by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Chronicles 10-12
Rehoboam acts foolishly. During Solomon’s reign Jeroboam had shown signs of rebellion, and when he was thwarted, he fled to Egypt.
Jeroboam approaches Rehoboam in an effort to ease the load of his followers. “If you lighten our load, we will serve you.” Rehoboam ignores the advice of the wise elders and heeds the word of his foolish younger companions.
“Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” (10:11)
Wrong answer. “So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David until this day.”(10:19)
The twelve tribes which had been the descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob are now broken up. Instead of one kingdom, there are two. Israel, with Jeroboam as its king, consists of 10 tribes, and Judah with Rehoboam consists of only two.
God had promised that he would bless the kingdom as long as they would follow Him and be faithful to Him. However, as we saw yesterday, even Solomon, who started off as a wise man, turned from God . Now his son is doing the same.
“And he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.”(12:14)
Today, I want to “set my heart” to seek the Lord. I want to pray, spend time with Him, and listen to what He is telling me. Then I want to obey his Word and His voice.
It’s not an emotion; it’s something we do. We set our hearts toward Him.
John 11:45-57
“If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” (V.48)
This last sign Jesus did, as He raised Lazarus from the dead, was just too much. From now on the Pharisees would openly seek to kill Jesus. Up until this time they persecuted Him verbally, but now the time has come for them to persecute Him openly.
So orders are sent out from the leaders that “if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, so that they might seize Him.”(57)
Jesus, on the other hand, goes away to the country near the wilderness and stays with His disciples. He can’t go out openly anymore because of these leaders. He will be killed for our sins, but in God’s time – at Passover time. He is the Passover lamb sent by God for us.
In the meantime, He is watchful of the leaders who want to kill Him before the time.
This is a perfect example of what “political correctness” can get you. There are times when what is right in men’s eyes is an abomination to God.
That’s what we have here. The Savior, who has come into the world to take away the sin of man, is sought by these arrogant, misguided men who esteem themselves so highly.
You can see the same things happening today. Sometimes the ones who are right and just are being intimidated and persecuted by those who aren’t.
Yet God was on the side of Jesus, and He will be on the side of the righteous today. I want to have the courage to stand for what is right – even though there is persecution that goes with it.
I want to be on God’s side!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Chronicles 7-9
Fire from heaven to burn the offering, and God’s glory so strong that people could not enter the temple. That’s the way we start these chapters. All the sons of Israel are so overwhelmed with God’s goodness that they bow down on the pavement with their faces to the ground.
Days and days of sacrifices and worship. It has taken twenty years to build this temple, and this glorious celebration is greater than any ever in the history of Israel.
So we proceed with Solomon’s spectacular reign – his wisdom and his wealth. Again we see the account of the queen of Sheba coming to see for herself and being star-struck when she meets Solomon in person.
Yet at the end of these chapters, we see Solomon dying in total failure as he is succeeded by son, Rehoboam.
This version of the history leaves out a few of the dirty little secrets, but we can read between the lines, because we have already read the I Kings account.
Solomon, because of his tremendous wealth and wisdom, got the big head, and added many foreign wives to his collection of “things.” And in doing so, he built altars to every kind of god imaginable, and even turned to them himself on occasion.
Solomon had been warned, but he didn’t heed the warnings. Instead, he seemed to turn a deaf ear to his younger, holier voice as he aged. This king eventually turned away from God.
I Kings 11:6 says,” and Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord …” Don’t you find that hard to imagine? I do!
God’s beautiful land, which had seen His glory and literal presence so that the priests could not stand, was about to be divided.
There is a covenant which we have with our God – just as Solomon did. (Actually ours is better, because Jesus has already come). That covenant promises us blessings in abundance – protection, provision, and health for ourselves and our families. Yet it is conditional.
The conditional part is that we, as His covenant people, promise to be faithful to Him. We promise to love Him with our whole hearts, and to love others as ourselves.
If we do our part, He will always do His. Our God is faithful to His Word and will never let us down.
Oh, Lord, keep us close to You. We love you.
John 11:1-44
“Lazarus, come forth.” Jesus, with a loud voice shattered the wall between death and life, and the dead man arose. He had been dead for four days, and everyone considered this over, but our Savior showed them something different.
Everyone had seen Jesus heal the sick, so they believed that he could heal Lazarus if He would just hurry to the scene. However, Jesus tarried, staying two days longer after He had heard the report.
Mary and Martha were upset with Him “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Each of them challenged the Lord upon His appearance.
However, Jesus was not moved at all. He knew God’s plan and His power – and He knew that Lazarus would rise up to the glory of God. In fact this was one more way of showing how great our God is.
Have you ever been praying for something which you knew was God’s will, but it just doesn’t seem to come about?
Don’t give up. If you know that it is God’s will; if it’s a promise that you have seen in His Word, don’t give up.
I have seen turn-arounds occur in the lives of certain people that almost shocked me. Sometimes they would be people that I would be praying for and it seemed that nothing ever changed. Then suddenly.
