2 Chronicles - Highlights & Notes 1 | 2>>
Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great? And God said to Solomon: "Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like." (2nd Book of Chronicles 1:10-12, KJV) - King Solomon asks for wisdom above anything else, and God gives him it.
And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the Lord, and a house for his kingdom. (2 Ch 2:1)
And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods. (2 Ch 2:5)
And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand three thousand and six hundred. And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand of them to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work. (2 Ch 2:17-18) - This sounds reminiscent of the Egyptian bondage God delivered the Israelites from in Exodus. God warns the Israelites not to exploit human resources like this and punishes King David in 1 Chronicles.
Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. (2 Ch 3:1)
And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims: For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. (2 Chronicles 5:7-8) - The Ark was a sacred shrine used to represent God himself, hence its importance and reverence. I discuss the Ark in further detail in my book, Jericho. The two cherubims with their wings outstretched is a motif derived from the ancient Egyptian goddess Nephthys, who would stretch her wings out over the Pharaoh to protect him. This will be included in my upcoming book about the ancient Egyptian origins of Christianity.
:) (2 Ch 6:30)
If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Ch 7:14)
And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said: "My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the Ark of the LORD hath come." (2 Ch 8:11)
And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. (2 Ch 10:19)
And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD,
With 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lumbis, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. (2 Ch 12:2-3)
Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them: "Thus saith the LORD: 'Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.'" (2 Ch 12:5)
And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying: "They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries." So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house. (2 Ch 12:7-10)
And behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. (2 Ch 13:12) - God will often fight our battles for us. He appears as a captain many times in the Old Testament. This captain is united with God and is known as Captain of the LORD'S Host. More can be learned about this in my Jericho book.
And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. (2 Ch 13:14-15) - This is also how the walls of Jericho fell: Joshua and his men gave out a shout on the final day after blowing on the rams' horns and God intervened; He blessed them with a miracle for their devotion and obedience. Again, this is all explained in my Jericho book.
And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves. (2 Ch 14:2-3) - Asa was a good man.
Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. (2 Ch 15:7)
And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians. And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. (2 Ch 16:12-13) - Poor Asa, he clearly did not understand the healing power of prayer. Had he believed in a miracle and sought God instead, he would have been healed and lived much longer.
And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim. But sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. (2 Ch 17:3-4) - Again, the LORD united with a man, Jehoshaphat, because he was righteous and did not worship idols. More can be learnt about "the union/trinity" in Chapter 3 of my Jericho book.
And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said: "Thus saith the LORD: 'With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.'" (2 Ch 18:10) - Horns of iron, very mysterious.
And he said: "I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets." And the LORD said: "Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so." Now therefore behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee. (2 Ch 18:21-22) - The LORD works in mysterious ways. He will even profane his sanctuary to punish the unrighteous (Ezekiel 24:21).
Next>>
Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great? And God said to Solomon: "Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like." (2nd Book of Chronicles 1:10-12, KJV) - King Solomon asks for wisdom above anything else, and God gives him it.
And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the Lord, and a house for his kingdom. (2 Ch 2:1)
And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods. (2 Ch 2:5)
And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand three thousand and six hundred. And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand of them to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work. (2 Ch 2:17-18) - This sounds reminiscent of the Egyptian bondage God delivered the Israelites from in Exodus. God warns the Israelites not to exploit human resources like this and punishes King David in 1 Chronicles.
Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. (2 Ch 3:1)
And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims: For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. (2 Chronicles 5:7-8) - The Ark was a sacred shrine used to represent God himself, hence its importance and reverence. I discuss the Ark in further detail in my book, Jericho. The two cherubims with their wings outstretched is a motif derived from the ancient Egyptian goddess Nephthys, who would stretch her wings out over the Pharaoh to protect him. This will be included in my upcoming book about the ancient Egyptian origins of Christianity.
:) (2 Ch 6:30)
If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Ch 7:14)
And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said: "My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the Ark of the LORD hath come." (2 Ch 8:11)
And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. (2 Ch 10:19)
And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD,
With 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lumbis, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. (2 Ch 12:2-3)
Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them: "Thus saith the LORD: 'Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.'" (2 Ch 12:5)
And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying: "They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries." So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house. (2 Ch 12:7-10)
And behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. (2 Ch 13:12) - God will often fight our battles for us. He appears as a captain many times in the Old Testament. This captain is united with God and is known as Captain of the LORD'S Host. More can be learned about this in my Jericho book.
And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. (2 Ch 13:14-15) - This is also how the walls of Jericho fell: Joshua and his men gave out a shout on the final day after blowing on the rams' horns and God intervened; He blessed them with a miracle for their devotion and obedience. Again, this is all explained in my Jericho book.
And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves. (2 Ch 14:2-3) - Asa was a good man.
Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. (2 Ch 15:7)
And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians. And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. (2 Ch 16:12-13) - Poor Asa, he clearly did not understand the healing power of prayer. Had he believed in a miracle and sought God instead, he would have been healed and lived much longer.
And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim. But sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. (2 Ch 17:3-4) - Again, the LORD united with a man, Jehoshaphat, because he was righteous and did not worship idols. More can be learnt about "the union/trinity" in Chapter 3 of my Jericho book.
And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said: "Thus saith the LORD: 'With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.'" (2 Ch 18:10) - Horns of iron, very mysterious.
And he said: "I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets." And the LORD said: "Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so." Now therefore behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee. (2 Ch 18:21-22) - The LORD works in mysterious ways. He will even profane his sanctuary to punish the unrighteous (Ezekiel 24:21).
Next>>