Recap

So far in 1-2 Chronicles we’ve read through the introductory genealogies, king David and Solomon’s reigns and started reigns of Judah's kings from Rehoboam to the exile. While separate books in our Bible 1-2 Chronicles tell one story, giving a recap of the Old Testament from Adam to the Jews' return from exile.

We read through the opening chapters of the book dedicated to the genealogies of God's people. These covered from Adam to David, focusing on Judah, the tribe of the royal family, Levi, the tribe of the priests, and Benjamin, the tribe of the first king Saul. There were also genealogies of the people who returned from exile.

As we moved into the section of the book focused on David, we saw the author use David as a model for what an ideal future king will look like. He was a shepherd, a ruler, a priest. He united the tribes, defeated their enemies, established peace. He served as a second Moses, designing the temple, gathering its resources, and organising the Levites and priests. David did everything he could to set Solomon up well. He then stepped back to allow Solomon to be king. 

Starting 2 Chronicles, Solomon immediately set himself apart from other kings, asking God not for wealth or power, but wisdom. Because of this, God granted Solomon the wisdom that he asked for, and the wealth and success that he hadn't. Solomon gathered the remaining resources for the temple and then had it built. He brought in the Ark of the Covenant and all the gold dedicated to God. Solomon prayed over the temple and the people and God's presence fell. God then warned Solomon that as long as his people remained humble and repented of their sin, God would forgive and rescue them. But if they don't, God will cast them from their land and destroy this temple.

Solomon went on to build more cities and establishing trade routes before passing on reign to his son Rehoboam. Rehoboam sort to oppress and subdue the people which lead to the ten northern tribes seceding and setting up Jeroboam as king of the new Israel in the north. The two southern tribes became known as just Judah. Rehoboam started off poorly but turned to God when Egypt came to sack Jerusalem.

Then came Abijah, who trusted in God when Israel attacked. After him can Asa. Asa spent his early reign wiping out foreign worship, but when Israel attacked again, he turned to Syria for help, not God. Asa died riddled with disease, unwilling to turn to God for help. Then came Jehoshaphat, who organised officers and Levites to travel the land, teaching the people about God's ways. 

2 Chronicles 18-20

First, we have a story taken almost word for word from 1 Kings 22. Ahab, the king of Israel, asks Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, if he would be willing to fight together against the Syrians. Jehoshaphat agrees and the two gather.

Ahab asks his prophets if they should go up to war, and all of them tell Ahab to go because God is with them. But Jehoshaphat isn't convinced and asked if there are any other prophets that are faithful to God.

Ahab has Micaiah brought out and asks him the same questions. Should they go out to war? At first Micaiah says yes, but we get the sense he said this sarcastically.

When pushed further, he reveals that he has seen a vision of God's court, where God asked his divine beings how they should go about killing Ahab. Eventually, a spirit comes forth and suggests that he could trick Ahab's prophets into convincing Ahab to go to war. Then they could kill him there. God loves this plan and sends the spirit to make it happen.

At this Ahab is furious that Micaiah would suggest such a thing and throws him in prison. They go out to war, with Ahab in disguise, in the hope that would protect him. Unfortunately, he was caught by a rogue arrow and died. From this story, we see God willing to work and plan with his court of divine beings, rather than just making all the decisions himself.

Jehoshaphat makes it home safely only to be challenged by the prophet Jehu. Why would Jehoshaphat align himself with someone like Ahab, who behaved wickedly and was against the Lord? If it wasn't for the fact that Jehoshaphat has been faithful to God in every other area, he would have been destroyed.

Keen to continue being faithful to God, Jehoshaphat brings more reform to the nation. He appoints a number of judges across the land to help fight against injustice. He also appoints Levites to work with them to make sure that the people lived right before God.

Before long, Jehoshaphat found himself facing another war. The Moabites and Ammonites had partnered together to defeat Judah, and their numbers were great. But rather than make the mistakes of his forefather, Jehoshaphat went straight to God.

He appealed to God's past track record. It was God that had driven out Israel's enemies so they could enter the land he had promised Abraham. God has said if his people remained humble and turned their faces to his temple, he would rescue them (2 Chronicles 7). So Jehoshaphat asks God to rescue them now from their enemies.

God sends his spirit into a man called Jahaziel and encouraged the people to go out for battle. They would not need to fight. Instead, they would watch and see as God dealt with their enemies. The next day, the people lined up for battle. They placed the musicians and singers on the front line and began to praise God as they went into battle.

At this God caused confusion amongst their enemies, so that they fought amongst themselves, killing one another. When all was done, the people of Judah looked out at a battlefield full of dead bodies, with much loot to be claimed. It took them three days to gather it all, and on the fourth day, they praised God.

Jehoshaphat reigned for many years after that, but like his forefathers before him, he put his trust in the wrong things as he got older. He partnered with the new king of Israel, Ahaziah, who was just as wicked as Ahab. Together, they built whole fleets of ships to start trade routes. Angry that Jehoshaphat would partner with someone so wicked, God destroyed all the ships before they could complete their journey.

Psalm 73

With Psalm 73, we start the third book of the psalm, ranging from Psalm 73-89. The first two books had a strong focus on lamenting. This continues into book three of the psalms, but with a shift. We get more lament psalms focused on how Jerusalem has fallen and its people exiled.

The wisdom and royal psalms are more about looking forward to God restoring his kingdom and what is needed to do it.

Psalm 73 opens the book with a wisdom psalm declaring God’s purity, goodness, and authority. It is the set the tone that the wickedness that is about to come on Israel is their own doing, not God’s. The psalm is attributed to Asaph, who was one of the musicians appointed by David in 1 Chronicles 6:31-48.

Psalm 73:1-2 - God is good and pure

Psalm 73:3-12 - The wicked get away with much

Psalm 73:13-17 - Why bother being righteous?

Psalm 73:18-20 - Wicked will be repaid

Psalm 73:21-22 - The psalmist’s failings

Psalm 73:23-28 - God’s goodness

The psalmist opens with God’s purity. He is a good God. The psalmist then contrasts that with their own failings. They make mistakes and sometimes slip. For example, the psalmist was previously jealous of wicked people because it looked like they prospered.

The psalmist then points out how it looks like the wicked get away with much. They eat well and they don’t seem to face the same struggles as everyone else. They get to stand tall with pride and they seem to be happy, all while being violent and oppressive to others. They even mock God and seem to get away with it, all the while getting richer with an easy life.

So the psalmist points to themselves and wonders why they bother being righteous. They just get rebuked for their attempts. Even when they thought about it, there was a part of them knew that to turn from righteousness would be betraying God, trying to understand how it work just left them feeling tired.

That is until they were finally about to find the answer in God. While the wicked seem to get away with thing God is slowly setting their trap. While it seems like they stand fast soon, their feet will slip and it will be their ruin. Their success will be like a dream they wake up from.

The psalmist then again repents of their failings. They were wrong and ignorant to allow themselves to become jealous of the wicked, and they behaved wrong towards God.

Then, for the rest of the psalm, the psalmist focuses on God’s goodness. God leads them and guides them. No one on heaven and earth can compare with God. Even when the psalmist’s strength fails, God is their strength and sustains them.

Ultimately, those who are far from God will perish, and so the psalmist asked that God be close to them and keep them safe so they can tell others of God’s goodness.

This wisdom psalm tries to address that struggle many of us have when we look at those not living right but succeeding and we think, “why do we bother?”. The answer, because God has it all in hand. The wicked prosper for now but eventually they will stumble, but God will sustain you if you remain faithful to him.