3 Life-Values needed Today

Read 2 Chronicles 14.

What more information do we need about King Asa than verse 2?  "And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God."

There were at least three solid guiding life-values evident in this chapter.

1. Purity.

His life and leadership were in direct alignment with what God wanted done.

He vigorously dealt with the present spiritual needs in getting rid of false worship and demanding obedience to God's word.

2. Preparation.

Good times do not last forever.  He used this time of peace and prosperity to equip for future needs.

3. Prayer.

When the test came, he was spiritually ready and the resources were in place.  Though prepared, the odds against him were still overwhelming.  His trust was not in the intelligence of his planning or the size of his defenses.  His reliance was on God alone.

"O LORD, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak.  Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you..." (v.11a)

4 timeless principles for a victorious Life

Read 2 Chronicles 13.

Abijah became the new king in Judah.  He was a reformer and led the southern kingdom back to full obedience to the LORD.  He could no longer stand by and watch most of God's chosen people live in open sin.

Previously, God had stopped Abijah’s father from starting a civil war.  This time the LORD would fight for Abijah.  Judah was out-numbered 2 to 1 but that did not matter.  As David's best friend, Jonathan, once declared, "Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few." (1 Samuel 14:6)

In his speech to the rebels of the north, Abijah raised the following issues:

1. God chose the lineage of David to reign over all of these people.

2. The nation divided due to Rehoboam surrounding himself with scoundrels, his youth and that he was weak as a leader.

3. Jeroboam led the split-off northern kingdom away from God and into idol worship.

4. Jeroboam rid the north of any spiritual leadership that followed the LORD.

Abijah's affirmations are timeless principles for a victorious life.

1. There was a personal commitment to God.

"But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him." (v.10)

2. There was complete obedience to God's word.

"We keep the charge of the LORD." (v.11)

3. There was submission to God's leadership in their decisions.

"God is with us at our head." (v.12)

4. There was a conscience dependency upon God.

"Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD." (v.18)

What does it take to get your Attention?

Read 2 Chronicles 12.

The reason for the failure of Rehoboam in life and as a leader is in the first verse.  He "abandoned the law of the LORD..."  And, as with any person of influence, others followed his example.

But these were God's people, living on the land that God had given to them, enjoying the blessings of God.  The LORD does not stand by idly while people misuse, abuse or are unfaithful with His stuff.  In the case of nations, God uses opposing nations to pressure or conquer those who refuse to listen to Him.

The Egyptians threatened to destroy the southern kingdom of Judah.  In God's faithfulness, He sent the Prophet Shemaiah a second time to Rehoboam.  The message from God was short and clear: "You abandoned Me, so I have abandoned you to the Egyptians."  It took this type of pressure and this sharp word from God to finally gain Rehoboam's attention.  He, along with his top leaders, humbled themselves before the LORD in an act of repentance.

God responded by sparing the people from total destruction.  However, the Egyptians did take "everything" of value that Solomon had amassed and the people lived in servitude.

1. No one gets away with ignoring or abandoning God's word and His claim on their lives. 

It may seem that way to us as we observe those who live and/or lead in disobedience to God.  But sooner or later the Divine intervention will come.  The Owner of all things will hold each individual accountable, either here or at the Judgment.

2. The question for all of us is: What does God have to do in order to get our attention so we will listen and respond to Him?

-For many who have hardened their hearts, the loss of home, health, wealth, relationships, etc. appear to have no effect.  God is speaking loudly, but they refuse to listen.

-For many others whose hearts are open, when the pressure or loss comes, they realize that God is their only source of true hope and help.  Their response to Him begins a lifelong personal relationship that can weather any storm.

-For some who have tender hearts toward God, they live expectantly and dependently on the LORD.  So, God does not have to shout to gain their attention.  He has it all the time.  The Prophet Elijah heard the voice of LORD in "the sound of a low whisper." (1 Kings 19:12b)

2 warnings that destroy Relationships

Read 2 Chronicles 11.

When Rehoboam announced that he would rule harshly, the people, not only did not comply, most of them left his kingdom.  The nation split in two.  In the north, Jeroboam led ten of the twelve tribes and, therefore, retained the name Israel for their kingdom name.  In the south, Rehoboam was king over the tribes of Judah (the largest of the twelve) and Benjamin (the smallest of the twelve).  They used the name Judah as their kingdom name.

This prompted the Rehoboam to make his second foolish decision.  He mustered his army to launch civil war.  God sent Shemaiah with a message to stop.  Thankfully, this time Rehoboam listened to God's word.

The LORD handed King Rehoboam an unparalleled opportunity.  He turned it into a disaster.  His enemy was not his fellow Israelites.  His greatest enemy was himself.

Two warnings for today:

1. Beware of self-importance.  It can lead a person to abuse their position and power, whether as a spouse, a parent, an employee, or a leader.   The sin of pride easily prompts mistreatment of others.  It causes one to consider relationships as dispensable. 

