If you are a historian, 1 and 2 Chronicles is a treasure trove of information. However, I think many of us get confused on the kings, who is on what side…You may be thinking “My job is in question, my car needs tires, I have a court date in three days—what does this have to do with ME?”
As I read through these chapters, I found some nuggets that serve as a warning and encouragement to me.
Ch. 28: Ahvaz, 28 years old, became king of Judah. He did evil, and verse 5 says, “therefore the Lord God delivered him into the hands…” of his enemy. Hmm, it appears there is a direct correlation between doing evil and suffering a strong consequence. Did Ahvaz learn from this? No!!! He didn’t get it! Vs. 22 tells us that “in his time of trouble he became even more unfaithful to the Lord (Wow. Will my heart drive me closer or further away from God when trouble comes?). When he died, he was not given an honorable funeral.
Ch 29-31 gives us an interesting contrast. Hezekiah (son of Ahaz) became king and immediately began ridding the nation of unacceptable practices—opening the doors of the temple, reminding the people of the unfaithfulness of their parents, encouraging people to repent and consecrate themselves. The priests began fulfilling their obligations. Hezekiah invited all Israel to celebrate, a new experience for them! He reminded the people (and us!) “the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.” What comfort to me! However, some people were scornful, but we are told that “the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind.” This is so reassuring, to know God is working behind the scenes to accomplish his purposes.
The people were grateful to God and gave generously from their first fruits. They were truly blessed. However, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded them. But the people under Hezekiah, did not lose heart. He reminded them Assyria had arms of flesh, but they had the Lord their God to call on. They prayed, Sennacherib went back to his own country to be killed by his son, and Hezekiah was highly regarded by all nations.
The end of the chapter records Hezekiah becoming ill and praying (more details are found in 2 Kings 20). We are told Hezekiah became prideful, then repented. When he died, all the nation honored him. What a contrast to his father!
Ch. 33: Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son, became king when he was 12 and reigned for 55 years. In short, he did evil, repented, and God moved on his behalf. When Manasseh died, he was buried in his palace, befitting a king.
Manasseh was succeeded by his son Amon, whose reign only lasted two years. He was evil and killed by his own people.
Back to—what does this have to do with me? There seems to be a connection between freedom, even prosperity, when the nation, led by their leaders, followed and worshipped God. When they did not, captivity was brought to them. There are strong implications for our lives today.
