IN CASE OF EMERGENCY The book of 2 Chronicles Dr. Jon McNeff, Senior Pastor November 12, 2017 Note: The following are the pastor s notes used in preaching this message. This is not a complete, word-for-word transcription of what was preached. These notes serve as a companion to the complete message, which is available by listening to the audio version. Bible quotes are primarily from NASB and ESV, respectively. Comments on recent events Vegas, New York, Texas signs of our times Hollywood says it s the Republicans fault some say thoughts and prayers aren t enough we need gun control even atheists call it evil but that is a theological category dishonest for atheists to use it honest atheistic response would be It s just protoplasm Christian Scientists say evil is suffering, evil and wickedness don t really exist they are only abstracts but try telling that to the families left burying their loved ones Rabbi Kushner in Why Bad Things Happen to Good People says God is doing the best He can but at times even He gets overwhelmed What s the answer? In times of emergency we need to seek God seen today in 2 Chronicles background: 1 and 2 Chronicles were one book until Septuagint divided it Original title in Hebrew was The annals (events) of the days the Septuagint divided the book and changed title to The Things Omitted (reflected material not in Samuel and Kings inaccurate) changed again in 4 th century when Jerome translated the Latin Vulgate to The Chronicles of the Entire Sacred History : 1 Chronicles genealogies from Adam to David then David s kingdom until his death 2 Chronicles picks up with Solomon then carries through the kings of Judah to the fall to Babylon in 586 B.C. 2 Chronicles is longest of 12 historical books 36 chapters outline: 2 Chronicles 1-9 Solomon s reign from 971-931 B.C. 2 Chronicles 10-36 reign of the rest of Judah s kings in the 350 years before Judah is conquered by Babylon and taken into captivity It was written toward end of the exile or soon after resettlement in Jerusalem around 500 B.C. almost five centuries after Solomon came to power Probably written by Ezra a scribe skilled in the law of Moses (Ezra 7:6) who led the second of three waves of returnees from Babylon Zerubbabel in 538 B.C. Ezra 80 years later in 458 B.C. Nehemiah in 445 B.C. Purpose: 1) Explain why the exile happened 2) Provide a guide on how to rebuild this is why northern tribes of Israel were not included they had been permanently dispersed and were not part of the return from exile I. REMEMBER YOUR PAST A. God s provision Continuity of David s rule: 2 Chronicles 1:3 Solomon took all the leaders of Israel and went to the high place which was at Gibeon, for God s tent of meeting was there, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness. David had brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem but the Tabernacle Moses made was still in Gibeon 2 Chronicles 1:5, 6 Solomon sought it out. the bronze altar which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. Place where priests made sacrifices BRONZE ALTAR 1
Exodus 38:30 Bronze altar was in the middle of the courtyard of the Tabernacle place where burnt offerings were made in 1 Chronicles 16:39 David brought the Ark up from the house of Obed-Edom he left Zadok the priest in Gibeon with the Tabernacle it remained there until it was re-united with the Ark when the Temple was dedicated why did Solomon go? Devoted went to church 2 Chronicles 1:7 What shall I give you? God s desire for His children blessing Matthew 7:9, 10 Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? Ezra s reminder Solomon s answer 2 Chronicles 1:10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours? Wonderful heart! God s answer 2 Chronicles 1:11-13 Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will come after you. God doesn t promise this for everyone but He does promise blessing Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. 2
B. God s achievement 2 Chronicles 2:1-4:22 Solomon builds the temple but this is God s project at the dedication in 2 Chronicles 6:5-6 God said, Since the day that I brought My people from the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man for a leader over My people Israel; but I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel. God accommodated Himself to man by choosing a place and a person to reveal Himself Most important thing Solomon did build the Temple recognized it was only symbolic 2 Chronicles 2:6 But who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense before Him? 2 Chronicles 2:2 70,000 men to carry loads 80,000 men to quarry stone 3,600 supervisors 2 Chronicles 2:7-10 bartered with King of Tyre 150,000 bushels of wheat and barley and 120,000 gallons of wine and oil for skilled leadership in working with gold, silver, brass and iron, and in purple, crimson and violet fabrics, and... engravings also sent cedar, cypress and algum timber from Lebanon 2 Chronicles 3-4 details of engraved wood, paneling everything overlaid with gold! Building Temple took seven years six months to build finished in Solomon s 11 th year dedicated 11 months later to coincide with Feast of Tabernacles: Solomon assembles people and all the workers 2 Chronicles 5:1-5 2 Chronicles 5:6 too many sacrifices to count Ark brought in 2 Chronicles 5:7 2 Chronicles 5:10-12 288 trained singers (1 Chronicles 25:7) and 4000 musicians! Some worship team! Loud! Not quiet meditation! Glory of God fills the Temple 2 Chronicles 5:14 so thick priests couldn t stand to minister! Solomon s prayer of dedication 2 Chronicles 6 extolled God s promises 2 Chronicles 6:14 O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no god like You in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart 2 Chronicles 7 God s view of the dedication: 2 Chronicles 7:1 fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. 