Study the Bible in Two Years

2 Chronicles 36

1.  We read a brief summary of the last four evil kings ofJudah.  Three of them are sons of good king Josiah, but none of them follow their father’s example.  Right after the Egyptian Pharaoh controlledJerusalemand made Jehoiakim (J18) king, the Babylonians took over.  His son, Jehoiachin (J19), lasted how long before Nebuchadnezzar took him toBabylon?   How does his uncle Zedekiah (J20) show contempt for the Lord?  Find four ways in 36:12-13.   Our leaders may make bad political decisions, but what is most dangerous for our country?

 

2.  Why did the city of Jerusalem fall?   See 36:15-16.  God’s patience had finally run out and “there was no remedy.”   What warning does the Lord want us to take from that?

 

3.  The book ends with hope!  How many years were God’s children supposed to be in Babylonin captivity?  Immediately after Cyrus the Great of Persia had defeated Babylon, what decree did he give?  This was exactly the 70^th year after the first captives were taken.  What is the significance of the captivity being 70 years long?  See 36:23.  How do we have the same Sabbath rest during a full life-time of 70 years?  See Matthew 11:28-30.

Study the Bible in Two Years

2 Chronicles 34-35

1.  We have the last good king, Josiah (J16). Since his father was assassinated, Josiah was young!  How old was he when he began to rule?  How old was he when he began to destroy all the idols, not only inJudah, but all the way throughout the old northern kingdom?  What does this say about what our teenagers can do for the Lord?

 

2.  What did they find when they started to remodel the temple?  See 34:14.  How did King Josiah react?  How is this similar to the time of Martin Luther when the truth of God’s Word was almost lost?  In what way do we need a Reformation today? 

 

3.  What most important feast did they celebrate like never before?  Of whom should all the Passover lambs remind you of?  What happened after Jesus celebrated the Passover for the last time? 

 

4. Judahwas caught in the middle betweenEgyptandBabylon, who fought their famous battle at the place mentioned in 35:20.  On the way, Pharaoh Neco did not want to fight Josiah, but Josiah tried to stop him anyway.  What happened to Josiah?  Perhaps Josiah didn’t believe that the Lord would actually speak to Pharaoh (36:21) and not to him.  Point to ponder:  Does the Lord favor just one country because it is more Christian than some others?

Study the Bible in Two Years – 7/30/11

Saturday,  July 30 – 2 Chronicles 33

1.  The next king, Manasseh (J14) is the worst!  And yet the Lord lets him rule for 55 years.  This doesn’t make sense to our human minds, but we must trust that God’s plan is beyond our understanding sometimes.  See Isaiah 55:8,9.  What events in your life are hard to see God’s plan and guidance? 

 

2.  Part of God’s plan for Manasseh is that he was giving him a chance to repent. Note what the Lord did to bring him to repentance.  Such a despicable king is probably in heaven!  Notice also how he showed his fruits of repentance in 33:15-16.  When you repent of sin, what will God’s forgiveness lead you to do?

 3.  Amon (J15) reverts to the ways his father had taught him when he was young.  His evil ways brought about what result?  See 33:24.   What happened to those who plotted against Amon?  See 33:25.  What does this tell you about the conditions inJudahright now?  Yet God is going to give them one more chance.  That’s for next week in 2 Chronicles 34-35. 

 

Study the Bible in Two Years – 7/29/11

Friday, July 29 – 2 Chronicles 32

1.  Ezra describes Hezekiah’s water tunnel in 32:2-4, and verse 30. This was not only functioning in Ezra’s day, 300 years later, but you can walk through that tunnel today.  The water tunnel ends at the pool of Siloam. What did Jesus do at this pool?  See John 9:6-7.   

 

2.  There are two reasons why the Lord destroyed the entire Assyrian army of 185,000 men.  Reason #1 is in 32:16-19.   Reason #2 is in 32:20.  The Lord showed that he is above all gods in another way:  What happened in the temple of the Assyrian king’s god in 32:21?    What are ways in which we can defend the Lord’s honor and glory as the only true saving God?

 

3.  The details of Hezekiah’s miraculous recovery are in 2 Kings 20.  After all that the Lord has done for Hezekiah, what is sad to see in his life?  See 32:25.   Yet when we succeed, it is all too easy to fall into the same trap.  For all our successes, what do we want to say?  See Psalm 115:1.

Study the Bible in Two Years – 7/28/11

Thursday, July 28 – 2 Chronicles 30-31

1.  The Passover was supposed to be celebrated on the 14^th day of the first month, but Hezekiah spent the first month getting the temple ready.  Rather than wait almost a whole year, Hezekiah wanted to celebrate this important festival right away.  As you read, find other things that they did that were not exactly as the Lord had commanded.  Note Hezekiah’s prayer in 30:19.  This shows even in the Old Testament: Is the Lord more concerned about the intent or the letter of the Law?  Is He more concerned about the heart or the outward action?

 

2. What invitation did Hezekiah send out to the northern kingdom ofIsrael?  It is important to know that half of the northern kingdom – all of Galilee – has already been taken by Assyria, and the southern half –Samaria– is being attacked.  Assyriawill surround and besiege the capital in just three years.  This will help you understand Hezekiah’s letter, 30:6-9.  For many inIsrael, this is their last chance to come back to the one true God.  What was their reaction?  30:10-11.  What does this teach you about our efforts to share the Gospel in a post-Christian society?

