Thursday, March 22, 2012

2 Chronicles 13 and 14


Study 8 – 2 Chronicles 13 and 14

  1. Judah relied on the promises of God rather than on their own military might.

  2. Asa took great steps toward ending idolatry in the land of Judah.

  3. There is a direct correlation between Asa’s obedience to the commands of God and to the eliminating of idolatry in the land and his ability to boldly ask the Lord to intervene on behalf of Judah. Without having taken such bold steps Asa could have had no such confidence.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

2 Chronicles 11 and 12


Study 7 – 2 Chronicles 11 and 12

  1. According to 12:14 “He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.” Rehoboam was quick to repent, but he was also quick to get off track.

  2. Shemaiah was able to avoid disaster in the land of Judah by convincing Rehoboam to obey the Word of the Lord. The Church can keep a nation from the wrath of God, but the Church must take the lead in the area of repentance and must set the standard of ethical behavior. When the Church behaves in the same manner as the world you can rest assured that the judgment of God will come upon a nation.

  3. Through the subjugation of Jerusalem to Shishak, king of Egypt, the Lord wanted the people to learn the difference between serving Him and serving men. He wanted them to come to the realization that serving God was the better choice.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

2 Chronicles 1 - 10


Study 1– 2 Chronicles 1 and 2

  1. Solomon began his reign by offering a sacrifice to the Lord on the bronze altar before the tabernacle at Gibeon. He asked for wisdom and knowledge in order to govern the people properly.

  2. Solomon clearly sought the things of God and the Kingdom of Heaven before himself. For that reason the Lord blessed him beyond his wildest dreams.

  3. Solomon took the work of the Lord extremely seriously. He, like his father before him, spared no expense or effort when it came to building the Kingdom of God.


Study 2 – 2 Chronicles 3:1 – 5:1

  1. As magnificent as the Temple was it could only be called a mere shadow in comparison to the reality of Heaven. There is nothing that man can ever build or create that will give the Lord the honor that He truly deserves.

  2. We no longer need to go to where the Spirit dwells because the Spirit has taken up residence within the believer! Wow! Mindboggling!


Study 3 – 2 Chronicles 5:2 – 6:11

  1. Solomon takes the presence of the cloud of God in the Temple as an assurance that the promises made to his father were sure to be fulfilled.

  2. Christ should be central in our lives. There should be nothing that we value higher than Him! The presence of the Holy Spirit within the believer is the parallel with the cloud filling the Temple of God.


Study 4 – 2 Chronicles 6:12-42

  1. Solomon bases his prayer on the faithfulness of God to His promises and His love for His people.  Solomon prays that the Lord: would keep a member of David’s family upon the throne; that His eyes would be open toward the Temple day and night; that the innocent would be declared not guilty; that confessed sin would be forgiven; that the people would be taught the right way to live; that foreigners would be among those that the Lord hears; and that the people of God would have victory over their enemies. A third of these petitions have to do with the forgiveness of sin.

  2. Essential to effective prayer is a repentant heart.


Study 5 – 2 Chronicles 7 and 8

  1. The presence of God showing up by consuming the sacrifice and filling the Temple with the cloud of His presence filled the people with joy knowing that the Lord would hear their prayers. God’s mercy should overwhelm us to the point where we want to continually give Him thanks. When we truly understand His mercy and His grace then His praise will continually be upon our lips.

  2. The promises of God to Solomon and his father David were conditioned upon Solomon and his descendents obeying the Word of the Lord. How often do we want to claim His promises but forget that they are conditional? Far too often I’m afraid. When I do not realize His promises in my life it must be because I have not fulfilled the conditions!


Study 6 – 2 Chronicles 9 and 10

  1. The Queen of Sheba was amazed of both the achievements, wealth, and wisdom of King Solomon. I likewise have been amazed at the power, wealth, and wisdom that is never ending that comes from the Lord. There truly is no end to His understanding or power to reach out His hand and deliver.

  2. Rehoboam  refused to listen to the elder statesmen and instead listened to his younger and inexperienced cohorts. Rehoboam lacked the wisdom of his father and did not gather wise counselors around him, but instead gathered those that would tell him what he wanted to hear.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Psalm 136


Study 110 – Psalm 136

1.      In this psalm the Lord is worshiped for being creator; deliverer, conqueror, and sustainer. He alone created the heavens and the earth. He delivered Israel from Egypt. He conquered the nations in the Promised Land. And, He continues to provide for His people.

2.      This Psalm is a reminder that the Love of God truly does endure forever. In spite of our shortcomings, the Lord is always ready to move on the behalf of those that are obedient to His Word and call upon Him for help.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Psalm 133 - 136


Study 108 – Psalm 133 and 134

1.      The psalmist compares unity to the oil poured out upon Aaron during his anointing as High Priest and the dew that settles upon Mt. Hermon. Theses similes point out the refreshing aspects of unity as well as the guarantee of God’s blessing.

2.      Worship of the Lord is to be a 24/7 prospect! We must make sure that we do our part to gather together with the Saints of God to see to it that the sun never sets on worship of the Almighty.


Study 109 – Psalm 135

1.      In this psalm the following are called upon to praise the Lord: servants of the Lord; Israel; the descendants of Aaron; the Levites; and those who fear the Lord. They are called upon to praise the Almighty for His acts on their behalf as both Creator and Redeemer.

