2 Chronicles 24-26

Same song, second verse. 2 Chronicles 24 is a repeat of 2 Kings 12. I just want to point out a couple of verses that caught my attention.

Verse 10—“All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly, dropping them into the chest until it was full.” Do you bring your tithes and offerings to church gladly? Being able to give back to the LORD a portion of what He has blessed you with should be an important part of your worship. My husband and I always make sure our tithe check is the first one we write on payday. We want to offer God the firstfruits of our labor, not the leftovers. God pours out His richest blessings in our lives when we honor Him first. Will you thank God next time you write a check for a tenth of your income as an offering to Him? Or will you continue to grumble that the church only wants your money? Become an active participant in worship at your church and give gladly to God.

I was surprised at the contrast between Jehoiada and Joash in 2 Chronicles. The 2 Kings passage did not point out some of the details. For example, in 2 Chronicles 24:16, we are told that Jehoiada was buried with the kings because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple. In 24:15 we are told that Joash was buried, but not in the tombs of the kings. Jehoiada the priest was buried with the kings. Joash the king was not. This tells me that my position in life does not determine my potential to impact my world. Joash did not use his high position to bring about good. Jehoaida used his humble position to effect positive change. Will you and I allow God to use us in our homes and workplaces today? Will you “bloom where you are planted?”

2 Chronicles 24-26 tells us the story of three kings of Judah: Joash, Amaziah, and Uzziah. The Bible says all three of these kings “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.” The Bible also tells us the names of the mothers of these three kings: Zibiah, Jehoaddin, and Jecoliah. I think it is totally cool that the three good kings of Judah all had moms who were worth mentioning. Usually the females were not listed in the genealogies. Behind every great world leader is a great mom. I wanna be that kind of mom!

2 Chronicles 25:2 tells us that Amaziah “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.” Are you and I serving Jesus wholeheartedly? I do not want to be known as a half-hearted Christian. I’m fairly certain that would be the type of person Jesus mentioned in Revelation 3:16. A half-hearted Christian makes Jesus sick to His stomach. Does my service in God’s kingdom make Him joyful, or does it make Him want to vomit?

2 Chronicles 25:5-12 happens to be an example of Amaziah doing the right thing, but only after a man of God confronted him. Amaziah counted his soldiers in Judah and came up with 300,000 men. He decided to hire 100,000 more soldiers from Israel. The man of God told Amaziah that he needed to send the Israelite troops home because the LORD was not with Israel. “God has the power to help or to overthrow.” (v. 8) I think we have broached this subject before. Verses like this mess with our postmodern theology. We think God is always going to be on our side to help us out of the battles we get ourselves into. It’s time for us to wake up and realize that when we face strong resistance, it is very possible that God sent the opposition to bring our disobedient hearts to a halt. Where are you facing hardship? Instead of blaming it all on the devil, take a second look to make sure you are hearing God’s voice on the issue.

Then Amaziah was worried about the 100 talents he had paid to hire the troops. “The man of God replied, “The LORD can give you much more than that.” (v. 9) Amen! Why do I worry about petty financial losses when I know for a fact that God can give me much more? Amaziah did the right thing and sent the Israelites home, and God helped Judah win the battle. Unfortunately, the disgruntled Israelites ransacked several towns on their way home. Amaziah then did the stupid thing by bowing down to the gods of Edom. “The anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, ‘Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?’” (v. 15) Instead of listening to the godly prophet, Amaziah consulted his own advisers who told him to pick a fight with Israel. What a sad way to end his kingly reign, in direct disobedience to the Word of God.

2 Chronicles 26 is the story of King Uzziah. He became king when he was only 16, and he depended heavily on men like Zechariah and Isaiah to give him godly wisdom. This Zechariah was not the guy who wrote an Old Testament book. The author of Zechariah was born in Babylonian exile a couple hundred years later. Isaiah, however, mentions Uzziah in Isaiah 6:1—“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD, seated on a throne, high and lifted up . . . .” 2 Chronicles 26:22 mentions the prophet Isaiah.

2 Chronicles 26:5 is a very telling verse, “As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.” Let’s seek the LORD, ladies! Verse 16 is even more telling, “But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.” Dear Jesus, keep me humble! Honestly, this subject has been a personal battle. In my younger days, I was overly self-confident and prideful. I pretty much thought I was God’s gift to mankind. Lately, however, the enemy has been filling my head with lies telling me that I have nothing important to offer and that I should sit down and shut up. Pray for me that I will listen to God’s voice instead.

Okay, we have waded our way through most of the kings of Israel and Judah. Next, we are going to hop, skip, and jump through the prophets. We will start with Joel, Jonah, Amos and Micah. If you need a copy of the reading plan we are following, go to the following link at biblegateway.com. Print it out and carry it in your Bible so you can read along with us. Thanks again for joining me on this journey!