2 Chronicles 14-16
These three chapters are all about Asa. He was a great king who we hardly got to know in 1 Kings 15. As you read these chapters, take care to think about the time markers that the Spirit is giving. What we're reading here is both amazing and awful. Asa, like David, is someone you would want to be like, name your son after. Yet, like David, he fell. What is frightening is that the kings will all "fall" differently and it will look like something we are just as prone to do. They will have great faith when they are young, but when they are older, established, secure and strong, something will tempt them and they'll give in. David gave into dishonesty and adultery. Solomon gave in to stuff, pleasure and finally idolatry. So here's your job. Figure out what it was that shook Asa.
2 Chr. 14
V. 1 The timing here is everything.
What would you say is the strength of Asa? I think it is in verse seven.
V.9 No other king ever faced a army this big. Asa had big faith.
V. 13 I'll bet it was like Christmas, but the gift you received was a Wal-Mart.
2 Chr. 15
This is God's promise and blessing to Asa. Asa responds well. This was a man of deep faith.
Again, do you see what God required and what Asa did? (Vs. 2, 12-13) Asa was a great man.
V. 19 This note is important, and in order to figure out what happens next, you need to understand how long Asa had lived in peace and blessing without a fight. How long was it between fights?
2 Chr. 16
Vs. 1-6 This seems like a shrewd move, but it wasn't. Asa was aggravated and threatened. He didn't seek God. This new threat shook him and got him mad. He figured out a way to get even and all of it was without God.
Vs. 7-9 This is the verdict and it scares me to read it because I can see me doing something like this. When he was young and the threat was great, Asa had outstanding faith and received a great reward. Now 25 years later (or 15 if a scribe messed up), he reacts in rage and trickery and doesn't seek God. There are lots of possibilities here as to what motivated him, but the result is the same.
V. 9 is a famous verse. Who would have guessed it came as God's judgment on a formerly faithful king?
Vs. 10-14 Asa got mad at God, took it out on the prophet and hurt some of the godly people, I presume, who tried to get him to see reason. And then for at least two years nothing happened. Why not? It looks to me like God wanted to test Asa's heart. If there wasn't an immediate punishment, would Asa come to Him, seek Him?
Vs. 12 is a terrible commentary to Asa's anger and stubbornness. The seeking of God, that had been the mark and strength of his faith when he was young, was gone. When he was younger he had the faith to lead Israel against the largest army ever named in the OT. But after years of peace, when he was older, the frustration of a smaller, incessant irritation drove him to forget God and make an agreement with the ungodly to punish his enemy.
As disciples, regardless of our acts of faith and obedience in the past, it is possible, in our comfort, to suddenly become enraged at something small and persistent that shreds our faith and our desire to seek God. I have heard of godly people saying and doing the most ungodly and unspiritual things to office clerks and family members over small, frustrating things. As disciples we need to keep our hearts before the Lord, always following and working in the harvest, aware of what the Spirit is showing us about us. Sin is always dangerous. We always need to submit to and seek God.
Romans 9:1-21
So, what is this change of topic all about? Did Paul think, "I'll write eight chapters about salvation by faith and then eight chapters about something else?" When you read this section today, you have to wonder.
It seems to me that all of Romans has to do with the redemptive plan of God. Chapters 1-8 describe one purpose of God and one way to salvation and completion in Him. Chapters 9-11 describe one plan of God involving two peoples, the Jews and the church and how these are distinct and yet still one plan. God didn't make a first trial and then come up with a better idea. Chapters 12-16 don't present any problem. They are practical chapters dealing with issues in the Roman church.
Chapters 9-11 expose a conflict in the understanding of some people, how God could begin one way and then finish another way. Paul will show it was always one plan and that Israel, the nation, will fulfill its destiny. Chapter 9 presents the biggest problem to our understanding; because Paul gets in the face of those who are "large of brain" and argumentative, basically saying to them, "Who are you to try to out-think God and tell Him what He does is unfair?" Remember those words back in chapter 3, "That you may be justified in your words and prevail when you are judged." God will come out righteous and fair. In chapter 9 Paul and the Spirit sound hard, but this will soften by the end of chapter 11. It's just their way of smoking out the arrogant and telling them to submit themselves and their understanding of the things to a wise, sovereign God.
V. 6 This is an interesting argument. When I read it, I thought, "Yeah, that's right." Abraham had Ishmael and Isaac had Esau. They were all descendants of Abraham, but did not belong to the promise.
V. 13 You have to understand OT history to understand this. God didn't dislike Esau because he was hairy and snorted when he ate. This has nothing to do with "love" in the emotional sense. Actually the quote is from Malachi, chapter one. Both nations sinned against God. Both were taken into exile. Only one nation returned. Guess which one. Why did it return: God's purpose and calling as spoken to Abraham. It was all a part of God's eternal plan of redemption. If you really want to see this up close and personal, go back to Genesis and read about Esau. He was his own man.
V. 14 Apparently, this was the discussion going on that prompted the Spirit to urge Paul to write these chapters. I think there was an internal conflict in this Jew-Gentile church. In chapters 1-8 the Jews were told that a person can't come to God through the Law. In this section, the plan of God will be laid out so that both groups see that it is one plan and neither group has the right to be proud or arrogant.
Vs. 15-21 This break at verse 21 is unfortunate. Keep reading to verse 24 to keep the thought together.
The thought to keep in mind here is that God doesn't create anyone to just go to hell, but use them in the meantime. That would be another God. We have too much Scripture telling us that God is good and doesn't desire anyone to be lost.
I think the way to understand this is by God's foreknowledge, mentioned in chapter 8. God knows who will come to Him and who won't. (For an interesting thought on this read John 6:64.) Once this is known, God has the right to mold and make and use a person as He wills. We do something similar. For example, in the past presidential election guess who the large prison population in the US voted for: no one. The guilty forfeit their rights. Why you need those next verses, 22-24, is to see that God uses these people for His purpose and still shows them incredible patience and kindness, knowing full well that they will rebel against Him until they die. That can't be pleasant for God.
A final thought here: When we come to Christ and become disciples, we also give up our rights to control and lead our own lives. We live for Him and His glory, right? We submit to His purpose and His will knowing that He is wise and loving and knows what is best. Right? Romans 8:28 again in the RSV, "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." The real issue is whether we really believe and trust that God is wise, loving and good.
Psalm 19
It's interesting being in Romans and then reading this psalm.
Vs. 1-3 sound like Romans 1:19-20.
V. 4 Believe it or not, Paul will quote this verse in Romans 10 to show that the Jews all heard the Word of God.
Vs. 7-14 Think of these verses in terms of what Paul is saying to those in Romans 9 who would accuse God of being unfair in His dealings with people.
This must have been a really good song. On YouTube you can find lots of "parts" of this Psalm. I couldn't find the whole thing, but this one seemed interesting to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55g04HgrTYo
Proverbs 20:1
To make anything an idol is dangerous. God brings trial, pain, "pruning" into our lives to show us our need and to make us stronger in Him. Putting our hope in wine or anything to "escape and ease the pain or make us forget or cope" is to be led astray. These things, like all things, in submission to God can be what He designed them to be. In Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, when Aslan brings the thaw and allows Bacchus into Narnia, Lucy remarks that if it were not for the presence of Aslan, she'd be afraid of Bacchus and his girls. The same should be true of us.
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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