2 Chronicles 1:11–12
I will give thee riches.
Solomon had chosen wisdom and knowledge that he might honor God in the sight
of his people. And in return God honored him, and supplemented his choice
with abundant wealth.
This reminds one of the constant teaching of Jesus. He who seeks his life
loses it; but to lose it is to save it in the best and deepest sense. Seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall
be added.
The conception of life given in the Bible differs by a whole heaven from the
maxims and practices of some good and earnest people. Their notion is that
they must work for their living, “keep the wolf from the door,” educate
their children for successfully meeting the demands of life. These objects
are legitimate; but they were never meant by God to be the supreme aim of
His servants.
His object in our creation, redemption, and regeneration, was that we might
serve His redemptive purposes in the world, manifest His character, do His
will, win souls for His kingdom, administer the gifts with which He had
entrusted us. He asks us to rise to this high calling, and give our whole
life to its realization. He will be responsible for all else. It is surely
His will that we should give ourselves to useful trades, and fill our days
with honest toil; but the main purpose should ever be His glory, and the
exemplification in word and act of His holy character. If we ask for wisdom
to do this well, we shall get all else into the bargain. God is a Being of
perfect honor and integrity. And if we dare to make His service the main end
of life, we shall find that no good thing will fail. He paves the streets of
heaven with gold, and will not withhold it from His children, if they really
need.
2 Chronicles 2:11
Because the Lord loveth His people, He hath made thee King over them. (r.
v.)
How truly might these words be addressed to our blessed Lord! Because God
loved the world, He gave His only-begotten Son, His well-beloved, to be both
Prince and Savior. And it is in knowing, loving, and serving Him that we can
realize our Supreme blessedness.
God’s loving appointment in making Jesus King will be apparent when we
remember how beautiful He is in His personal character; how closely He is
identified with our nature; the might of His arm with which He shields, the
patience wherewith He bears, the redemption which He has wrought out and
brought in for all who believe. What could God’s love have done better to
approve itself?
Is He your King? Never till He is so, will you know the fullness of God’s
love. Those who question or refuse His authority are always in doubt about
the love of God to themselves and to the world. Those, on the other hand,
who acknowledge His claims, and crown Him as King, suddenly find themselves
admitted to a standpoint of vision in which doubts and disputations vanish,
and the secret love of God is unfolded. Then they experience the wise and
gentle tendance of the Divine love in its most entrancing characteristics.
All is love where Jesus reigns.
Nothing is more indicative of God’s benevolence than His incessant appeal to
men to make Jesus King. The demand may sometimes involve severe agony and
suffering for those who have acknowledged other lords too long; but God
persists in His demand, because only in serving Jesus can the human heart be
truly blessed.
Go, spread your trophies at His feet, And crown Him Lord of all!
2 Chronicles 3:17
He set up the Pillars before the Temple,… Fachin and Boaz.
The meaning of these names is significant— He shall establish, and In it is
strength. Each speaks of Him of whom the whole temple was a type. The Lord
Jesus has established the work of redemption so that it shall never be
removed; has established the covenant, ordered in all things and sure; has
established His Church, so that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against
it; has established us before the face of His Father forevermore.
There is much in the New Testament about the established life. It is the
desire of Peter that the scattered saints should be perfected, stablished,
and strengthened. Paul desires to see the Roman Christians, that he may
impart some spiritual gift so that they may be established: he desires that
the Colossians may be built up in Christ, and established in the faith. The
Epistle to the Hebrews says that it is good for the heart to be established
with grace. Let us ask that Jesus should establish us in the Divine life,
rooting and grounding us in love and faith, so that we may not be moved away
from the Gospel, but abound therein with thanksgiving.
It is only as we abide in Jesus, that we shall become steadfast, unmovable,
and always abounding.
But Christ is also our strong Helper. We have no strength of our own; but He
is strong; and in Him we have righteousness and strength. Let us make our
refuge in Him, as the conies, who are a feeble folk, do in the rock. They
who abide in Jesus derive from Him fresh supplies of strength for each
moment’s need. They hear Him saying, “Fear not, I will strengthen, yea, I
will help thee”; and they learn to say with Paul: “I can do all things in
Christ that strengtheneth me.”
2 Chronicles 4:18
The Weight could not be found out.
This was as it should be. There was no at tempt to keep an accurate account
of what was given to the service of God. Even Solomon’s left hand did not
know what his right hand did. There is a tendency in all of us to keep a
strict account of what we give to God. We note it down in our ledgers; we
rigorously observe the compact into which we have entered with Him; but the
loftiest form of devotion overleaps such calculation.
This liberality of the people reminds us of Mary’s. She never thought of the
great cost of the precious spikenard which she broke over the Master’s
person. It was her joy to give her all; and it was only when Judas came on
the scene, that we learn how many hundred pence it was worth. Thus the
churches of Macedonia abounded from their deep poverty unto the riches of
their liberality, so that, beyond their power, they gave to the cause of
God.
This lavish generosity is the reflection of God’s. There is no measure in
His bounty. It is heaped up, pressed down, and running over. He never says,
I will give up to a certain amount, and hold my band; but He continues to
give like the overflowings of the river of Egypt, or the abundance of the
spring flowers, which cover the earth as with a carpet. Ah, what a God is
ours, who loves with a love that passeth knowledge; and when He gives,
exceeds abundance, however much we may have asked or thought. How truly may
we say with the psalmist. “Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works that
Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward. They cannot be
reckoned up in order unto Thee; if I would declare and speak of them, they
are more than can be numbered.”
2 Chronicles 5:13
Then the House was filled with a Cloud.
This was the bright Shekinah cloud, the symbol of the Divine Presence, which
had shone for Moses in the bush, and led the march through the desert. It
was as though God had found a rest. And as it settled upon the Most Holy
Place, it was as though God said, This is my rest forever; here will I
dwell, for I have desired it.
The Most Holy Place is the symbol of our spirit, meant to be the
abiding-place and home of God; and shall we not invite the blessed Shekinah
cloud to enter thither, addressing it in the words of the Psalm, “Arise, O
Lord, into thy resting-place, Thou and the ark of Thy strength.” Because
where He comes to abide He abundantly blesses the provision, and satisfies
the poor with bread; He clothes His priests with salvation, and makes His
saints shout aloud for joy: He erects the horn of strength and prepares the
lamp of light. What were the conditions of this incoming?—
First, Unity.— “The trumpeters and singers were as one.” We must put away
strife, divisions, variance, and evil-speaking. Our heart and life must be
full of love. When the disciples were with one accord, in one place, the
Spirit descended.
Second, Heartiness.— “They lifted up their voice.” There was every symptom
of sincerity and fervor.
Third, Thanksgiving and Praise.— “They praised the Lord, saying, He is good,
for His mercy endureth forever.” No refrain occurs oftener in the Bible than
this. It is an exquisite expression of the heart’s joy and rest in God. Let
us sing it in our darkest, as well as gladdest hours, full of trust,
thanksgiving, and praise.
