his task to retell history from God’s point of view. Friday: 2 Chronicles 10-11 (continued) For example, in response to his people’s identity FAITH FULLY FIT crisis, the Chronicler in his first book showed by Ch. 11 Ezra clearly has a goal in mind in telling us means of genealogies how they were the descen- about Rehoboam’s success. It is this: The Lord dants of Israel, the nation God selected out of all blesses those who follow his will. Through the ac- Weekly Spiritual My Spiritual Fitness Goals for this week: other nations to be his very own. In ending his sec- count of Rehoboam’s first three years as king, Ezra ond volume with the exiles’ return, he showed his means to encourage his people to also follow God’s people that their roots went deep into a glorious will. Fitness Plan past and that their community was the continua- tion of the kingdom of David and Solomon. Saturday: 2 Chronicles 12 Monday: 2 Chronicles 1-2 Ch. 12 For the first three years of his reign, things Introduction & Background Ch. 1 Chronicles was originally a single scroll, so had gone well for Rehoboam. He had obeyed the to this week’s readings: the end of 1 Chronicles and the beginning of Lord and the Lord had blessed the state, worship 2 Chronicles was the center of the original book. In life in Judah, and Rehoboam’s family. But after typical Hebrew fashion, the high point was located Rehoboam became established and strong, he for- Introduction to the Book of 2nd Chronicles in the center. Israel’s worship life under David and sook the Lord. Not only he, but all of Judah ceased “The book of Chronicles (which is, in fact, Solomon formed the high point of the scroll. Every- following the Lord’s law. a summation of the entire Old Testament) is a book thing David did later in his life revolved around of such great importance that someone can only making preparations for the temple. The first thing make a fool out of himself if he pretends to know David’s son Solomon did revolved around building the Scriptures without it.” -St. Jerome the temple. Purpose: History is not happenstance. What we 1:1 “And made him exceedingly great”—Ezra read in our newspapers, hear on our radios, and shows the people of his day and us how all our see on our television sets is not just the dreary, plans can succeed, namely, with the Lord’s bless- daily catalog of man’s inhumanity to man. God is ing. still in charge and working in all these things— Week 36 - 2 Chronicles 1-14 working in judgment and above all in grace. His 1:5 “Bezalel”—See Exodus 31:2,3. Bezalel made purpose is to work out in time the saving of those the original altar. The Lord gave him his Spirit, ena- he chose in Christ before time began. This, in a nut- bling him to be a great craftsman. shell, is the Chronicler’s message. 2:17 “The aliens who were in Israel”—For laborers, The Chronicler wrote for the community of God’s Solomon used the non-Israelites living within their people who had returned from exile in Babylon to border. In the days after the return from Babylon, the land of Judah, beginning with the decree of non-Jewish people wanted to help the Jews rebuild Cyrus in 537 B.C. Things were not going well. The their temple. However, they wanted to be on equal work on the temple had not gone as quickly as they footing with the Jews. The information Ezra records might have hoped, since the people had become here in verses 17 and 18 may not be important to bogged down in their own affairs. They had in- us, but it addressed a real problem in Ezra’s day. It curred the resentment of the surrounding people. Most of the questions and answers on the “Weekly Spiritual Fitness Plan” showed how Solomon dealt with non-Jews in his come from “The Whole Bible Project” Bible studies. Background and They were assimilating into the ways of the world. Introduction information come from “The People’s Bible” commentary day—a good example of not blurring the distinction series and from “Book of Books,” both published by NPH. In response to this deep spiritual sickness, God in- between Jew and Gentile. spired the Chronicler to write his message. It was Tuesday: 2 Chronicles 3-5 Tuesday: 2 Chronicles 3-5 (continued) Wednesday: 2 Chronicles 6-7 Thursday: 2 Chronicles 8-9 (continued) 3:1 “In Jerusalem on Mount Moriah”—In David’s Israel lived under two covenants. They were heirs 7:9 “For seven days and . for seven days