2 Chronicles 7:5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Thus the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 1 Kings 8:63 says these were peace offerings that were consumed by all the people national barbecue! 2 Chronicles 7:8 the whole nation celebrated 2 Chronicles 7:10 celebration lasted seven days then Solomon sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy of heart because of the goodness that the Lord had shown to David and to Solomon and to His people Israel. Like after a wedding reception! Why so much emphasis on the temple in Old Testament? Clues to how does God want to be worshipped: 1) It emulates the majesty of God 2) It kept God s Law before the people in the middle of pagan cultures all religions are not true! 3) Symbolized God s presence and His Law 4) Sacrifices pictured sin, forgiveness and grace 5) Picture of true Lamb of God Jesus 6) It was a place of prayer 2 Chronicles 7:12 17 2 Chronicles 9 his wealth and power expand: 2 Chronicles 9:1-12 Queen of Sheba visits brings gift of 120 talents of gold said, You surpass the report that I heard. How blessed are your men, how blessed are your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. 2 Chronicles 9:13 every year Solomon accrued 666 talents of 3
gold. 25 tons! Trillions of dollars! 2 Chronicles 9:27 made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem 2 Chronicles 9:22, 23 So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. 2 Chronicles 9:25 imported horses and chariots from Egypt And then Solomon dies 2 Chronicles 9:31 Why this review? Israel is in a state of emergency just returned from 90 years in captivity Ezra is reminding them of their glorious past plea to Israel to return to God worship God in His way confess your sin receive forgiveness same thing God tells us to do Revelation 2 church at Ephesus had lost their way Revelation 2:5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place unless you repent Maybe you need to remember your past used to walk with God II. REVIEW YOUR SITUATION A. False teachers 2 Chronicles 10-36 is the account of evil kings started with Jeroboam VIDEO 2 Chronicles 11:14-15 priests in Israel defected to Judah because Jeroboam weakens the nation by expelling true priests and installing false religion 2 Chronicles 12 Rehoboam forsakes God Shishak, the king of Egypt sacks Jerusalem takes treasures from the Temple 2 Chronicles 18-19 Assimilation good king Jehoshaphat partners with Ahab Ahab killed by random arrow 2 Chronicles 19:2 Jehoshaphat rebuked by the prophet Hanani Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord and so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord? 2 Chronicles 19:4-11 after rebuke he set judges and priests to rule 2 Chronicles 20 Judah attacked Jehoshaphat seeks God victory! Contrast 2 Chronicles 21 his son Jehoram succeeds Jehoshaphat: 2 Chronicles 21:4 kills all his brothers 2 Chronicles 21:6 evil man married Ahab and Jezebel s daughter 2 Chronicles 21:8-20 invaded by Edom died horrible death 2 Chronicles 22 youngest son Ahaziah becomes king his mom Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab dominates him 2 Chronicles 22:8 Ahaziah killed and his mother assumes the throne 2 Chronicles 22:10 she destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah. Her own children! Implications? These were all the descendants of David what happened to Davidic Covenant? God provides 2 Chronicles 22:11 But Jehoshabeath the king s daughter took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king s sons who were being put to death, and placed him and his nurse in the bedroom. 2 Chronicles 22:12 hidden for six years until Grandma was killed! It gets worse: 2 Chronicles 26:16; 32:25 Uzziah and Hezekiah, generally good kings become prideful 2 Chronicles 28:23 Ahaz ignores his own sins, thinking that the power of other nation s gods are bringing defeat for Judah he becomes very pragmatic For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, and said, Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me. But they became the downfall of him and all Israel. The point leaders who did not lead their people in serving God brought calamity on the people! Same today! From nation s capitol to the church 4