2 Chronicles 6:27
When Thou teachest them the good way wherein they should walk. (r. v.)
This sentence is exactly parallel with the previous one, When Thou dost
afflict them. The obvious meaning then is, that God sometimes taught Israel
the good way wherein they should walk, by afflicting them and shutting up
the heaven so that there was no rain. This was notably the case in the days
of Elijah. Possibly, these words were in his heart, when he prayed earnestly
that it might not rain, and it rained not for the space of three years and
six mouths. Perhaps the prophet felt that in no other way could the people
be brought back to their senses, and reconciled to God, except by learning
the futility of idol-worship. So he asked God to teach them the good way, by
shutting up the bad one.
What a lesson for ourselves: God often teaches us by bitter disappointment
and pain. Our familiar paths are barricaded by thorns, our familiar
hiding-places are blocked up, our fountains are poisoned, and all our
pleasant things are laid waste. We sometimes suppose that this is in wrath;
may it not rather be in love? God is teaching us the good by showing us the
evil: is urging us to tread in the pleasant ways of wisdom, by allowing us
to prove the sharp flints and thorns of transgression. Then Ephraim bemoans
himself thus: Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a calf
unaccustomed to the yoke; turn Thou me, and I shall be turned. Then the soul
cries, I will go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with
me than now.
Sit in God’s school, and learn from His Word and Spirit, that He may not be
compelled to have recourse to such severe measures as these. Why shouldst
thou be afflicted, when He is willing to instruct and teach thee in the way
that thou shouldst go!
2 Chronicles 7:1
The Fire came down from Heaven, and consumed the Burnt-Offering.
It was a very gracious and immediate response to the prayer of King and
people. If we make room for God, He always comes and fills. If we seek Him,
He is instantly with us. Directly the soul confesses, it is forgiven; or
consecrates itself, it is accepted; or claims deliverance from the power of
sin, it is cleansed. Do you really want the Lord to come to you? His glory
has even now begun to shine in on you, to grow and enlighten you
forevermore.
The fire stands for the Divine Presence. Oh to have always a consciousness
of it! Nothing would so soon arrest and destroy the impurity and evil
within; as sunshine does fungus-growth. We are told that the fire was to be
kept burning on the altar: it was never to go out. Thus, we should always
perpetuate and practice the presence of God, feeding the fire with the fuel
of prayer and meditation.
Fire also stands for the Divine Purity. As the Plague of London was stamped
out by the Great Fire which destroyed the nests where it had bred; and as
the furnace rids the ore of dross— so the Holy Spirit in thy heart and mine
is a guarantee of holiness and righteousness all our days.
Fire also stands for Divine Fellowship. It consumed that part of the
offering which was placed on the altar; and it seemed as if the Divine
nature was therefore feeding upon the sacrifice, whilst the remainder of it
was consumed by the offerer. Thus, also, we have communion with God, as we
eat the bread and drink the wine in the Lord’s supper. We feed on Christ in
adoration, faith, and identification. God feeds on the completeness of
Christ’s obedience, and the glory of His character. Thus we have fellowship
with the Father and the Son, by the Holy Ghost.
2 Chronicles 8:11
The places are holy, whereunto the Ark of God hath come.
On this account Solomon said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David,
king of Israel. What a fatal admission! She was the daughter of Pharaoh, and
therefore it was no doubt considered a splendid match for the young king;
and yet she could not dwell within the precincts of the old city of David,
hallowed by the presence of the Ark. “He brought her out of the city of
David, into the house that he had built for her.” So from the very outset
there was division of interests, making way no doubt for much of the
waywardness of Solomon’s character in after life, so that we are told “his
wives turned away his heart.”
One of the first questions that youth and maiden should put in considering
the question of marriage is, whether there can be perfect sympathy in the
best and deepest things; for how can two walk together except they be
agreed?
The blessedness of the marriage tie depends on whether the twain are one in
spirit, in a common love for Christ, and endeavor for His glory. Nothing is
more terrible than when either admits in the secrecy of the heart,
concerning the other, My husband or my wife cannot accompany me into the
holy places where I was reared, and in which my best life finds its home.
All friendship should follow the same law. We must abide together in the
secret place of the Most High, if our friends and we are to be friends
indeed. All places may be made holy where the Ark of God’s covenant comes.
Where it goes, love may safely follow; but woe to the love that cannot! Its
inability proves its lack of elements of permanence and perfect
satisfaction.
2 Chronicles 9:1
She came to probe Solomon with hard questions.
She came to the right place, for Solomon passed all the kings of the earth
in wisdom; and all the kings of the earth sought his presence, to hear the
wisdom that God had put into his heart. Bring your hard questions to Christ;
He is greater than Solomon. To Him is given riches and wisdom, and He is
made unto us wisdom. Before the touch of His light the darkest perplexities
must resolve themselves. Though He speak no audible word, the hardest
questions are answered to the eyes and ears of such as wait before Him.
She came in the right spirit, bringing him gold and spices and precious
stones. Those who would get from Christ must be willing to give to Him.
There must be a reciprocity; and if we hope to receive from Him from those
infinite stores of which He has the key, we must count all things but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, and must be prepared to count
them as refuse if only we may will Him.
She came to a right conclusion. He answered all her questions, and she
returned congratulating his servants and blessing God. To each of us, life
is full of perplexities, to which we can find no solution, however much we
strain our eyes and weary our minds. But away there in the light Christ
stands, with the perfect plan of every maze in His possession, with a key
for every riddle, and solution for every enigma. Wait patiently. Each tough
knot will be untied; and there will come into our hearts a radiancy, a
bounding joy like that with which the Queen of Sheba turned to go to her own
home. The half of the greatness of thy wisdom, O Word of God, can never be
told!
2 Chronicles 10:15
For it was brought about of God. (r. v.)
This revolt must have seemed to be the result of an unfortunate mistake on
the part of the ill-advised young king. He and the young men that gathered
around him thought that the best way of ruling people was by showing a
strong hand, and adopting a policy of non-compliance; with their very
natural requests. But as the result, the Ten Tribes, never very closely
bound to David’s line, sprang away from it, leaving, as Ahijah had foretold,
only two out of the twelve pieces of the rent garment. Here, however, a
deeper explanation is given: “It was brought about of God.” It seemed to be
altogether a piece of human folly and passion; but now we are suddenly
brought into the presence of God, and told that beneath the plottings and
plannings of man He was carrying out His eternal purpose.
To detect this Divine purpose lying beneath the cross-currents of human
affairs is the prerogative of the saints. In a recent book, the Duke of
Argyll has argued from the purpose-iveness of nature. With as much certainty
we may apply that word to history, politics, the course of current events.
