Bible Reading Plan

Author: Jon Green

  • Haggai 1 + Introduction

    Haggai 1 + Introduction

    Haggai Introduction

    The book of Haggai is focused on evaluating the priorities of the people. The Jews had finally returned from many years in exile and Jerusalem was in ruins. Haggai had a message and a mission for the people. The message was that they needed to think carefully about their ways. They had forgotten about God and decided to go their own way. The mission was to rebuild the Temple. The priorities of the people were twisted, and they became blinded by their own projects and possessions instead being obedient to what the Lord called them to do. They were living in paneled houses while the Lord’s house was in ruins. 

    God’s Temple served as a visible sign of their obedience to Him and their decision to put Him first. The outline of the book is the challenge to the people and the response to the challenge. Haggai reminded them of their need to be faithful to complete the building of the Temple. The people actually listened! They began working on the Temple once again. Haggai called the exiled generation to covenant faithfulness as they looked to the promise of the future coming of God’s Kingdom and the hope that the Messiah will come through the line of Zerubbabel. This book is a great reminder for us to consider our ways. Are we seeking to build God’s kingdom or seeking to build our own? What is the Lord calling us to reprioritize in our lives? Consider these questions and more as we journey through Haggai together! 

    If you’re interested in watching The Bible Project’s overview of Haggai, click here!

    Read Haggai 1

    A Call to Build the House of the Lord

    1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest:

    2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”

    3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”

    5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

    7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. 9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops.11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

    12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.

    13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares the Lord. 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnantof the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LordAlmighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.

    The Promised Glory of the New House

    In the second year of King Darius,

    Go Deeper

    The book of Haggai was written around 520 B.C. At that time, Jerusalem had been taken over by the Babylonians and has laid in ruins since 587 B.C., making the Israelites exiles of Babylon for almost 70 years. However, the prophets of the Old Testament have been giving messages of hope, promising a New Jerusalem where a remnant of Israelites would reside in reconciliation with God. In 520 BC, Persia took over Babylon and allowed the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding. So, the Israelites are thinking that the prophesied New Jerusalem and remnant of God’s people is ready to be rebuilt. Haggai, hearing from the Lord, has other thoughts. Which is where we begin in Haggai 1. 

    As we read, we see that the first order of business after being freed is restoring the luxuries the Israelites previously had. They focus on harvesting olive oil and paneling their new homes, with their new clothes and wages that they haven’t had in years. Everything seems great, except God hasn’t been a part of any of it. They’ve neglected to rebuild His temple and give thanks for being delivered from exile. While we aren’t in a situation where we’re being delivered from exile, our actions can often line up with the Israelites today. How easy it can be to focus on working overtime or enjoying our material lives instead of honoring God with our time. 

    The book of Ecclesiastes explores this same issue. King Solomon, one of the richest people to ever walk the earth, talks of all the things he tries to do to make himself happy, but how it’s meaningless without God. Ecclesiastes 2:11-12 says “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” We have the ability to take pleasure in this world and the things in it, but the only lasting joy will be joy found in honoring God! 

    Questions

    1. What stuck out most to you about the passage? Why? 
    2. In what ways are you prioritizing your own enjoyment over God’s? 
    3. How can you honor God with your day today?

    Pray This

    Father God,

    Thank you for speaking to me through your word and for the life you have blessed me with. Help me to remember all good things come from you and that my joy can only be found in you. Show me ways I can honor you at work, at home and everywhere I go. In Jesus’s name, Amen. 

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  • Joel 3

    Joel 3

    Read Joel 3

    The Nations Judged

    3 “In those days and at that time,
        when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
    2 I will gather all nations
        and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
    There I will put them on trial
        for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
    because they scattered my people among the nations
        and divided up my land.
    3 They cast lots for my people
        and traded boys for prostitutes;
        they sold girls for wine to drink.

    4 “Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done. 5 For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. 6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland.

    7 “See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them,and I will return on your own heads what you have done. 8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away.” The Lord has spoken.

    9 Proclaim this among the nations:
        Prepare for war!
    Rouse the warriors!
        Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
    10 Beat your plowshares into swords
        and your pruning hooks into spears.
    Let the weakling say,
        “I am strong!”
    11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
        and assemble there.

    Bring down your warriors, Lord!

    12 “Let the nations be roused;
        let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
    for there I will sit
        to judge all the nations on every side.
    13 Swing the sickle,
        for the harvest is ripe.
    Come, trample the grapes,
        for the winepress is full
        and the vats overflow—
    so great is their wickedness!”

    14 Multitudes, multitudes
        in the valley of decision!
    For the day of the Lord is near
        in the valley of decision.
    15 The sun and moon will be darkened,
        and the stars no longer shine.
    16 The Lord will roar from Zion
        and thunder from Jerusalem;
        the earth and the heavens will tremble.
    But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,
        a stronghold for the people of Israel.

