Chronicles

God's Story in Scripture  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  50:21
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Now that the nation has returned from exile, the Chronicler (assumed author of Chronicles) writes the history as a means of reminding the people of Judah where they came from, why the exile and sort of what now. He leaves the door open to the hope of a coming Messiah.

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Perspectives

Have you ever noticed that two different people can look at the same thing and come away with very different impressions? For example, think back to the American Revolution - newspaper reporters here in the colonies would have reported things quite differently than reporters in England.
Or even consider something like a meal. We could eat the exact same thing and describe it to someone else completely differently.
Let’s take a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If you are a fan of PB&J, you might comment on the softness of the bread, the smell of the peanut butter, the texture of the peanut butter - (creamy or crunchy). You might describe the way the sweetness of the jelly compliments the saltiness of the peanut butter. You might even relish over the way that it all sticks to the roof of your mouth, allowing you to savor it just a little longer.
Now if, like me, you despise peanut butter, you would have a vastly different description. For me, I can’t stand the smell of peanut butter. The aroma nearly makes me gag. I don’t like the way it sticks to the roof of your mouth and seems to coat the inside of your teeth. That whole process simply prolongs the aromatic agony.
I’ve had people tout some of the healthy benefits of peanut butter - the good fats, the protein - but it doesn’t change my lack of affinity toward peanut butter. You see, I was scarred as a child. I used to go to this daycare and one of the regular lunch items was peanut butter and jelly - served on white wonder bread with grape jelly. The lady who ran the day care forced me to sit at the table and eat it. So I would sit there and take these small bites, forcing down the sandwich. I think after a day or two of doing this she finally got the hint that PBJ was not on my list of favorite foods. That encounter so messed me up that I can’t even eat grape jelly without associating it with peanut butter.
Now - had she given me a sandwich made with bologna, cheese and ketchup - I would have gobbled it up! (I’m not a fan of those now, but loved them as a kid)
Why do I tell you that? Well, our experiences, likes, dislikes, and more flavor how we describe things to people. We look at things from completely different perspectives.
In the New Testament, we get to see several different views of the life and ministry of Jesus as we walk through the Gospels - especially the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Their material is quite similar and tells the same basic story, but it does so from different perspectives - Matthew to a Jewish audience, Luke to a Greek audience, and Mark from Peter’s perspective.
In the New Testament, we get to see several different views of the life and ministry of Jesus as we walk through the Gospels - especially the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Their material is quite similar and tells the same basic story, but it does so from different perspectives.
Today, as we continue looking at God’s Story in Scripture, we’re going to be considering the books of 1&2 Chronicles. These books tell a familiar story, but from a different perspective. They are written for a different purpose than some of the other books we’ve considered.
So let’s review for just a moment.
Back in August, we considered how the Old Testament seemed to make promises that get fulfilled in the New Testament.
As we began to march through the various books of the OT, we even consolidated the history of the Old Testament into several words that all begin with the letter “C” (borrowing the idea from the folks at Answers in Genesis).
Creation - (hands up and out)as God started it all
Corruption - (hands down and out) as humans rebelled against God
Catastrophe - (hands together) as God brought a flood to begin things anew
Confusion - (hand over mouth) as the languages of humans were confused so that people would spread out over the earth - be fruitful and multiply
Calling - (hand to ear like a phone) as God in His sovereignty called out people like Abraham, Jacob, and Moses.
Covenant - (hand over heart) as God made promises to these people and their descendents
Consecration - (like washing hands) as God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt and established them with ceremonial and moral laws that would set them apart from other people groups
Conquest - (hand forward) as the people finally get to move into the promised land - taking hold of the territory that God had promised to Abraham.
Chaos - (hands rotating at sides of head) as the people chose to do what was right in their own eyes and rebelled against the Lord.
As we entered into the books of Samuel and Kings, we got to see the next C:
Chaos - as the people chose to do what was right in their own eyes and rebelled against the Lord.
Coronation - (hands on head like a crown) as the people cried out for a King and God gave them Saul and then David and his line of Kings in Judah.
Let’s add a couple more to this list.
When we looked at the books of Kings, we saw how...
Complacency - (hands together on side of head like resting) led the nation into decline, which ultimately led God to introduce...
Correction - (pointing finger to the side) - as the people were led into exile.
Now, after some 70 years in exile, some of the people have returned to their homeland. It is in this context that the writer of the book of Chronicles gets his perspective. If we were to give this book a word - that word might be...
Contemplation - (hand on chin like the thinker) - It’s almost as thought the Chronicler (as he is often known) is calling the people to contemplate on the past in order to learn from it in the present and then move forward in hope.
Of course, all of this will eventually lead to
Christ
Cross
Consummation
Before we get too far ahead, let’s consider a little background.

