Old Testament Survey Book of 2 Chronicles Restoration

Old Testament Survey: Book of 2 Chronicles Restoration and Worship

Background • 2 Chronicles is a sequel to 1 Chronicles and a supplement to 1 and 2 Kings. • Largely, an account of Judah’s instability and unfaithfulness. • Also chronicles periods of religious reformation • Follows the road to captivity--from Solomon’s ascension to the throne, to Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of Jerusalem • Taking the Jews to Babylon and the

Background • Omits the history of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) • Covers approximately 430 years: – Solomon’s reign – Building the temple – Judah’s history after the kingdom divides – Finding the book of Law during Josiah’s reign – Religious reforms – Jerusalem’s destruction – Babylonian captivity – Spiritual emphasized over political and

Keys to 2 Chronicles • Key words— restoration and worship • Key phrase— ”Prepare his heart. ” • Key verses: – 1: 10 -13 “And God said to Solomon: ‘Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long lifebut have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king. ’”

Keys to 2 Chronicles • Key words— restoration and worship • Key phrase— ”Prepare his heart. ” • Key verses: – 7: 14 “If My people who are called by My name will 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. ”

Keys to 2 Chronicles • Key words— restoration and worship • Key phrase— ”Prepare his heart. ” • Key verses: – 16: 9 “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars. ”

Keys to 2 Chronicles • Key chapter— 34 • Reforms under good kings, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah and Josiah • Dramatic revival – 34: 4 “They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. ”

Keys to 2 Chronicles • Key chapter— 34 • Reforms under good kings, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah and Josiah • Dramatic revival – 34: 5, 6 “He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. And so he did in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali and all around, with axes. ”

Keys to 2 Chronicles • Key chapter— 34 • Reforms under good kings Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah • Dramatic revival – 34: 7 “When he had broken down the altars and the wooden images, had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. ”

Keys to 2 Chronicles • Key chapter— 34 • Reforms under good kings Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah • Dramatic revival – 34: 21 “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book. ”

Subject • 2 Chronicles parallels 1 and 2 Kings. • Chapters 1 -9— Solomon • Chapters 10 -29— Judah’s kings • Zealous reformers – 34: 27 “Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you, says the LORD. ”

Message • The road to captivity • Tragic consequences of spiritual decline and departure from God • Seeking, believing, obeying, serving “Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; and whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. ”

Main Theme • Israel lost its sense of the Lord. • Conquered, captured, and cast away • Danger of falling away from righteousness – Proverbs 13: 15 “Good understanding gains favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard. ”

Reformation and Restoration • In Babylonian captivity, they remembered God. • Repented and returned to Him • After 70 years, He restored the remnant to the land • Rebuilt the temple – Hebrews 12: 11 “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by

Main Divisions • Solomon’s reign – Chapters 1— 9 – Good beginning, wisdom given, great works – Divine promises and warnings • Rehoboam’s folly – Chapter 10 – Led to division of kingdom • Reigns of Judah’s Kings – Chapters 11 -36

Solomon’s Prophetic Prayer • Solomon’s prayer at the temple dedication – Epitomized the decline – Fall – Judah’s restoration – Remembers His people – If the people repent “And when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captive, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name: ”

Solomon’s Prophetic Prayer • Solomon’s prayer at the temple dedication – Epitomized the decline – Fall – Judah’s restoration – Remembers His people – If the people repent —He’ll forgive “Then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You. Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place. ”

Differences Between Kings and 2 Chronicles • Solomon built his wife a house, but not in Jerusalem; she was an idolatress. – 1 Kings 7: 8— 2 Chronicles 8: 11 • Jeroboam not only worshipped golden calves, but also devils – 2 Chronicles 11: 15 • Kings records no redeeming act in Abijah’s reign, in 2 Chronicles, he gave a devout cry to God – 2 Chronicles 13: 5 -18

Differences Between Kings and 2 Chronicles • In his last illness, good king Asa neglected the Lord. – 2 Chronicles 16: 12 • Good king Jehoshaphat into threefold sinful alliance with house of Ahab – 2 Chronicles 18: 3; 20: 35; 37; 21: 6 • Athaliah’s wickedness and sacrilege slew the royal seed, and usurped Judah’s throne – 2 Chronicles 22: 10 -12; 24: 7

Differences Between Kings and 2 Chronicles • Hezekiah’s reforms told in three verses in 2 Kings; in 2 Chronicles, it took three chapters. – 2 Kings 18: 4 -6— 2 Chronicles 29 -31 • Hezekiah’s military affairs, are just the reverse—three chapters in 2 Kings; three verses in 2 Chronicles – 2 Kings 18 -20— 2 Chronicles 31: 19 -21 • King Manasseh’s wickedness— 2 Chronicles tells of his captivity and

The Kings • Best kings – Asa removed altars to strange gods (14). Erred in forming an alliance with Syria (16: 7, 12) – Jehoshaphat—men of good conduct taught the law (17). Erred in forming alliance with Ahab’s house (20). – Hezekiah sought the Lord with all his heart (31: 21). Erred by showing the Babylonians treasures (2 Kings 20: 16, 17) – Josiah (34)—Erred in fighting the Egyptians and was killed (35: 20 -27) • Worst kings – Ahaz – Manasseh—led to Judah’s captivity because of

Prophets • Prophetic prophecies by oral prophets – Elijah and Elisha • Written prophecies – Joel, Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah • Prophets in captivity – Daniel and Ezekiel • Prophets after captivity – Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi • Prophets for the kings – Nathan, Azariah, Micaiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah

Power in Prayer • The place of prayer and reliance upon God for success and victory is the central theme of 2 Chronicles. – First three years, priests and Levites “seek with whole heart the Lord” – Walked in ways of David and Solomon – Cry for help in battle – Fight with Ethiopians – Hezekiah’s prayer – 11: 16, 17; 13: 13 -18; 14: 11; 30: 18, 19;

Five Periods of Reformation • Under King Asa – (15) • Under King Jehoshaphat – (17: 6 -10) • Under priest Jehoiada and King Joash – (23: 16— 24: 14) • Under King Hezekiah – (29 -31) • Under King Josiah – (34, 35)

Spiritual Lessons • The temple • Elaborate in cost and design • Realized God cannot dwell in places made with hands! – 6: 18 – Acts 7: 48 “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!”

Spiritual Lessons God’s use of nations: • Used wicked nations to punish His people • Later destroyed them for their cruelty • Assyria and “Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand. ”

Spiritual Lessons • Preeminence of wisdom • No wisdom but God’s wisdom • Divine over human – 1: 7 -12 “Wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like. ”

Spiritual Lessons • The Lord’s glory fills the temple • God taking up residence • God is with them and He is their God – 5: 13, 14 “…For He is good, for His mercy endures forever, that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. ”

Spiritual Lessons • Power of genuine faith • Jehoshaphat’s victory over Moab and Ammon – 20 “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. ”

Spiritual Lessons • Seeking other gods vs. seeking the true God • Foolishness of looking for help from false gods! – 25: 15 – 26: 16 -21 “Therefore the anger of the LORD was aroused against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, ‘Why have you sought the gods of the people, which could not rescue their own people from your

Spiritual Lessons • The Queen of Sheba visits • Even half of Solomon’s wisdom had not been told • None to compare – 9: 6 “However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard. ”

Spiritual Lessons • God knows men’s hearts • Only He can see into our minds • God knows our motives and actions – 6: 30 “Then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men). ”

Spiritual Lessons • God gives us true victory • No nation or people can stand against God • God’s support puts us on the winning side! – 20: 15 “And he said, Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. ’”