Oh, I love that Word when we are talking about our God. Suddenly.
He can suddenly cause things to click in a way that surpasses your imagination. He is God and He can do it.
Our part is to be true to Him, to pray and not faint, and to expect great things when we pray.
It’s an exciting life when we live it with Jesus.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Chronicles 4-6
The house of God is complete and all of the priests, praisers, and musicians in unison begin of loudly praise the Lord with “He indeed is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” God’s glory fills the house like a cloud, so that the priests can not even stand.
This is one of the milestones in the history of Israel. After all of the centuries of God’s dealings with Abraham’s descendants, His house is finally built a and established as the place for his presence in His special land. What a glorious moment.
Then Solomon kneels before all of Israel and prays for God to continue to bless the land. He praises his God for all that He has done, and looks forward to the years of continuing to walk with this wonderful, mighty God.
Have you ever experienced the “glory of God” in a place? I have. I have been in meetings where His presence was so thick that I felt weak. I think of it as the atmosphere of heaven.
In that presence, there is not a care in the world. You can have issues facing you at home or at work, but in the presence of God – that thick cloud of His presence – you know that your Father is taking care of the problems for you. No worries.
Now I have never been in a place where no one could stand, so I can only imagine what that would be like. But I have been so that I couldn’t stand, and it’s a remarkable thing!
Peace, joy, and contentment accompany God’s presence.
John 10:24-42
I just love to see Jesus challenging the Pharisees and watching them squirm. He is really not against these men, but against the religious traditions which have taken God’s purposes out of the mix and allowed for these “leaders” to pompously dictate their own purposes to those under them. (Their main purpose being to procure for themselves wealth, honor, and control).
In substituting their own desires, these leaders don’t understand – or even try to understand – the Word of God.
So Jesus calls Himself the “Son of God,” which He is, of course. They go nuts! Then He eggs them on even more.
He reminds the Pharisees that the scripture says that ,”Ye are gods.”(Psalm 82:6).
Jesus is reminding these men that man was created in the image of God Himself. It was only after Adam’s sin that man lost that position, and Jesus has come to restore us back. All of this is in then scripture, but couldn’t be understood at the moment.
I feel quite sure that few could grasp what Jesus was saying at the time, but they were hanging on, because they believed he was the Son of God. They trusted Him – and just thought He was smarter than they were.
Now, however, we have God’s precious Holy Spirit living inside of us and guiding us. We realize what Jesus was saying.
He was planning to cleanse us through His blood at the cross, then send back His Spirit to live within us. Once again would we be true sons of God. We would be able to talk with Him and represent His desires in the earth.
What an opportunity we have to walk with Him as His children! As we continue to follow Jesus and His teachings we will fulfill His desires for us in the earth.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Chronicles 1:1-3
Solomon started out with a heart that really belonged to God. He didn’t ask for riches, honor, or long life, but he asked for wisdom and knowledge to rule the people well. This pleased God and He gave the new king all of it. Wisdom, knowledge, and riches in abundance.
As I read of the temple being constructed, I am reminded of a message I heard several years ago. The Jews knew that God’s greatest blessings included wealth – certainly tremendous provision. That’s what we see in this temple – and with Solomon’s life in general. Wealth.
When Constantine came into power, he acknowledged Christianity, and wanted everyone to become a Christian. In doing so, he introduced many other cultures into Christianity. This was great, of course, except that other thought patterns began to dominate.
One of those concepts was the Greek idea that anything of earth was somehow tainted. They believed that only the spiritual side of man was good; everything else was bad. So denial of earthly pleasures was the norm. They considered that any kind of riches were inherently evil. Man was supposed to be poor if he was holy.
Over the years, some Christian leaders – who were great men – gave impetus to this train of thought. If you were holy, you had to be poor.
There are many Christians today who think that way. They think that if your are rich, you are evil. There is some sort of piety in being poor.
When you look at the patriarchs of the Old Testament, it’s easy to see that there is a contradiction. In building the temple, Solomon spared no expense. He assembled the best materials and the temple was constructed with excellence.
In blessing Solomon, God also made him rich. He was not only the wisest man, but the richest man on earth.
Jews knew then, and today still know, that God’s blessing includes earthly provision. Certainly wealth is to be handled in a way that benefits others and extends God’s kingdom, but wealth is good when handled properly.
I believe that God wants our spirit to dominate our lives, but He also wants our whole being – spirit, soul and body to be blessed beyond measure.
Our God is a good, loving Father who wants the best for His children.
John 10: 1-23
“The thief comes only to kill and steal and destroy; I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.”(V.10) I think of this verse as a litmus test to see where something is coming from. Does it bring life or death? Does it steal from you? Kill you? Destroy you?
The way of Jesus gets us to heaven someday, but it also causes our lives to be full here on earth. He wants abundant life for us. Now that abundant life still puts Him first – and follows His plans for us, but that life brings tremendous pleasure also. Love, joy, peace are all in the package.
