Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - Seeking A Better King | The Writings | 2 Chronicles 1

Episode Date: March 13, 2024

As we beginning our time in 2 Chronicles, Jensen reminds us of the major themes discussed throughout 1 and 2 Chronicles. In today's episode, Jensen shares on our need for hope and where to find it. Sign up here to receive the "Our Good King" Holy Week Devotional beginning on Palm Sunday, March 23rd, 2024. Read the Bible with us in 2024! This year, we’re tackling a group of Old Testament books traditionally known as “The Writings”— Psalms, Chronicles, Proverbs, Daniel, Ruth and more! Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter@TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: 2 Chronicles 1

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. And the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jensen Holt McNair. What's the difference between First and Second Chronicles? Any guesses? Well, the answer is that there isn't a difference. Sorry for the trick question. But it's important to know that even though you may have noticed that we started a new book of the Bible this morning,

when this book was originally written, we would have just been right in the middle of one larger scroll. The separation of these books as we know them was just done for convenience in reading them. But what we know as Second Chronicles 1 does signal the start of a new part of the story that the author of First and Second Chronicles is writing. Now, if you remember, the book of Chronicles were written to the Jewish community who had returned to Jerusalem after their time in exile. So this is a group of people who have forgotten who they are. The city they're living in looks nothing like it used to. They have no king, no majestic temple to worship in.

This is a people group desperately needing to regain who they are as the people of God and as a nation. And so, the author of these books is writing to meet a need. He's writing to remind the people of their history and to show them their God who has been faithful in the past and will be faithful to the promises he made to them. Now in the first book of Chronicles, there was a large focus on King David and the promise God made to him to establish a king from his line who would reign forever. And in this second book, we turn away from King David and begin to trace his lineage in search of the promised messianic king. Now, spoiler alert, as we continue throughout the book, we will follow David's line. As his line continues, we'll see the ways that sin grips the hearts. of kings, ultimately leading the people of God to be taken into exile. And yet, we will end with

God's people returning to the promised land. Now, before our Bibles came to be in the order they were in, Chronicles would have been the final book in the Hebrew scriptures. And so the whole story ends pointing God's people forward. Now, the author of this book is encouraging his audience, not just to look forward, but to look forward with hope. See, as each king after David comes and fails to be the Messianic king, as the people of God are taken from their homeland when all seems lost, the book of Chronicles was written to give the people hope that a good and better king is still coming. And so, as we jump into this next section of the story, where we follow the line of David, we want to remember the reason our author is writing. He's trying to show God's people

the difference between living faithfully and unfaithfully through his portrayal of good and bad kings. In doing so, he's encouraging God's people to remain faithful, to remain hopeful to keep their trust in the one who promised them a kingdom that would never end. They should not be tempted to put their hope in earthly kings and powers, but to keep their eyes set on the promises of God. the messianic king who would one day come. So as we jump into the first chapter of Second Chronicles, we see the story flow directly from the end of First Chronicles. David has died and his son Solomon is now on the throne. And Solomon looks like a good king, even a great king. Could he be the one who would establish David's kingdom forever? In verse one, we read Solomon. The son of David established him

in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great. Next, we see him worshipping God with all the people, and when God asks him what he wants, and God says he can have anything. Solomon says this, you have shown great kindness to David, my father, and have made me king in his place. Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me wisdom and knowledge that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours? See, Solomon knows what God has promised to establish David's line. And knowing the promises of God, Solomon asked that he would have wisdom to be a good king, that he would lead the people God has given him. And God replies,

saying, since this is your heart's desire, and you have not asked for wealth, possessions, or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life, but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions, and honor such as no king who was before you ever had. And I will also give you wealth, possess. sessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had, and none after you will have. So Solomon's reign, it's promising, isn't it? He has wisdom to rule. God is blessing him with wealth and honor. And yet, even in today's section of scripture, we begin to see the cracks

in Solomon's kingship. Verses 14 through 17 of this chapter detail the wealth that Solomon gains. It tells us of the empire that he builds with the money and blessings he's been given. He has horsemen and chariots that he imports from Egypt. He accumulates gold, silver, and cedar to such excess that they become commonplace in Jerusalem. Now this all sounds great, right? Good for Solomon. God is giving him opulent wealth, and with it we will see him build God a beautiful temple, a house to live among his people. And yet, if we read from Deuteronomy 17, we will find commands from God about who the Israelites should choose as king and what this king should be like. In verse 16, we read this. The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself

or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them. For the Lord has told you, you are not to go back that way again. Now, our modern eye may miss it, but here, from the very beginning of Solomon's reign, we see that he is failing to be a faithful king. In his search for expanding wealth, he has chosen to disobey a command from God. He had a direct promise from God that he would have riches far beyond what any other king before or after him would have. And yet, here, we see a falter in Solomon's trust. He takes a little bit of control. He steps into a lucrative business that brings him even more wealth, but not a business that God desires for his people.

Solomon has accumulated horses and chariots, but he's accumulated them from Egypt. And long before he was ever king, he was instructed to never go back that way again. And so from the beginning, we are tipped off to see that while Solomon may build a temple and continue David's line just like God promised, he will not be the one to fulfill his promises completely. The Messianic King is still coming. We're pointed to look forward, and as modern readers, we know we look forward to Jesus.

Where Solomon fell short, Jesus succeeded. Jesus himself in Matthew chapter 12 tells the Pharisees that something greater than Solomon has come, that he had come to be the messianic king, to do what David, Solomon, and every king we will learn about in this book could not do. He will be faithful to establish God's kingdom that will never end. He will be a temple, a dwelling place for God on earth that has no end. He is the Messianic king who will be the temple of God for God's people. Something greater than Solomon came in the person of Jesus.

And so, as we read the rest of this book, as we hear more about Solomon and his descendants and their messy, broken kingships, may we allow their stories, their choices, their failures to point us forward with hope. May we see how beautiful it is that Jesus is the good and faithful king for his people.