    Blessings for God’s People

    17 “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God,
        dwell in Zion, my holy hill.
    Jerusalem will be holy;
        never again will foreigners invade her.

    18 “In that day the mountains will drip new wine,
        and the hills will flow with milk;
        all the ravines of Judah will run with water.
    A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house
        and will water the valley of acacias.
    19 But Egypt will be desolate,
        Edom a desert waste,
    because of violence done to the people of Judah,
        in whose land they shed innocent blood.
    20 Judah will be inhabited forever
        and Jerusalem through all generations.
    21 Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?
        No, I will not.”

    The Lord dwells in Zion!

    Go Deeper

    Each chapter in the amazing book of Joel has references to “the Day of the Lord.” Charlies Ryrie, a well-known Bible scholar and teacher, defines this day as God’s special intervention in the affairs of human history. God had three ways He intervened in the Old Testament:

    • God’s obvious intervention in the affairs of Israel and its effects on their enemies
    • Partial fulfillment of prophecies
    • Full prophecies of the second coming of Christ and the promises to believers in that time

    The stories of Abraham, Moses, and Joseph are full of interventions of God’s grace and mercy to His chosen people. For example, providing the promised son Isaac to Abraham and Sarah in their 90s. Moses led Israel out of Egyptian captivity with God holding back the Red Sea and then destroying the powerful Egyptian army with that same sea. Joseph survived his own brother’s betrayal to become second in command in Egypt with God’s purpose to save His people. 

    Through these stories and others, we must think about our own stories of God’s intervention in our lives to redeem us, move us, fill us, grow us, and glorify Himself to an unbelieving world. We serve a living God who is with us every moment. Joel’s name means “Yahweh is God” which puts the emphasis upon us, through Joel, that we serve the King of Kings who loves, redeems, and restores us today as well as into eternity. What a mighty God we serve!

    This chapter also details this prophetic “Day of the Lord” referring to the second coming of Christ. The first 17 verses are during His return and describe the gathering and restoration of Israel, and the avenging judgment of all the nations that have persecuted them. In Joel 3:2,12, and 24, the gathering is prophesied to take place in the valley of Jehoshaphat which is located 11 miles east of Jerusalem.  When something is mentioned three times in the same chapter, it must be important. Jehoshaphat in Hebrew means, “God has judged.” 

    All prophecy in scripture shows the coming tribulation period to be one of suffering, hardship, and trials unlike ever in human history. Our God is a loving merciful God, but He will also right the suffering of Israel, humanity, and all those who are His. We must respond to His love and mercy with a desire to live His ways in loving service to Him and all people along our path. When we rightly understand the Gospel, we are then free to live and breathe in the freedom of forgiveness from eternal judgment described here because of Jesus. God will reign in the New Jerusalem and we, as believers, will be with Him forever. 

    Let’s bring many people with us by being the hands and feet of Jesus proclaiming His love and mercy and grace everywhere we go. Our promise in Joel 3:16, for us as His children, is joyous and clear: “And the Lord roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble. But the Lord is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel.” May He be your refuge and stronghold today and forever.

    Questions

    1. Describe a time when God intervened in your life and how it has made a difference for you. Tell your Life Group or a friend about this significant part of your story.
    2. Why do you think God intervenes in history in the ways you have read?
    3. Discuss your thoughts with your Life Group about the “Day of the Lord” mentioned above and what it will look like?

    A Quote

    Matthew Henry, a well-known Bible commentary writer says, “Most of the prophets foretell the same final victory of the church of God over all that oppose it. To the wicked it will be a terrible day, but to the righteous it will be a joyful day. What cause have those who possess an interest in Christ, to glory in their Strength and Redeemer!”

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  • Joel 2

    Joel 2

    Read Joel 2

    An Army of Locusts

    2 Blow the trumpet in Zion;
        sound the alarm on my holy hill.

    Let all who live in the land tremble,
        for the day of the Lord is coming.
    It is close at hand—
    2     a day of darkness and gloom,
        a day of clouds and blackness.
    Like dawn spreading across the mountains
        a large and mighty army comes,
    such as never was in ancient times
        nor ever will be in ages to come.

    3 Before them fire devours,
        behind them a flame blazes.
    Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,
        behind them, a desert waste—
        nothing escapes them.
    4 They have the appearance of horses;
        they gallop along like cavalry.
    5 With a noise like that of chariots
        they leap over the mountaintops,
    like a crackling fire consuming stubble,
        like a mighty army drawn up for battle.

    6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;
        every face turns pale.
    7 They charge like warriors;
        they scale walls like soldiers.
    They all march in line,
        not swerving from their course.
    8 They do not jostle each other;
        each marches straight ahead.
    They plunge through defenses
        without breaking ranks.
    9 They rush upon the city;
        they run along the wall.
    They climb into the houses;
        like thieves they enter through the windows.

