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Amaziah, Uzziah, and Jotham

Read: 2 Chronicles 25-27 and Psalm 82

Amaziah

You can criticize me all you want, but I would be completely ashamed if my epitaph read like Amaziah’s:

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,
but not wholeheartedly.
2 Chronicles 25:2

Flipping through different translations we find other words for “but not wholeheartedly”: Reluctantly, half-hearted, not with a loyal heart. What did Amaziah do to earn such a reputation? I hope I can learn from this to avoid such a label!

The previous chapter we remember Joash completely lost sight of God’s plan after Jehoiada died by having his son Zachariah killed and scorning him as he died (2 Chronicles 24:22). The officials in King Joash’s court conspired against him for this cruel act and killed him in his bed. King Amaziah’s first action is to punish the officials who avenged Zachariah’s murder — he executed these officials. I’m not convinced this is a good action, but it is included in the narrative that supports King Amaziah as “good.”

He hires 100,000 fighting men from Israel (the northern kingdom), but is confronted by a man of God and releases these men from his army. This showed Amaziah was willing to be corrected. An amazing trait all by itself.

The brutality of the ensuing battle is hard to comprehend. They captured 10,000 men then threw them off of a cliff to their death. My only thought on this ugly image is that Amaziah’s heart must have become dark as a result.  Not only did they throw men off a cliff, the troops he dismissed killed 3,000 people in towns that belonged to Judah. It’s hard to imagine anyone in power having no reaction to such carnage. This is my supposition because he does the unthinkable:

When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. 2 Chronicles 25:14

I believe his heart changed as a result of these events.  God sends a prophet to confront Amaziah and his reaction?

While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” 2 Chronicles 25:16

This is the same Amaziah on the outside, but something has dramatically changed on the inside. His next move is to threaten the king of Israel and provoke him into a fight. (see Kings of Israel and Judah for some details.) Needless to say, Amaziah did not fare well afterwards:

From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, they conspired against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. 2 Chronicles 25:27

He did what was right, then he committed horrible crimes and his pride led him to death.

Uzziah

Chapter 26 provides the narrative for King Uzziah. The text says he did what was right like Amaziah did, but I’m not sure that’s a complete compliment! God was with him in battles and he won victories as a result. He invented weapons that protected his men and gave them great advantage (2 Chronicles 26:15). However, by verse 16 we read the sad truth about father-like-son heritage:

But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 2 Chronicles 26:16

Pride. He was consumed by pride and his anger revealed itself in rage against the priests who tried to correct him. The result: he broke out in leprosy and lived separate from everyone until he died. Jotham, his son, began to rule as a result of his isolation.

Jotham

Jotham did well, but he did not stop the people from following their corrupt practices. He rebuilt the Upper Gate and amassed great wealth. He became powerful because he walked with the Lord (2 Chronicles 27:6). Not much else is offered in 2 Chronicles about Jotham–sometimes the lack of words is a good thing! He reigned for 16 years.

Pride seems to be a huge issue; perhaps that’s the lesson to walk away from today. The topic of many sermons, pride comes in many forms, but mostly results in downfall. It’s one thing to take pride in work because we give it our all, but it’s another thing to work for pride. Lord, help me to see when my decisions are based on my desire for recognition above the commitment to excellence and the goal of pleasing you. Show me the difference and keep me from moving in that direction!

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Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah, and Joash

Read: 2 Chronicles 21:4-24:27

Restore Church JAX Launches Today

Zoë and I are in Jacksonville, NC, to support Roger Burns and his team as they launch a new church. As part of the team, I was privileged to serve as Roger’s project manager, essentially handling the nuts and bolts of legal stuff to support the business entity, but more importantly, I was blessed to encourage, exhort, pray, work and laugh with Roger. Please take a moment and pray for Restore Christian Church, for their desire to transform this busy city outside of Marine Corps Air Station New River and Camp LeJeune, to bring new hope and the message of Jesus Christ to this part of the world.