Background

1&2 Chronicles was originally one long book. When the protestant canon was established, the editors divided the book into two so that it would be a bit easier to digest.
These books cover thousands of years of history, with references back to Adam.
In our Bibles, 1&2 Chronicles follows 1&2 Kings. In fact, many people wonder why the books are even there as it covers much of the same information as 2 Samuel and 1&2 Kings - but this is where perspective comes into play. If the books of Samuel and Kings were written over a long period of time - an assembly of magisterial documents documents that were compiled into those books, Chronicles was likely written by one person over a relatively short period of time. Some think it was written near the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (early 500s), but others see it as an even later work - written around the early 400s BC. If you remember when Rabbi Bobby was here at the end of December - he talked about that last 400 years of silence - the time between the testaments. Chronicles was likely the last word leading to the silent years.
In Hebrew, the title of Chronicles literally meant “events of the days” (Longman 190). When the OT was originally translated into Greek, Chronicles was known as paraleipomenon - which means “matters omitted” or “things left out” (Dever, 342). This is largely because Chronicles focuses on the southern Kingdom of Judah. The writer leaves out many of the details of the northern Kingdom. He also leaves out many of the moral shortcomings of Judah’s kings - for example - we don’t hear about David and Bathsheba or David’s problems with Absalom - both of which take up significant real estate in 2 Samuel.
Which may cause us to ask the question - why did God lead the writer to leave these things out?
I think the short answer to this is that those details were not central to the purpose of the Chronicler.
Think about this - all of the books told exactly the same information, then we would only get one perspective.
J. Warner Wallace - a cold case detective and Christian apologist says that when he is investigating a case, he is actually looking for differences in the stories of the witnesses. He wants there to be different perspectives. He has said that in an investigation he would get suspicious if everyone answered exactly the same way.
Because of the things left out and the different perspective that we find in the books of Chronicles, some people want to discount the book.
One commentator states:
“Rather than demeaning Chronicles as a source for history, it is better to recognize it as a highly interpretive presentation of the events of the past. Thus, modern readers have two biblical presentations of the history of Israel, a synoptic history analogous to the three Synoptic Gospels.” (Longman, 195)
He goes on to say...
Where the writer of Kings asked questions like “‘Has God failed?’ How could this have happened to us?’ and ‘Is Marduk of Babylon really more powerful that Yahweh?’” the writer of Chronicles - who is writing at a later point in time, “is asking questions about its [Israel’s] relationship to its past: ‘In the judgement of the exile, had God ended his covenant with Israel?’ ‘Are we still the people of God?’ ‘Is God still interested in us?’ ‘What do God’s promises to Israel, Jerusalem and David before the exile have to do with us who live after?’ (Longman, 195-196)
Another way to think about Chronicles as it relates to the other books of History in the OT is to consider it like you would a map. For example, a map of the Metro rail system tells us one set of details about getting around the DC area, but it doesn’t tell us everything. A street map might include hints about the Metro - but doesn’t reveal everything about it. A topographical map would reveal the elevation changes in and around the city, but might miss the roads and rails.
So, in the books of Chronicles - we have a different audience (just the people of Judah) and also a different purpose - something ultimately more encouraging and instructive than simply a cold hard truth about the failures of the past - a history that seeks to redeem the past and lay a foundation for future success.
So, in the books of Chronicles - we have a different audience (just the people of Judah) and also a different purpose - something ultimately more encouraging and instructive.
The overall structure of the books could be narrowed down to three simple points:
we have a different audience (just the people of Judah)
The Genealogies ()
The United Monarchy () - covering the reigns of David and Solomon
The Divided Monarchy () - focusing on the southern kings of Judah - with only brief references to the northern kings of Israel.
In many ways, it seems like the Chronicler is seeking to have the people of Judah contemplate or reflect on certain things in order to learn from them.
First of all, it seems like he is calling Judah and us to...