    10 Before them the earth shakes,
        the heavens tremble,
    the sun and moon are darkened,
        and the stars no longer shine.
    11 The Lord thunders
        at the head of his army;
    his forces are beyond number,
        and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
    The day of the Lord is great;
        it is dreadful.
        Who can endure it?

    Rend Your Heart

    12 “Even now,” declares the Lord,
        “return to me with all your heart,
        with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

    13 Rend your heart
        and not your garments.
    Return to the Lord your God,
        for he is gracious and compassionate,
    slow to anger and abounding in love,
        and he relents from sending calamity.
    14 Who knows? He may turn and relent
        and leave behind a blessing—
    grain offerings and drink offerings
        for the Lord your God.

    15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
        declare a holy fast,
        call a sacred assembly.
    16 Gather the people,
        consecrate the assembly;
    bring together the elders,
        gather the children,
        those nursing at the breast.
    Let the bridegroom leave his room
        and the bride her chamber.
    17 Let the priests, who minister before the Lord,
        weep between the portico and the altar.
    Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.
        Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,
        a byword among the nations.
    Why should they say among the peoples,
        ‘Where is their God?’”

    The Lord’s Answer

    18 Then the Lord was jealous for his land
        and took pity on his people.

    19 The Lord replied to them:

    “I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil,
        enough to satisfy you fully;
    never again will I make you
        an object of scorn to the nations.

    20 “I will drive the northern horde far from you,
        pushing it into a parched and barren land;
    its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea
        and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.
    And its stench will go up;
        its smell will rise.”

    Surely he has done great things!
    21     Do not be afraid, land of Judah;
        be glad and rejoice.
    Surely the Lord has done great things!
    22     Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
        for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.
    The trees are bearing their fruit;
        the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.
    23 Be glad, people of Zion,
        rejoice in the Lord your God,
    for he has given you the autumn rains
        because he is faithful.
    He sends you abundant showers,
        both autumn and spring rains, as before.
    24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
        the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

    25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
        the great locust and the young locust,
        the other locusts and the locust swarm—
    my great army that I sent among you.
    26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
        and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
        who has worked wonders for you;
    never again will my people be shamed.
    27 Then you will know that I am in Israel,
        that I am the Lord your God,
        and that there is no other;
    never again will my people be shamed.

    The Day of the Lord

    28 “And afterward,
        I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
    Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
        your old men will dream dreams,
        your young men will see visions.
    29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
        I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
    30 I will show wonders in the heavens
        and on the earth,
        blood and fire and billows of smoke.
    31 The sun will be turned to darkness
        and the moon to blood
        before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
    32 And everyone who calls
        on the name of the Lord will be saved;
    for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
        there will be deliverance,
        as the Lord has said,
    even among the survivors
        whom the Lord calls.

    Go Deeper

    We read in the previous chapter about the locust invasion as a warning to Judah to repent quickly. Joel symbolically describes locusts as a human army. They destroyed every plant, tree, vine, and fruit, to the point where the land was desolate. The imagery here is sobering. This was just a shadow of what was to come on the day of the Lord. Joel called the people to humble themselves, fast, and seek God’s forgiveness. This chapter addresses the day of the Lord by means of a foreign army, which did happen when Israel was defeated by its enemies and taken into exile. The Lord declares, “Return to me with all your heart. There is still time. Do not eat any food. Weep and mourn. Don’t just tear your clothes to show how sad you are. Let your hearts be broken. Return to the Lord your God” (NIrV v. 12-13). There is a call to wake up and to take sin seriously. To not be casual about it, but to go to war with it. 

    During this time, it was a custom to tear your clothes as a response to a serious situation. We see this displayed in the book of Job. When Job lost everything, he tore his robe and fell to the ground. Verse 13 is telling the people to not only tear their clothes but to tear their hearts over their sin. To be broken hearted over their transgressions. Repentance is a change of direction. God is gracious and compassionate and promises that the repentant will be redeemed. This is really great news! Would we be a people who run from our sin and radically pursue holiness. God promises restoration for His people, both physically and spiritually. He says, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten….my great army that I sent among you” (v. 25). God is going to restore all things, so that people may know that He is the Lord and there is no other. 

    After the physical restoration will come the spiritual restoration. God declares, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions” (v. 28). This promise brings hope! Joel was the first prophet to teach that the Holy Spirit was not just for certain individuals or Jews, but for all people who have trusted in Christ. This prophecy was fulfilled in Acts 2. After Jesus ascended into Heaven, the Holy Spirit came to Pentecost and people “began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4). 

    People were confused as to what was happening, so Peter got up and quoted from the prophet Joel and explained what the Lord had promised. The same Spirit that came at Pentecost and rose Jesus from the dead dwells within us today. We are empowered when we depend on the Holy Spirit, knowing His power is so much greater than ours! Second Peter 1:3 tells us that, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life.” With the Holy Spirit in us, we can have great confidence in knowing that we are equipped to fight sin, stand firm against the schemes of the enemy, and pursue a life of holiness God calls us to.