2. Be aware of personal insecurities.  The sin of fear can cause a person to be just as abusive as an ego-maniac.  To defend themselves against any and all threats, insecure people often react to others abruptly, sarcastically, or harshly in order to protect themselves.

Often, it is hard to initially tell the difference.  The outcomes of broken relationships and lost opportunities can be the same.

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned."  (Romans 12:3)  

A second look at a bad Decision

Read 2 Chronicles 10.

With a change in leadership, the nation looked for relief from the burdens of King Solomon; namely, the style of leadership, amount of work, and taxes.

The new king, Rehoboam, had been given an opportunity to be more popular than his famous father.  He inherited this expanded kingdom and all its wealth.  There could not have been anything lacking.  But this inaugural decision required wisdom and character.  Rehoboam possessed neither one.

Solomon wrote, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7)

There is no indication that Rehoboam tried to understand what God wanted him to do.  Given that, there was no way his leadership would ever last.  Solomon left the new king an advisory council to provide guidance in making important decisions.  Rehoboam met with them but ignored their wisdom.  His young, foolish friends, with their greedy agendas, swayed the king away from what was right.

Meanwhile, Jeroboam and ten of the twelve tribes of Israel waited for an answer.  The disastrous decision split the nation in two, leaving only Judah and Benjamin to remain under Rehoboam's leadership.

Two insights for us today from verse 15:

1. "So the king did not listen to the people..."

A good leader listens.  That does not mean that every decision will be popular with the majority, but it does mean that people need to feel heard.  It requires wisdom and skill to navigate what was said to make a right decision.  As a local talk show says, "It is not what is right or left.  It is what is right or wrong."

2. "...it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the LORD might fulfill his word..."

When an authority makes a bad decision, a wrong decision, or even a sinful choice there is One in heaven who is the Ultimate Authority.  It requires a spiritual perspective for followers to look beyond the human leader and trust God for the outcome.  None of Rehoboam’s actions caught God by surprise.  He predicted it.  And, the story has not concluded.  One day every wrong will be made right.  Every sin will be judged.  Every faithful person will be rewarded.

The man who had it All

Read 2 Chronicles 8-9.

Solomon expanded his kingdom.  Constructing his palace, the Temple, and other Jerusalem projects required twenty years.  Next, he turned to building the cities that King Hiram had given to him.  Then, he continued the expansion beyond Israel's borders.  He had a presence on the Mediterranean Sea.  This caused his fame to spread even more.

Along the way, he strengthened his political capital by creating allies through marriages.  Pharaoh's daughter became one of those.  These foreign wives brought with them their pagan religions and soon would result in Solomon's spiritual compromise.

The Queen of Sheba traveled some 1200 miles to see for herself.  Once she personally saw the great wealth and heard the great wisdom of Solomon, she was overwhelmed.

Solomon ruled Israel an additional twenty years.  His kingdom ultimately extended from the Euphrates River to Egypt.

What would the man who has everything be thinking now?  We are not left in doubt.  He wrote about it in the book of Ecclesiastes.  "I said in my heart, 'I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.'  And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly.  I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind." (Ecclesiastes 1:16-17)

Acquiring stuff is not what life is all about.  Sooner or later we realize that all stuff is temporal and one day we will leave it behind.  Solomon compares it to chasing the wind.  Once you grab a fist full of wind there is nothing there.

Our love for God and the lives that are changed through our service for God, we will enjoy forever.

The One necessary need in Worship

Read 2 Chronicles 7.

This is the second time God stopped the service in the dedication of the Temple with His overwhelming presence.  The immediate response was worship and saying, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever."  That line was put to music and, as the offerings were made, they sang those words.

The dedication was followed by continued celebrations and feasts with one last great assembly before returning home.

Then the LORD appeared to Solomon again to remind him of what is of primary importance.  Worshiping God was not about the building, as beautiful as it was.  It was not about the enormous quantity of the sacrifices that had been offered, though the altar in the Temple could not handle all of it.  It was not about the number of people who attended, though one would assume every able bodied person in the country tried to participate.

The LORD Himself must be the primary focus of life and behavior.  Worship is not a ritual.  It is a personal relationship with and a response to God.

In what is surely the most well-known passage of 2 Chronicles, God instructs the king about hard times ahead and the consequences of disobedience.  Yet, if the people will seek to Him, He will be found of them and helped.  "If 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 and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (v.14)

So many desire God's intervention and answers to prayer but they fail to humble themselves in surrender to the LORD and be willing to forsake all that displeases Him.  Even for those who try to live godly lives, busyness gets in the way of spending quality time with the LORD.  As Jesus said to Martha who was so busy doing good and needful things, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious about many things, but one thing is necessary." (Luke 10:41)

That one thing is Jesus.