Contemplate our heritage

When you read through most of the Bible, you’ll notice that the books begin with some sort of transitional or introductory statement. Many of the narrative books begin with things like:
“In the beginning...” or (Genesis)
“There was a certain man...” (1 Samuel)
“After the death of Joshua...” (Judges)
There is something that gives some framework.
With the books of Chronicles, we don’t get that luxury. We don’t get any context or story, we simply get a name, and not just one name, but basically nine chapters of names.
1 Chronicles 1:1 ESV
Adam, Seth, Enosh;
For us, these opening chapters seem rather dull and boring. Some of the names seem familiar to us, but others seem random and irrelevant.
As you read through these chapters, you’ll recognize names like Adam, Abraham, Israel and all of his sons, Levi, and David. But there are many that seem completely unfamiliar.
The Chronicler seems to follow some family lines to a point and then expands and then back tracks to follow another. Sometimes he moves from the family head down the line of descendents. Other times he traces the lineage from the children on upward.
As I said, the names largely seem irrelevant to us, but they would have been quite significant to them. Let’s just consider a few.
First of all:

Adam - Fallen Humanity

Here is the first human, the man created by God from the dust of the earth. Here is the man who got to name the animals and fellowship with God. I believe all humanity finds their origin in Adam. In thinking about this man, not only do we get our human nature from him, but we also get to reflect on the fact that we get our sin nature from Adam. Sin entered into the world through Adam.
Romans 5:12–14 ESV
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
(Romans - first adam)
In the Genealogies that the Chronicler lists, we get to see...

Abraham - covenant

Thinking back to the line of Abraham, we have to be reminded that God entered into a covenant with Abraham and determined to bless him and his descendents. The Chronicler notes the descendents of Ishmael, Isaac and also the children that Abraham had after the death of Sarah.
While most of us do not have a Jewish heritage, by extension of the Abrahamic covenant through Jesus, we are part of the fulfillment of that promise. If you have your Bibles, turn over to . Let’s consider a few verses in that chapter:
Romans 4:13 ESV
For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
Romans 4:16–18 ESV
That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
Romans 4:13-
Romans 4:22–25 ESV
That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
For the people of Judah, Abraham was a significant ancestor in their lineage.
In addition to seeing Adam and Abraham, in these genealogies, we get to see some very detailed lineages of...

Jacob and his sons - The tribal divisions

There is a great deal of initial focus on the line that leads to David through Judah. There is also some look at the other sons. What I find interesting is that there is not a balance. Some of the tribal leaders get a lot of attention, and others get very little. For example - Naphtali gets only one verse () - where as Levi - gets 81 verses - an entire chapter ()
Part of that plays into the Chronicler’s purpose as he not only focuses on the monarchy but also on the temple and the proper worship of God - the descendants of Levi were in charge of the Temple and were intended to lead the worship practices.
One other lineage worth noting is that of...

David - the promised King and the succession of kings

In many ways, the majority of the book is a long description of David’s lineage as it traces the activities of the kings of Judah. The Chronicler does list David’s descendents in chapter 3.
While these lists mean may mean little to us, I think there is something that we can consider.
While these lists mean may mean little to us beyond academic interest, I think there is something that we can consider.
We each have our own heritage. We are where we are today because of the successes and failures of our ancestors. You may have grown up in a home that instilled biblical values - values that you have chosen to adopt or reject. You may have grown up in a home that was filled with pain. Your heritage brought you here. Your heritage and other influences have been used by God to help to shape you.
These lists may have had that kind of impact on the lives of the Jews who heard this message preached.
So, in addition to contemplating our heritage, it seems like the Chronicler may be calling us to...