    Questions

    1. What is a sin in your life that you have been casual about? What does it look like to be broken-hearted over your sin, and to run away from it to pursue holiness? 
    2. God calls His people to consecrate a fast in this chapter and in the previous one. Fasting is a reminder to us that we need God more than we need anything else. When was the last time you fasted? How can you integrate fasting more often as a spiritual discipline in your life? 
    3. This chapter is known for the promise of the Holy Spirit! How do you know when the Holy Spirit is guiding you? What does it look like for you to walk in step with the Spirit? (Galatians 5:16)

    Watch This

    To learn more about the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible, check out this video from The Bible Project! 

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  • Joel 1 + Introduction

    Joel 1 + Introduction

    Joel Introduction

    The key idea for the book of Joel is that the day of the Lord is near. This phrase means that the day of the Lord is coming both in the near future and in the far future. This is a day full of wrath and judgment. A day where the repentant will receive salvation and the resistant will come to ruin. This judgment is not just for Judah, but for all nations. The day of the Lord previously came in the form of a locust plague (Joel 1), it will come soon in the form of divine judgment by means of foreign armies (Joel 2), and it will come in the future when all the nations of the earth will be judged (Joel 3.) 

    This book was written by Joel, son of Pethuel, to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. There is some mystery surrounding the context of this book. It is not clear when it was written, or the specific sin that Israel has committed, but Joel references many other Old Testament books that give us some background. Joel is poetic and prophetic in nature and known for the past invasion of locusts and the future outpouring of the Spirit. There is a call of the people to wake up and weep over their sin against a holy God. To be broken hearted over their grievances and repent. Would we be a people who do the same. 

    Follow along with us through this Old Testament prophet to see the consequences of sin, the promise of the Spirit, and ultimately a hope for a future where a good God will dwell with His people once again.

    Read Joel 1

    1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel son of Pethuel.

    An Invasion of Locusts

    2 Hear this, you elders;
        listen, all who live in the land.
    Has anything like this ever happened in your days
        or in the days of your ancestors?
    3 Tell it to your children,
        and let your children tell it to their children,
        and their children to the next generation.
    4 What the locust swarm has left
        the great locusts have eaten;
    what the great locusts have left
        the young locusts have eaten;
    what the young locusts have left
        other locusts have eaten.

    5 Wake up, you drunkards, and weep!
        Wail, all you drinkers of wine;
    wail because of the new wine,
        for it has been snatched from your lips.
    6 A nation has invaded my land,
        a mighty army without number;
    it has the teeth of a lion,
        the fangs of a lioness.
    7 It has laid waste my vines
        and ruined my fig trees.
    It has stripped off their bark
        and thrown it away,
        leaving their branches white.

    8 Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth
        grieving for the betrothed of her youth.
    9 Grain offerings and drink offerings
        are cut off from the house of the Lord.
    The priests are in mourning,
        those who minister before the Lord.
    10 The fields are ruined,
        the ground is dried up;
    the grain is destroyed,
        the new wine is dried up,
        the olive oil fails.

    11 Despair, you farmers,
        wail, you vine growers;
    grieve for the wheat and the barley,
        because the harvest of the field is destroyed.
    12 The vine is dried up
        and the fig tree is withered;
    the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree—
        all the trees of the field—are dried up.
    Surely the people’s joy
        is withered away.

    A Call to Lamentation

    13 Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn;
        wail, you who minister before the altar.
    Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
        you who minister before my God;
    for the grain offerings and drink offerings
        are withheld from the house of your God.
    14 Declare a holy fast;
        call a sacred assembly.
    Summon the elders
        and all who live in the land
    to the house of the Lord your God,
        and cry out to the Lord.

    15 Alas for that day!
        For the day of the Lord is near;
        it will come like destruction from the Almighty.

    16 Has not the food been cut off
        before our very eyes—
    joy and gladness
        from the house of our God?
    17 The seeds are shriveled
        beneath the clods.
    The storehouses are in ruins,
        the granaries have been broken down,
        for the grain has dried up.
    18 How the cattle moan!
        The herds mill about
    because they have no pasture;
        even the flocks of sheep are suffering.

    19 To you, Lord, I call,
        for fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness
        and flames have burned up all the trees of the field.
    20 Even the wild animals pant for you;
        the streams of water have dried up
        and fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness.

    Go Deeper

    In this passage, we see Joel deliver a message to a wayward nation of Judah who is being punished by a plague of locusts. Joel pleads with the people to remember. Why remember? God desires us to turn to Him, not just because of righteous jealousy, but also for our ultimate good. Turning these people back to Him is a major kindness, but God doesn’t stop there! Not only does He want to help the current wayward people in Judah, but in His kindness, He wants to help all future wayward people too by hearing this message that has been passed down from generation to generation!  

    This kindness of remembrance also speaks into our human tendency to forget and drift away from God. It’s what caused the people of Judah their current predicament and still is a pattern that plagues us today. They had other stories of their ancestors turning to idols and away from God. Yet despite this, they still fell into the same pattern partially due to a lack of vigilance in their walk with God and failing to remember and retell these important stories and lessons. 

