Day 127: 2 Chronicles 22, 23 and 24

The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each man with his weapons in his hand (NIV 1984, 2 Chronicles 23:7).

This story would make a great action adventure film. First Jehu, in a religious coup, cleans house in Israel, which also leads to the death of Judah’s evil king Ahaziah. When Athaliah – the queen mother – learns of her son’s death, she sets out with a vengeance to exterminate the entire royal family, take the throne and install herself as queen of Judah. Her killing spree rids the kingdom of nearly every possible contender for the throne, and for six years she wields a tyrant’s fist over Jerusalem.

But Athaliah does not know about the pact entered into by the Levitical priests loyal to God and to David’s family. One child has survived Athaliah’s murderous rampage, and the priests have covenanted together to protect him with their lives, giving him time to grow up so he can claim his rightful throne.

I don’t know what inspired Jehoiada the High Priest to know that the time was right, but when the boy turned seven years old, Jehoiada revealed the boy’s presence and proclaimed him as king. When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she . . . tore her robes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!” (vv. 12,13).

Show me a strong leader, and I’ll show you strong followers committed to his/her success.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

Ask God for the courage to protect the leaders in your life, be they employer, parent, pastor or project manager. Consider all the ways that can come back to benefit you in the future.

Day 126: 2 Chronicles 19, 20 and 21

[Jehoram] passed away, to no one’s regret (2 Chronicles 21:20).

Jehoram was not like his father. Jehoshaphat was a good king who loved God and loved his people. In an effort to build an alliance with the northern kingdom Israel, well-meaning Jehoshaphat had naïvely arranged a marriage for his son with Athaliah daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. A deal with the devil.

Never get into a card game with a shark. The deck is always stacked against us and any attempt to outsmart him will end in crushing defeat. Though there were no hostilities between Judah and Israel for those years when they were connected by family ties, there was a disintegration of Judah’s moral and ethical foundation.

Even Elijah, prophet to Israel, sent Jehoram a letter accusing him of cold blooded murder, and prostituting his people to foreign gods. The letter included a chilling prophecy that made Asa’s aching feet sound like a walk in the park… without the achy feet.

Walking hand in hand with the enemy sounds like a good way of keeping him where we can see him, but it always has a way of coming back to hurt us. Hence the Apostle Paul’s admonishment: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Our focus verse reveals how much Jehoram was missed after he was gone.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

Ever make a deal with the devil? How’d that work out for you? What did you learn?

Day 125: 2 Chronicles 16, 17 and 18

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Remember the account from yesterday? Judah was being attacked by the bigger and tougher army from Israel. Abijah, Judah’s godly king, stood up against Israel because he knew he was in the right and that God was on his side. To make a long story short, common sense said Israel was a sure thing, but in the end Judah sent Israel packing.

Fast forward 35 years to the reign of Abijah’s son Asa. Asa is usually remembered as a good king... at least as far as his early years go. In fact, Judah experienced a significant revival during that time which biblical scholars have come to call Asa’s reform. Then Israel once again oppressed Judah, and Asa buckled. One would have thought that Asa might have learned something from his father. But instead of manning up and trusting God for victory, Asa put his trust in the king of Aram. In return for a large bribe, Ben-hadad came to the rescue, earning Asa a lifetime asterisk on his baseball card. By the way, Asa’s error meant Judah was now one of Ben-hadad’s vassal kingdoms.

The prophet Hanani got right in Asa’s face and told him he was wrong. How did Asa respond? He pouted. For five years he pouted, his feet hurt, and then he died.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

Are you considering whether to “man up” or take the easy way out? The next time you’re faced with the choice of trusting God or selling out, consider Asa’s aching feet.

Day 124: 2 Chronicles 13, 14 and 15

Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest (2 Chronicles 13:9).

I love David and Goliath stories where right living results in confidence in a fight. Remember David’s words on the day he fought the giant? First to the Israelites: Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? (1 Samuel 17:26). Then to the big palooka across the battlefield: This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals (17:46).