All is under law. God doeth according to His will among the armies of heaven
and the inhabitants of the earth. “And we know that all things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His
purpose.” Without contravening the action of man’s free choice He carries
out His great designs and works His sovereign will. Let us trust in this
Almighty Providence, which underlies all events and catastrophes, and
pursues its beneficent objects undeterred by our sins. He makes the wrath of
man to praise Him, and weaves the malignant work of Satan into His plans.
2 Chronicles 11:16
Such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem.
All the tribes were represented in those great convocations around the
Temple and Ark of God. The territory of the northern tribes was now under
Jeroboam; the gulf between the two kingdoms was marked and distinct.
Everything was done by the son of Nebat to make it difficult for his people
to cross the frontier; but their spiritual affinities prevailed. They were
stronger than the antipathy which Rehoboam’s haughty behavior had excited;
stronger than the fear of incurring odium with their own king; stronger than
the inconvenience of the long journey. In spite of everything, those whose
hearts were set on seeking the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to
sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers.
Does not this foreshadow the unity of the Church of Christ? Territorial
distinctions, the risk of incurring disfavor, the necessity of making a
sacrifice, these things are as nothing compared with the attraction of our
common Lord. Amid wide disunion and disparity of every kind, there is one
mighty bond which draws believers of every nation, kindred, tribe, and
people together. Each morning we all ascend the steps of the same temple of
prayer; each evening we join in one great hymn of praise; at each Lord’s
Supper we sit at the same table. Eating of one Bread, we know that we are
one Loaf; drinking of one Cup, we profess our indebtedness to the same
precious Blood for our hope and ground of acceptance (1 Corinthians 10:17,
r. v., marg.).
We must set our hearts, if we desire to execute any great purpose in our
life: otherwise we shall be daunted and checkmated by the strong opposition
of men and things.
2 Chronicles 12:14
He did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.
In the margin of the A. V. for prepared the alternative rendering fixed is
suggested. The R. V. gives set, “he set not his heart to seek the Lord.”
This is very true of all of us. Before temptation comes we almost always
have a warning of some kind. The barometer falls; the sea birds come in to
the shore; the leaves of the trees are bent back. The Spirit of God
contrives to give the soul some signal that at any moment it may expect an
assault. The question always is at such a time, Is the heart set on seeking
and doing the will of God? If it be, if without reserve the whole nature is
determined to do God’s will at any cost, there is no fear of the enemy
effecting an entrance. All day the thunder of its artillery may boom around,
but from every side the foe will be repelled, until presently the storm will
roll far down the wind.
If, on the other hand, there is any vacillation; if, whilst ostensibly
avowing our determination to do the right thing, we secretly whisper in our
deepest consciousness that we intend to go as far as we can in
self-indulgence, and would be almost thankful if circumstances compelled us
to yield— we are almost certain to fall. The will must be whole in its
resolves; the heart must be consecrated in its most secret determinations;
no traitor may be harbored, who may open the postern gate. Oh to say with
David, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed”! But this steadfastness
is one of those preparations of the heart which can only be obtained through
the gracious indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Hence we pray with David, “Renew
a steadfast spirit within me.” And while we pray, we must never forget our
Lord’s command to watch also.
2 Chronicles 13:14
Behold, the battle was before and behind.
Abijah’s address is full of true and noble utterances, especially when he
describes God as being the Captain of the Host; and this spirit soon
permeated his people, so that when the battle was sorest, and they were
hemmed in by their foes, it was natural for them to turn to the Lord, and
for the priests to give a blast on the trumpets, like that with which the
new moon and the solemn feasts were inaugurated.
The point for us to remember is that our enemies may shut us in on all
sides, preventing reinforcements from north, south, east, and west; but no
earthly power can ever shut off God from above us. The way upward is always
kept clear; the ladder which links the beleaguered soul with God and heaven
can never be blocked, except by transgression and sin.
The Priest is always with thee, child of God. His help is always at hand.
Neither death, nor, life, nor height, nor depth, nor principalities, nor
powers, can ever separate thee from the down-coming of God’s love.
The battle is often before and behind. From behind come memories of past
failure, the consequences of mistakes, the misunderstandings which have
alienated us from others, and made it difficult for us to live as we would;
on the other hand perplexities and anxieties seem to bar our future path.
But when the battle is before and behind, remember that God besets His
people behind and before, and covers them with His hand. The invisible film
of His protection makes the soul invulnerable. The life that is hid with
Christ in God is beyond the reach of harm.
2 Chronicles 14:11
Lord, there is none beside Thee to help. (r. v.)
Remind God of His entire responsibility.— “There is none beside Thee to
help.” The odds against Asa were enormous. There was a million of men in
arms against him, beside three hundred chariots. It seemed impossible to
hold his own against that vast multitude. There were no allies who would
come to his help: his only hope therefore was in God. There was none beside
to help. It may be that your difficulties have been allowed to come to so
alarming a pitch, that you may be compelled to renounce all creature aid, to
which in lesser trials you have had recourse, and cast yourself back on your
Almighty Friend.
Put God between yourself and the foe.— To Asa’s faith, Jehovah seemed to
stand between the might of Zerah and himself, as one who had no strength.
Nor was he mistaken. We are told that the Ethiopians were destroyed before
the Lord and before His host, as though celestial combatants flung
themselves against the foe in Israel’s behalf, and put the large host to
rout, so that Israel had only to follow up and gather the spoil. Our God is
Jehovah of Hosts, who can summon unexpected reinforcements at any moment to
the aid of His people. Believe that He is there between you and your
difficulty, and what baffles you will flee before Him, as clouds before the
gale.
Identify your cause with His.— “In Thy name are we come…. Let not man
prevail against Thee.” It is a great matter when a small State is so
identified with a strong European power, as that an insult to one of its
officials is deemed a causs belli by the more powerful Government; and
whenever we are so delivered from selfish aims, as to be able to show that
our cause and God’s are one, we are invincible.
2 Chronicles 15:12
They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers.
We hear but little talk in the present day of the covenant, the mention of
which was dear to God’s people of olden time. There is this difference
between it and the covenants which we make with God. That is permanent,
these evanescent. That is founded upon the oath and promise of God; these on
the resolutions and endeavors of man. That is full of promises of what God
will be and do; these recount what we are prepared to sacrifice and suffer.
And though we sign them with blood drawn from our veins, they will
disappoint and fail.
Do not think too much of entering into and keeping a covenant with God; but
remember that the Lord Jesus, on our behalf, has entered into covenant
relation with the Father, and the Father with us in Him. This is the new
covenant. It is drawn out at length in Hebrews 8. Very little is said about
our side, but it is full to overflowing of God’s. Nothing is said of our
fidelity to our obligations, because man has been too often weighed in the
balances and found wanting; and because the Lord Jesus Christ, as our
representative, has already fulfilled all the conditions of obedience and
devotion on which its provisions depend. He has also graciously undertaken
to realize those conditions by the Holy Spirit in us.