    In the passage, God had to make their devastation so widespread to disrupt their patterns of life and yank their attention back to Him! Specifically, He had to remove idolized objects and disrupt the empty routines! These issues still plague our daily lives, wrestling focus away from Him! Sometimes, like the worship practices of Judah’s priests, our routines can externally appear as Godly practices but missing a Godly focus. Sometimes the removal of idols can be difficult and painful as it was with the people of Judah, but with an eternal perspective, it is one of the greatest acts of love God can provide! After these idolized objects and empty routines have been removed, we are forced to choose a different focus point and have the opportunity to  reset our focus, joy, and need appropriately on God!

    These stories should serve as a reminder to be alert, be on guard, remember and don’t repeat the sins of the past!

    Questions

    1. What objects/routines are common in your life? Take time to consider their value and whether they’ve accidentally taken precedence over your walk with the Lord. 
    2. What stories have you taught your children and repeated for your own learning?
    3. How can you include stories like Joel 1 into your family routine to where they are not forgotten but remembered and learned from.

    Watch This

    Check out this overview of Joel from The Bible Project! 

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  • Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. 

    Watch This

    As we wrap up 2 Chronicles and start reading from a few of the minor prophets, check out this video from The Bible Project on how to read the prophetic books!

    Worship with us

    Join us in person or online at 9a or 11a at harriscreek.org/live. We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

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  • 2 Chronicles 36

    2 Chronicles 36

    Read 2 Chronicles 36

    Judah’s Decline

    36 The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem. 2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.3 Then the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt.

    5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. 6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried part of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his palace in Babylon. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and the abominations that he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

    9 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 10 In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

    11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. 13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. 14 All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem.

    15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

    Jerusalem Captured and Burned

    17 Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. 18 And all the vessels 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 princes, all these he brought to Babylon. 19 And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels. 20 He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

    The Proclamation of Cyrus

    22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’”

    Go Deeper

    Throughout all of 2 Chronicles, and especially in today’s reading, we see a trend that still applies today: just because the world wants something, does not mean that it is actually good for us. We see a common theme of the preferences of the majority of people being placed over the will and desire of the Lord. This never ends well. Not in 2 Chronicles 36. Not in the Old Testament. Not in the New Testament. And not today.

    Reading this chapter feels a little…chaotic. One king appointed, another one carried off to a place, then another king carried off to another place, and so on and so forth. King after king, place after place, battle after battle, complete and utter chaos. Is chaos a characteristic of the Lord? First Corinthians 14:33 says that God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. Does this portion of history represented in this chapter of Scripture trend more towards disorder or peace? It is easy to read these texts and ask, “Why would they not see their mistakes and turn to the Lord? Clearly this was not working.” It is even easier to point the finger today and say, “Why doesn’t society today see their mistakes and turn to the Lord? Clearly this is not working.” However, God calls us to turn that finger around and point it at ourselves. 

    If your common thought pattern when reading Scripture is consistently, “I need to send this to ____,” or “These people in Scripture sure sound like ____,” then there might be a pride problem. If when listening to sermons you think, “I hope ____ is listening to this, they need to hear this,” you might have a pride problem. The common theme of people not knowing what they want does not just apply to “people,” it applies to all of us on an individual level. These texts are not historical reminders for the sake of knowing some fun Bible trivia. These texts are a reminder that we should not trust our own desires, our own plans, or our own opinions. 

    At the end of 2 Chronicles, we are issued a historical warning for what happens when we follow our own desires, plans, and opinions: Jerusalem falls. Death is everywhere. Not even the elderly and children are spared. This is where our ideas take us. God’s plan takes us to abundant life (John 10:10). Death or Life? This decision is not just for others who you deem more “lost.” It is a decision for you to make every day, every hour, and every moment. A decision that can only be made by relying on the strength of the Holy Spirit. Press into Him today. Let Him lead you to abundant life.

    Questions

    1. In what areas are you pursuing your own opinions rather than God’s truth?
    2. Do you tend to think Scripture and sermons that point out sin apply to others more than you? Why?
    3. Notice the age of the kings. They are all different, yet they all committed evil against a holy God. Why do you think it matters that we are shown ages besides just it being a historical fact? Remember Matthew 18:2-4.

    Watch This

    Now that we’re finished with 2 Chronicles, go back and watch this video from The Bible Project about all that transpired during 1 and 2 Chronicles.

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  • 2 Chronicles 35

    2 Chronicles 35

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    Josiah Keeps the Passover

    35 Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem. And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He appointed the priests to their offices and encouraged them in the service of the house of the Lord. 3 And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, “Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. 4 Prepare yourselves according to your fathers’ houses by your divisions, as prescribed in the writing of David king of Israel and the document of Solomon his son. 5 And stand in the Holy Place according to the groupings of the fathers’ houses of your brothers the lay people, and according to the division of the Levites by fathers’ household. 6 And slaughter the Passover lamb, and consecrate yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the word of the Lord by Moses.”

