Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles
Monday’s Reading - 2 Chronicles Chps. 1-9
We continue our study of Israel’s kings with the story of King Solomon. In 1 Chronicles we see that King David’s greatest achievement was the forward thinking he demonstrated in order to make sure God’s Temple would be built. In 2 Chronicles we continue that story. In the Book of Kings, we read a lot about King Solomon’s work as a king over Israel, but in 2 Chronicles King Solomon’s work is almost always tied to the Temple. When 1 and 2 Chronicles was written, it was after the Israelites had returned from exile in Babylon. The 2nd Temple, the one Ezra built, had just been completed and the people were looking for a renewed hope. They remembered that God had made a promise to David that a Messiah would appear who would be both a king and a priest. This Messiah would bring about peace to the land and would build a kingdom that would last forever. In reflecting on Ezra’s temple, they remembered the grand promises of Solomon’s Temple and the hope that God would once again restore Israel.
Tuesday’s Reading - 2 Chronicles Chps. 10-16
After King Solomon died, Israel was in a time of upheaval. The writer of Chronicles goes from being a historian to a preacher when he talks about the rebellion of the Northern Kingdom. They were all illegitimate in his eyes. Consequently, we follow the stories of the kings that followed Solomon. But there’s a problem that needs to be illustrated. God had promised a king that would build a kingdom that would last forever. Each king that followed Solomon wanted to be that Messiah. So the writer of Chronicles compared each king with the yardstick of King David. The illustration that is woven throughout these chapters show that none of the kings were as good as David. Therefore, none of the kings could have been the Messiah and the Messiah was yet to come. A good message of hope for a people who were recovering from slavery.
Wednesday’s Reading - 2 Chronicles Chps. 17-28
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Jumping Jehoshaphat”. But, after looking it up, it has nothing to do with the Jehoshaphat of the Old Testament. (Just wanted you to know.) In fact, instead of jumping, Jehoshaphat did exactly the opposite. When confronted with an army against him, he fell to his knees. 2 Chronicles 20:18-19 says, “Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the Lord. Then the Levites from the clans of Kohath and Korah stood to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout.” Too often we find ourselves jumping around from one project or event to the next when we should be doing what Jehoshaphat did and fall to our knees in prayer.
Thursday’s Reading - 2 Chronicles Chps. 29-32
After the bad king Ahaz, Israel really needed a good one. They weren’t disappointed in Hezekiah. In fact, Hezekiah is almost the favorite one here. He comes the closest to being like King David. King Hezekiah witnessed the destruction of Northern Israel by the Asyrians and an end to the illegitimate monarchies that had been established. Under Hezekiah’s reign, sweeping reforms were made to bring the people back to worshipping God and Hezekiah accomplished what other kings couldn’t with the destruction of the pagan temples. Under Hezekiah, several prophets came upon the scene. The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, and Micah all wrote during Hezekiah’s time. Even though they were mainly directed toward Northern Israel, the prophets' message of loving God and loving neighbors was also directed to the people of the Southern Kingdom of Judah as well.
Friday’s Reading - 2 Chronicles Chps. 33-36
Now we enter into the end of the kingdom of Israel. Northern Israel has been conquered and the ten tribes that made up the kingdom are lost forever to history. The line of King David continues in the kingdom of Judah, but it goes from a good king to a bad king. King Hezekiah was good. The next two were bad. And then came King Josiah. By all accounts, King Josiah would bring about the next religious revival and continue the line of David. But, King Josiah’s life is cut short. In the Book of Revelations, we hear about a place called Armageddon. It’s actually a real place called Megiddo. At Megiddo, the last king in the line of David died in battle. After Josiah’s death, Israel would be ruled by kings from Egypt and Babylon. For the Israelites, Meggido and Josiah’s death was truly the end of their world.
