2 Chronicles 23

2 Chronicles 23

2 Chronicles 23:1 Then, in the seventh year, Jehoiada strengthened himself and took the captains of hundreds into a covenant with him: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri.

2 Chronicles 23:2 They made a circuit throughout Judah. They gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the family heads of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 23:3 Then the whole congregation established a covenant with the king in God’s house. Jehoiada said to them, “Notice the king’s son! He will reign, just as Yahveh promised concerning David’s sons.

2 Chronicles 23:4 This is what you are to do: a third of you, priests and Levites who are coming on duty on the Sabbath, are to be gatekeepers.

2 Chronicles 23:5 A third are to be at the king’s house, and a third are to be at the Foundation Gate, and all the troops will be in the courtyards of Yahveh’s house.

2 Chronicles 23:6 No one is to enter Yahveh’s house but the priests and those Levites who minister; they may enter because they are sacred, but all the people are to guard the requirement of Yahveh.

2 Chronicles 23:7 Surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who enters the house is to be put to death. Be with the king in all his daily tasks.”

2 Chronicles 23:8 So the commanders of hundreds did everything the priest Jehoiada commanded. They each brought their men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty on the Sabbath—for the priest Jehoiada did not release the divisions.

2 Chronicles 23:9 The priest Jehoiada gave to the captains of hundreds King David’s spears, shields, and quivers that were in God’s house.

2 Chronicles 23:10 Then he stationed all the troops with their weapons in hand surrounding the king– from the right side of the house to the left side, by the altar and by the house.

2 Chronicles 23:11 They brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the reminder,[1] and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and cried, “Long live[2] the king!”

2 Chronicles 23:12 When Athaliah heard the noise from the troops, the guards, and those praising the king, she went to the soldiers in Yahveh’s house.

2 Chronicles 23:13 As she looked, she noticed the king stood by his pillar at the entrance. The captains and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets while the singers with musical instruments led the praise. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!”

2 Chronicles 23:14 Then the priest Jehoiada sent out the captains of hundreds, those in charge of the powerful army, saying, “Take her out between the ranks, and put anyone who follows her to death by the sword,” for the priest had said, “Don’t put her to death in Yahveh’s house.”

2 Chronicles 23:15 So they arrested her, and she went by the entrance of the Horse Gate to the king’s house, where they put her to death.

2 Chronicles 23:16 Then Jehoiada established a covenant between himself, the king, and the people that they would be Yahveh’s people.

2 Chronicles 23:17 So all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down. They smashed its altars and images and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, at the altars.

2 Chronicles 23:18 Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of Yahveh’s house into the hands of the Levitical priests, whom David had appointed over Yahveh’s house, to offer burnt offerings to Yahveh as it is written in the instruction of Moses, with rejoicing and song ordained by David.

2 Chronicles 23:19 He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of Yahveh’s house so that nothing contaminated[3] could enter for any reason.

2 Chronicles 23:20 Then he took with him the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land and brought the king down from Yahveh’s house. They entered the king’s house through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the throne of the kingdom.

2 Chronicles 23:21 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death by the sword.

[1] עֵדוּת = reminder. 2 Chronicles 23:11; 24:6; 34:31.

[2] חָיָה = live, stay alive, revive. 2 Chronicles 23:11; 25:25.

[3] טָמֵא = (ritually) contaminated. 2 Chronicles 23:19.

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2 Chronicles 22

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2 Chronicles 22

2 Chronicles 22:1 Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place because the troops that had come with the Arabs to the camp had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, became king of Judah.

2 Chronicles 22:2 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri.

2 Chronicles 22:3 He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, because his mother gave him evil advice.

2 Chronicles 22:4 So he did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight like the house of Ahab, for they were his advisers after the death of his father, to his destruction.

2 Chronicles 22:5 He also followed their advice and went with Joram, son of Israel’s King Ahab, to strike against King Hazael of Aram, in Ramoth-gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram,

2 Chronicles 22:6 so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they inflicted on him in Ramoth-gilead when he struck against King Hazael of Aram. Then Judah’s King Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, went down to Jezreel to visit Joram, son of Ahab, since Joram was ill.

2 Chronicles 22:7 Ahaziah’s downfall came from God when he went to Joram. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom Yahveh had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

2 Chronicles 22:8 So when Jehu executed judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the captains of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who were ministering to Ahaziah, and he killed them.