    7 Then Josiah contributed to the lay people, as Passover offerings for all who were present, lambs and young goats from the flock to the number of 30,000, and 3,000 bulls; these were from the king’s possessions. 8 And his officials contributed willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the chief officers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 bulls.9 Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 bulls.

    10 When the service had been prepared for, the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their divisions according to the king’s command. 11 And they slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests threw the blood that they received from them while the Levites flayed the sacrifices. 12 And they set aside the burnt offerings that they might distribute them according to the groupings of the fathers’ houses of the lay people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the Book of Moses. And so they did with the bulls. 13 And they roasted the Passover lamb with fire according to the rule; and they boiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the lay people. 14 And afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat parts until night; so the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15 The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place according to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at each gate. They did not need to depart from their service, for their brothers the Levites prepared for them.

    16 So all the service of the Lord was prepared that day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, according to the command of King Josiah. 17 And the people of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days.18 No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as was kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.

    Josiah Killed in Battle

    20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. 21 But he sent envoys to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.” 22 Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo. 23 And the archers shot King Josiah. And the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.”24 So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.25 Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a rule in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his good deeds according to what is written in the Law of the Lord, 27 and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

    Go Deeper

    This chapter, the next to last in 2 Chronicles, is one of mixed emotions. We read of the celebratory Passover dinner, which was well attended by people from both the north and south. Every detail in the Law was accounted for and God was honored through their celebration. The reign of Josiah was still going strong! He was righting the wrongs of so many of his predecessors and he was one of the most faithful kings in all of Judah’s history. But then, a sudden downturn. 

    A battle broke out and Josiah decided to insert himself into it, even though Neco (the king of Egypt) warned him against participating on God’s behalf (v. 21). For whatever reason, Josiah trusted his own instincts and impulses instead of trusting the message God has sent him through Neco. Josiah even went so far as to disguise himself so he could participate in the battle. As a result, Josiah was taken down in the battle by an archer. All of a sudden, the reign of this faithful king was over in a fateful moment. 

    The end of the passage ends in mourning. All of Judah and Jerusalem were grieving the loss of the king, as well as the prophet Jeremiah (v. 24-25). The Chronicler makes a point of mentioning just how grieved everyone was. This is a testament to Josiah’s faithfulness as their ruler. By seeking the heart of God during his reign as king, God’s blessing was on Josiah’s reign. As a result, the people prospered. It was clear that the Lord rewarded Josiah’s righteousness and faithfulness, which is consistent with God’s character (1 Samuel 26:23).

    Reading this passage, it is hard to not feel a tinge of sorrow for the way Josiah’s reign ended. As we have read through 2 Chronicles, we have read of so many wicked and unrighteous kings. Josiah was one of the good guys! This passage serves as a reminder to always test our motives alongside God’s Word. While Josiah had Neco bring him a message on God’s behalf, we have the benefit of having the Holy Spirit inside of us and God’s Word to test our motives. If our hearts aren’t aligned with God’s heart, we will ultimately pursue our own desires and fall short, just as Josiah did. 

    Questions

    1. What stuck out to you as you first read through this chapter? Why?
    2. Why was the Passover so significant to King Josiah? What was the importance of it being so perfect?
    3. The end of Josiah’s reign was ultimately a result of his poor choices. What can you proactively do to ensure that you will finish well?

    A Quote

    Pastor and author Tim Keller, who passed away in 2023, is a great example of finishing well. Here are the last words he said as he went to be with Jesus:

    “I’m thankful for all the people who’ve prayed for me over the years. I’m thankful for my family that loves me. I’m thankful for the time God has given me, but I’m ready to see Jesus. I can’t wait to see Jesus. Send me home.”

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  • 2 Chronicles 34

    2 Chronicles 34

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    Josiah Reigns in Judah

    34 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images. 4 And they chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6 And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins[a] all around, 7 he broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

    The Book of the Law Found

    8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God. 9 They came to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel and from all Judah and Benjamin and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 And they gave it to the workmen who were working in the house of the Lord. And the workmen who were working in the house of the Lord gave it for repairing and restoring the house. 11 They gave it to the carpenters and the builders to buy quarried stone, and timber for binders and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. 12 And the men did the work faithfully. Over them were set Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to have oversight. The Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music, 13 were over the burden-bearers and directed all who did work in every kind of service, and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.

    14 While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lordgiven through[b] Moses. 15 Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. 16 Shaphan brought the book to the king, and further reported to the king, “All that was committed to your servants they are doing. 17 They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the Lord and have given it into the hand of the overseers and the workmen.” 18 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it before the king.

    19 And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes. 20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 21 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

    Huldah Prophesies Disaster

    22 So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent[c] went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and spoke to her to that effect. 23 And she said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 24 Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book that was read before the king of Judah.25 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched. 26 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 27 because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord.28 Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.’” And they brought back word to the king.