Every time we put to our lips the cup of the new covenant, we humbly remind
God of all He has promised, and ask Him to do as He has said. At the same
time we may confidently ask the great Surety of the covenant to accomplish
in us such a mind as may love and keep our Father’s law. And what He did for
our fathers, who were naturally just such as we are, He will certainly do
for us.
2 Chronicles 16:9
To show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward
Him.
The emphasis is clearly on the word perfect. That was the point between
Hanani the seer, and Asa the king. Asa’s mistake and sin lay in his
resorting to Benhadad, king of Syria, as an ally against Baasha. Evidently
he did not perfectly trust the delivering power of God; and in this failure
of his faith, he forfeited the all-sufficient help which would have more
than availed. As the seer said very truly, simple trust in God had brought
deliverance from the Ethiopians and Lubim, though they were a much huger
host than Baasha’s; and the same attitude in respect of Baasha would have
secured a like result. God was only awaiting the appeal of Asa’s faith, to
show Himself strong. What a mistake to send to Syria!
Now, dear reader, this is very pertinent for your life and mine. We often
complain that we are. bereft of help, and send off for Benhadad. And all the
while the eyes of the Lord are looking pitifully and longingly at us.
Nothing would give Him greater pleasure than to show Himself strong on our
behalf. This, however, He cannot do until renouncing all other confidants
and helpers, our heart is perfect in the simplicity and frankness of its
faith. What an exquisite thought is suggested by the allusion to the eyes of
the Lord running to and fro throughout the whole earth. At a glance He takes
in our position; not a sorrow, trial, or temptation visits us without
exciting His notice and loving sympathy. In all the whole wide earth there
is not one spot so lonely, one heart so darkened, as to escape those eyes.
Oh for the perfect confidence which will allow Him to act! It is for lack of
this that we remain unhelped, and spend our days in the midst of wars and
tumults.
2 Chronicles 17:6
His heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord.
Sursum corda! Lift up your hearts! How beautiful is this ejaculation in the
Communion Service of the Church of England, and the response, “We lift them
up unto the Lord.” I never hear it without the thrill of a holy impulse
passing through me. It is possible, and it is meet and right, to lift up our
hearts from the sordid cases and pressing responsibilities of daily life,
into the calm, serene presence of God our Father.
Lift up your heart to God, as a child its face to be kissed. Lift it up free
from mistrust and sinful stain, and unkind feeling toward any. Lift it up in
holy joy and inspiration. Lift it up as a censer filled with the hot coals,
from which sweet fragrance exhales. And God will bend down to lift it
higher, and fill it with His peace and joy and purity.
In hours of depression look up, be lifted. Sursum corda! When the foe is
pressing you most severely, look up, your redemption draweth nigh. When the
river has to be crossed, when the last farewell must be said, when the flesh
fails, let your mind and heart thither ascend, and there continually dwell
where Jesus has entered as your Forerunner.
If you would lift up your heart, you must be in the ways of the Lord, as the
good Jehoshaphat. You must seek the Lord God, and walk in His commandments.
You must take away the high places and groves of idolatry and impurity.
Beware of the world’s birdlime! Shake yourself from the bands and bonds that
would detain you. Oh, heart of mine, why is thy flight so low? Lift thyself
up and sit down with Christ in the heavenly places! “Unto Thee, O Lord, do I
lift up my soul. Let not mine enemies triumph over me!”
2 Chronicles 18:7
I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil.
This was a very naïve confession. Of course, Micaiah could not speak good of
Ahab, whose life was diametrically opposed to all that was God-like and
holy. Micaiah had no animosity toward the king of Israel; it was not a
personal matter with him. He simply read from the page of the future as God
opened it to his eyes, and in which the out-working of the king’s evil life
was disclosed in gloomy characters. It was as absurd to hate him because he
read such dark lessons from the inevitable future, as for a householder to
shoot his dog, that bays all night, to warn his master against the burglar
engaged in rifling his home.
The Bible, the pastor, the whole Church of God, are hated by worldlings for
the same reason, because they cannot speak hopefully of their future. It is
as though a card-playing crew were to hate the watchman who told them that
the course of their vessel was straight for the surf and rocks of the shore.
If men will persist in violating God’s law, in breaking through the hedge of
thorns, and in pursuing their own wild ways, they cannot possibly expect the
blessedness of the Beatitudes. However, their hatred against those who warn
them is really directed toward God. They are indignant that they cannot have
their way; their proud spirit would like to overturn the very order of the
universe rather than that it should be thwarted. They cannot endure the
contrast between God’s children and themselves. Do not be surprised if the
world hate you. It shows that you are no more of the world than your Master
was. Jesus said: “If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you;
if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also.”
2 Chronicles 19:2
Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord?
This looks back to 2 Chronicles 18:1, where we learn that Jehoshaphat,
though he had riches and honor in abundance, joined affinity with Ahab.
Riches and abundance are dangerous things. They usually weaken our
character, and incline us to worldly alliances; and it was to their subtle
and pernicious influences that Jehoshaphat fell a victim. Ah! what a fall it
was to hear him saying, “I am as thou art, and my people as thy people.”
Well might Jehu take up the rôle which his father had filled before Asa, and
protest. But let us seriously question whether, though there are good things
found in us, we may not be falling into the same mistake, and sin. Are there
not ways in which we say to men of the world, with whom we mix, “I am as
thou art”?
There is a great tendency in the present day to boast in the closeness with
which we can approach the world without injury. We join in the social life,
read the same books, go to the same amusements, talk of the same themes; and
it is almost impossible in a drawing-room to tell the difference between the
Jehoshaphats and the Ahabs. So also, in our methods of doing good. The real
difficulty lies away back in our want of engagedness with Christ. It is of
little use to find fault with the outward, as long as the heart is wayward.
Love to the Lord Jesus is our only safeguard. The love of Christ must
constrain us. Personal attachment to Christ will wean us away from this
close identification with the world. But if we persist in identifying
ourselves with the world, which God has doomed, we must not be surprised to
find that wrath is on us from the Lord: and He will chasten us for love’s
sake.
2 Chronicles 20:21
He appointed singers unto the lord, that should praise the beauty of
holiness.
Dost thou praise the beauty of holiness? Is holiness beautiful to thee? Art
thou in love with it as it is presented in the glorious Lord? Canst thou
turn from the noise and anxiety of life’s battle to dwell on the loveliness
of God and of the devout life, and to praise Him whose mercy endureth
forever? It is a rare accomplishment, acquired only through the indwelling
of the Holy Ghost. In each of us there should be the priest-side of
character as well as the warrior: the love for what is beautiful in holiness
as well as for the strong and active in service.
But the special characteristics of this battle was that the good king put
the singers in the forefront of the army, and praised for a victory which
was only assured to him by faith. Yet so sure was he of it, that he could
praise before he entered into the battle.
