2 Chronicles 17-28

The author of 1 & 2 Chronicles, known (not surprisingly, I suppose) as the Chronicler, covers much of the history already covered in prior books. I did a bit of research and learned that those earlier books are a primary (but not the exclusive) source for these later books. The Chronicler drew from other sources as well, but also seems to bring a different historical and political perspective. More importantly, to my mind, he also brings a more advanced sophisticated understanding of the relationship between God and man. 

In earlier books, the critical attribute of the man of God is obedience. Abraham is asked by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and he obeys--stopped at the last moment by an angel of God. Noah builds the ark and assembles the menagerie of animals as instructed. They did not question; they obeyed. 

The Chronicler shifts the emphasis to "faithfulness of heart". David is the paradigm of the man who is faithful of heart. Did he always obey the Lord's commands? No. But he oriented his life toward God, he begged for God's forgiveness, he sought God's help, and he trusted God's counsel. These last two are emphasized in this section of 2 Chronicles. The Lord expects--indeed, demands--that his faithful people seek His help. He is angered when they seek assistance elsewhere. God does not rest on what He has already done for His people, awaiting their gratitude, but instead insists that we ask for more. 

This section of 2 Chronicles is filled with leaders who did not seek the Lord in this way, leading to their failures and to the suffering of Israel and Judah as a result. Asa and Jehoshaphat are the best examples of faithfulness of heart in this section, although they too are flawed, but the other kings turn away from the Lord (and lead their people there, too), thus displeasing Him.

2 Chronicles 7-16

King Solomon's greatness is widely known and universally acknowledged. He builds the temple of the Lord, a place to house the ark as well as a special place for prayer. The temple serves as an important sign of the greatness of God and the importance of His Law. But it is also a way for God to communicate a profound message: That He listens for and hears the prayers of His people. He promises Solomon that, in a special way, the prayers offered in the temple by the Israelites will be heard and will be responded to. The Lord does not suggest that He will not hear prayers offered elsewhere--for after all He knows the minds and hearts of His people. But there is special about this sacred place, and a singular importance about seeking the Lord there and laying before Him the needs of His people.    

A strong theme in this section is the Lord's hope--His expectation; His demand--that His people come to Him in their need and ask for His help. 

The eyes of the Lord roam over the whole earth, to encourage those who are devoted to him wholeheartedly.

Indeed, God is angry that Asa, king of Judah, does not come to Him when Judah is threatened by enemies, and again when Asa falls ill near the end of his life. Asa's failure in this regard is seen as a sign of infidelity on his part. What an interesting idea--that God not only tolerates our asking Him for help, but He demands it!!  

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

It's a great day to be alive! So said a speaker at a fundraising event yesterday for the Ace in the Hole Foundation. Established by my brother-in-law and one of his sons, Ace in the Hole is a fundraising organization that honors the memory of my nephew, 1st Lt. Michael LiCalzi of the United States Marine Corps, who was killed in Iraq seven years ago yesterday. The speaker is part of the Wounded Warrior Project, himself a former Marine who was seriously injured in Iraq. 

Yesterday was a sad, difficult day, but likewise a great day to be alive--to thank God for the many gifts and blessings. Including mothers--mine, of course, and for my wife, the (wonderful) mother of my children. I am very thankful for them today and every day. Happy Mother's Day to all!

As for the this week past, it was all about the kings in 2 Kings.  Some good and inspiring, like Josiah, but many more were men who misled their people and displeased the Lord. Ultimately, due to the inconstancy of the kings and the people of Israel and Judah, the kingdom and the temple of God are destroyed and the people exiled. All that, and a Quentin Tarantino cameo.

2 Kings 1-5

2 Kings 6-10
2 Kings 11-16

2 Kings 17-21

2 Kings 22-25

Here is the link to the Sunday Snippets for May 12.

Enjoy and have a great week!

