In Today's Email:
II Chronicles 21 Notes
In this chapter is the reign of Jehoram.
vs. 1-3 – Jehoram was the oldest of seven sons of Jehoshaphat. To prevent a succession crisis the other six sons were given riches and cities to govern.
vs. 4-11 – This parallels II Kings 8:18-29. Jehoram killed his brothers and other leaders to solidify his place on the throne. Jehoram was a wicked king that oversaw a weakening of Judah spiritually and politically.
vs. 12-15 – Elijah was taken to Heaven in 896 B.C., but this letter was not delivered until 889 B.C. How could this have been written by Elijah seven years after his death? Simple, because he was a prophet, and prophecy is pre-written history. Likely he wrote this during the reign of Jehoshaphat but left orders for it to be delivered to his son when he ascended the throne. The prophetic message is that Jehoram would be judged for not walking in righteousness. There are three judgments against Jehoram: the rebellion of Edom and Libnah (II Chronicles 21:8-10), the Philistine/Arabian invasion (vs. 16-17), and the illness that took his life (vs. 15,19).
vs. 16-17 – An alliance of Philistines and Arabians attack Jerusalem and plunder it. They took prisoner and killed most of the royal house, leaving only his son Jehoahaz (Ahaziah).
vs. 18-20 - This parallels II Kings 8:23-24. Jehoram died from his bowel disease and was buried without great national mourning. He was buried in Jerusalem but not with the other kings.
II Chronicles 22 Notes
In this chapter are the reigns of Ahaziah and Athaliah.
vs. 1-9 – This parallels II Kings 8:25-29; 10:12-14, 27-28. Ahaziah walked in the ways of his mother Athaliah and the house of Omri/Ahab. He goes to battle with his uncle Jehoram against the Syrians. He is killed by Jehu in his great purging of the house of Ahab.
vs. 10-12 - This parallels II Kings 11:1-3. Athaliah reigns for six years after killing others that could claim the throne. But God protected her grandson Joash and prepared him to take the throne and turn the nation in a better direction.
II Chronicles 23 Notes
In this chapter we see the rise of young Joash as king.
vs. 1-11 – This parallels II Kings 11:4-12. The names of five of the main conspirators are in vs. 1 but not in Kings.
vs. 12-15 – This parallels II Kings 11:13-16. The only significant difference in the accounts here is that is the mentioning of the singers and instruments in vs. 13.
vs. 16-21 - This parallels II Kings 11:17-21. The information in vs. 18-19 about the priests and porters is not in Kings. Again, we see the Temple focused on more in Chronicles than Kings.
Closing Thoughts
The alliances that Jehoshaphat created with Ahab seemed profitable at the time, but in the end it almost destroyed the Kingdom of Judah and the line of David. Paul wrote in II Corinthians 6:14 that believers should not be “unequally yoked” with unbelievers. He we read one of the most vivid historical examples of the cost of doing just that.
Hymn for Today
Our hymn today is “Holy and Reverend is the Name” by John Needham. There are no hymns that I can find that are directly related to today’s reading.
Holy and reverend is the name
Of our eternal king:
Thrice holy Lord, the angels cry;
Thrice holy, let us sing.
Heaven’s brightest lamps with Him compared,
How mean they look and dim!
The fairest angels have their spots,
When once compared with Him.
Holy is He in all his works,
And truth is His delight;
But sinners and their wicked ways
Shall perish from His sight.
The deepest reverence of the mind,
Pay, O my soul, to God;
Lift with thy hands a holy heart
To His sublime abode.
With sacred awe pronounce His name,
Whom words nor thoughts can reach;
A broken heart shall please Him more
Than the best forms of speech.
Thou holy God! preserve my soul
From all pollution free;
The pure in heart are Thy delight,
And they Thy face shall see.