2 Chronicles 14-17

“Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. 8 Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly

Don't seem foolish to me. Seems to make sense. A bit of a risk to trust God really....

Praise our God whose ways are above our ways!!

2 Chronicles 10-13

“If you are kind to these people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

This is really straightforward advice for a leader, given by seasoned counsellors, based on experience. Rehoboam ignored it, but we should heed it.

I absolutely love Abijah's declaration of faith in God in the face of Jeroboam. He is outnumbered and outmanouveured and yet as Judah shout, he is victorious through the God of David!

2 Kings 13-16

(13v23) '...because of His covenant...' - We continually see Israel fail to be faithful to God, but God does not reject them. He remains faithful to His people, even when they fail. Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus - God's faithfulness to His people is assured because of Christ's faithfulness on behalf of his people. He was the 'perfect Israel'.

2 Chronicles 6-9

Solomon made a huge Ivory throne with 12 lions, and the Bible says it wasn't copied from any other Kingdom. It was an original masterpiece. God's wisdom does nor require fitting into any mold. God requires us to break the mold and be original: just we were made to be.

2 Kings 9-12

(12V2)"And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord..." Why? "Because Jehoida the priest instructed him" Joash got it right because he recognised that even a king has to be ruled. Israel's true leader and guide needed to be God, and Joash found the right way to lead by following the instruction of God's priest. When in positions of authority, we also must recognise the authority of God over us, and seek guidance from those who have greater spiritual maturity and understanding than we do

2 Kings 5-8

(5v13) 'Has he actually said to you, "Wash, and be clean" ?'
Naaman is granted healing from his leprosy, but wants to dictate the conditions. Only when his servants speak plainly to him does he realize how foolish he is being. Today, so many are like Naaman - they would take eternal life, but are unwilling to submit to God's terms.

2 Chronicles 2-5

The temple was built upon the ground of David's sacrifice, which he didn't "give with that which costs me nothing." The church is built on the sacrifice of Christ, who also did not give with that which cost Him nothing.

1 Chronicles 27-2 Chronicles 1

1 Furthermore King David said to all the assembly: “My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced; and the work is great, because the temple is not for man but for the LORD God.

Even Solomon was not selected because of his great resume, nor even his wisdom: he was chosen when he was still concious of his own lack of wisdom.

1 Chronicles 23-26

Roles were assigned in the temple by lot. Not by experience or ability. God is no respecter of persons. He chooses who He chooses. We must respond to His call.

2 Kings 1-4

The power of God's Spirit is clearly demonstrated in the life of Elisha.
(4v9) "I know this is a holy man of God..." says the Shunmamite woman - but Elisha only went there "to eat food". It seems implied that, while others had witnessed the power of God in Elisha's life, this woman had sensed the presence of God while in his company.

1 Kings 21-22

(22v19) 'I saw the Lord sitting on His throne..." - God's sovereign rule over the hearts of men is witnessed. Ahab, in spite of all his power, cannot escape the will of God.

1 Kings 17-20

(17v8-24) The Lord provides for His will to be done, and the prophet Elijah - God's word to the people - is preserved.

1 Chronicles 19-22

Hanun was offerd friendship by David after the death of his father. He rejected it, and instead his people became David's servants. Their is an irony that when we reject God's friendship we become as slaves, and yet when we choose to serve Him, we are invited to become friends.

1 Chronicles 15-18

the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order

We cannot handle the presence of God presumptuously in our meetings. Yes, we have free access, and a better covenant than that etablished throuhg Moses, but still the Lord has to be seen to be hallowed in our midst.

1 Kings 13-16

A great lead-up to the arrival of Elijah. One king appears after the other, most of them doing evil in the eyes of the Lord. Repeatedly we see how unreliable a human king can be. How sad that, in the gospels, the Israelites were still yearning for a human king rather than a divine one. However powerful the kings may be, God rules over them - the passage reads like a trail of dominoes, one falling after the other. Only God has the authority to give and take life, and each king passes away and must give up his power to someone else.

1 Kings 9-12

Chapter 11 - In spite of his great wisdom and wealth, Solomon cannot be the perfect king. His desire leads him away from the Lord. A divine King would be needed to lead God's people with unfailing righteousness. Jesus Christ would lead his people, and "became for us wisdom from God" (1 Cor 1:30).