Jehoram

This is probably one of the shortest histories of a king of Judah (Ahaziah, below, was even shorter!). Jehoram was evil. He killed his brothers and other leaders, adopted the godless ways of Ahab, i.e., the Northern Kingdom.

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

His terrible reign as king earned him stern words from Isaiah, the great prophet. Called out for the evil that he perpetuated, Isaiah prophesied the results:

So now the Lord is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.’” 2 Chronicles 21:14-15

And so it came to pass–Jehoram died a painful and horrible death.

Ahaziah

Only Ahaziah remained from Jehoram’s family, so he was made king when he was 22 years old. His reign was only one year long.

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing. 2 Chronicles 22:4

Athaliah

For all the good that Jehoshaphat did for Judah, marrying Athaliah was a huge mistake! Athaliah was the daughter of King Ahab and Jezebel–she was Ahaziah’s mother. She was a horror just like her mother was to Elijah. It was her prompting the accelerated Ahaziah’s downfall and death. In her rage she began to destroy the rest of the royal family of Judah. Joash was hidden away for six years, ultimately becoming king. In the meantime, Jehoiada the priest acted as chief advisor or guardian, doing the best he could to protect Joash and do God’s will. When they finally crowned Joash as king, Athaliah rebelled,

Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!” 2 Chronicles 23:13

Under direction of Jehoiada the priest, Athaliah and all who followed her were put to death. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars (2 Chronicles 23:15). Further, Jehoiada organized the priests, commanders, nobles and rulers throughout the land so the people lived in peace.

Based on the narrative of Jehoiada, there are probably few better servant leaders among the historical characters we read about in the Bible. There’s no indication that he did anything for fame, fortune or personal gain. Everything he did honored God and Joash as king. Amazing. (Note to self: here’s another man of God to study further.)

Joash

Joash listened to the wise counsel of Jehoiada and did well in the eyes of the Lord as long as Jehoiada was around. He became king when he was only 7 years old and reigned for 40 years. Jehoiada was much older, as you can imagine. He led well and died at the ripe old age of 130 years!

After Jehoiada died, Joash and the people abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols (2 Chronicles 24:18). I don’t know how much time passed between verse 16 and 17, but it’s obvious that everything changed after Jehoiada died. For all his great leadership, he did not have an effective succession plan. (Another note to self: leave an effective hit-by-a-bus strategy!) 

The Lord’s anger was aroused and he sent Zechariah, son of Jehoiada to confront Joash. Zechariah told Joash that since he had forsaken the Lord, the Lord has forsaken him. Angered by this prophecy, Joash had Zechariah stoned to death in the courtyard of the temple. Joash turned completely evil:

King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.” 2 Chronicles 24:22

Ultimately the Arameans mounted an attack and the Lord delivered Judah into their hands. When the Arameans withdrew Joash was wounded and his own officials conspired against him and killed him. Joash started out well, but finished in horrible defeat.

What an uplifting post! The leaders of God’s people are 0 for 4 in these few chapters. How did they lose sight of that which was good?

Lord, help us to learn from these mistakes, the missteps of our ancestors.

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Jehoshaphat, the Rest of the Story

Read: 2 Chronicles 18:1-21:3 and Psalm 81

Jehoshaphat was a strong leader that loved the Lord with all his heart. In all my years hearing sermons, reading the Bible and other teaching, I don’t recall a sermon series on Jehoshaphat, but much is to be learned from this king that rules over Judah during a tumultuous time in history. His main flaw was trying to advance his personal agenda ahead of God’s plans for Israel. This is complicated and I’ll only scratch the surface this morning. What I hope is that we will learn from this example as we see Jehoshaphat’s great decisions among his misled ideas.

Fast-forward to the end of today’s reading and we read rare words about the kings of this age:

He followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 20:32

He sent officials to teach throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people (2 Chronicles 17:9). He wasn’t swayed by the people of the northern kingdom, though aligning himself with Ahab and later Ahaziah was dangerous.

