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Day 230 – Thru the Bible
Today we continue Second Chronicles.
2 Chronicles 18 & 19 – There has never been a perfect king in the history of human kings. Even Jehoshaphat lapses in judgment and unites with wicked King Ahab of Israel (chapter 18). However, with Jehoshaphat, the Lord’s rebuke by the hand of Jehu the prophet produces repentance and, subsequently, good works. In fact, the work of Jehoshaphat to establish upright judges and bring justice throughout the land in the name of the Lord reminds us of the work of Moses back in Exodus 19.
The Lord will certainly discipline those whom He loves (Hebrews 12:4–11), and this discipline is designed to bring repentance and restoration, as it did with Jehoshaphat.
Ultimately, this kindness of the Lord comes to us only because another has endured the wrath that we deserved. Thus, “Consider Him [Jesus] who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted” (Hebrews 12:3). Because of God’s free grace to us in Jesus, the deserved destruction by an enemy has become the discipline (teaching and correction) of a loving father.
How do you see that God’s correction and teaching are always in love and for our benefit?
2 Chronicles 20 – When Jehoshaphat encountered the crisis of an enemy threat, he did not fear the future but rather looked to the past. He trusted in the Lord who had driven out the Canaanites to fulfill His covenant with Abraham. Jehoshaphat understood that the Lord had done great and amazing feats in order to create and protect His covenant people. Thus, he could continue to trust in the Lord to deliver His people once again.
If Jehoshaphat had reason to trust in the Lord, we have even more. Like Jehoshaphat, we can look to the past and ground our trust in God to protect and provide for His covenant people, the church. Consider Him “who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). The battle has been won, and now we live as beneficiaries of the spoils of Jesus’ victory.
How does God’s faithfulness to you in your past lead you to trust Him with today and tomorrow?
What other thoughts or questions does today’s reading bring up?
Some of these notes are from the ESV Gospel Transformation Bible study notes. We highly recommend this study Bible.
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