The Word & Our Walk

2 Chronicles 30:13 And many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great assembly. 14 They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they took away and threw into the brook Kidron. 15 And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, so that they consecrated themselves and brought bur

Passover Celebrated 30:1 Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover in the second month— 3 for they could not keep it at that time because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the peo

Hezekiah Restores Temple Worship 20 Then Hezekiah the king rose early and gathered the officials of the city and went up to the house of the Lord. 21 And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord. 22 So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests received the blood and threw it against the

Introduction C.S. Lewis once wrote, “The safest road to hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings.” That is the path King Amaziah began to walk. He started well, but his heart grew divided. The Chronicler summarizes his life in one piercing line: “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart.” (2 Chron 25:2) Amaziah’s story reminds us that obedience without trust is hollow, and trust without obedience is emp

28:16 At that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria for help. 17 For the Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried away captives. 18 And the Philistines had made raids on the cities in the Shephelah and the Negeb of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages. And they settled there. 19 For the Lord humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had made Judah ac

Jotham Reigns in Judah 27:1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord according to all that his father Uzziah had done, except he did not enter the temple of the Lord. But the people still followed corrupt practices. 3 He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord and did much building on the wall of Ophel. 4 M

Uzziah Reigns in Judah 26 And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 2 He built Eloth and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. 3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 4 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5 He s

The Return of the Hostages “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” (Isaiah 61:1) The world has watched with relief and tears as all of the remaining Israeli hostages have finally returned home. For the families who waited in anguish, this is a moment of profound joy mingled wit

Amaziah's Idolatry 25:14 After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them, making offerings to them. 15 Therefore the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?” 16 But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should yo

Amaziah Reigns in Judah 25:1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart. 3 And as soon as the royal power was firmly his, he killed his servants who had struck down the king his father. 4 But he did not put their children to death, according to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Mose

Jehoiada's Reforms 16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the Lord's people. 17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18 And Jehoiada posted watchmen for the house of the Lord under the direction of the Levitical priests and the Levites whom David had organized to be in charge of the

Romans 12:1–2 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and...

Joash Made King 23 But in the seventh year Jehoiada took courage and entered into a covenant with the commanders of hundreds, Azariah the...

Ahaziah Reigns in Judah 22 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men that...

21:2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of...

“When the Battle Belongs to the Lord” (Reflections from 2 Chronicles 20) In these months, I have been both comforted and challenged by...

20:20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said,...

Jehoshaphat's Prayer 20:1 After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites,[a] came against Jehoshaphat for...

The Defeat and Death of Ahab 18:28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 29 And the king of...

Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab 18 Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. 2 After some years...