Ahab was one of the worst kings in the history of Israel (see: Ahab Rejects Warning and Dies for some details). It seems that Jehoshaphat has set his sites on converting Ahab or at least showing him that there is only one God, the true God of all, and not the false gods and idols Jeroboam established in misleading the northern kingdom. Psalm 81 reminds us of their senseless reliance on their own devices. Sad. Lord, help us to be careful as we sit in lofty places while reading stories of old. Help us to see our own misguided thoughts that often get swept away in the tide of a society that is out of step with you.

Chapter 18 provides an example where the two kings meet to discuss a joint battle strategy. Ahab gets his prophets together and they predictably say what he wants to hear. Jehoshaphat has a better idea:

But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”
The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
2 Chronicles 18:6-7

Jehoshaphat is not afraid to speak his mind, his immediate reaction: “The king should not say such a thing,” (2 Chronicles 18:7b). They sent for Micaiah while Ahab’s prophets kept on proclaiming great victory for their king. If it weren’t so tragic, it would be comical, but this is a deadly serious matter.

Micaiah arrives at the scene where all of these prophets are spouting words of victory:

When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”
“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for they will be given into your hand.”
The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 2 Chronicles 18:14-15

Someone please light the sarcasm sign! Ahab really doesn’t like Micaiah, but it gets worse.

“So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.” Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. 2 Chronicles 18:22-23

Zedekiah was offended and he takes it out on Micaiah by slapping him, an incredible insult. Imagine that happening at staff meeting! Undeterred, Micaiah knows the word he has provided is from the Lord. Soon afterward his prophecy becomes reality.

The crazy battle that ensues is discussed in my earlier post, but it never ceases to amaze me how ridiculous this arrangement is and how amazing that God would protect Jehoshaphat in this battle while Ahab is killed by a random arrow.

Chapter 19 begins with a prophet speaking against Jehoshaphat’s decision to help Ahab. It seems that Jehoshaphat is trying to reunite the kingdoms while God is trying to teach them a lesson–he’s out of step with the Lord’s plans, but doesn’t get it.

Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is on you. 2 Chronicles 19:2

It’s a double-edged sword. Jehoshaphat is doing many good things, but keeping company with those who are opposed to God is in fact a bad idea.

Jehoshaphat continues his reforms by establishing judges and enticing people to follow the Lord.

Chapter 20 provides an great example of Jehoshaphat’s reliance on God for direction, especially when nations rage war against Judah. They sought the Lord and he provided–the battle was the Lord’s, no way for man to take credit.

Later, Jehoshaphat attempts to connect with Israel again, but another prophet is sent to correct him:

“Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” The ships were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade. 2 Chronicles 20:37

Up and down, Jehoshaphat rides the rollercoaster of relying on God for the high points and relying on his own strength as low points. Much to learn about his life. I found this post well written: http://thebiblestudy.co.uk/study/king-jehoshaphat/ if you want to read more about Jehoshaphat.

 

Lord help us to rely only on your word, your will. As we go on mission in this world, give us a discerning heart that sees evil for what it is, yet loves people for who you want them to become. Help us to be in this world, but not of the world.

 

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Abijah, Asa and Jehoshaphat; Come Thou Fount

Read: 2 Chronicles 13-17

I woke up too early this morning to admit, but once again, I find the presence of God richly blesses the time when I simply stop to read his word and listen to the Holy Spirit. This morning took an unexpected turn from ancient kings to nearly forgotten hymns. I hope you spend time listening to what God has for you this morning. I’m sure it’s different for you than it is for me, but pause, read, reflect. Allow the Holy Spirit to minister to your soul, to your very soul this morning.

Abijah

The civil war continues. At this point Abijah (southern kingdom) and 400,000 troops march against Jeroboam’s 800,000 men. Abijah speaks against Jeroboam, his self-proclaimed religion and righteousness. The highlight includes this conclusion:

God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you. People of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.” 2 Chronicles 13:12

Jeroboam surround Abijah, but God routed Jeroboam’s army and there were 500,000 casualties that day. The Israelites were subdued on that occasion, and the people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors. (2 Chronicles 13:18

Abijah grew in strength and power and married a bunch of wives and had lots of children…Solomon’s grandson.  Jeroboam is struck down and killed. His legacy will continue to infect the northern kingdom, Israel, for generations to come.