B. False worship 2 Chronicles 7 after dedication of the Temple, Solomon warned about abandoning God but that s exactly what happened it began when he formed an alliance with King of Egypt in 1 Kings 3 and married one of his daughters despite God s instruction not to do that it continued in 1 Kings 11 after he obtained 700 wives and 300 consorts 1 Kings 11:4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 1 Kings 11:7 he was building detestable high places to sacrifice children to the detestable god Chemosh Solomon began by making sacrifices on the brazen altar he ended up sacrificing babies on pagan altars abortion opened the gate others followed: Jehoram middle of 9 th century 2 Chronicles 21:11 he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot and led Judah astray. Amaziah beginning of 8 th century 2 Chronicles 25:14-15 Now after Amaziah came from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up as his gods, bowed down before them and burned incense to them. Ahaz end of 8 th century 2 Chronicles 28:3-4 Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of Benhinnom and burned his sons in fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel. He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills and under every green tree. Manasseh was worst of all (2 King 21:9) 2 Chronicles 33:1 he ruled for 55 years, longer than any king in Israel rejected the godly example of his father Hezekiah and adopted the pattern of his evil grandfather Ahaz 2 Chronicles 33:2-6 He did evil in the sight of the Lord according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he also erected altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. He built altars in the house of the Lord of which the Lord had said, My name shall be in Jerusalem forever. For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. False worship makes God angry! God put His people in the land to be distinctive not to assimilate God wants us to be different yet everything we hear today is how to blend in with the world so they will be drawn to Christ won t work! Result? We have idols anything we desire more than God Himself! Things people success position Tim Keller in Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living. An idol has such a controlling position in your heart that you can spend most of your passion and energy, your emotional and financial resources, on it without a second thought. It can be family and children, or career and making money, or achievement and critical acclaim, or saving "face" and social standing. It can be a romantic relationship, peer approval, competence and skill, secure and comfortable circumstances, your beauty or your brains, a great political or social cause, your morality and virtue, or even success in the Christian ministry. When your meaning in life is to fix someone else's life, we may call it "codependency" but it is really idolatry. An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, "If I have that, then I'll feel my life has meaning, then I'll know I have value, then I'll feel significant and secure." There are many ways to describe that kind of relationship to something, but perhaps the best one is worship. 1 1 Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters (New York, NY: Dutton, 2009), xvii-xviii. 5
C. Face judgment God judges even His own people for their rebellion the modern idea that God s love trumps His justice is foreign to Scripture but God judges His own people when they sin in 2 Chronicles it came through war stated overtly several times in 2 Chronicles: 2 Chronicles 12:1-4 during Rehoboam s reign When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the Lord. And it came about in King Rehoboam s fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were without number: the Lubim, the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians. He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. Joash 2 Chronicles 24:24-25 Indeed the army of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet the Lord delivered a very great army into their hands, because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash. When they had departed from him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and murdered him on his bed Amaziah 2 Chronicles 25:2 Amaziah did right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart. Defeated Edomites and brought their gods into Judah got a big head and wanted to fight Joash, the King of Israel 2 Chronicles 25:19 Joash says, Now stay at home; for why should you provoke trouble so that you, even you, would fall and Judah with you? Hand of God seen through war 2 Chronicles 25:20 But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, that He might deliver them into the hand of Joash because they had sought the gods of Edom. Soundly defeated and Jerusalem destroyed by Joash 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness i.e. what is the path how you get off the path how to get back on the path how to stay on the path Ezra wanted them to review their situation to see where they got off track it was in 2 Chronicles 10:1 with Rehoboam and Jeroboam Same is true for us where did you get off track? What lies do you believe? During WWII Martyn Lloyd Jones served at Metropolitan Chapel in London: Under the blessing of peace since the last war, men and women, in constantly increasing numbers, have forsaken God and religion and have settled down to a life which is essentially materialistic and sinful...men and women gave themselves over to a life of pleasure-seeking, accompanied by spiritual and mental indolence...then came a crisis in September, 1938. Men and women crowded to places of worship and prayed for peace. Afterwards they assembled to thank God for peace. But was it because they had decided to use peace for the one and only true purpose, namely to