John

2 Kings 22-25

Josiah, king of Judah, pleases the Lord as Davd had. The kings that follow? Well, not so much. Josiah is presented with the book of laws, discovered by the high priest in the temple.  When the book is read to him, Josiah is filled with anguish, because he realizes ho far the Israelites have strayed from their covenant with God. So he undertakes to set things right. It is not enough to rescue the Israelites from the end they have earned, but the Lord does promise to put off that day until after Josiah dies. 

Before [Josiah] there had been no king who turned to the Lord as he did, with his whole heart, his whole soul, and his whole strength, in accord with entire law of Moses; nor could any after compare with him. Yet, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had given, the Lord did not desist from his fiercely burning anger against Judah.

In time, Judah is defeated, overrun, and her people scattered--driven into exile. The temple of the Lord is dismantled and destroyed.

What a sad story of unrequited love. Not romantic love, of course, but God's love for His people. I find the ending of this book to be particularly frightening. God is angry and His people suffer. He seems to have abandoned them. Yet He is also clearly willing to acknowledge and reward the man (Josiah) who strives to be righteous and obedient by loving God and observing His commands. 

2 Kings 17-21

With one notable exception, the next group of kings of both Israel and Judah displease the Lord greatly. In the case of the kings of Israel, so much so that the Lord permits the king of Assyria to capture Israel and carry its people off to a distant land. Only Hezekiah, a king of Judah, acts in a way pleasing to the Lord.

He put his trust in the Lord, the God of Israel, and neither before him nor after him was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah. Loyal to the Lord, Hezekiah never turned away from him, but observed the commandments which the Lord had given Moses.

The Lord rewards Hezekiah with a long life. The Lord sends to him Isaiah, a prophet, to guide him. Isaiah advises Hezekiah when the king of Assyria tries to conquer Judah. Isaiah's counsel, and Hezekiah's heartfelt prayers to God, help turn back the Assyrians. But Isaiah also foretells the ruin of Judah--of its future conquest by Babylon. After Hezekiah's death, his son, Manasseh, succeeds him. Manasseh displeases the Lord greatly, pushing Him past the breaking point, and He speaks through the prophets, promising the destruction of both Jerusalem and Judah: "I will wipe Jerusalem clean as one wipes a dish, wiping it inside and out."

2 Kings 11-16

The focus shifts from prophets back to kings, as this section is a catalog of the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah. For the most part, the kings of Israel displease the Lord, as they worship--and lead the Israelites in Samaria to worship--false gods. The kings of Judah are mostly pleasing to the Lord, although not as pleasing as the great King David, since they do not destroy the "high places" nor do they prevent the people from burning incense there. 

There are various battles between the kings of Israel and Judah. At times, they join forces to fight a common enemy; at other times they fight each other. There is a great deal of palace intrigue and even murder in the name of ambition. Seems ripe for a cable TV miniseries.

2 Kings 6-10

Today is something of a milestone (or a millstone, depending on your perspective). This is the 100th blog entry of On Jacob's Ladder!  And they said it wouldn't last!!

Elisha is the key figure in the victory over Ben-hadad and the Arameans. Samaria is attacked, but saved through Elisha's miracles. Elisha weeps for Israel as he foretells the death of Ben-hadad to the king's servant, Hazael, because he sees that Hazael will succeed  the current king and bring gray suffering upon the people of Israel. Jehoram and then his son, Ahaziah, become king of Judah in turn. They are evil and displease God, as Ahab had before them.

Elisha, at the Lord's instruction, anoints Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat, the king of Israel. Jehu leads men loyal to him to Jezreel, where both kings--of Judah and of Israel--are staying. He kills them both. He then sees to it that Jezebel is killed, and her body is left in the street to be torn apart and eaten by dogs.  As Elisha had foretold, Jehu has the entire line of Ahab's descendants killed. Indeed 70 of them are killed, their heads put in baskets, and the baskets sent to Jehu. Soon after, Jehu oversees the destruction of the Temple of Baal, and the slaughter of all the Baal worshipers within it. 

So very Quentin Tarantino!