Asa

Chapter 14 begins with words we don’t see too often: Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. In one particular battle against the overwhelming power of the Cushites, Asa calls upon the Lord for help and again, God delivers those who are faithful to him.

Chapter 15 highlights Asa’s reforms and systematic removal of idols from the land at the prompting of a prophet, Azariah.

All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side. 2 Chronicles 15:15

It is significant to find rest on every side during a time when it was dangerous to travel abroad. These were difficult times.

Then, in the 36th year of Asa’s reign he makes a mistake. Think about it, for 35 years he did what was right and now, for some crazy reason, he fumbles. Chapter 16 tells us that Baasha, king of Israel (northern kingdom) mounted an attack against Asa. Here’s the huge mistake: Asa bribes Ben-Hadad king of Aram to withdraw his support from Baasha and effectively wins the battle without fighting, but here’s the deal, he didn’t call upon the Lord for direction or deliverance.

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 2 Chronicles 16:7

Asa had accumulated enough wealth to fix his problem without God’s help. As a result, the Arameans will continue to be a problem for the chosen people. These are not the words Asa wanted to hear, after all, he just won the battle and walked away with tons of plunder.

Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people. 2 Chronicles 16:10

Asa lived for five more years after fighting a disease in his feet that crippled him, but even then he did not ask the Lord for help. What happened to Asa? Did he think success was truly of his own making? Lord, may we always give you the honor and glory especially in good times. Don’t let us forget you are the fount from which all blessings flow, come thou fount of every blessing, bind my wandering heart to thee. This great hymn epitomizes Asa wandering heart. Sadly, it appears he didn’t recover his perspective and dies in his 41st year. He is honored for 35 of 40 good years, but what a tragedy. Thank you Lord for the reminder in this narrative.

Jehoshaphat

Chapter 17 highlights the good deeds of Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son and heir to the throne.

[Jehoshaphat] sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah. 2 Chronicles 17:4-6

His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord. These are the words I’d love to have on my tombstone, not because I wrote them, but because people around me would draw this conclusion by my actions, it is my sincere hope.

Sorry, Come Thou Fount is still playing in my head:

Here’s my heart
O take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above.

 

I’m sure the words don’t convey the sense of warmth I feel from the Holy Spirit right now. As I walked to the bookshelf and looked in three different hymnals to read the words of this old hymn, memories flood my mind with songs we no longer sing, lyrics that feed my soul, that fed my soul for years. A book next to the hymnals, Then Sings My Soul, includes stories behind 150 great hymns, the featured image on this post. The inscription indicates this was a gift from my brother and his wife, Bill and Kim, on Mother’s Day 2005, the handwriting is that of my mother. Thanks mom. Thanks Bill & Kim.

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of music that reminds us of your goodness, of your great deeds. Thank you for the legacy of faithful parents and the church of yesteryear that has all but vanished, yet continues to convict me of your love and sovereignty, especially as I get older.

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Rehoboam and Jeroboam

Read: 2 Chronicles 10-12 and Psalm 80

Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
Psalm 80:7

Three times in Psalm 80 we see this petition: Restore Us, God Almighty. So many times I’ve prayed for God to heal our land, to show his strength and reverse the tide. I want an immediate response in biblical super-sized proportions, “Come on God, part the waters again!” Childish I know, but there are days like that where I just want everything to magically be set right. What I don’t want is to have to do the daily work of making disciples, reaching out to people that are in need of the loving grace that Jesus offers freely, investing time where it seems fruitless. This isn’t a door-to-door approach, a territory where we check off names from a list, it’s a heart-to-heart process that takes time and a willingness to suffer disappointment. God answered the psalmist with Jesus on the Cross. Help us Lord to tell the world as you commanded. Make your face shine on us, may your radiance be all over us for the building of your kingdom, that we may be saved!

