Tag Archives: the book of 2 Chronicles

June 30
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“Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city.  They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world — the work of human hands.” (2 Chronicles 32:18-19, NIV)

Today’s scripture from 2 Chronicles actually begins with an account of the siege of Jerusalem by the ruthless and powerful Assyrian army.  In order to gain tactical advantage, the Assyrians taunted the watch-standers of Jerusalem by insulting the Lord God — in Hebrew!

It should be known that Hebrew, in that day, was not a world language.  It was a minority tongue.  That the Assyrians would use Hebrew to taunt the people of Jerusalem is a great example of what modern warriors call “psychological operations” or “psy ops.”

The take-away I am offering from this lesson is that we, as disciples of Jesus, should not fear assaults on our faith, even when these affronts come in the vernacular most familiar to us; or when they come from persons with great standing or power.  It’s all “psy ops,” and it is designed to erode our confidence in God; and to persuade us to abandon our posts as sentinels and beacons of light.

The story continues: The people of Jerusalem did not lose heart.  They remained in the city, despite the insults of the Assyrians, and God delivered them in time from the Assyrians.

When you are in distress, stand firm.  Divine help is coming.  God will either deliver you from the peril — or through it.  – Luther

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June 20
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“But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.”  (2 Chronicles 10:8, NIV)

The passage of time and the limits of my personal scholarship make it difficult to know precisely why Rehoboam rejected the counsel of the men who had served his father Solomon when Solomon was king; but I suspect that it was what the Bible calls the “pride of life” that led Rehoboam to consult instead his contemporaries.

The bible is an old book that challenges our ways.  The traditions of the faithful are tested, but weathered and too-familiar.  The counsel of the ages often seems way out of step with what is being promoted as the latest and the greatest discovery.

We prefer new to old.  We choose fashion over substance.  We do, as Rehoboam did: We reject the advice that established the ways of our successful predecessors for the advice of those who are more like us in our preferences.

When tempted to make changes for the sake of establishing our independence; or for raising our profile; we should call a time-out.  Is the course we have chosen reflective of the “pride of life,” or something much, much better?   – Luther

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June 9
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“Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world — the work of human hands.” (2 Chronicles 32:18-19, NIV)

Today’s scripture from 2 Chronicles actually begins with an account of the siege of Jerusalem by the ruthless and powerful Assyrian army.  In order to gain tactical advantage, the Assyrians taunted the watch-standers of Jerusalem by insulting the Lord God — in Hebrew!

It should be known that Hebrew, in that day, was not a world language.  It was a minority tongue.  That the Assyrians would use Hebrew to taunt the people of Jerusalem is a great example of what modern warriors call “psychological operations” or “psy ops.”

The take-away I am offering from this lesson is that we, as disciples of Jesus, should not fear assaults on our faith, even when these affronts come in the vernacular most familiar to us; or when they come from persons with great standing or power.  It’s all “psy ops.” It is a tactic designed to erode our confidence in God; and to persuade us to abandon our posts as sentinels and beacons of light.

The story continues: The people of Jerusalem did not lose heart. They remained in the city, despite the insults of the Assyrians and, in time, God delivered them from the Assyrians.

When you are in distress, stand firm.  Divine help is coming.  God will either deliver you from the peril — or through it.  – Luther

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