1 Kings 15-19

After Solomon's death, God's people remain split into two kingdoms--Judah and Israel.  The kings that follow in those two kingdoms are, with one notable exception, men who continue to disobey and anger the Lord. Men who keep their people turned away from the true God. The exception is Asa, who reigns 41 years as the king of Judah and who pleases God just as his ancestor David had. "Asa's heart was entirely with the Lord as long as he lived." But even during Asa's reign, and after it, there is continuous warfare between Judah and Israel.

Ahab is one of the kings of Israel who displeases the Lord. He is married to Jezebel, who turns him away from God to the worship of Baal. She is responsible for the murder of many priests of the true God in her quest to keep the people (and her husband, the king) committed to Baal.

The Lord sends a prophet, Elijah, to rescue his people. Ahab and Jezebel seek to kill Elijah, but the Lord protects him.  Elijah trusts in the Lord and, does as He commands, finds a widow and her son with whom he lives for some years. His first words to her--Do not be afraid!--are words we later hear Jesus speak often in the New Testament. Words of greeting; words of comfort. The Lord sustains the three of them with water and food. When her son falls sick and stops breathing, Elijah takes the boy's body to the upper room of the house and prays to God to breathe life back into the boy. The Lord hears Elijah's prayer and the boy is restored. This story reminds me of other miracles Jesus performs, including perhaps most obviously the raising of Lazarus.

Elijah meets Obadiah, a servant of Ahab who nevertheless has remained true to God, and instructs him to announce Elijah's return. Although afraid, Obadiah does as Elijah asks him. When they meet, Elijah challenges Ahab and the prophets of Baal to a test to demonstrate whose god is the true God. The God of Elijah prevails, and Elijah has the people of Israel kill the prophets of Baal. There is a great moment describing their fruitless efforts being made by the prophets of Baal to summon their god to show his power: But there was not a sound; no one answered, and no one was listening.

When she learns of this, Jezebel sends a messenger to Elijah promising to kill him; Elijah flees. Elijah becomes discouraged and fearful and hides in a cave. But God comes to Elijah in his distress and calls him from the cave to witness God's power and presence:

A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord--but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake--but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire--but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak.

Elijah recognizes the Lord's voice in the soft whisper of the wind, and obeys the Lord's instructions. He takes the road to the desert near Damascus and meets Elisha, the prophet the Lord has selected to succeed Elijah. Upon meeting Elijah, Elisha leaves all that he has behind to follow Elijah.

So often, I wish the Lord would speak to me in a loud, strong, clear voice. I need to listen for Him in the whispers of life--to recognize His voice in the unexpected place, as Elijah did.

1 Kings 11-14

Unlike his father David, Solomon turns away from God and worships false gods. The narrative seems to place some of the blame for this on the many (as in hundreds) of foreign wives and concubines Solomon took in his lifetime.  Wow, when did he have time to rule?! Seriously, though, I am grappling with the difference between David and Solomon. David obviously and spectacularly violated God's commandments--recall, for example, the story of Uriah and Bathsheba, during which David trampled on a least three of the Ten Commandments. Yet even the Lord later identifies him as one who remained faithful, and David is contrasted favorably to Solomon in this regard. I suppose the difference is that David was always devoted to God, did not worship false gods, recognized and was sorry for his failings, sought forgiveness for them, and accepted God's punishment for them. Solomon was not faithful to God in that he worshipped false gods, and caused others to do so as well.

The result of Solomon's lack of faithfulness is rebellion within the kingdom of Israel and, ultimately, its dissolution upon his death. Rehoboam becomes king of the cities of Judah and settles in Jerusalem, while Jeroboam becomes king of ten other tribes of Israel. They remain at war with each other. Both rule badly, ignoring the Lord's commands and leading His people astray. They and the people of Israel are eventually punished.  