The remainder of Second Chronicles begins with the division of Israel following Solomon’s death. The highlights in these chapters focus on the kings of the southern kingdom. The NIV Study Bible provides an excellent introduction to set the stage and give us perspective:

The Chronicler has written a history of the Davidic dynasty in Judah; the history of the northern kingdom is passed over in silence except where it impinges on that of Judah.  (1) The Chronicler is concerned to trace God’s faithfulness to his promise to give David an unbroken line of descent on the throne of Israel. (2) At the time of the Chronicler the restored community was confined to the returnees of the kingdom of Judah, who were actually the remnant of all Israel. NIV Study Bible Notes

A few years ago, I built a chart to help trace all the names of the kings with reference to the prophets. I’m tempted to invest time in building this out further, but the summary helps me appreciate the relationship of names over time. Maybe this is helpful to others. Kings of Israel and Judah

Rehoboam and Jeroboam

Chapter 10 begins with Rehoboam’s rise to the throne. As Solomon’s heir, he begins his reign by seeking advice when challenged by Jeroboam. Rehoboam’s response is anything but wise. He rejects the counsel of elders for the careless thoughts of the youth and propels Israel into a civil war that will cause trouble through the rest of history.

The young men who had grown up with him replied, “The people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’” 2 Chronicles 10:10-11

btw — the “young men” were probably in their early 40’s since Rehoboam was 41 when he took the throne (2 Chronicles 12:13).

Not surprisingly, that answer was not well received. Chapter 11 begins with Rehoboam mounting an army to fight Jeroboam, but the Lord intervenes through the prophet Shemaiah:

“Do not go up to fight against your fellow Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.” So they obeyed the words of the Lord and turned back from marching against Jeroboam. 2 Chronicles 11:4

Significantly, Rehoboam listened to the prophet and obeyed God here. To be sure, he fortifies the cities of Judah, knowing they are vulnerable to attack. The priests and Levites gather around Rehoboam for they see that he is following the Lord while Jeroboam goes completely off-rail.  We don’t see the story of Jeroboam beyond 2 Chronicles 11:13-17, but he leads most of Israel (10 of 12 tribes) into complete apostasy and invents his own religion, complete with idols, priests, etc. See 1 Kings 12-13 for details.

Sadly, chapter 12 reveals Rehoboam’s lack of commitment to God and the people suffer attack from Shishak, king of Egypt. Shemaiah has the duty of telling the king:

Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.’” 2 Chronicles 12:5

Rehoboam’s response is noteworthy: Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah. (2 Chronicles 12:12)

The rollercoaster ride of Rehoboam shows us his was not fully in line with God. In his head, he knew what to do, how and when to humble himself, but his heart was not changed. Ultimately, he did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord (2 Chronicles 12:14).

Change our hearts, Lord. Help us to learn from the stories of old to write the stories of tomorrow for your glory and not our own.

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Queen of Sheba; Solomon’s Death

Read: 2 Chronicles 8-9

Today we quickly wrap up Solomon’s story in Chronicles 8 & 9; a mere 30 verses are used to cover his legacy.

Chapter 8 summarizes “Solomon’s Other Activities,” NIV, or as the New Life Version puts it: “Some of the Things Solomon Has Done.”  We’re not going to gain a lot of insight into Solomon in this brief account, that alone is interesting. In fact, the tone of the writing in chapter 8 reminds us that Solomon did what David planned. If we only read this account of Solomon’s activities, we might walk away with the notion that David was the architect and Solomon the general contractor.

  • “My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel…” (2 Chronicles 8:11)
  • “…according to the daily requirement for offerings commanded by Moses…” (2 Chronicles 8:13)
  • In keeping with the ordinance of his father David…” (2 Chronicles 8:14a)
  • “…because this was what David the man of God had ordered.” (2 Chronicles 8:14b)

I find it interesting that Solomon’s activities point to his ancestors in this narrative. This seems to emphasize and honor his time as king.

