fail to seek God's guidance or we refuse to follow it even when God makes it very plain to us. And even though it might not cost us our physical life, at least not as quickly as it do for Ahab, it does rob us of the joy of living according to God's plans.

So I'm praying for myself, and for all of you, that we would be attentive to God's voice and that we would heed what we hear.

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Finally, a new post...

Obviously I haven't posted for a while. Just got out of the habit.

For the last couple of months, those of you who have been on the 4 year reading plan with me have been reading primarily in 1 and 2 Chronicles. I'll have to admit that all the genealogies at the beginning weren't all that exciting, but going through the history of Israel again through the eyes of the author of Chronicles is a sobering reminder of what happens when we choose to rebel against God. Even though God continues to love us and even disciplines us with the purpose of getting us to repent and return to him, there are serious consequences to our rebellion.

It seems that this passage is particularly relevant to us as a nation today:

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 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 7:13-14 ESV)

I really believe that we are witnessing God's judgment on our nation because of the blatant, unrepentant sin that we see in our culture. But this passage reminds us that our responsibility is not to judge, but to pray...and to tell others about Jesus.

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Revelation 12-17

In Revelation 13, the phrase "those who dwell on earth" is important. Those who are described in that way are deceived by the beast and worship him. This really reinforces the importance of realizing that as a follower of Jesus I am only a sojourner here on earth. My permanent dwelling place is in heaven.

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Revelation 1-11

I'm really enjoying reading Revelation again. I especially love the peek that we get into the throne room of God in Revelation 4 and 5 where we see the worship that is going on constantly. And those who have placed their faith in Jesus will get to be part of that one day!

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Daniel 1-6

One of the great mysteries for me in this section of Daniel is how Nebuchadnezzar and Darius both acknowledged the power of Daniel's God. They even expected God to protect and save Daniel and made proclamations that commanded the people to fear Daniel's God. But they still always refer to "the God of Daniel" and do absolutely nothing to make God their own personal God. Unfortunately, that seems to be pretty common in our culture today, too.

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Lamentations

God did exactly what He warned the people He was going to do. But instead of listening to Him, the people chose to listen to false prophets who told them everything was going to be OK.

I feel like our country is in a similar situation today, God's Word is still true, but so many people chose to ignore it and listen to those who justify rebelling against God in the name of tolerance and compassion. But that is not compassion at all since it invites God's judgment.

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Jeremiah 43-52

As I wrap up the book of Jeremiah, I get a deep sense of God's sovereignty. Babylon thought that they had conquered Judah because of its own might. But they were actually being used as a tool by God to discipline His people. And once God was done using Babylon for that purpose, God used other nations to completely destroy that once great empire.

Sometimes I think we get the sense that our country is blessed regardless of our attitude and actions toward God. But God is sovereign and not to be mocked. I think of all the people who openly rebel against the clear teaching of God's Word and then just tack on "God Bless America" to the end of their speeches as if that is some magic phrase that is going to prevent God from judging us as a people. But as a nation we are not immune to God's judgment. But the good news is that the evidence of Scripture is that God always preserves a remnant of those who remain faithful to Him in the face of tribulation.

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Jeremiah 25-42

I know I haven't posted on the blog for a while, but I am still reading in Jeremiah and I hope you are, too. In this section of Jeremiah, there is certainly a lot of judgment for Judah as they continue to reject God. So God is warning them of the punishment to come for that sin. But at the same time, there is so much of God's mercy and grace - both present and future - for God's people. I am especially encouraged by these words of God:
I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. (Jeremiah 31:3-4 ESV)

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Jeremiah 19-24

As we continue through the book of Jeremiah we continue to see God's justice and righteous anger toward those who have rebelled against Him. But we also see that tempered by His mercy and grace, especially toward those who are willing to repent.

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Jeremiah 13-18

Jeremiah 16:11-12:
While each person is responsible for his or her own life, these verses point out why it is so important for parents to not just teach their children about God, but also to live in a way that is consistent with His Word. Otherwise each generation tends to fall further and further away from God.

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Jeremiah 7-12

In continuing my reading through Jeremiah this week, the thing that really sticks out to me is the fact that God is both loving and just. Although it pains Him to punish sin, His character requires that He must do so. But at the same time He continually extends His mercy and grace, particularly to those who are willing to repent.

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Jeremiah 1-6

We'll be in the book of Jeremiah for the next nine weeks. Jeremiah's name likely means "YHWH exalts". Jeremiah ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah after the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel to the Assyrians in 622 BC, during the reigns of five different kings (Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoaichin, and Zedekiah). His purpose was to warn the people of coming destruction and urge them to return to God. That sounds to me like something that is particularly relevant for us today.

