Bible Reading Reflection from 2 Chronicles 10-22

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (DG) as a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝟚 ℂℍℝ𝕆ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟘:𝟠

"But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him."

People have this foolish tendency to ignore the advice of old people saying “it's outdated” and to listen to young people saying “they know the times better.” There's hardly any wisdom in inexperienced young people. "Wisdom comes with age" is still true! Be careful to weigh young people’s opinions against older people!

 

𝟚 ℂℍℝ𝕆ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟙:𝟚𝟙

"Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters)."

Like father, like son. Stupid. Trusting in alliances, not in God!

 

𝟚 ℂℍℝ𝕆ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟚:𝟙𝟜

"He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD."

Humans are sinners by birth, therefore everything they do will be sinful. Those whose aim is to seek God will overcome sin. Know God, know His words to overcome evil, sin, temptation, and the schemes of the deceitful world.

 

𝟚 ℂℍℝ𝕆ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟛:𝟙𝟟

"Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain."

The men of Judah were only 4 lakhs but they slew 5 lakhs people of Israel. They won miraculously. And what a bloodbath among God's people!

Now, if underground factions kill one another, remember, it's not unprecedented!

 

𝟚 ℂℍℝ𝕆ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟜:𝟙𝟙-𝟙𝟚

"Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You."  So the LORD routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled."

The fact that prayer is important and God is a lover of prayer and is an answering God is recorded even in this short account of King Asa's reign.

#Pray. #Prayer. #God.

 

𝟚 ℂℍℝ𝕆ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟝:𝟙𝟞

"He also removed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from the position of queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah, and Asa cut down her horrid image, crushed it and burned it at the brook Kidron."

Not even her mother was spared. That's what people with strong determination do. Some did it for their selfish gain. Others like Asa did it for the truth, for the restoration of godliness in his kingdom, to bring back the worship of Yahweh!

 

𝟚 ℂℍℝ𝕆ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟞:𝟡

"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars."

God looks out for those who would depend on God entirely. Not a half obedience. Not a half commitment. Not a semi-dependency. But like the three friends of Daniel, those who would even go to the furnace!

 

𝟚 ℂℍℝ𝕆ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟟:𝟛-𝟝

"The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David's earlier days and did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did. So the LORD established the kingdom in his control, and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor."

Again and again, the history of Israelites shows us obedience to the word of God brings peace and prosperity.

 

𝟚 ℂℍℝ𝕆ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟠:𝟟

“The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla.’ But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Let not the king say so.’”

We need some people around us to tell us "Let not you say such." It's not "Don't say" in a commanding way, but in a persuasive form, requesting from equal to equal or to superior. I myself have benefitted from people who have already cautioned me!

 

𝟚 ℂℍℝ𝕆ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟡:𝟞-𝟟

“He said to the judges, ‘Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD who is with you when you render judgment. Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.’”

This is what's expected of a leader. This is what we must exhort the leader. This is what we must pray for them. That they will have the fear of God. They may not be Christians, but they must fear God.

 

𝟚 ℂℍℝ𝕆ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝟚𝟘:𝟙𝟚

"O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You."

Hopefully, we have prayed like this, many times. Of course, not the physical war like this scale, but life is full of desperate moments!

This is realizing God is God and we aren't.

 

𝟚 ℂℍℝ𝕆ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝟚𝟙:𝟚𝟘

"He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed with no one's regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings."

What a sad ending. Lost everything, even his health and honor in death! Even Jehu tried to give a fitting burial for the wicked Jezebel. But nobody wept for him. He wasn't liked by anyone!

 

𝟚 ℂℍℝ𝕆ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝟚𝟚:𝟜

"He did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction."

If you have friends, counselors, partners, who aren't righteous, you too will not be far from their lifestyle. Don't fool yourself by saying, "I can protect myself from their influence." Flee like Lot and his daughters from such company.