live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty? Was it in order that they might walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost? The facts speak for themselves. Thus I ask the questions: Had we a right to peace? Do we deserve peace? Were we justified in asking God to preserve peace and to grant peace? What if war has come because we were not fit for peace, because we did not deserve peace; because we by our disobedience and godlessness and sinfulness had so utterly abused the blessings of peace? Have we a right to expect God to preserve a state of peace merely to allow men and women to continue a life that is an insult to His holy Name? 2 III. REPENT OF YOUR SIN The nature of man people will sin we are born into it it is in our genes Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me sin is not the result of our environment, our ethnicity, our economics, our family, or our social environment it is nature, not nurture that makes sinners we aren t sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners what do we do when we see our sin? 2 Iain Murray, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith 1939-1981 (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1990), 25-26. 6
A. Turn from your sin The call to repentance 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. This is not a promise to America or the American church we are not God s chosen people ruled by house of David, waiting for the Messiah this is first of all a specific promise to the nation of Israel before they disobeyed and broke into two nations the principle is true for all of God s people wherever they are U.S., Mexico, Japan, Honduras, Guatemala, England, etc. B. Humble yourself 2 Chronicles 12:6 After Rehoboam turned from God and was conquered by Shishak the king of Egypt, So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, The Lord is righteous. When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of deliverance, and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak. I was wrong! Even the worst of sinners can repent Manasseh was most vile king of all 2 Chronicles 33:11 Therefore the Lord brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon. Most likely the King of Assyria was Ashurbanipal (669 633 B.C.) city of Babylon had rebelled against Assyria and been defeated Assyria must have thought Manasseh supported Babylon s rebellion because he was taken in chains to be tried in Babylon 2 Chronicles 33:12-13 When he was in distress, he entreated the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. Suffering is a great way to humble someone dramatic picture for people of Israel to see their leader humbled by God! C. Return to God God s word is the standard for obedience and it is also the pattern for return when Jehoshaphat brought reforms, he sent officials to teach in the towns of Judah (2 Chronicles 17:7) 2 Chronicles 17:9-10 They taught in Judah, having the book of the law of the Lord with them; and they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people. Now the dread of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of the lands which were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. the Old Testament is a constant story of obedience and failure only solution return to God s Word and stay! D. Have hope! 2 Chronicles 36:6-7 after Jehoiakim rebelled on last time the exile in Babylon begins Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the articles of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon. 2 Chronicles 36:17-21 Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand. All the articles of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his officers, he brought them all to Babylon. Then they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its fortified buildings with fire and destroyed all its valuable articles. Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete. 7
What a reminder this brought on the state of emergency that lasted 90 years this is the end of all roads that reject God s Word parallels today: Young people who marry non-christians Those who seek wisdom at Berkeley, UCLA, etc. Those who think politics will save them Those who mistake financial prosperity for the blessing of God think they have it when they don t Those who stop coming to church and put their Bibles on the shelf! But God is not finished with His people last words of the book unthinkable reversal of fortune at the hands of a former enemy all prophesied 150 years before it happened 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 400 years Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up! Isaiah 44:28 150 years before Cyrus came on the scene God says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose ; saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built, and of the temple, Your foundation shall be laid. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. How do people normally react when confronted with a physical emergency? 2. What is significant about the exchange between God and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 1:1-13? 3. What went into the dedication of the Temple in 2 Chronicles 5? 4. What is significant about the preservation of Joash in 2 Chronicles 22? 5. What events are contrasted in 2 Chronicles 36:18-23? 6. How has this book inspired you to trust God? 8