1 & 2 Chronicles – Page 4

2 Chronicles 28:1-27 – A Bad King

Read 1 Chronicles 28:1-27

King Ahaz was a bad king from the beginning. This text gives no indication that Ahaz started out good and then spiraled into an evil frenzy. Don’t you wonder how the son of a good king (Jotham) could be so corrupt? Rebellion perhaps?

The Chronicler loves storytelling, especially when it has to do with worship. An evil king becomes evil because of who he worships. The story unfolds about an evil king with no victories or successful conquests. In fact, defeats and plundering are more abundant. Why would a king want to lead like that? Did Ahaz even realize that these repeated disappointments were because of his worship practices?

2 Chronicles 27:1-9 – Stay the Course

Read 2 Chronicles 27:1-9

Congratulations to King Jotham! He remained faithful for his entire sixteen-year reign. That’s a feat his own father and several generations of kings before him could not accomplish. The Chronicler points out, “King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to live in obedience to the Lord his God.”

Despite having a faithful king, the people Jotham ruled were still disobedient to the LORD. How do you think that made Jotham feel? The Chronicler doesn’t go into any detail about what measures Jotham may have tried to bring the people around on a spiritual level. Perhaps he hoped that his own faithfulness would be a good model for his subjects to follow.

2 Chronicles 26:1-23 – Watch Out for Pride!

Read 2 Chronicles 26:1-23

King Uzziah’s victorious life crumbles when pride takes over. This is precisely what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 16:18. It reads, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” I would say that contracting leprosy destroyed Uzziah’s life. Do you think he realized his fate was the result of his change of heart?

Uzziah’s reign was the longest so far for Judah’s kings. Before his fall, Uzziah accomplished many things for the benefit of Judah. How could anybody miss that his success was a gift from the LORD? The Chronicler’s words speak volumes here. “And as long as the king sought guidance from the LORD, God gave him success.”

2 Chronicles 25:1-28 – Don’t Anger God

Read 2 Chronicles 25:1-28

I find myself shaking my head once again at the actions of these kings. Seriously! I have to remember that while I don’t find bowing down to a sculpture to make any sense at all, I have certainly bowed to plenty of my own idols over the years. Other people may find “my” idols laughable. Why is leaving our idols behind so difficult?

Idolatry is serious business and angers God. Nothing more needs to be said, really. If something makes God mad, and you know it because time and time again you’ve seen God’s response, why keep doing it? I’m guilty as a sinner, too, so these kinds of affirmations are always helpful for me. I want to try harder to stand firmly on the truth.

2 Chronicles 24:17-27 – When We Turn From God

Read 2 Chronicles 24:17-27

Again, we see how a good king can very quickly become disillusioned and turn evil. There are some shocking twists in this passage. The Chronicler’s history differs from the parallel texts in 2 Kings, so it’s helpful to remember his focus is usually on the priests.

Without Jehoiada the priest to keep King Joash’s focus holy, other leaders swoop in and the kingdom crumbles. We’ve seen before what happens when leaders turn away from God. The warning from Jehoiada’s son could not have been clearer. Zechariah stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the Lord, and now he has abandoned you!”