2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
2 Chr. 8:11-18
Vs. 11-15 It seems that Ezra is showing the short term, good effect "being spiritual" had on Solomon.
V.11 This isn't quite correcting his mistake for marrying her, but Solomon does remove her from the city of David. Ezra's people intermarried and then in repentance annulled those marriages.
V. 12 Solomon used to offer on the high places. Now he is only offering in Jerusalem in the temple.
V. 15 As long as Solomon was following the Lord, everyone followed him.
Notice the two references to the commands of Moses and David.
Vs. 17-18 So, after the "mission" was complete, Solomon still needed a lot of gold?
2 Chr. 9
I think Ezra's point in this story is stated toward the end. Remember, in building up the people's identity with the calling of God, Ezra is trying to show them that there was a time that the glory of Israel was beyond that of Babylon and Persia. Returning to Israel and to Jerusalem was not a "step down."
Vs. 22-26 These would have been the verses to the generation of returnees.
V. 30 Notice that Ezra doesn't say anything negative about Solomon. This is the same as his review of the life of David. Ezra has focused on God's promises as established in David and in Solomon's dedication of the temple. The glory of Israel is in its God and in His promises. And there was a time when the glory of Israel excelled that of all kings and kingdoms on earth.
2 Chr. 10
So, what do you see as the key verses in this chapter?
In writing this, Ezra has material to draw from. Certainly he has what is written in Samuel and Kings. There were most likely other official documents. Ezra is putting them together to give this returning people a perspective on following God that will make them proud to return and make them watchful to remember to obey.
V. 15 This king didn't obey the Lord for sure, but specifically, he didn't lead the people as David and Solomon had done. God withdrew His blessing, and disaster followed.
V. 19 Even in exile, there were probably hard feelings between tribes. Israel had been two separate kingdoms for hundreds of years. The people who went into exile never knew of a unified nation. How would they return and achieve that now? Here is the explanation of how God divided the kingdoms and why. The answer will be seen in Ezra showing that if God was obeyed there was blessing and unity.
Romans 8:9-21
Notice how often the Spirit is being mentioned.
V. 13 This is written to believers. So how will you "die" if you live according to the flesh? I believe this is salvation from damage as in 1 Timothy 4:16, "Take heed to yourself and to your teaching; hold to that, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers."
If we choose to live in the urgings of the flesh, not intentionally following the Spirit, we can live just as wrecked as everyone else. If a believer decides to step in front of a truck, he gets run over too.
V. 14 This is the privilege of our relationship to God. But this is also a choice.
V. 17 There are two things that this verse doesn't mean. First, it doesn't mean that a person can lose their salvation. Second, it doesn't mean that because a person has been saved, they fully share the glory of Christ if they are unwilling to suffer with Him.
There are rewards built into our relationship with Christ that are not automatic or equal with salvation. Our work on the foundation of Christ is judged…gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, straw…for example. Also, in the last verse of Isaiah 53 it says that Christ will, "divide the spoil with the strong." Not everyone who comes to Christ decides to live for Him in the harvest and therefore, they don't get the personal knowledge of Him here, and they don't get the rewards from Him there.
Living as a Christian in Rome wasn't easy. In a few years, Christians strapped to poles, standing soaked in basins of oil, would be used to light the city; and those who stood for the name of Christ would be entertaining the masses as they died in the coliseum.
V. 18 Paul is moving into another thought. We suffer in truly following Christ in the harvest, but is it worth it?
Vs. 19-21 We knew this, right? The entire creation is tied into our fall. We humans are the center of creation. Notice that in the creation in Genesis, the sun, moon, planets and stars were not created until the fourth day. And notice that they were made to serve us. The creation of man was the reason God created the universe. We didn't come from some cosmic spore or some alien life form. How silly.
If we really wanted to save the planet, we would all bow to Christ. When we who belong to Christ are resurrected in spiritual bodies, free of sin, then the creation will be set free from its bondage. That will be a day of great celebration.
On this point of suffering, when Roman persecution caught up to Paul, he was deserted by all his help except Luke. Paul was a needy guy physically. Notice how often Paul, writing from a Roman dungeon, has to tell a seasoned disciple like Timothy in 2 Timothy to be willing to suffer. If you're not in the harvest you can hide. To be in the harvest with Christ means that you will suffer, but that's cool, right? More on that tomorrow.
Psalm 18:16-36
Vs. 16-19 are the rescue.
This psalm was written by David, summarizing all of the help God gave him during the 10 years he was chased by Saul and after the 7 years of civil war as he reigned over the tribe of Judah.
After 17 years of uncertainty, fear, depression and waiting for God to fulfill the promise of becoming king when Samuel anointed him, this is David's debriefing on all that the Lord had done for him.
Again regarding suffering, you have to endure all of this to be saved from damage and get to the place of being able to give this kind of testimony. Jesus said to His disciples, "and you will be hated by all for my name's sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved." ….from the damage of giving in.
Proverbs 19:26
Who would disagree? I wonder if this violence and chasing can mean something other than physical.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
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