Contemplate our relationship to God

One of the things that the Chronicler does throughout the books is that he communicates about the intended centrality of God-oriented worship. The Chronicler often seems to comment on whether or not the kings were faithful to the Lord or if they were faithless. He spends a great deal of time considering the role of the Levites and the Priests in the worship that was to take place in the temple.
In fact, speaking of the temple, the Chronicler goes into great detail regarding the preparation and the ultimate construction and dedication of the temple. He attributed to David many of the supplies needed. David had wanted to build the temple but was prohibited. As a result, David collected many of the materials and commissioned his son Solomon to build the temple.
The Chronicler talks about the organization of the worship and all of the people who were involved as gate keepers, musicians, priests, levites, and more.
The Chronicler talks about the organization of the worship and all of the people who were involved as gate keepers, musicians, priests, levites, and more.
He also seems to subtly point out the neglect that happened as the people who were assigned the task of maintaining the temple failed to do their jobs.
God was supposed to be central to the lives of the people of Israel and Judah, but their faithlessness and rebellion led them astray.
In the north, as we considered last week with Dr. Smith, a false idol based worship was established.
While there was faithfulness through many of the kings of the south as they would tear down the high places and the objects of idol worship - there were some kings who did the exact opposite. In fact one such King was Manasseh. Check out .
2 Chronicles 33:1–9 ESV
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem shall my name be forever.” And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. And the carved image of the idol that he had made he set in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever, and I will no more remove the foot of Israel from the land that I appointed for your fathers, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the statutes, and the rules given through Moses.” Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.
Last week, Dr. Smith challenged us to think about the idols that we put up in our lives - success, power, possessions, sex, pleasure, and so much more. We can so easily get our lives off course as we set up electronic shrines in our houses designed to lull us into a stupor - while we watch life happen to others (whether fictional or reality) rather than living the life that God has called us to live. We can spend hours working to fill our bank accounts, thinking that in that there is security in an abundance of wealth. We can compromise how we treat others, thinking that putting others down is the way to make us feel better, or put us in a better standing.
When God is no longer central in our lives, calamity creeps in.
Look at what happened to Manasseh:
2 Chronicles 33:10–11 ESV
The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon.
2 Chr. 33:
And yet even in the midst of Manasseh’s rebellion - God’s grace abounds. You see, Manasseh needed this tough love from God. He needed God’s hand of discipline.
And yet even in the midst of Manasseh’s rebellion - God’s grace abounds. You see, Manasseh needed this tough love from God. He needed God’s hand of discipline.
2 Chronicles 33:12–13 ESV
And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.
2 Chronicles 33:12–14 ESV
And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. Afterward he built an outer wall for the city of David west of Gihon, in the valley, and for the entrance into the Fish Gate, and carried it around Ophel, and raised it to a very great height. He also put commanders of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah.
Manasseh’s repentance had a lasting effect. He made changes in His life. He sought to restore a more proper worship of God.
I realize that in this we’re hitting highlights of the book and only small portions of the overall story, but I hope you see the love and grace of God. Manasseh was a wicked king. He did evil - and yet even in His wickedness and rebellion - he was able to be forgiven by God.
Friend - you may be only investigating the things of God. This all may seem strange to you. Why didn’t God just let Manasseh do whatever he wanted to? After all, he was king. What we have to realize is that Manasseh, as Judah’s King, had in increased responsibility to his nation and was accountable to God.
Even though Manasseh was held to account in a harsh way, God responded to his humility.
We each have that same sort of problem - it’s called sin. We may not sacrifice our children to a false god (though our nation certainly is through the millions of abortions that have taken place). We may not have desecrated proper worship, but we may have set up our own idols or even set ourselves up as our own God. We ultimately will give an account of our lives before God.
Friend - I hope that you, like Manasseh, like me, like so many others, will come to the reality of your sin and will repent. Humble yourself before Almighty God, acknowledge that your sin hinders your ability to have a relationship with God. Eventually, your sin will need to be paid for - and it already has. Jesus Christ paid the punishment that you and I rightly deserve. Call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved.
Beloved - We need to remember that Manasseh and the other wicked Kings that were complicit in the decline of Judah were covenant children. They were children of the promise made to Abraham - and yet they messed up. If you are already a follower of Christ, let me encourage you and me to be mindful of the sin and compromise that can easily set in. We are called to live holy lives, to be set apart of service to God - at home, at work, with our friends, at school. We are not necessarily called to be perfect, but we are called to allow God’s sanctifying work to shape up. As the Holy Spirit confronts you with sin that is easily entangling your witness - repent of it and more forward - resting the the forgiveness that is yours in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Since you didn’t do anything except to respond by faith to receive your salvation, you cannot do anything to lose your salvation.
Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Rejoice in the life that you have in Christ - the forgiveness of your sins - and then live in a way that is pleasing to Him. Keep God at the center.
Finally, in light of all that the Chronicler has shared, it seems like he is calling us and the people fo Judah to sort of answer a “so what” - now that we’ve been through the exile, now that we have a better understanding of why Judah was in exile, the Chronicler seems to leave the door open for us to...
Finally, in light of all that the Chronicler has shared, it seems like he is calling us and the people fo Judah to sort of answer a “so what” - now that we’ve been through the exile, now that we have a better understanding of why Judah was in exile, the Chronicler seems to leave the door open for us to...
Finally, in light of all that the Chronicler has shared, it seems like he is calling us and the people fo Judah to sort of answer a “so what” - now that we’ve been through the exile, now that we have a better understanding of why Judah was in exile, the Chronicler seems to leave the door open for us to...