    29 Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 And the king went up to the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. 31 And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. 32 Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin join in it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.33 And Josiah took away all the abominations from all the territory that belonged to the people of Israel and made all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not turn away from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.

    Go Deeper

    Following the assassination of King Amon, his father, Josiah assumed the throne at the age of eight (!) years old. If the thought of an eight year old ruling the land that you live in makes you nervous, you wouldn’t be alone. But, even early on, Josiah’s reign started off promising. He sought after God and removed the idols that were the object of false worship. 

    After 18 years on the throne, he ordered that repairs be made to the temple. Once the restoration project began, something happened that changed the trajectory of Josiah’s reign: He encountered the Book of the Law of the Lord.

    According to Deuteronomy 31:24-27, there should have been a copy of the Law in the temple near the ark of the covenant. It’s possible that this book had been there all along and King Josiah just hadn’t seen it. It’s also possible that it had been buried or misplaced. Either way, let’s re-read what verse 19 says: “When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.” Remember, this book was the closest thing to the scriptures they would have had back then. These were God’s commandments and instructions that He had given to Moses. As soon as Josiah heard God’s Word, he realized just how far away they had drifted from God’s original intentions. It pierced his heart and the response was lament and grief, so he instantly threw himself into repentance. 

    God meets Josiah’s repentant heart with grace and mercy. He saw Josiah’s humility and decided to hold off on the judgment that was headed their way. God meets our own disobedience and straying from His Word with grace and mercy each time we respond with repentance. When we turn from sin and (like Josiah) say “no more”, we see the heart of a loving Father who cares for his children. This is such a powerful picture of what happens when we take sin seriously! We have an opportunity to use God’s Word (from Genesis to Revelation) as a mirror into our own lives and see how God wants to transform our hearts into ones that look more like His.

    Questions

    1. What stuck out to you as you first read through this chapter? Why?
    2. When was the last time that, by coming face-to-face with God’s Word, you realized you needed to repent?
    3. Where have you drifted from God’s original intentions over time? How has sin crept into your own life? Take some time today to repent and humble yourself before God like Josiah did.

    By the Way

    Hebrews 4:12 is a great reminder for us that the Word of God is to be like a mirror that shows us when our hearts don’t align with God’s heart:

    “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

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  • 2 Chronicles 33

    2 Chronicles 33

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    Manasseh Reigns in Judah

    33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem shall my name be forever.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of the idol that he had made he set in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever, 8 and I will no more remove the foot of Israel from the land that I appointed for your fathers, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the statutes, and the rules given through Moses.” 9 Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.

    Manasseh’s Repentance

    10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. 11 Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.

    14 Afterward he built an outer wall for the city of David west of Gihon, in the valley, and for the entrance into the Fish Gate, and carried it around Ophel, and raised it to a very great height. He also put commanders of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah. 15 And he took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside of the city. 16 He also restored the altar of the Lord and offered on it sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. 17 Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.

    18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, behold, they are in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 19 And his prayer, and how God was moved by his entreaty, and all his sin and his faithlessness, and the sites on which he built high places and set up the Asherim and the images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the Chronicles of the Seers.[a] 20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his house, and Amon his son reigned in his place.

    Amon’s Reign and Death

    21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done. Amon sacrificed to all the images that Manasseh his father had made, and served them. 23 And he did not humble himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself, but this Amon incurred guilt more and more. 24 And his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his house. 25 But the people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon. And the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.

    Go Deeper

    In the past few chapters, we’ve seen Hezekiah diligently work for 29 years to serve God faithfully, and today we see how quickly his son, Manasseh, undoes it all. 

    Manasseh, Judah’s longest-reigning leader, caused great harm by restoring polytheistic worship, rebuilding idols, and promoting astrotheology (worshiping stars, planets, etc. as deities). He worshiped the proverbial ”bad pennies,” Baal and Asherah, practiced sorcery, and placed an idol in God’s temple. Temptations from foreign alliances and intermarriages continued to lead the Israelites astray. Without a strong leader like Hezekiah to constantly steer them away from these influences and toward God, the Israelites were carried away in these corrupt currents.

    This account is also recorded in 2 Kings 21, but we get an important additional piece of the story here in 2 Chronicles: Manasseh’s redemption. The Assyrians took the king prisoner and hauled him to Baylon, most likely for failing to meet trade requirements. During his captivity, Manasseh cried out to God, and God showed him mercy. He allowed the king to return home and “That convinced Manasseh that God was in control.” (v. 13, The Message) Upon his return, Manasseh rebuilt the defensive walls, strengthened fortresses, and cleansed the Temple of pagan idols. He restored worship to God and urged the people to serve Him. However, “Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.” (v. 17)

    Manasseh’s story demonstrates the lasting influence we have on others. While we absolutely have access to God’s redeeming grace this world carries natural consequences. Our actions and behaviors are not ours alone; they affect others. Even though Manasseh sought to cleanse the kingdom and encouraged the worship of God, the people’s deep-rooted practices and attachments to pagan rituals made it challenging to reverse the consequences fully. The consequences continued when his son became king and returned to evil ways, which eventually led to his assassination and internal divisions. 