There is much to help us here in our daily combat for God and truth. Let us
fill the morning hour with holy song, in the heart, if not with the voice;
let a psalm or hymn be part of the daily reading; let there be the
confidence that God is going to bless, which cannot restrain its jubilant
expression. So in all prayer, wait on God till you feel that you can praise
Him for what you have asked Him to bestow.
When they began to praise, the Lord did all the rest. Before the onset of
His Divine reinforcements the enemy fled. His people bad but to gather
spoil, and then the praise which had anticipated the battle was consummated
as they returned, in the valley of blessing.
There’s a song in the valley of blessing so sweet, And angels would fain
join the strain, As with rapturous praises we bow at His feet Crying,
“Worthy the Lamb that was slain!”
2 Chronicles 21:10
The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand.
As long as the kings of Judah remained true to their allegiance to God they
were able to keep in subjection the surrounding nations; but just so soon as
they revolted from God these peoples revolted from them. It was as though
power descended into them from the source of all power; and when the link
between themselves and God was broken, that between them and their
subordinates was broken also.
This applies very widely: To our passions.— If they master you, rebelling
against and revolting from your hand, it is because there is some flaw in
your consecration, and you have forsaken to some extent the Lord God.
To our families.— When the heads of a home are in perfect unity with each
other and God, they may generally expect that their children will grow up
submissive and obedient. Their authority will be recognized and honored.
Revolt in the home indicates very often some lapse in obedience and loyalty
to God.
To our influence over men.— When the soul is in blessed fellowship with God,
power flows into it from Him, before which strongholds are overthrown. “I am
full of power by the Spirit of the Lord,” said the prophet. “I am a man
under authority, and have soldiers under me,” said the centurion.
Give yourself entirely to Jesus. Obey Him absolutely; receive by faith from
Him living power and grace; be a channel through which He may pour Himself;
and you will find that men and things will fall into line at your bidding,
and you shall receive power. Our Libnahs will not revolt, unless we forsake
the Lord God of our fathers.
2 Chronicles 22:12
Hid in the House of God.
Safe from Athaliah, who would have ruthlessly destroyed him if she had had
an inkling of his existence, the young Joash was reared beneath the care of
Jehoiada and his wife within the precincts of the house of God. He was
hidden in the secret place of the Most High, and abode under the shadow of
the Almighty. There let us also live. Let us know what it is to dwell in the
house of the Lord all the days of our life, and all this day. Let us
cultivate the life which is hid with Christ in God.
It is well often to remind ourselves that we are in God, and that the film
of His environing presence is about us like a wall of thick-ribbed steel. We
are in Him as the jewel in the casket; as the chick under the feathers of
the hen; as the child in the warm embrace of its mother. And so long as we
stay there we are invulnerable. Therefore our great enemy is continually
endeavoring to allure us into the open; he knows he can do as he likes with
us, if only he can induce us to venture beyond our hiding-place. Therefore,
beware of any temptation to worry, to amass this world’s goods, or to seek
the indulgence of appetite; it is by such lures and baits that Satan seduces
unwary souls from their safe hiding.
If a day in God’s courts is better than a thousand, what must it be to dwell
in the house of the Lord all one’s days, to behold His beauty, and enquire
in His temple. The rarest visions, the fairest fellowship, the most
entrancing joys, the most confident outlook on life and the hereafter, are
the accompaniments of such a residence. The altar of incense, the laver of
daily cleansing, the light of the Shekinah, the holy psalm and song, the
great altar of sacrifice, are familiar objects to the hidden soul.
2 Chronicles 23:21
And the city was quiet after they had slain Athaliah with the sword.
This was a great revolution, admirably planned and carried into effect. It
was intolerable that such a woman as Athaliah should desecrate the throne
and temple. Jehoiada, by his prudence and courage, deserved well of the
entire nation in ridding the world of her presence. No half measures would
have availed to meet the case.
There are times in every life when strong and strenuous action is inevitable
if the cause of God is to be promoted and saved. In many of us there is a
willingness to tolerate evil, rather than arouse ourselves to grasp it with
a firm hand, and, if needs be, drag it up by its roots. Be strong, yea, be
strong, is an injunction that has to be emphasized even to men who are
greatly beloved. The easiest thing for Jehoiada would have been to shut
himself up in the temple, and leave things to take their course. The noblest
thing was to come forth, and boldly confront the rampant evil of his time.
So God’s call rings out for helpers in the great fight against sin. Its
notes penetrate into the retirement of Christian homes, to noble women and
devoted men, demanding that they should come forth to resist impurity, the
love of strong drink, the strong tendency toward extravagance, luxury, and
waste. The world is full of Athaliahs, and it is not befitting that the
Jehoiadas should remain at their holy rites and services if there is a
paramount need for action in the world’s battlefield, in the strife against
wrong.
The children of God are citizens of the New Jerusalem, but they are also
certainly citizens here; and they must not stand aside from great public
issues, allowing them to be decided by ungodly and wicked men.
2 Chronicles 24:20
The Spirit of God clothed itself with Zechariah the son of Jehoiada. (r. v.
marg.)
As we put on a cloak or dress, so does the Spirit of God, as it were, hide
Himself in those who surrender themselves to Him, so that it is not they who
speak and act, but He within them. Have you at any time been conscious of
having the clothing of the Holy Spirit? Remember that cloth or leather must
yield itself easily to the movements of its wearer, and not less pliable and
supple must we be to the Spirit of God.
When the Spirit of God is thus within us, and speaks or acts for us, we may
expect, as Zechariah found it, to come into collision with the entire drift
and current of society around us, and to incur odium and hatred. Men do not
like to be told that they cannot prosper because they have forsaken God; but
we have no alternative than to witness against their sins. Does the Spirit
clothe Himself with you, my friend, as you anticipate the work of to-day?
Are you using Him, or is He to use you? Are you seeking to clothe yourself
with His power for some personal ambition, or are you desirous that He
should array Himself in you, so that the glory may evidently be His? In the
agony of battle; when great deeds are to be done, no one stops to think of
the uniform of the soldier, but only of the might beneath it.
But for this you must be prepared to pay the cost, and be willing to cross
the cherished purposes of men, as the Spirit of God by your voice or deed
witnesses against them. They stoned Zechariah at the command of the king;
but years after the Lord Jesus referred to it, for no faithful martyr seals
his witness with his blood without some quick glance of recognition from the
Master, and some record on the imperishable tablets of his heart.
2 Chronicles 25:9
The Lord is able to give thee much more than this.
Amaziah had many good qualities, but he did not clearly see how impossible
it was for Israel to be allied with Judah without invalidating the special
Divine protection and care on which Judah had been taught to rely. We must
understand that God cannot be in fellowship with us if we tolerate
fellowship with the ungodly. We must choose between the two. If we can
renounce all creature aid, and trust simply in the eternal God, there is no
limit to the victories He will secure; but if, turning from Him, we hold out
our hand toward the world, we forfeit His aid. O child of God, let not the
army of Israel go with thee! Do not adopt worldly policy, methods, or
partnership. However strong you make yourself for the battle in alliance
with these, you will fail. Indeed, God Himself will make you fall before the
enemy, that you may be driven back to Himself.