more”— the report of Solomon’s great wisdom was true, time, this hill was located outside the city. Only of the promises God gave to Abraham. According Solomon observed the 7 days of the Feast of Taber- and she was convinced. Christ praises the visit of later did the city of Jerusalem grow around the to those promises, God would bless them and nacles, but he pushed the beginning of the celebra- this foreign queen, who traveled over a thousand temple. This location has a long history. Ezra, the make them a blessing to all people. The other cove- tion up 7 days, so the people worshiped for a total miles in order to find out more about Solomon’s writer of Chronicles, is the only one who named nant was two-sided. In order to receive his bless- of 14 days. The Day of Atonement fell within that wisdom. The Jews, on the other hand, rejected the temple mount. It is Mount Moriah. This is ing, Israel had to keep the many laws God gave time frame. Perhaps Solomon celebrated it, but we Jesus, who was greater than Solomon and who was where Abraham went to offer his son Isaac, but Moses. This sounds like a contradiction, and in are not told. standing before them (Matthew 12:42). God provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice in some ways it was. Judgment always followed trans- Isaac’s place. Abraham called the mountain “The gression of the laws, but mercy, in view of God’s 9:13-27 These verses give us a summary of Solo- Lord Will Provide,” and a saying developed, “On the promises to Abraham, was also always at work. mon’s wealth. Note the assembling of horses, mountain of the Lord it will be provided” (Genesis God chastened his people to keep alive a remnant Thursday: 2 Chronicles 8-9 which had been forbidden by Moses. (See Deuter- 22:14). This saying was an expression of faith. It of believers. onomy 17:16.) Ch. 8 This short chapter lists Solomon’s activities demonstrated that Abraham and others looked 9:29 “The prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite”—See 1 forward to the Savior. On one occasion, David sin- after he dedicated the temple. It is interesting to compare this chapter with the corresponding sec- Kings 11:29-39 for a record of this prophecy. In it fully counted the fighting men in his kingdom. (He Ahijah recorded the apostasy of the people of Is- tion in 1 King 9:10-28. Ezra clearly is relying on the wanted to know how strong he was.) The Lord sent rael. an angel through the land causing a terrible plague. Temple Diagram older material from 1 Kings, but he rewrites it for As the angel approached Jerusalem, he came to a the specific needs of the people of his day. Below is a diagram of the temple. Refer to it as you stop on Mount Moriah. There David prayed to the 9:1-12 Sheba, or Saba, is the kingdom of the Sa- read about the buildings and fixtures described in Lord to stop the plague. The Lord answered David’s beans, a people who lived in Arabia. Their capital chapters 3 and 4. Friday: 2 Chronicles 10-11 prayer and told David to build an altar there. David city was Saba. The queen’s purpose was to see if bought the land, realizing that this is where God Ch.10 Upon Solomon’s death, the political situa- wanted the temple to be built. These two stories— tion of Israel changed dramatically. Solomon’s son, one stressing that God would provide a substitute Rehoboam, foolishly followed the advice of the and the other stressing that God stopped being “young men,” promising to place the people under angry with the people—picture the meaning of the an even heavier burden than his father had. Mean- temple. There on Mount Moriah God would rees- while, Jeroboam had returned from exile in Egypt tablish his system of sacrifices, and because of and rallied the northern tribes to himself. Thus be- those sacrifices, he would put away his anger. gan the divided kingdom. From this point on, Ezra Ezra was reminding his people how privileged they does not report on the Northern Kingdom. Rather, were to live near Mount Moriah and experience he focuses on how God delivered (and chastened) God’s presence at their rebuilt temple. the people of Judah. This fits with his purpose, as we will see. 3:3-17 These verses contain a description of the temple itself. See the next page for a diagram of 10:1 “Shechem”—It is noteworthy that Rehoboam the temple. had to meet the people of the Northern Kingdom on their own turf.