2 Chronicles 22:9 Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah, and Jehu’s soldiers captured him (he was hiding in Samaria). So, they brought Ahaziah to Jehu, and they killed him. The soldiers buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat who sought Yahveh with all his heart.” So, no one from the house of Ahaziah had the strength to rule the kingdom.

2 Chronicles 22:10 When Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy[1] all the royal seed of the house of Judah.

2 Chronicles 22:11 Jehoshabeath, the king’s daughter, rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. Now Jehoshabeath was the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of the priest Jehoiada. Since she was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she did not kill him.

2 Chronicles 22:12 While Athaliah reigned over the land, he hid with them in God’s house for six years.

[1] אָבַד = destroy, be destroyed. 2 Chronicles 22:10.

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2 Chronicles 21

2 Chronicles 21

2 Chronicles 21:1 Jehoshaphat lied down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His son Jehoram became king in his place.

2 Chronicles 21:2 He had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of King Jehoshaphat of Judah.

2 Chronicles 21:3 Their father had given them many gifts of silver, gold, and valuable things, along with fortified cities in Judah. Still, he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

2 Chronicles 21:4 When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened his position by killing with the sword all his brothers as well as some of the captains of Israel.

2 Chronicles 21:5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 21:6 He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, because Ahab’s daughter was his wife. He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight,

2 Chronicles 21:7 But for the sake of the covenant Yahveh had established with David, he was unwilling to put an end to the house of David since Yahveh had promised to give a lamp to David and his sons forever.

2 Chronicles 21:8 During Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebelled against Judah’s control and appointed their own king.

2 Chronicles 21:9 So Jehoram crossed into Edom with his captains and all his chariots. Then, at night, he set out to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot captains.

2 Chronicles 21:10 Edom is still in rebellion against Judah’s control today. Libnah also rebelled against his control at that time because he had abandoned Yahveh, the God of his ancestors.

2 Chronicles 21:11 Jehoram also built high places in the hills of Judah, caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute[1] themselves, and led Judah astray.

2 Chronicles 21:12 Then a letter came to Jehoram from the prophet Elijah, saying: This is what Yahveh, the God of your ancestor David, says: “Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or the ways of King Asa of Judah

2 Chronicles 21:13 but have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves like the house of Ahab prostituted itself, and also have killed your brothers, your father’s house, who were better than you,

2 Chronicles 21:14 Notice, Yahveh is now about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a horrible affliction.

2 Chronicles 21:15 You will be struck with many illnesses, including a disease of the intestines, until your intestines come out day after day because of the disease.”

2 Chronicles 21:16 Yahveh roused the breath of the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the Cushites to attack Jehoram.

2 Chronicles 21:17 So they went to war against Judah and invaded it. They carried off all the possessions found in the king’s house and his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest son.

2 Chronicles 21:18 After all these things, Yahveh afflicted him in his intestines with an incurable disease.

2 Chronicles 21:19 This continued day after day until two full years passed. Then his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died from severe illnesses. But his people did not hold a fire in his honor like the fire in honor of his fathers.

2 Chronicles 21:20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king; he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He died to no one’s regret and was buried in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

[1] זָנָה = be a prostitute. 2 Chronicles 21:11, 13.

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The 2 Chronicles shelf in Jeff’s library

WITH THE LORD

WITH THE LORD

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 NET.

¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Introduction

If you listen to the way many Christians talk about death, you’ll hear a familiar phrase: “When I die, I’ll go to be with the Lord.” It’s sincere. It’s comforting. It’s well‑intended. But it’s not actually what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4.

The Thessalonian believers were grieving. Some of their brothers and sisters had died, and they were confused. They wondered: What happens to believers who die before Jesus returns? Are they missing out? Are they at a disadvantage?

Paul could have settled the whole matter by saying, “Don’t worry — the believing dead are already with the Lord.” But he didn’t say that. Not once. Instead, he said something very different — something far more powerful, far more hopeful, and far more in line with the gospel story.

He said the dead are asleep.
He said they will rise.
He said they will rise when Jesus descends.
And he said that only then will we all be “with the Lord forever.”

This is the hope Paul gives.
This is the comfort Paul offers.
This is the truth we must cling to.

I. The Dead Are Asleep — Not Already Raised (vv. 13–15)

Paul begins by addressing their grief:
“I do not want you to be uninformed… so that you will not grieve as the rest who have no hope.”

He does not deny grief.
He does not rebuke grief.
He redefines grief.

Why?
Because the dead in Christ are not lost. They are not conscious spirits floating in heaven. Paul says they are asleep — a word he uses twice in this passage (vv. 13 and 15).

