In today’s section, we read about:
The rest of Solomon’s reign, including the visit of the Queen of Sheba
The revolt of the northern tribes and the division of the kingdom
The reigns of Reheboam and Abijah
Good kings Asa and Jehoshophat
The bad kings Jehoram, Ahaziah and Queen Athaliah
Some thoughts that occurred to me:
7:11-22 – God is kind and good is restating his promises to Solomon, that if they obey, He will not break his covenant. When I read 1:21 “and though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to the Temple?’”, I thought that these same questions have been said about the Holocaust and everything that the Jews have had to suffer over the centuries.
8:11 – Solomon realises that his Egyptian wife should not be allowed near God’s presence
The account in Chronicles gives a much more sanitised, and therefore favourable, account of Solomon than we get in Kings. There is no indication of the reason the kingdom splits other than an oblique reference in 10:15 that “this turn of events was the will of God”. God intervenes in 11:2-4 so that civil war is averted at this time.
The contrast is marked between 10:16 and 1 Chr 11:1.
It is interesting that lots of people from the north choose to come south, so they can worship God (11:13-17; 15:9) – Ps 73 was written with this in the background? (Don Cole)
God responds to repentance and people turning to him – 12:7
14:11 – Asa’s prayer may have been made out of desperation, but it is answered. Asa had true insight and perspective “O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!”
15:2 is a great promise of divine humility and grace – “the Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him!”
15:12 – “then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul”. The result? v15 – “All in Judah were happy about this covenant, for they had entered into it with all their heart. They earnestly sought after God, and they found him. And the Lord gave them rest from their enemies.”
15:16 – the Asherah pole is described as obscene – yet we don’t really regard our idols as such.
15:17 – “Asa’s heart was completely faithful throughout his life” compares with 16:7 “because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God…… what a fool you have been!” (16:9). 16:12 shows how far he was determined not to accept God’s rebuke, even with his foot disease.
17:9 – Jehoshaphat is totally committed, not just on his own account, but also to carry out his responsibility for the people, as he sends out senior official with the books of the Law to instruct everyone in God’s ways.
19:7, 9 – Jehoshaphat repeats God’s commands for justice
20:3 – Jehoshaphat was terrified, but he still knew to whom he could turn – “(he) begged the Lord for guidance”.
20:7 contains the stand-out phrase for me – “the descendants of *YOUR FRIEND ABRAHAM*”!!!!!!!!!
20:15 is a great reassurance – “Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged…, for the battle is not yours, but God’s”. After that, all they had to do was go out in faith, believing and trusting that God would do what he said. And then God delivered them in the most amazing way.
21:6-7 – even though Jehoram followed the ways of Ahab, God didn’t destroy his line, because of His great love for David.
23:1 – I like the way that before he summoned the army commanders who would help carry out the coup, Jehoiada summoned his courage.
2 comments:
These comments are related to what I have read on Adam's blog over the last few days. Of course I wouldn't have reacted like Milcah to David - give me a man who can dance any day - but then he had taken over her father's throne I suppose.
29 14-15 is in the Anglican liturgy for receiving offerings I think "For all things come from you and of your own do we give you..."
Regarding whether Solomon had a choice to build the temple, I think these books of Kings and Chronicles have shown the huge breadth of the free will God gives His people. And most of them seem to choose the wrong route - all those kings and the people of Israel after all those signs still there with their asherah poles at the first opportunity.
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