And here many years later, David’s great-grandson is faced with another kind of Goliath – a vast army superior in numbers, training and weaponry. It’s brother against brother, or more correctly cousin against cousin, as ten tribes of Israel come against two tribes of Judah. Abijah speaks out: Your golden calves are no match for the God of the universe. And by the way, didn’t you drive out all the priests of Yahweh? How are your replacement priests working out for you? You know, the ones who got ordained on the Internet?

Nothing like a little good natured trash talk between opponents.

And then the battle is joined. The bookies had odds in favor of Israel, and yet Judah carried the day, leaving Israel to limp home, shell shocked from the beating they’d received.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

Now, remind God who that enemy was that you were afraid was too tough for you and God to handle? Imagine what it would be like if God fought the battle for you.

Day 123: 2 Chronicles 10, 11 and 12

Do not go up to fight against your fellow Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing (2 Chronicles 11:4).

Ever notice how we consult God about some things, and about other things… not so much? Many times the best course of action seems like a no-brainer.

What about when David wanted to build a temple? Who better? No one with any hope of future job advancement would have said to him, “You’re not the guy.”

Or what about when Ahab asked Micaiah for a blessing about the coming rescue mission into Aram? Micaiah, how are things going to work out today?

Micaiah: Go get ‘em! God is on your side.

Ahab: No, really; tell me the truth.

Micaiah: You’re going to die.

Ahab was killed in battle, and Micaiah was imprisoned for telling the truth.

And God used the prophet Nathan to stop David from building the temple. He stopped David just as he was climbing into the royal pickup to head for Home Depot.

And God used the prophet Shemaiah to inform Rehoboam he was not supposed to fight that day – for God himself was behind Israel’s secession.

I don’t know if I would have wanted to be the prophet-in-residence at the palace. Seems like it could be a very rough end to a distinguished career.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

How do you handle it when God says, No? Do you shoot the messenger?

Day 122: 2 Chronicles 7, 8 and 9

My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the Lord has entered are holy (2 Chronicles 8:11).

Even though Solomon had been warned not to intermarry with the nations, he amassed 700 wives and 300 concubines. When the reigning Egyptian Pharaoh offered his daughter in marriage to the King of Israel in order to solidify their uneasy alliance, Solomon brought his new wife to Jerusalem. Knowing her presence in David’s palace would be displeasing to God, he did not move her in there, but skated the issue by building her a brand new palace.

Solomon did what we often do; he compartmentalized his life: I’ll keep my Israeli wives here in this palace, and I’ll keep my foreign-born wives over here, and never the twain shall meet. God won’t even notice. God did notice, and Solomon’s dalliances hurt not only him, but the entire kingdom. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods (1 Kings 11:4).

Solomon thought he could handle it, but he was lying to himself. When we think, “This is my home life, this is my work life, and this is my spiritual life,” we’re lying to ourselves too. We may think we can get away with it, but eventually it catches up with us.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

Are any parts of your life incongruent with the rest? Any little inconsistencies you hope God won’t notice? What are you going to do about that this week?

Day 121: 2 Chronicles 4, 5 and 6

Now arise, Lord God, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might (2 Chronicles 6:41).

Solomon’s final words of dedication over the new temple are borrowed from his father David. In a similar ceremony, forty years earlier, David and all Jerusalem with him brought up the Ark of the Covenant in a glorious procession to Zion, its new home. David wrote a song for the occasion which can be found in Psalm 132:8-10.

David proclaimed his faith that it was God’s presence which accounted for his success so far, and it would be God’s presence that would carry the young kingdom into the future.

By building the temple and employing David’s song for the celebration, Solomon affirms the continuity between father and son, between the God of David and the God of Solomon. God worked in the life and reign of David and God would work in the life and reign of Solomon.

Our spiritual lives are not lived in a vacuum. There is a connection between parent and child. Your parents had, for good or bad, an influence on your walk with God. Your kids are watching you. Not only is their picture of God defined by their relationship with you, but they also learn how to live in relationship with God from what they see in your walk.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

What did you learn about God from your parents? What are you teaching your kids? Ask God how you can be a positive example to your children (and anyone else who might be watching).