Contemplate our future

God, in His grace, gave His people warnings, time and again. Over the next several months, we will get to study some of those warnings when we get to the prophets. But look at what the Chronicler says in :
2 Chronicles 36:15–16 ESV
The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.
Through the prophets, God called the people of Judah to consider their future and the judgment that was pending if they did not return to Him. In fact He had already given them a means to turn, a pattern for repentance:
2 Chronicles 7:13–14 ESV
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
While it seems like this promise of healing the land was specific to the people of Judah, there is some benefit that we can learn from here.
Humble ourselves
pray
seek his face
turn (repent)
And yet the people did not seem to do that. They did not turn and so God, as he foretold, sent them into exile for seventy years ().
And yet that’s not the end of the story. Even as God led the people away for a time, he put an end to it. In fact, the books close out in a rather odd and incomplete way. Remember, this was originally the last book of the Hebrew scriptures. The protestant canon moved things around into a more chronological order.
2 Chronicles 36:22–23 ESV
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’ ”
2 Chr. 36:
The final sentence in Hebrew is not a complete sentence. It’s almost as though the future is yet to be written.
The Jews who were hearing the message of Chronicles may have been those who went up from the exile. They may have been those who remained in the land as slaves to a foreign king. They had heard the past and now could choose to be faithful into the future. And they were. As far as we can tell, the people of Judah never did return to their idolatry. They remained faithful to worship the One true God.

Closing Thoughts

AMAZING GRACE

March 21, 1748

Born in London in 1725, John Newton, a sea captain’s son, lost his mother when he was six. However, before she died she prayed that he would become a minister. Newton went to sea with his father at age eleven. After an unsuccessful stint in the Royal Navy, he went to work for a slave trader.

In March 1848, Newton was in a violent storm that changed him forever. He went to bed that night and was awakened by the storm. Within a few minutes the ship was a virtual wreck, filling with water. Working frantically, the crew finally was able to plug the leaks. Exhausted, Newton heard himself say to the captain, “If this will not do, the Lord have mercy upon us.” Newton was instantly taken aback by his own words that reflected the first time he had desired God’s mercy in years. Then the thought went through his mind, What mercy can there be for me?

As the storm continued the next day, March 21, 1748, Newton sadly concluded that there had never been a sinner as wicked as he and that his sins were too great and too many to be forgiven. His journal records the deliverance from that storm and his spiritual deliverance as well: “[This] is a day much to be remembered by me, and I have never suffered it to pass wholly unnoticed since the year 1748. On that day, the Lord sent from on high and delivered me out of the deep waters.…”

Later he wrote: “I stood in need of an Almighty Saviour, and such a one I found described in the New Testament.… I was no longer an infidel; I heartily renounced my former profaneness, and I had taken up some right notions; was seriously disposed, and sincerely touched with a sense of the undeserved mercy I had received, in being brought safe through so many dangers.”

Although he continued sailing and working in the slave trade for a time, Newton studied the Bible, prayed, read Christian books, and finally left the sea behind. In 1764, at age thirty-nine, John Newton began a new life as a minister in the Church of England, later writing his autobiographical hymn, “Amazing Grace.”

Throughout his life, he stopped to thank God on his “anniversary.” The last entry in his journal was written on March 21, 1805, an anniversary of his deliverance. He wrote simply, “Not well able to write; but I endeavor to observe the return of this day with humiliation, prayer, and praise.”

The books of Chronicles remind us the God used our past to bring us to where we are. God is faithful to His people and will forgive - if we will but turn from our sin. God is the one who holds the future. Let’s move forward in faithful obedience, knowing that He will return one day to bring us into our heavenly promised land.
Let’s pray.

Benediction

Hebrews 13:20–21 ESV
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews

Discussion Questions

With your family or small group or some friends, take a few minutes to discuss these questions.
What is your spiritual heritage? Who had God used in your life to bring you to where you are? What are you passing on to the next generation?
What role does God play in your life today? Is He central to your identity and activity? Is He a sort of add on? What might need to change in order to center your life on Him?
The people of Judah could see how in the past God warned them about the future. Now that they are back in the promised land, they have hope in a coming Messiah. How does God’s faithfulness in the past give you confidence for the future?
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