But you say that you have already entered into so close an alliance that you
cannot draw back. You have invested your capital, you have gone to great
expenditure. Yet it will be better to forfeit these than Him. Without these
aids, and with only God beside you, you will be able to rout Edom, and smite
ten thousand men. Would that men knew the absolute deliverance which God
will effect for those whose hearts are perfect toward Him!
The soldiers of Israel committed depredations on their way back. This was
the result of the folly and sin of Amaziah’s proposal. We may be forgiven,
and delivered, and yet there will be after-consequences which will follow us
from some ill-considered act. Sin may be forgiven, but its secondary results
are sometimes very bitter. We must expect to reap as we sow.
2 Chronicles 26:15–16
He was marvellously helped, till he was strong.
Great and marvellous are Thy works, O God; that our soul knoweth quite well.
Thou hast showed marvellous loving-kindness. We must sing to Thee; for Thou
hast done marvellous things. It is marvellous that Thou shouldst have set
Thy love upon us; that Thou shouldst have watched over our interests with
unwearied care; that our sins, or unbelief, or declensions, have never
diverted Thy love from us. “Marvellous” is the only word we can use, as we
think of the condescension of the well-beloved Son to the manger-bed; of the
agony and bloody-sweat; of the cross and passion— and all for us who were
His enemies. But it is most marvellous of all that Thou hast made us
children, heirs, and joint-heirs with Christ. To think that we shall shine
as the sun of Thy kingdom, that we are to sit upon His throne, and be
included in that circle of love and life of which the throne of God and the
Lamb is the center! Surely the marvels of Thy grace will only seem the
greater when eternity with its boundless ages gives us time to explore them.
The danger, however, is that we should become strong in our own conceit, and
credit ourselves with the position which is due to the grace of God alone.
Oh for the truly humble spirit of the little child, that we may never vaunt
our selves! The laden ship sinks in the water; the fruit-burdened bough
stoops to the ground; the truest scientist is the humblest disciple. Oh to
be submerged and abashed for the marvellous help of God!
God cannot trust some of us with prosperity and success, because our nature
could not stand them. We must tug at the oar, instead of spreading the sail,
because we have not enough ballast.
2 Chronicles 27:6
Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways. (r. v.)
There is a lower sense in which this holds good in daily and business life.
You can hardly imagine a really successful man being untidy and disorderly.
Method is the law of success; and a truly holy soul is sure to be orderly. I
do not remember ever meeting one who really walked with God who did not make
orderliness one of the first principles of life.
The Lord Jesus would have the men sit down in rows before He broke the
bread; and He wrapped together His grave-clothes before He left the
sepulchre. It was, therefore, in keeping with the whole tenor of His example
when the apostle prescribed that all things should be done decently and in
order.
Clear handwriting, especially the direction of an envelope, to give the
postman as little trouble as possible; the careful folding of our cast-off
garments, to save the maids needless work; the leaving our room that we have
been occupying as little disturbed in its arrangements as may be; the
gathering up of luncheon fragments from the green banks, where we have sat
to view the entrancing prospect; the arrangement of papers, and accounts,
and magazines, so that we can readily lay our hand upon whatever is
required; the adopting of mental order in prayer and conversation, and in
the thinking out of plans and purposes; neatness in dress— these are all
part of the right ordering of life which makes for its success and comfort,
and greatly for peace in the home. They are the habits of the soul that
walks before God, and which is accustomed to think of Him as seeing in
secret, and as considering all our ways. In this way we may become mighty,
and by being faithful in that which is least come to great charges.
2 Chronicles 28:15
They clothed all that were naked, and gave them to eat and drink.
A great burst of generosity was here, for Israel had every reason to be
incensed against Judah for the raid made on their territory. But, instead of
pushing their advantage to the uttermost, they returned good for evil, and
anticipated the words of the apostle, “If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if
he thirst, give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on
his head.”
Have you in your life people who have done you injury, and against whom you
entertain hard thoughts? You do not injure them in return, but you cannot
pray for them. So far as you can, you avoid them; you make no attempt to
overcome the evil that is in them. But to act thus is to come short of
Christ’s standard. It is your duty, not merely to keep at a distance and
give a wide berth, but by love to destroy the evil, to transform the enemy
into a friend, and to create love and friendship where hostility and
alienation had reigned. It is God’s way, and in this we are bidden to be
perfect, as our Heavenly Father is perfect.
Will you try it? Will you begin by doing kind acts to those who have harmed
you? Not because as yet you feel as you would, but because it is right. Then
as you dig the trench in right-doing, look up to God, and He will pour into
your heart the warm gush of affection. If you sincerely will His will in
this matter, and act as the Good Samaritan did to the Jew, and exercise
faith, God will come to your aid whilst you clothe others and minister to
them, you will find their hard heart melted, and yourselves clothed with the
beautiful garments of salvation, and of a meek and quiet spirit, which in
God’s sight is of great price.
2 Chronicles 29:27
When the burnt-offering began, the song of the Lord began also.
This chapter contains a parable of the cleansing of the heart, meant to be a
temple for God; but the doors of prayer are unopened, the lamps of testimony
unlit, the burnt-offerings of self sacrifice neglected; and, as the result,
grass grows thick in courts which should have been trodden by the feet of
Levite minstrels engaged in holy song. If ever that song is to break out
again, it can only be after a thorough cleansing and renovation of the inner
shrine. You tell me that you cannot sing the Lord’s song; then I know you
have gone into the strange land of backsliding. You acknowledge that for
some time now you have taken no delight in God or His service; then I am
sure that the temple is badly in need of renovation.
Cleanse the house of the Lord. Bring out-all the uncleanness. By
self-examination, confession, and repudiation, be clean of all the filth
which has accumulated through months and years of neglect. Resume the
position of entire devotion, as a prepared and sanctified soul. Offer the
sin-offering for the past, and prepare the burnt-offering of entire
consecration for the future. And when that is offered, when you determine to
be wholly God’s, lay yourself, with all the interests of your life, at the
feet of Jesus, for His disposal; then the song of the Lord will begin again.
The music of your life is still, because you are out of accord with the will
of God; but when by surrender and consecration there is unison, your heart
will be filled with songs without words, and love like an ocean in the
fullness of her strength. When the rich, selfish bachelor suddenly finds
himself compelled to care for his dead brother’s little children, he is
startled to find that a new song has begun in his life.
2
Chronicles 29:27a
July 22 - Our Daily Walk
SURRENDER
LEADING TO SONG
"And when
the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the
trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of
Israel."-- .