Jesus mentions coming through the door. What does He mean? The door into the earth is human birth. Jesus came that way – born of Mary. There is a right and responsibility which comes with being born into the earth. We – as people – have the charge to rule and have dominion over God’s earth. We are to manage it.
The words we speak, the prayers we pray, and the actions we take can cause change around us. This authority should be used for good and not evil.
The devil didn’t come through the door. He wasn’t born into the earth; instead he stole it from Adam by deception. (The thief and robber doesn’t come in by the door, but climbs up some other way. V. 1)
Then Jesus goes on to say that He is the good shepherd, His sheep will follow Him, and He will lay down His life for the sheep.
He is stating the gospel in a nutshell. The Pharisees can’t stand such talk, since the devil is controlling them. So they accuse Jesus of having a demon. Others, however, though they don’t understand what He is saying, still know that he is the Christ. They hear the shepherd’s voice.
Do you hear His voice?I want to make sure that I hear Him clearly – in everything He says to me. Sometimes tradition can muddle our thinking so that we don’t recognize what he is saying. I want to be willing to listen and change my thinking when it’s contrary to what He is saying.
Lord, open the eyes of our hearts so that we can see clearly – and the ears of our hearts so that we can hear clearly. We want to be your people – completely.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
I Chronicles 28-29
Right up until his last breath, David delights in the Lord his God. As he draws all of Israel together and gives everyone a charge, the king’s mind is on the house of the Lord and the beautiful building which will be dedicated to his God.
David has already gathered many elements. Gold, silver, bronze, onyx stones, inlaid stones, stones of various colors, wood, and alabaster in abundance. He has given from his own collection of silver, gold and bronze. Then he asks if others want to contribute.
At this point, the rulers, princes, and commanders offerwillingly to bring from their treasures gold, silver, brass and iron. “Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly.”(29:9)
A giving heart is always a thankful heart. When people give liberally to the Lord, they are always joyful people.
It’s interesting to me that in this account of the transfer of power from David to Solomon, none of the negative stories are related. Nothing is said about Adonijah trying to steal the crown. Nothing is said about Bathsheba having to go to David on Solomon’s behalf.
Instead, this history just includes the anointing of Solomon. God’s will – and not man’s selfish will – is being exalted in this account.
Then “David dies at a ripe old age, full of days, riches and honor, and his son, Solomon reigns in his place.”(29:28)
King David, the greatest of all the kings before him – or after him – exemplifies the favor of God on a man’s life. He made a huge mistake when he committed adultery and murder, but he was truly repentant, and God’s forgiveness was forthcoming along with his blessing.
David’s desire to honor God, his humble trust in God when challenged, and his kindness to those around him – especially to Saul’s household, are attributes which all of us should strive for.
It’s easy to see why David is called a “man after God’s own heart.”
John 9: 28-41
The encounter with the blind man is still provoking the Pharisees. He challenges them because even though he hasn’t studied the Word of God like they have, he knows that the healing he receives from Jesus is noteworthy.
The leaders, totally uncaring about the man who has received his sight, are just trying to accuse Jesus of healing on the Sabbath. This newly healed blind man knows better than they. So he is also making them angry!
In verse 39 Jesus says something which may be confusing, but which is significant (as is everything He says). He says, “for judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see; and that those who see may become blind.”
Now wait just a minute! Jesus is not going to make the Pharisees blind, is He? Of course not. So what does He mean?
I think that I know, so go with me for a minute, and see if you get the same revelation.
Do you remember right at the beginning of Genesis, after Adam and Eve sinned it says that their “eyes were opened and they saw that they were naked?”(Gen 3:7) I think that this type of sight is referring to the natural mind controlling their sight. Until their sin, Adam and Eve had been ruled by the Spirit of God which was within them. Their spiritual vision dominated. When they sinned, their natural vision took over.
So what is the difference between spiritual vision and natural vision? Spiritual vision sees beyond the natural. It incorporates faith so that it looks beyond what is there to what will become. For instance, natural vision may look at a child and see the limitations. Spiritual vision will look at a child and see the potential – the way God looks at us.
So Jesus is saying that He has come so that spiritual eyes can be opened again – the eyes that have been closed since the sin of Adam. Then when the spiritual eyes are totally open, the natural eyes won’t be dominant anymore. People will be led by faith and not by sight.
One day, as I was meditating on this, I felt the Lord speaking to me.
He said, when someone is blind, they need to know where the obstacle are so that they will not fall over things. Yet their eyes are not drawn to the obstacles. When we are led by the Spirit, we are not ignorant of obstacles, but we are not drawn to them. We are drawn to God’s purpose and His plans for us. Our spirit continues to draw us to our greater purpose, as we see with our eyes of faith.
I want to have heavenly vision – don’t you? I want God’s best for me and for those around me. That only comes with spiritual vision – being led by the spirit.