    What we do and say has an effect on this broken world, for good or for ill. To maximize the good and minimize the bad, we are called to be diligent in our focus on reflecting God’s love.

    Questions

    1. While it may not be Baal and Asherah, what idols in your life keep showing up to distract you from God?
    2. In what ways have your actions recently affected others? Was it for good or for evil?
    3. How can you salt and light in the world today? What is one thing you can do to reflect God in the next 24 hours?

    By the Way

    Manasseh and his kingdom would have benefited from following Hezekiah’s example, diligently working to stay focused on God. In the New Testament, Paul encourages Christians to do the same. Read Hebrews 12:1-3 in multiple versions of Scripture to see how we are encouraged to stay focused on God.

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  • 2 Chronicles 32

    2 Chronicles 32

    Read 2 Chronicles 32

    Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem

    32 After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. 2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to wage war against Jerusalem, 3 he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him. 4 They gathered a large group of people who blocked all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said. 5 Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the terraces of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons and shields.

    6 He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words:7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

    9 Later, when Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces were laying siege to Lachish, he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah king of Judah and for all the people of Judah who were there:

    10 “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11 When Hezekiah says, ‘The Lord our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,’ he is misleading you, to let you die of hunger and thirst. 12 Did not Hezekiah himself remove this god’s high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar and burn sacrifices on it’?

    13 “Do you not know what I and my predecessors have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand? 14 Who of all the gods of these nations that my predecessors destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand? 15 Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my predecessors. How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!”

    16 Sennacherib’s officers spoke further against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 The king also wrote letters ridiculing the Lord, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: “Just as the gods of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.” 18 Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. 19 They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world—the work of human hands.

    20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. 21 And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.

    22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side. 23 Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lordand valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations.

    Hezekiah’s Pride, Success and Death

    24 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign.25 But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.

    27 Hezekiah had very great wealth and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. 28 He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and olive oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. 29 He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.

    30 It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook. 31 But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.

    32 The other events of Hezekiah’s reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33 Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

    Go Deeper

    King Hezekiah was one of the few kings of Judah who was constantly aware of God’s goodness, and he put God first in everything he did. Second Chronicles 32 opens with an attack from an enemy nation, Assyria. At this point, Hezekiah is a wise king –his downfall hasn’t yet begun. The Bible describes Hezekiah as a king who had a close relationship with God, one who did “what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God” (v. 20).

    Then Assyria and its king, Sennacherib, decided to attack Jerusalem. However, Hezekiah outsmarts them. He cuts off their water supply, builds up the wall around the city, secures towers, stocks up on weapons, and organizes his army and encourages them. He reminds them that God is on their side. He doesn’t boast about all the work he has done–he centers his encouragement on the fact that God is with them. This is very important in Scripture! In a world where everything teaches us to “Believe! Have faith in yourself! You’ve got this!”, Scripture teaches us to believe in God and trust that He’s at work in our lives. King Hezekiah didn’t focus on his abilities or the army of Jerusalem. Instead, he put focus on God’s abilities and reminded them that that is where their hope should lie. 

    After Hezekiah encourages his army, Sennacherib comes to intimidate the people of Judah. While he is busy taunting and terrifying them, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah cry out to God. Assyria thinks they are going to fight a physical battle, but Hezekiah knows better. Isaiah 37:36 says, “Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!” 

    Then the people celebrated–God had saved them from Assyria! Second Chronicles 32:23 says, “Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah.” It states that King Hezekiah was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward. This is probably the downfall of King Hezekiah. Although people brought offerings to the Lord, it was King Hezekiah that was exalted among the nations. And soon, his pride takes over and leads to his demise. All of the wealth, gifts, and treasures he showed off all came to him from winning a battle that King Hezekiah didn’t even fight. When someone is being prideful, they forget their Source. This is what takes down kings and it’s what took down Satan. 

    However, Hezekiah’s life is (for the most part) a model of faithfulness. Hezekiah’s trust in the Lord was rewarded with answered prayers, successful endeavors, and miraculous victory. When he was faced with an impossible situation, Hezekiah did exactly what we are called to do: he prayed. And God answered.

    Questions

    1. Most believers have no problem believing God can do great things but wrestle immensely when it comes to asking God for personal things in their own lives. Is this something that you struggle with?  
    2. It is good for us to know ourselves and our own weaknesses. King Hezekiah’s weakness was pride. What is a weakness of yours that you struggle with? How can your Life Group be praying for you?
    3. When faced with a difficult situation, is it hard for you to remember the first thing you should do is pray? Why or why not?

    A Quote

    “It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you.”

    Tim Keller

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