From the joyful worship that accompanied the dedication of Solomon’s temple to
\nthe disastrous division of the tribes that resulted from Rehoboam’s foolish
\npride; from the establishment of the unified dynasty of David’s son to the
\ndepths of immorality that accompanied the reigns of most kings from Rehoboam to
\nZedekiah; from the awe-inspiring revelation of the God of glory to the absolute
\ndestruction of Solomon’s glorious temple by Nebuchadnezzar — 2 Chronicles is the
\nobjective, unflinching record of a people who forsook obedience to the Lord and
\nfell from the golden days of Solomon’s rule to the bitter ashes of captivity in
\nBabylon, and this in less than 400 years.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The keynote phrase of the book is Central to 2 Chronicles is the From the lofty heights of Solomon’s day, Israel’s history is only During the times of these kings, there were five significant periods of \nBut sadly the sin of the Israelites continued unabated. A However, the God of hope
\nfound in a charge that Azariah the prophet made to Asa the king in {{2 Chronicles
\n15:2}}. He said, “The Lord is with you, while
\nye are with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found by you; but if ye forsake
\nHim, He will forsake you.<\/em>” During the days
\nof Solomon, the nation of Israel was given a taste of what God would do for them
\nif they were obedient to Him. The glories and power of Israel have never been
\ngreater than at that time. But their faithfulness proved fickle and they forsook
\nthose blessings for the filth and foolishness of idolatry. Finally God gave them
\nwhat they wanted. They were carried away into the heart of the world’s idolatry
\nand sin — Babylon, and the last reminder of the glorious days of faithfulness to
\nGod were shattered by the marauding armies of Nebuchadnezzar. Israel had
\nreturned to the land which had been ancient Chaldea from which Abraham had been
\ncalled from idolatry in the first place.<\/p>\n
\ntemple. The first nine chapters of the book are given over to a description of
\nits marvelous construction and glorious dedication. The temple symbolized God’s
\npresence with His people. It was given to them to be a focal point for their
\nworship and service to God. They were blessed far above all peoples on the earth
\nto have God dwell among them. No other nation had such a privilege. And yet they
\ndeparted from this place of blessing. The temple instead became the focal point
\nof their backsliding and sin. Conversely, any revival also centered on the
\ntemple too. We must pay close attention to the children of Israel and their
\nrelationship to the temple, and the Lord who dwelt therein. Interestingly,
\nSolomon’s failures are not mentioned in 2 Chronicles. The emphasis here is on
\nhis accomplishments in providing a house for God among His people. The Spirit of
\nGod wishes us to see the blessed situation into which God had placed His
\npeople.\n<\/p>\n
\ndown, down, down. Twenty kings followed Solomon, and their immorality grew worse
\nand worse. They either defiled the temple or departed from it and simply ignored
\nit. <\/p>\n
\nrevival. They are well worth noting. The first revival came under Asa (ch.14).
\nHis revival focused on the removal of the idols from the land. Unfortunately his
\nreforms soon faded. The next revival came under Jehoshaphat (ch.17). His revival
\nwas based upon a return to the Word of God. But again, further apostasy ensued
\nfollowing his reign. Joash (chs. 23, 24), the next king to bring about a major
\nrevival, focused on the repair of the temple. But again the Israelites soon
\ncontinued their backsliding. A fourth great revival occurred under Hezekiah
\n(chs. 29, 30, 31). His reforms were based upon a re-establishment of the temple
\nfeasts and services.\n<\/p>\n
\nfinal system of reforms came under Josiah. He incorporated aspects of all the
\nfour previous revivals. But it was too late. God’s wrath was fully kindled.
\nNebuchadnezzar and his armies came and obliterated the city of Jerusalem and,
\nmost significantly, the temple. From the glories described at the beginning of 2
\nChronicles, the Israelites were brought to the dust.<\/p>\n
\ndoes not close this sorrowful saga on such a note. The book ends with a
\nreference to Cyrus and his decree to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. Although
\nHis people are often unfaithful, yet our God remains faithful. May we learn the
\nlessons that 2 Chronicles would teach us.<\/p>\n
\n