Sleep is temporary.
Sleep anticipates waking.
Sleep is the posture of waiting for resurrection.

Paul’s point is simple:
The believing dead are not ahead of us — they are waiting with us.

If Paul believed the dead were already with the Lord, he would have said so.
But he didn’t.
He said they are asleep, awaiting the same moment we are awaiting: the return of Christ.

II. The Lord Himself Will Descend (v. 16)

Paul now shifts from the condition of the dead to the certainty of Christ’s return.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven…”

Not an angel.
Not a messenger.
Not a symbolic event.
The Lord Himself.

And when He comes, it will not be quiet.

A shout — the command of a King.
The voice of the archangel — heaven’s announcement.
The trumpet of God — the signal of victory and resurrection.

This is not a secret coming.
This is not a private moment.
This is the public unveiling of the King of kings.

And what happens when He comes?

III. The Dead in Christ Will Rise First (v. 16)

Here is Paul’s answer to the Thessalonians’ fear:

“The dead in Christ will rise first.”

Not “are already risen.”
Not “are already with the Lord.”
Not “have already received their reward.”

They will rise — future tense.
They will rise first — priority.
They will rise bodily — resurrection.

This is the consistent teaching of Scripture:

Jesus is the firstfruits (1 Cor. 15:20).
Those who belong to Him will be raised at His coming (1 Cor. 15:23).
We will be made alive when He appears (Col. 3:4).

The dead are not ahead of us.
They are not behind us.
They are waiting for the same moment we are waiting for:
The return of Christ and the resurrection of the body.

IV. Then We Who Are Alive Will Be Caught Up Together With Them (v. 17)

Paul now includes the living.

“Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them…”

Notice the emphasis:

Together — no separation.
With them — no advantage for the living.
In the clouds — the meeting place of divine glory.
To meet the Lord — the King we have longed for.

And then Paul gives the climax of the passage:

“And so we shall always be with the Lord.”

Not at death.
Not in a disembodied state.
Not in some intermediate condition.

But after the resurrection,
After the reunion,
After the return of Christ.

This is the moment when we will be “with the Lord forever.”

V. Therefore, Comfort One Another With These Words (v. 18)

Paul ends with a command:
“Comfort one another with these words.”

Not with speculation.
Not with sentiment.
Not with vague ideas about heaven.

With these words.
The words he just wrote.
The words of resurrection hope.
The words of Christ’s return.

When we face our own death, we need comfort.
When we stand beside a grave, we need comfort.
When we lose someone we love, we need comfort.

But our comfort must be the comfort God actually gives.

And what comfort does He give?

Not “They’re already with the Lord.”
But “They will rise.”
Not “They’re watching over us.”
But “The Lord Himself will descend.”
Not “They’re in a better place.”
But “We will be together with them.”
Not “They’re at peace now.”
But “We will always be with the Lord.”

The second coming is the blessed hope.
The resurrection is the blessed hope.
The reunion is the blessed hope.

This is the comfort Paul commands us to give.

Conclusion

Paul does not point us to death as our hope.
He points us to Christ’s return.
He points us to the resurrection of the dead.
He points us to the reunion of God’s people.
He points us to the everlasting presence of the Lord.

This is our hope.
This is our comfort.
This is our future.

So, we pray:

Lord, thank you for the promise of a resurrection and reunion at your return.
Fix our hope not on death, but on Your coming.
Strengthen our hearts with the comfort You Yourself have given.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

2 Chronicles 20

2 Chronicles 20

2 Chronicles 20:1 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to fight against Jehoshaphat.

2 Chronicles 20:2 People came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast number from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom has come to fight against you; notice, they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi).

2 Chronicles 20:3 Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he resolved to cry out to Yahveh. Then he proclaimed a fast for all Judah,

2 Chronicles 20:4 who gathered to seek Yahveh. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek him.

2 Chronicles 20:5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in Yahveh’s house before the new courtyard.

2 Chronicles 20:6 He said: Lord, God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in the sky, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hands, and no one can stand against you.

2 Chronicles 20:7 Are you not our God who dispossessed[1] the inhabitants of this land before your people, Israel, and who gave it permanently to the seed[2] of Abraham whom you cared for?