 

3.  In Chapter 31, Ezra the author, concentrates on how well the people took care of the priests and Levites, whose job it was to serve the Lord full time.  He was living at a time when things were not as easy or prosperous for God’s people.  With his history report, he is encouraging his people, and us, about our giving.  How?  See 31:10-11.

 

Study the Bible in Two Years – 7/27/11

Wednesday, July 27– 2 Chronicles 29

1.  Another sign of amazing grace:  King Hezekiah was the most faithful king, and yet was the son of the worst.  How old was Hezekiah when he started to rule?  How long did it take him to decide to repair the temple?  What does this say about his upbringing?  What does that tell you about how much his father had to do with Hezekiah’s training?  What encouragement does that give you when you see fathers today who abandon their spiritual leadership?

 

2.  There was so much idol “junk” stuck in front of the temple doors (called the portico), how long did it take for them to get the doors open?  How long did it take to clean out the inside? See 29:17.   What kind of “junk” can clutter up God’s house today?

 

3. What was their worship service like that day?  29:27-30. Try to picture it in your mind.  Remember that this all took place outside the temple doors.  Only priests could go inside the temple.  What is the first thing they did and the first thing we don’t want or need to do, because of Jesus?  Why can we enter into the presence of God?

Study the Bible in Two Years – 7/26/11

Tuesday, July 26 – 2 Chronicles 27-28

1.  What kind of a king was Jotham (J11)?   Unfortunately, the people did not follow his good example.  We know from 2 Kings 15 that their “corrupt practices” included idol worship.  What kinds of “idol worship” is so ingrained in our society today that they are accepted as “normal” even by many Christians?

 

2.  King Ahaz (J12) was probablyJudah’s worst king.  He plunged completely into the worst forms of idolatry.  See 28:3. Instead of trusting in the Lord, he played a deadly game of politics, 28:16.  Yet we know that through the prophet Isaiah, that the Lord came to him with the best direction and advice which Ahaz ignored.  What does that teach you about God’s amazing grace?

 

3.  What is even more amazing is that it was to this king that the Lord gave some of the most amazing prophecies about Jesus!  See Isaiah 7:14 and 9:2-7.

Study the Bible in Two Years – 7/25/11

Monday, July 25 – 2 Chronicles 25-26

1.  Note how King Amaziah (J9) is described in 25:2.  As you read this chapter, look for where Amaziah starts to go wrong.  Even though he listened to the Lord in releasing the mercenaries fromIsrael, it is apparent that the Lord let them do what they did (25:13) because of what Amaziah did after winning down inEdom(25:14).   Amaziah must have thought he was pretty great!   Where do you see signs of Amaziah’s arrogance?   (25:16,19)  How might unbelievers warn Christians today if we become self-righteous and arrogant?

 2.  Note how long good King Uzziah (J10) ruled.  Note these key verses that sum up his life, 26:5 & 16.  What encouragement and warning does that give us to this day?

 3.  In comparison to worshipping foreign idols, King Uzziah’s sin seems to be rather minor.  But how does Uzziah react when the priests let him know that what he is doing is wrong? What was appropriate about what happened to Uzziah?  See 26:21.  Was this a punishment from the Lord or a discipline?  What’s the difference?  See Hebrews 12:5,6 if you’re not sure.

Study the Bible in Two Years – 7/23/11

Saturday,  July 23 – 2 Chronicles 23-24

1.  Joash, the little boy who was saved, was actually Athaliah’s grandson, but she wanted him dead too.  After six years, Jehoiada, the faithful priest, brought him out to be crowned as king. How old was Joash?  See 24:1.  Why was Jehoiada right in plotting the downfall of Athaliah? Hint:  Who was the only one left from the actual line of David?   What did Jehoiada give the new young king that was so important, something that Athaliah despised? See 23:11.  What guides our actions to this very day?

 2.  Joash (J8) under the priest’s leadership, returned to the true worship of the Lord and led efforts to repair the 140 year old temple.  How did they get offerings to finish the work?  See 24:10.  What attitude does the Lord desire of us in our offerings? 

 3.  Yet once the priest was dead, we see that that apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.   Whom did he kill and why?  See 24:20-22.  Since this prophet was Jehoiada’s son, he would have been like a brother to Joash.  The officials around him were so horrified at this that they did what?  24:25.  Was this right?  Who should have been in charge of Joash’s death?  What does this teach us about the issues of life and death to this day?

Study the Bible in Two Years – 7/22/11

Friday, July 22 – 2 Chronicles 21-22

1.  Jehoshaphat’s firstborn son, Jehoram, (J5) came from his marriage to someone in King Ahab’s (Is8) family.  Ahab’s wife was the infamous Jezebel.   Jehoram married their daughter Athaliah, who was even more wicked than her mother.  To cement his position as king, what is the first thing that Jehoram did?  21:4.  As a consequence of his wicked ways, he started to lose battles.  What happened to his own sons? 21:17.  When he still wouldn’t listen to the Lord, what happened to him? 21:18-19.   People were happy when he was gone.

 2.  The wickedness is not yet over.  King Ahaziah (J6) went to visit his wicked uncle, King Joram (Is10), and the Lord sent Jehu to kill them both.  So his mother Athaliah (J7) became Queen.  All her sons were dead so she proceeded to try to wipe out any and every descendant of the royal house of David.  She undoubtedly understood the prophesy that there would be One coming from the line of David that would rule forever, so she did everything that she could to stop it.  How does the Lord keep the line of the Savior alive?  See 22:11-12.