2 Samuel 1-4

David is filled with grief upon learning of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. After all this time, David still loved Saul and respected him as the anointed king of Israel. Only after Saul's death is David anointed the new king by the men of Judah. A war between the house of Saul and that of David (essentially, David and the men of Judah) ensued. After some internal quarreling in the house of Saul, and some pitched battles, Abner (the leader of the house of Saul) and David were reconciled and made peace. But Joab, one of David's men, harbored a grudge against Abner for causing the death of one of Joab's brothers. Joab attempted to deceive David about Abner's intentions, pursued Abner, and then killed Abner after tricking him into letting down his guard. David grieved once again, saying "You must recognize that a great general has fallen today in Israel." Thereafter, thinking they were acting in a manner that would please David, two leaders in the army of the house of Saul murdered one of Saul's sons in his bed while he slept. When they brought his head to David, David was again troubled. He killed the men for having murdered an innocent man.

This is, to me, a confusing series of events. In 1Samuel, David showed mercy to Saul time and again. He always respected Saul and showed him honor and deference as the king of Israel--even when Saul sought David's death. David continued to show Saul honor and respect after his death, openly grieving and punishing those who brought about the death of Saul and his sons. There is something about David's love and faithfulness even in the face of Saul's open hostility and attempts at violence toward David that suggests the infinite love and mercy God has for us--for me.

Ruth

The Book of Ruth is a short book, almost an interlude, unlike anything before it. God does not appear or speak, nor do any angels. It is a single story about one woman, Ruth. Ruth is not from one of the twelve tribes, but she marries a man whose father was from the land of Judah. When her husband and father-in-law die, she accompanies her mother-in-law, Naomi, on her journey back to Judah. Naomi tries to discourage Ruth, since she sees little future for Ruth in Judah, but Ruth insists on remaining with Naomi, saying:

Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you, for wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there be buried.

Her fidelity to Naomi extends even to her embracing the God of Israel as her God. This passage is so beautiful. It could easily be inserted into a marriage vow, for instance. It is also a wonderfull statement of fidelity and discipleship--a promise to follow without regard to obstacles. 

Ruth is faithful and pious and hardworking. Her story becomes known among the people of Judah. She follows Naomi's guidance and as a result becomes the wife of Boaz, a prominent landowner and kinsman of Naomi. We are told that she bears a son, Obed, whose son is Jesse and whose grandson is David, the future king. Jesus, of course, is of the line of David, through his stepfather, Joseph. So, from a woman not born of the Chosen People, God sends a great king and then, ultimately, the Great King and Savior. This foretells the universality of the salvation that is humanity's through Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection. 

Judges 1-3:6

With Joshua's death, the last of the generation that experienced the Lord's deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt is gone. Here, in Judges, it is an angel of the Lord who delivers God's message to the people--not one of their own. The Israelites gain some victories over inhabitants of Canaan. The brothers Judah and Simeon, for example, defeat the Canaanites and the Perizzites, and in doing so cut off the thumbs and big toes of Adonibezek. How horrifying. But the Israelites choose to live side by side with some of the tribes in Canaan--in disobedience to God's command to Moses and Joshua that the Israelites put them allot the sword. Over time, the Israelites forget God's commands, and they assimilate with these peoples and begin to worship their gods. They forget the Lord and all He has done for them. They abandon Him. As a result, the Lord becomes angry with them and allows them to fall under the power of certain plunderers until they are in great distress. The Lord periodically sends a judge to them to get them back on the right path, which they would do, at least temporarily. But upon a judge's death, they relapse into a worse state than before. Therefore, the Lord allows certain people's to remaining Canaan to challenge and thwart the Israelites. 

How often I relapse, forgetting all the good that God has done for me. I forget God's promise to me, His faithfulness, His mercy. When this happens, I don't look for "false gods" to worship--at least I don't think I do. Instead, I am more like Adam in Eden--I hide my face from Him. 

Joshua 5-8

Two important rituals precede the Israelites first battle for the Promised Land. First, because no men were circumcised during the forty-year exile in the desert, all submit to the knife.  Then, they celebrate Passover. On that same day, the manna from heaven that had fed them during their long journey ceases. To demonstrate His presence and commitment to them, the Lord sends an angel with a sword to lead the Israelites into battle, who announces, "I am the captain of the host of the Lord and I have just arrived."  Why "just arrived", I wonder? Isn't God always there for us? Perhaps the angel chooses these words to remind us that while God is always present and available for us, He comes to us in a special way when we are in need. 