But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they were his fighting men, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. 2 Chronicles 8:9

The Israelites were not used as slaves to implement the many building projects Solomon achieved during his time; however, many were conscripted to serve the king’s desires to build and rebuild. I suppose this wasn’t unusual for this point in history, it just seems like a fertile ground for dissent to grow among the people. It wouldn’t take much to get a sense of superiority based on ethnicity.

Chapter 9 invites us to remember the Queen of Sheba and the incredible wealth Solomon achieved during his reign.

Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. 2 Chronicles 9:2

Even the Queen of Egypt is impressed with Solomon. In essence, the outside world sees the work and dedication to God and knows this is remarkable, something they want to understand.

King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. 2 Chronicles 9:22

Not just in gold, though there were literally tons of that, Solomon was wise and the people were focused on serving the One true God. People notice this, outsiders pay attention here.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Christians had this kind of respect from those outside the faith? This is still possible. Lord I pray that we, as your people, your church, would continue to move toward a focus on you above impressing others and let this light shine. I pray that people would see us as loving people that care about each other and those who are not “inside” the church. Give us the heart of Jesus for all people.

 

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Systems – One Lid to a Healthy Church

Systems are the inner workings of strategies, the wires that make them work individually and connect them together. Effective systems only happen with well thought out and very intentional design that is kept up-to-date. Yes, you have to keep thinking about your strategies and systems after the church is launched and throughout its life-cycles. This isn’t new, we see this in the early church in Acts as they begin to grow through the roof:

So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:2-4

Newsflash: You don’t have to DO everything! 

No doubt this isn’t news to you, but turning responsibility over to others means you have to define what you are handing over with the appropriate level of detail to achieve your specific goals. This is especially important when you consider most of the work is done by volunteers who only have a few hours a week to support their ministry area.

Here’s a example of a few strategies and potential systems:

Strategy Systems
 Prayer Team Church database group, email list
 Discipleship Small groups, curriculum, calendar
 Outreach Community needs assessment survey, list of community services contacts
 Facilities Ongoing requirements and updated list of volunteers by time and capabilities
 Congregational Care Matched list of needs to care givers, email list
 Assimilation Connection cards, identified next steps
 Ministry Teams Volunteer availability and assignments, training, transitioning

While there is nothing super insightful about that list above, what is amazing is the simple truth than many churches have not invested the time to create and maintain a table as simple as this! Identify systems that can easily fuel your strategies. Matching systems to strategies is key to achieving consistent excellence in any organization. Think like a volunteer when you select each system. In other words, don’t expect someone to spend 20 or 30 hours learning your system. It has to be current, specific and easy to use. Look for systems that can be used across strategies, especially modern church database management systems–these can really help you by organizing data and staying consistent.

Systems Organize and Extend Strategies

System provide details that support, organize and extend strategies for achieving the unique calling and vision for the local church. The systems that fuel each strategy are customized for your specific needs within your culture. It’s important to prioritize and organize based on your local context and needs–either where you are today or where you are strategically planning to move in the near future.  In other words, you can’t pull a chapter out of a book and simply say, “this is our system, do this!” Invest the time to customize each for your needs.

Please hear this, systems don’t have to be complicated! In many ways, we have a tendency to overthink systems and develop complicated logic that people have a hard time getting their minds around. That’s not to say you shouldn’t think through various contingencies, but you don’t have to design a children’s ministry for 500 when you average 50 children each week.

Synergy

When systems are well aligned to the vision of the church, each ministry works together as Paul described in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27: One body with many parts. Open the case to your computer and cut just one wire. How do you think that will work out? Or better yet, think about your physical body and how the respiratory system fuels the cardiovascular system which provides blood to the entire body. Each does their part and when each is fully functioning, your body is able to achieve incredible feats by working together. You know this. My guess is you’ve probably preached sermon series on the topic. Now it’s time to listen to your own advice.