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1, 2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 describe the kind of pastor I am striving to become:  - one who works hard, lives in such a way that I can be an example to others, and who exhorts and to encourags others to live in a manner that is worthy of God.

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Psalms 7-12

According to Psalm 8, I am not just an accident or a mistake. God has been actively involved in every stage of my life. He thinks about me. He cares for me, He has given me dominion over the rest of His creation. Because I am made in His image, my life is characterized by glory and honor.

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Proverbs 1-8

Since I'm considering a sermon series on the Proverbs later this summer, I'm looking forward to reading in the Book this week. I look forward to hearing what God is showing you as you read His Word this week.

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Judges 8-14, 15-21

Didn't post last week after a busy Easter weekend.

As I read the Book of Judges, it often seems like I'm reading a biography of my life. I think about the times in my life when I tried to live my own away apart from God. And then when I get in trouble and call out to God, He is patiently waiting there for me to return to Him and develop my relationship with Him.

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Judges 1-7

This book certainly doesn't paint Israel in a good light as they continually turn away from God and to their own ways. And that kindles God's anger. But God remains faithful to His covenant with His people and continues to treat them with mercy and grace.

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Psalms 1-6

We'll be reading the Psalms in sections throughout the year. There is some good evidence that Psalms 1-2 were written as an introduction to the entire Book of Psalms. Notice that Psalm 1 begins with "Blessed is..." and Psalm 2 ends with "Blessed are..." There is a move from individual to corporate in these two Psalms.

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1, 2, 3 John

Back to the New Testament for a week. I really love these short epistles from John. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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Genesis 43-50

We're on the home stretch for the book of Genesis. I've really enjoyed reading this book again and especially focusing on what I can learn about God from it. A few overall observations about God that really stand out to me:

1. God is completely trustworthy. He keeps His promises even when the people to who he made those promises rebel against Him.
2. God is so full of mercy and grace. The "God of the Old Testament" is not, as some would claim, an unloving tyrant or a God who delights in catching His people doing something wrong so that He can punish them. Since God does not change, He was, is and always will be a God of mercy and grace.
3. God is also a just God who will not let sin go unpunished forever. But God mourns when evil becomes so pervasive that He must step in to put it to an end.

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Genesis 37-42

With the exception of the account of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38, this entire section focuses on Joseph and God's providential involvement in his life. This section really emphasizes both God's sovereignty and His mercy.

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Genesis 31-36

One thing that makes the Bible so believable to me is that the people in the Bible are portrayed realistically. None of them are larger than life - they all sin, sometimes a lot - but God delights in pouring out His grace and mercy on them. That seems to be especially true of Jacob.

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Genesis 25-30

I'm really enjoying focusing on what the text is revealing about the heart of God. I'm consistently seeing a God who delights in keeping His promise to His people even when they continually fail Him. I am so grateful for God's faithfulness!

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Genesis 19-24

In Genesis 20 Abraham takes things into his own hands by saying Sarah is his sister for the second time. To me this is why it is so easy to believe the Bible is true. The "heroes" of the faith are shown "warts and all". They are never portrayed as larger than life. God chose Abraham to be the father of His people knowing that he was an imperfect man who would often fail in his faith. But God just keeps showing him grace.

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Genesis 13-18

Keep up the good work. Even if I don't always respond to all of your posts, I'm reading them all and benefiting from your insights.

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Genesis 7-12

Hopefully, like me, you've now settled into our four year reading schedule. I'm finding I really like this pace - hope it's working for you, too.

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Genesis 1-6

Like John in the New Testament, Genesis is a book of beginnings - both books start with "in the beginning..." And there are certainly a number of parallels between the two books. for instance in Genesis 1:3 we see God creating light in the midst of darkness - the same way Jesus is described in John 1.

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John 18-22

I'm really enjoying reading through the Gospel of John again. I'd love to interact with you about what God is revealing to you from His Word.

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John 12-17

Still hoping to get some more people involved in sharing what you are learning from God's Word. Let's encourage each other and build each other up with our insights.

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John 7-11

This week we'll be reading John 7-11 - only 5 chapters, so plenty of time to think about what we're reading. Thanks Loren and Susan for your insightful comments last week. I enjoyed reading and thinking about them. Hopefully some others will join in this week, too. I'd love to see what God is impressing on your heart from His Word.

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John 1-6

This week we'll be reading John 1-6. I'm really interested in seeing what God is revealing to you from this portion of Scripture. You can post your thoughts by commenting on this post. I'll also be sharing some of my thoughts throughout the week.

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