2.   Both the existence of life and the continuation of life through deliverance from enemies are reasons that the psalmists calls upon to call the people of God to worship. Both the acts of creation and redemption are impossible for idols, which are created by the hands of man, to perform.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Psalm 130 - 132


Study 106 – Psalm 130 and 131

1.      The psalmist is crying out to God from the very depths of his soul. He begins by acknowledging his overwhelming need for forgiveness and the amazing extent of God’s mercy and grace. The image is then given of a watchman waiting for the approaching morning sun. As surely as the sun comes up, the Lord’s answer will come as well.

2.      My heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me; I have quieted my soul.



Study 107– Psalm 132

1.      The presence of God among His people brings peace, provision, and joy. The King was responsible for placing his people in a position to receive such blessing. Without his leadership the people would certainly stray from the way of the Lord.

2.   We fail to receiving the joys and blessings of God’s presence by straying from the path that He has marked for us. It is when we chart our own course that we fall into the traps that the enemy has set before us.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Psalm 127 - 129


Study 104 – Psalm 127 – 129

1.      Having a fear of the Lord that realizes that without Him nothing positive will happen is key to true success. We cannot do it on our own. Even our gifts and abilities come from Him.

2.      True servants of the Lord will face enemies that will want to do them great harm. But, those that fear the Lord can be certain that they will be rescued by His mighty hand.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Psalm 124 - 126


Study 103 – Psalm 124 – 126

1.      The psalmist encourages his hearers to reflect on past experiences and realize that were it not for the grace and mercy of the Lord that defeat would have been certain. When we are feeling low it would do us good to stop and reflect on where we would be without the presence of the Lord in our lives.

2.      The Lord and His promises are unshakeable!

3.      The intervention of God in our lives brings a joy unlike anything else. Our tears turn to joy. Our lack turns to harvest. Our agony turns to laughter.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Psalm 122 and 123


Study 102 – Psalm 122 and 123

1.      The psalmist views Jerusalem as that place where all of the tribes of Israel come together as one in order to worship the Lord Almighty. It is for that reason that he prays that the city of Jerusalem would always enjoy peace. He never wants the praise to the Lord Almighty to cease in the temple at Jerusalem.

2.      The best antidote to despondency is to look to the Lord! When you lock eyes upon a merciful God it is impossible not to be lifted up.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Psalm 119:81-176


Study 98 – Psalm 119:81-104

1.      In the opening verses of this section the psalmist is nearly overwhelmed by his situation. He places all of his hope in the power of God’s Word. It is only through this hope in the Law of God that the psalmist can muster the courage to continue the fight.

2.      In verses 89 – 96 the psalmist points to the enduring aspects of creation itself and reminds his hearers that it is that same enduring Word that created heaven and earth that provides deliverance for the people of God. The Word of God has the staying power of creation!

3.      In verses 97 – 104 the psalmist credits his commitment to God’s Word as the source for his elevation over his enemies, the elders, and even his own teachers. It is only through a diligent study of God’s Word that one can gain true understanding.


Study 99 – Psalm 119:105-128

1.      The lack of patience to see God fulfill His promises is one of the hardest things for both the psalmist and most Christians today. We want the Lord to act immediately on our behalf when oftentimes it is in the delay that He accomplishes His greatest work. We must stay in His Word and not fall to the temptation of growing weary in well-doing.

2.      The Lord is the strength, refuge, and protection of the psalmist. When there is nowhere else to turn he is assured that the Word of the Lord is the place that he can run to for protection.

3.      The Word of the Lord is the only hope that the psalmist has left. Yet, no matter how weary he becomes in looking for God’s promises to be fulfilled, he is willing to stand firm upon God’s Word. He knows that God will act because His Law is being broken and the Lord is a God of justice.


Study 100 – Psalm 119:129-152

1.      God’s Word: offers light; gives understanding to the simple; is trustworthy; and offers deliverance from enemies and the trials of life. The Word of the Lord can withstand any test that comes its way.

2.      In every aspect of life the psalmist turned to God’s Word. He began and finished his day in the Word of God and relied on His Word for wisdom, guidance, and deliverance. There was no situation in which the psalmist did not find the Word of God to be a reliable source of hope and inspiration. In his prayers the psalmist is an open book before the Lord. He does not hide his fear, pain, or frustration. His honesty before the throne of God is something that we can all learn from.


Study 101 – Psalm 119:154-176

1.      We have never “arrived” when it comes to our knowledge of God’s Word. There is always a deeper shaft to mine!

2.      The enemy is always seeking to devour those that are determined to seek truth from God’s Word. There will always be hardships, but through the power of God’s Word we can be victorious. It is a constant contact with his word that gives us hope in spite of every difficulty that may come our way.

3.  The psalmist trembles at the power of God’s Word; rejoices in its promises; and hates those that do not abide by it. One’s devotion to God’s Word: brings peace in the midst of the storm, removes stumbling blocks from the path, and leads to an eternal treasure

Psalm 120 and 121


Study 101 – Psalm 120 and 121

1.      The tongue can be every bit as destructive as weapons of war. The wounds and the casualties inflicted by the tongue can be the hardest to overcome.

2.   As follows of the Lord Almighty we can expect Him to be ever watching over us as His children. Though He may watch from a distance He will be quick to our aid. He is there to save us, to guide us along the way, and to open and close doors before us.