Produce Fruit

The purpose of all of this is to produce fruit, to grow the body of Christ by making disciples that make disciples, to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18). The reminder here is to help you focus on developing and maintaining systems throughout your ministry. Don’t etch your systems in granite! Learn to adapt over time, review them annually and be willing to change when necessary. One of the ways to accomplish this is to have fresh eyes look at individual systems. In other words, listen to your newest member and your most recent guests.

If you have effective, Christ-centered systems in place, your church will have the capacity to grow and the Holy Spirit will no doubt make that happen.

 

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Temple is Dedicated

Read: 2 Chronicles 6-7 and Psalm 79

O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.
They have left the dead bodies of your servants
as food for the birds of the sky,
the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.
They have poured out blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury the dead.
Psalm 79:1-3

Reading Psalm 79 alongside of this section in 2 Chronicles makes me wonder what it was like to be a prophet during these tumultuous times. Imagine being a prophet that is given this vision of the future, especially at a time when the temple is about to be dedicated. I know this is a bit out of step chronologically, but soon we’ll be reading through Isaiah to Malachi when the kingdom of God’s chosen people is divided, exiled and greatly misled. Yes, I’m ahead of myself, but these thoughts run through my head as I read the joy with which the temple is built and dedicated.

There are some minor differences in the a narrative accounts of Solomon’s dedication, but the overwhelming theme is that of praise and glory to God for all he has done for Israel, for his people. The Name of God is to be praised for he keeps his promises.

Solomon knows there is no actual dwelling place to contain God:

But will God really dwell on earth with humans? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 2 Chronicles 6:18

In my mind, this reminder distinguishes this temple from that of other gods in the surrounding lands where idols are worshiped in troves. This is a place of worship, a place where they escape their daily lives and come to focus on God alone. Having a physical place to escape to is a wonderful concept, not to be confused with idol worship.

Solomon’s prayer is pretty clear here: this is a special place of refuge where people come and submit their hearts to the Lord, especially for repentance because of:

  • Wrongful actions against their neighbor
  • Defeat by an enemy because of personal sin
  • In times of drought, famine or plague

Solomon speaks prophetically for “the foreigners,” people like you and I to come before the Lord:

Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. 2 Chronicles 6:33

God enunciated the prayer with a special kind of amen: fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 Chronicles 7:1. These were the best of times! Great joy and unity, songs filled the hearts and ears of many.

On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel. 2 Chronicles 7:7

The Lord Appears to Solomon

the Lord appeared to him at night and said:
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.
2 Chronicles 7:12

These words of assurance are truly incredible:

if my people, who are called by my name,
will humble themselves and pray and
seek my face and
turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven, and
I will forgive their sin and
will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14

If…then. This verse makes its way to billboards from time to time as a means of reassuring us the we are still his people. Sadly, in just a few chapters, we’ll read the result of the rest of God’s words to Solomon, “but if you turn away…” (2 Chronicles 7:19-22).

There is so much more to the story, but this is a wonderful moment to stop and pray, to humble ourselves before you. All honor, all glory, all praise to you!

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Temple is Finished

2 Chronicles 4-5

Typical lessons on Sunday use references from the New Testament. One of the benefits I find with studying the Old Testament is simply this: those who lived with Jesus knew these stories well. In many ways, their society was defined by the narratives of the people and places we tend to overlook as we focus our time on the Apostles. Yet the bulk of the Bible, in sheer page count, invites me to learn through the eyes of our ancestors. Knowing the back-story makes the current story complete.

Today we read chapters 4 & 5, much of which is also discussed in 1 Kings 7: Construction of the Temple and Palace. The detailed description was necessary because they couldn’t take a picture with their iPhones. Part of my conversation last night included a comment by my friend that lines and numbers drawn on a piece of paper don’t mean anything, but to me, for whatever reason, when I see blueprints of a building I actually see the building in my mind. Some of my amazingly gifted musician friends look at sheet music, complete orchestral scores, and hear the symphony.