2 Chronicles 20:8 They have lived in the land and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name and have said,

2 Chronicles 20:9 “If disaster comes on us — sword or judgment, pestilence or famine — we will stand before this house and before you, for your name is in this house. We will cry out to you because of our distress, and you will hear and rescue.”[3]

2 Chronicles 20:10 Now notice the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir. You did not let Israel invade them when Israel came out of the land of Egypt, but Israel turned away from them and did not exterminate[4] them.

2 Chronicles 20:11 Notice how they repay us by coming to drive us out of your inheritance that you gave us to take possession of.

2 Chronicles 20:12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you.

2 Chronicles 20:13 All Judah was standing before Yahveh with their dependents, their wives, and their children.

2 Chronicles 20:14 In the middle of the congregation, the Breath of Yahveh came on Jahaziel (son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph’s descendants),

2 Chronicles 20:15 and he said, “Listen carefully, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what Yahveh says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

2 Chronicles 20:16 Tomorrow, go down against them. You will notice them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the open country of Jeruel.

2 Chronicles 20:17 You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of Yahveh. He is with you, Judah, and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for Yahveh is with you.'”

2 Chronicles 20:18 Then Jehoshaphat knelt low with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before Yahveh to worship him.

2 Chronicles 20:19 Then the Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up to praise Yahveh, the God of Israel, shouting loudly.

2 Chronicles 20:20 In the morning, they got up early and went out to the open country of Tekoa. As they were about to go out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in Yahveh your God, and you will be established; believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.”

2 Chronicles 20:21 Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for Yahveh and some to praise the splendor of his holiness. When they went out in the face of the armed forces, they kept singing: Give thanks to Yahveh, for his covenant faithfulness endures permanently.

2 Chronicles 20:22 The moment they began their shouts and praises, Yahveh set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who came to fight against Judah, and they were defeated.

2 Chronicles 20:23 The Ammonites and Moabites turned against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, set them apart for destruction[5] and exterminated them. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped destroy each other.

2 Chronicles 20:24 When Judah came to a place overlooking the open country, they looked for the large army, but noticed there were only corpses[6] lying on the ground; nobody had escaped.

2 Chronicles 20:25 Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to capture the plunder. They found among them an abundance of goods on the bodies and valuable[7] Items, so they stripped[8] They carried them until nobody could carry any more. Because there was so much, they captured the plunder for three days.

2 Chronicles 20:26 They collected in the Valley of Beracah on the fourth day, because there they praised Yahveh. Therefore, that place is still named the Valley of Beracah today.

2 Chronicles 20:27 Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem turned back with Jehoshaphat their leader, returning joyfully to Jerusalem, for Yahveh enabled them to rejoice over their enemies.

2 Chronicles 20:28 So they came into Jerusalem to Yahveh’s house with harps, lyres, and trumpets.

2 Chronicles 20:29 God’s terror was upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that Yahveh had fought against Israel’s enemies.

2 Chronicles 20:30 Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was quiet, for his God allowed him rest on every side.

2 Chronicles 20:31 Jehoshaphat became king over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king and reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi.

2 Chronicles 20:32 He walked in the ways of Asa his father; he did not turn away from it but did what was right in Yahveh’s sight.

2 Chronicles 20:33 The high places were certainly[9] not taken away; the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.

2 Chronicles 20:34 Notice, the rest of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from beginning to end, is written in the Events of Jehu son of Hanani, which are recorded in the Book of Israel’s Kings.

2 Chronicles 20:35 After this, Judah’s King Jehoshaphat allied with Israel’s King Ahaziah, who was guilty of wrongdoing.

2 Chronicles 20:36 Jehoshaphat allied with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion-geber.

2 Chronicles 20:37 Then Eliezer, son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you formed an alliance with Ahaziah, Yahveh has broken up what you have made.” So, the ships were wrecked and could not go to Tarshish.

[1] יָרָשׁ = take possession of, dispossess. 2 Chronicles 20:7, 11; 28:3; 33:2.

[2] זֶרָע = seed. 2 Chronicles 20:7; 22:10.

[3] יָשַׁע = save, help, rescue. 2 Chronicles 20:9; 32:22.

[4] שָׁמַד = exterminate, be exterminated. 2 Chronicles 20:10, 23; 33:9.

[5] חָרָם = set apart for destruction. 2 Chronicles 20:23; 32:14.

[6] פֶּגֶר = corpse. 2 Chronicles 20:24.

[7]חמד

[8] נָצַל = strip. 2 Chronicles 20:25; 25:15; 32:11, 13, 14, 15, 17.

[9] אַךְ = certainly. 2 Chronicles 20:33; 30:11.

links:

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