What follows is a great story of how the walls of Jericho come down as a result of the Israelites blowing ram's horns and shouting, as they had been instructed by the Lord through Joshua. And then they massacred the people of the city--every last one except the family of Rahab, the harlot, who had aided the scape of Joshua's spies. But despite all He had done for them, the Israelites--or at least one of their number--disobeyed the Lord's precise instructions about hauling off booty from the city. He withdraws his aid and the Israelites are (temporarily) rebuffed at Ai. The Lord insists to Joshua that he find and remove the disobedient person. A man named Achan, of the tribe of Judah, is found to be the plunderer, and he is taken to the Valley of Achor, where he is stoned to death by the Israelites. The Israelites then conquer Ai in a rousing battle scene, using an ambush per the Lord's instructions to secure the city. Joshua built an altar to the Lord, and in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote the law on to unhewn stones as God had instructed  Moses. Joshua then "read aloud all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses, exactly as written in the book of the law. Every single word that Moses had commanded, Joshua read aloud to the entire community." 

As we have seen, time and time again, the Lord reminds the Israelites, by word, action, and ritual, that the law is and must be central to their lives--impacting every aspect of their existence. This is no less true for me personally. God's Word, His message through this Bible and through His Son, as intermediated through His (far from perfect) Church, must guide my life. It must not just be reflected or observed in my actions, but it must also penetrate to my soul. 

Genesis 48:8-50:26; Exodus 1

Nearing death, Israel blesses Joseph's sons, and makes them heirs to the covenant that God made with Abraham and Isaac. We see again the reference to fruitfulness--"that they may become teeming multitudes upon the earth." However, Israel purposefully lays his right hand on the younger son, Ephraim, rather than the elder, Manasseh, explaining that "his younger brother shall surpass him, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations." Israel calls his sons together to forecast what is to come in the days ahead. Of note, he says of Judah that "the sons of your father shall bow down to you," and he says that Joseph shall be "the prince among his brothers." Joseph leads a great ceremony for Israel's funeral, after which Joseph's brothers became fearful that now Joseph will seek his revenge for the way they treated him in his youth. But Joseph has no such intention, but rather sees the hand of God in what has gone before: "Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve his present end, the survival of many people. Therefore, have no fear." This so reminds me of Jesus and of the merciful God I believe in. If only I could be so forgiving and have such equanimity in my own life. Here ends the story of Joseph and of Genesis. Joseph and his descendants, the Hebrews, are indeed fruitful as the years pass, but they generate resentment and fear among the Egyptians, and especially the Pharaoh. He subjects them to cruel slavery and they endure much suffering. He orders that every Hebrew male child be killed by the Egyptian midwives who assist in their births. But out of fear for God the midwives tried not to obey the Pharaoh's command. 

Genesis 42:29-45:15

This is perhaps my favorite story in the Bible (of the ones I am familiar with today). I relish the interactions among the brothers, their individuality, and the strong emotions they feel and express. I have a sister and many brothers and I enjoy watching this drama unfold. I am moved that, at multiple points, Joseph is so overcome by emotion that he must excuse himself so that he may weep openly. He puts his brothers to the test, testing their honesty, their fealty, and their constancy. Happily, they pass the tests. Again, there are wonderful echoes of Christ here. (Ok, a detour: "echoes" is a strange word to use here, since, of course, Jesus lived long after Joseph. I have been resisting its use until now. But the fact is that I am reading the Old Testament through the prism of the New Testament--with the understanding that Jesus Christ, who lived and died and lives again, is the culmination, the fulfillment, of all that happened before. So, "echoes" seems appropriate in that context.) Anyway, we are reminded of Jesus when Judah offers to lay down his life as ransom for his brother, Benjamin, and when Joseph himself, seeing the hand of God in all that has happened, says, "God, therefore, sent me on ahead of you to ensure for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives in an extraordinary deliverance."  Is there a better description of what Christ is for me? For us? It also anticipates the words of consolation Jesus himself will say to his disciples before he ascends into Heaven.