Chapter 4 describes the furnishings to paint the picture for us, to invite us to that place and time when God was shaping his message of reconciliation. Beyond the artistry and craftsmanship required to build the objects of the temple, it’s interesting to note the primary artist was not an Israelite. Huram-Abi was commissioned through the King of Tyre to do the work:

“I am sending you Huram-Abi, a man of great skill, whose mother was from Dan and whose father was from Tyre…He will work with your skilled worker and with those of my lord, David your father.” 2 Chronicles 2:13-14

Solomon gets the credit because he is the architect, the executive producer, whatever top-level leadership position you prefer, but we know he didn’t actually do the work himself. So many unnamed people poured their lives into the construction of the temple over the course of seven years.

Chapter 5 briefly discusses bringing the ark to the temple with super long poles…make no mistake here, they were properly transporting the ark of the covenant.

These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place 2 Chronicles 5:9

This was a sacred and special beginning to the dedication festival that richly blessed the people. The work of many gave them focus and purpose, it defined them and set many on a path that led to a deep and devoted relationship with God. It’s what they needed then and there.

Musicians gathered to make lots of joyful noise, take a peak:

All the Levites who were musicians–Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives–stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by the trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:
“He is good;
his love endures forever.”
2 Chronicles 5:12-13

The sense I get is there was real and complete joy in the hearts of the musicians and the people were moved. I’ve been blessed to be a part of worship and production teams for many years, so this description causes me to reminisce a bit. Lives are changed when worship is authentic. The Spirit moves in people when we give it all to God. Yes, I push the faders up and make the music loud because my heart is filled with wonder as I imagine Jesus dancing with us — one day, one day.

Lord, help us to see the richness of the portraits painted in these ancient stories. May they create in us people of depth and help us to authentically call people to follow Jesus.

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Solomon Starts the Temple

2 Chronicles 1-3 and Psalm 78

The first 9 chapters of 2nd Chronicles are all about Solomon and mostly about building the temple, its furnishings, etc.

It’s most interesting that the place where the temple is built shares common heritage with Abraham, Moses and now David and the line of kings to follow, all on Mount Moriah. In this place, Abraham took Isaac and passed the incredible test back in Genesis 22. Later, Moses created the tent of meeting, a place to hear directly from God in Exodus 33. Now, after all these years, the temple for Israel will be built in this location. Today, this location is a sacred place for Muslims, the Dome of the Rock (see image here). What is it about this piece of real estate?

But before the construction begins, God appears to Solomon and asks him the infamous question, what do you want?

Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 2 Chronicles 1:8-10

We know from the census that Israel at this point includes millions of people and they are surrounded by kingdoms of godless cultures that will, in time, threaten and wage war against them. Wisdom is the most important commodity. It’s such a great reminder to begin with wise counsel. Surely everything else will fall into place if we can be wise!

Chapter 2 marks the official beginning of the temple. The one part that always causes me pain is the conscription service with with people are subjected to. For the next seven years, thousands of workers labor to build the temple. Solomon’s wisdom is seen as a shrewd businessman in dealings with suppliers of goods and services.

King Hiram of Tyre is pleased to fill the orders from Solomon and seems happy enough to provide expert craftsmen to assist in the construction project. Honestly, I wonder about his sincerity:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself.”
2 Chronicles 2:12

No doubt he is impressed, but does he accept God is the one true God?

Chapter 3 reminds us that the temple was built where the Lord appeared to David as a result of his sin in directing a census. Here, David had to buy the property from a Jebusite to properly build an altar to worship the Lord.

The details about the temple are included here as in 1 Kings 6 discussed in Construction of the Temple and Palace.

So far things are going well for Solomon. Everyone seems to be focused on the building project, so the unity built by David continues into Solomon’s reign. The same strength is found today when we are able to cast a vision that is compelling and creates energy in groups of people that jump on board to see the concept become reality. Lord, help me watch carefully as the story unfolds. Help me to learn from your mighty servants, both good and bad.

 

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