THE HEBREW Psalmody became famous throughout the world. Even their
fierce conquerors recognized the sublime beauty of the Hebrew
temple music. By the waters of Babylon they urged them to sing one
of the Songs of Zion, not knowing how impossible it was for the
captives to sing the Lord's song in a strange land! For sixteen
years no song had poured forth from the sacred shrine. Ahaz had
shut the doors, dispersed the Levites, and allowed the holy fabric
to remain unkempt, unlit, and unused. There were no sacrifices on
the Altar, no sweet incense in the Holy Place, no blood on the
Mercy-Seat, no Song of the Lord!
For too many Christians this, alas, is a picture of their life.
The soul, intended to be a holy temple for God, shows signs of
disorder and neglect. The lights are not lit, the sweet incense of
prayer does not ascend, the doors of entrance to fellowship and
exit to service are closed. Outwardly the ordinances of the
religious life are preserved, but inwardly silence and darkness
prevail, into which bat-like thoughts intrude. Thorns have come up
in the court of the Holy Place, where the scorpion makes her nest.
The Song of the Lord had died out of heart and life.
Why should not this miserable condition be ended to-day? Why
should you not be cleansed from the traces of sin and neglect
through the Blood of the Cross? Why should you not come back into
fellowship with God, who waits to receive and forgive? Surrender
yourself to Him now. Do not be general, but specific in your
consecration. Weld yourself to some life or lives that sorely need
help. Give not words only, but deeds and blood. Merge your little
life in the life of Christ, as the streamlet in the wide ocean.
And as you yield yourself to Christ first, and next to all who
need you for His sake, you will find the Song of the Lord breaking
forth again in your heart like a spring, which was formerly choked
with debris.
PRAYER We pray Thee, Heavenly Father,
to cleanse the thoughts of our hearts, by the inspiration of Thy
Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love Thee, and worthily magnify
Thy Holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
2
Chronicles 29:27b
November 25 - Our Daily Walk
HOW THE SONG
OF THE LORD BEGAN
"When the
burnt offering began, the Song of the Lord began."-- 2 Chronicles
29:27
"They sing as it were a new Song before the Throne." -- Rev14:3.
HEZEKIAH, AT the age of twenty-five, came to the throne, and set
himself to reverse his father's evil policy. The doors of the
Temple were re-opened, and under his direction the Levites were
commissioned to cleanse the desecrated courts of the rubbish and
filth that had been allowed to accumulate. After eight days of
strenuous labour, they were able to report that their work was
successfully accomplished; that the altar of burnt-offering and
the table of shewbread were ready for the renewal of their wonted
service. It was good news, and in the early morning of a memorable
day, the king, accompanied by his princes and officers of state,
took part in a solemn service of re-dedication. Amid the tense
expectancy of the vast congregation which had assembled, Hezekiah
commanded that the burnt sacrifice should be offered; and "when
the burnt-offering began, the song of the Lord began also."
These ancient sacrifices have passed for ever. "Sacrifice and
offering Thou dost not desire; mine ears hast Thou pierced
(nailing me to Thy Cross); burnt-offering and sin-offering hast
Thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come, I delight to do Thy
will, O my God!" To yield up one's life to the Saviour, to
surrender our lives for others for His sake, to maintain the
steadfast resolve of self-sacrifice,--this surely fulfils the
conception of the burnt-offering, which the king ordered that
morning as the symbol of national devotion to the Will of God. Can
we wonder that the Song of the Lord began also? Does not that same
Song arise in every heart when the sacrifice of love and obedience
begins?
It is the self-contained life that has made itself snug within its
four walls, sound-proof, sorrow-proof, as it thinks, and
love-proof, which is song-less and pitiable.
Our Lord said: "'Whosoever shall lose his life for My sake shall
find it." That finding is the correlative and source of the "Song
of the Lord.'" Unite thyself with Jesus on the Cross, and one day
thou wilt find thyself sharing with Him the New Song of
accomplished Redemption!
PRAYER Give us loving and thankful
hearts. May Thy mercies bind us like cords to the horns of the
Altar. Let our whole nature be consecrated for Thine indwelling,
and as the burnt-offering begins, may the Song of the Lord begin
also in our hearts. AMEN.
2 Chronicles 30:18–19
The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God.
A very touching prayer, that opens up deep thoughts as to the progress of
the true knowledge of God in Israel, and of the comparative value of heart
preparation and ceremonial cleansing. Here were crowds of well-meaning
people who had come from all parts of the land in answer to Hezekiah’s
invitation. Unaccustomed to temple usage, strangers to the temple rites,
they had participated in the festivities of this great Passover without
submitting first to the necessary ablutions. Their heart was prepared to
seek God, they were proud of the great past, they desired to stand right
with the Lord God of their fathers; but they were sadly ignorant and
careless. The only thing to be done was to pray that their ignorances and
negligences might be forgiven.
It is thus that Jesus pleads in heaven; and there are many that obtain mercy
on the ground of His merit, because when they sin they do so ignorantly, and
from want of knowledge rather than from want of heart. The devout ritualist
who lays an excessive stress on outward forms; the man who has sensuous and
distorted views of Christ, but sincerely desires to be accepted through Him;
the soul that touches the hem of the garment as though the healing power
were independent of the will-power of the Redeemer; the dying malefactor,
who, in his last hours, catches at some distorted representation of Christ
which is filtered through to him from the chance word of an uninstructed
preacher— these are included in the fruitful pleading of the Great High
Priest, who has compassion on the ignorant and on those who are out of the
way. You may not understand doctrine, creed, or rite; but be sure to seek
God. No splendid ceremonial nor rigorous etiquette can intercept the seeking
soul.
2 Chronicles 31:21
He did it with all his heart and prospered.
The man who does his business with all his heart, is sure to prosper. To put
your heart into your work is like genius manipulating common materials, till
their worth becomes priceless, just because of what has been put into it.
The heart stands for the emotions and affections. What the furnace is to the
factory or steamship, that the heart is in the economy of our nature. It is
a great thing to love our life-work, to have an aim that kindles us whenever
we think of it. Those who are so happily circumstanced, cannot be
sufficiently thankful. But what of those who are bound to a work which they
did not choose and do not like, who find their daily toil irksome and
distasteful— is there any help for them? Can they possibly learn to do such
work from their hearts? Certainly: because of Him who set it, and for whom
it may be done.
Love performs the most onerous duties with all its heart, if they conduce to
the comfort and help of those whom it loves more than itself. Does not a
mother or wife perform tasks from which the hireling would shrink? She does
them with all her heart, not considering for a moment the loathesomeness and
hardness of the demand. So if we look at our life-work as God-appointed; if
we realize that He has fixed it for us, who determined the orbits of the
stars; if we can hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Do this for Me”— there is
no further thought of hardship or distaste. Remember to do all your
life-work for Jesus; do all in His name and for His glory; ask Him to fill
your. heart with submissive, loyal obedience, and you will find that when
you introduce the personal element of Christ-service into the meanest acts,
they will glisten like a piece of gold-tapestry.
