2 Chronicles 8:1-18 – Accomplishments

Read 2 Chronicles 8:1-18

After so much focus on the temple, the Chronicler now shifts to tell us more about Solomon’s accomplishments as king. Whereas King David had been a visionary military king, Solomon was the king of construction!

Solomon’s royal projects seem to have been well organized. His labor force was made up of foreigners while Solomon’s own Israelite people were given more “important” tasks, like protecting the kingdom in the army or supervising the projects.

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Ezra 9:1-15 – Cry Out to God

Read Ezra 9:1-15

Have you ever been in Ezra’s shoes, totally disgusted with the sinful behaviors surrounding you? It’s hard to not become embarrassed by the way some people choose to live their lives. This frustration is nothing new. The people God has created have a long history of making bad choices. Remember Adam and Eve?

Ezra chose to take his anguish to God in prayer. As if to apologize for all mankind, Ezra speaks of polluted holy race. Clearly the implications of intermarriage in Ezra’s day, and for generations before, amplified the chasm of sin keeping people for experiencing God’s best for them. What would Adam and Eve’s lives looked like if they had resisted the serpent’s cleverness? What would the Israelite people have looked like had they not intermarried people who distracted them from God’s laws?

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