2 Chronicles 32:20
Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah, prayed and cried to heaven.
It was the indignity done to Jehovah that stirred these two holy men to the
heart. Not that their lives, and the lives of their people, and the
beautiful holy city, were in danger; but that Sennacherib spake against the
God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were
the work of the hands of man. Oh that we were possessed with a similar zeal
for God, so that we’ might look at sin as it affects Him, and lament over
the awful wrongs which are continually being perpetrated against His holy,
loving nature! What an argument this would give us in prayer!
This constitutes a special reason why we should plead for a revival of
religion throughout our land. Men speak and act so shamelessly, as though
God had abdicated His throne, and was hardly to be taken account of. They
sin against Him with so high a hand, and treat His laws with so much
contumely. Are there no Hezekiahs and Isaiahs who will pray and cry to the
God of our fathers to do again the great works He did in their days, and in
the old time before?
Then the Lord would save us, and guide us on every side (2 Chronicles
32:22). There never was a more conspicuous and glorious deliverance than
when the angel of God wrought for Israel against Assyria. The Lord became a
place of broad rivers and streams across which the enemy could not pass. As
the mother bird settling down on her nest, He covered the city with His
outspread wings. And the rich spoils of the foe were left for the beleagured
garrison. Pray on, beloved; the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver,
the Lord is our King; He will save us.
2 Chronicles 33:12
When he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God.
So long as this story stands on the page of revelation, no sinner need
despair of mercy. There was hardly a sin possible to man that Manasseh did
not commit. “He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, like unto
the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the
children of Israel.” And he made his people do worse than the heathen.
Then came awful sorrow. Bound in fetters, exposed to consummate cruelty and
disgrace, he was carried to Babylon, and thrust into the dungeons, where
other captive princes were immured, with little chance of liberation or
permission to revisit his native land. But there the Spirit of God did His
work. He humbled himself greatly, and prayed. What tears, and cries, and
bursts of heart-broken penitence, were his! How those walls were saturated
with the breath of confession, and those stone floors indented by his
kneeling at perpetual prayer! And God came near to his low dungeon, and
graciously heard his supplication, and brought him back again.
Yes, and He will do as much for you. The blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanseth from all sin; the grace of God is exceedingly abundant with faith
and love; all sins and blasphemies may be forgiven to the sons of men. Turn
to Him with brokenness of soul, and He will not only forgive, but bring you
again; and give you, as He did Manasseh, an opportunity of undoing some of
those evil things which have marred your past. For the rest, it is good not
to wait for affliction to stir us up to seek God, but to abide in Him for
love’s dear sake.
2 Chronicles 34:15, 18
I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.
It is supposed that this was the Book of Deuteronomy; though we have no
sympathy whatever with a modern notion with respect to its discovery. In our
judgment that book is rightly ascribed to Moses. Apparently, however, it had
long been missing, and the young king was filled with horror when he heard
the list of evils that were associated with apostasy. “He rent his clothes.”
We should read the Bible with a particular application to the days in which
we live. It is well enough to accept its statements as being generally true
and credible; but it is better to realize their pertinence to ourselves and
our circumstances. The book of the law had been sadly neglected in the years
preceding Josiah’s accession; and through the neglect of God’s Word the
people had become indifferent to His commands, and deaf to the appeals of
His prophets. Josiah turned the lantern on the evils of His time, and saw
how God was feeling with respect to them.
The Bible is a book for all time. What it said, it says. What it was, it is.
You tell me it was written so many centuries ago; but I reply the ink is
still wet on its immortal pages. They have been read and pondered by
generations; but the light of its eye is not dim, nor its natural force
abated. Sin is the same, man the same, God the same, in all ages. And the
Bible’s claim to be God’s Word is substantiated by the fact that it is
possessed of living power, and of the same perennial freshness as the sun,
or the spring, or the ocean, or the faces of the little children. Would that
we might daily read it as we read the newspaper, damp from the press,
realizing that it is our Father’s great message for the life of every day!
2 Chronicles 35:4, 6, 10, 14, 15, 16
Prepare.
No great court function can be carried through successfully, without careful
preparation. And Josiah’s passover was so vast and rare a success because of
the large amount of previous preparation, as is described in this chapter.
The priests and Levites were prepared by careful washings and ceremonial
rites. The course of the sacrifices was ordered according to the law of
Moses. The routine of sacred song and praise was also provided for. Nothing
was left to haphazard or chance.
We are taught to rely on the promptings and inspirations of the Holy Spirit;
and it is certain that He would use us more on special errands, if we were
to trust and obey Him better. But these extraordinary ministries should not
lead us to a life of haphazard. We should prepare ourselves for service so
far as we may, laying our plans, anticipating the calls and exigencies of
coming days, and preparing for the demand which almost certainly will be
made on us. We may have to give our special words and addresses and
arrangements to the winds; but we shall always need that preparedness of
heart which is necessary for those who are to be used of God.
Remember what is said of the vessels that were purged from uncleanness,
sanctified, meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Be
always in your own place, clean so far as you can be, filled with the Holy
Ghost, with the handle of your life turned toward the Master’s hand, that at
any moment He may take hold of you, and use you for His holy service. By the
diligent study of His Word, as well as by earnest prayer and waiting upon
God, you will be prepared to do His will.
2 Chronicles 36:15
Rising up betimes.
What a touching and graphic phrase! How did God yearn over that sinful and
rebellious city! Sending His messengers, “rising up betimes, and sending” —
like a man who has had a sleepless night of anxiety for his friend or child,
and rises with the dawn to send a servant on a mission of inquiry, or a
message of love. How eager God is for men’s salvation!
From God’s eagerness, may we not learn a lesson of anxiety for the souls of
men? We do not long after them enough, or rise betimes to urge them to
repent. Did we realize what heaven is, or hell, what men are missing or
incurring, what our duty is, as saved ourselves, we should rise up betimes
to seek their eternal interests.
But if God rises betimes to seek men, should they not do the same to seek
Him? Think you not, that when Adam heard the voice of the Lord God walking
in the garden at morning prime, he would be up and away to meet Him on the
up land lawns of Paradise? Can we wonder that our Master would rise up a
great while before day, to meet His Father on some unfrequented height? Let
us not cling to beds of sloth when God is awaiting us; let us heed His
loving remonstrances, that we may be saved in the overthrow of the world;
and let us, like Lot, pass on the word to others enwrapt in fatal slumber
around us, bidding them to escape to the mountains, before the sun rise on
the earth, lest they be consumed.
It was the practice of Sir Henry Havelock, during his campaigns in India,
always to have two hours for prayer and Bible study before the march. If the
camp was struck at 6:00 a. m., he would rise at 4:00.
