THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

The Books Of The Chronicles: God's Preservation Of His Davidic And Levitical Covenants

XVIII. God's Encouraging Discipling Of The Next Generation

(2 Chronicles 1:1-12)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

In view of the depth of the world's problems, we may wonder how our children will manage after we are gone:

(1) James Carville, a Democratic political consultant who led President Bill Clinton's successful campaign for president, in a February 7 rant said, "We have candidates . . . talking about open borders and decriminalizing illegal immigration . . . doing away with nuclear energy and fracking . . . letting criminals and terrorists vote from jail cells," but "(m)ost of the people . . . have lives to lead" and "kids" and "parents that are sick . . . Democrats" talk "about free college tuition or debt forgiveness," but "people all over this country worked their way through school, sent their kids to school, paid off student loans. They don't want" this agenda. ("Notable & Quotable: Cajun Is Ragin'," The Wall Street Journal, February 10, 2020, p. A19, citing James Carville in a February 7, 2020 interview with Vox.com)

(2) Donald Maclean, a retired financial adviser and accountant, in a letter to the Republican-American, February 4, 2020, p. 6A, claimed the federal government "is spending $1.1 trillion more than its income each year."

(3) Christendom has big problems, too: Nicole Winfield's story, "Vatican deals with scandal from book" (Ibid., February 7, 2020, p. 7C) reported, "Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI . . . contributed an essay to the book, titled, 'From the Depths of Our Hearts,' that was written" arguing "for the necessity of priestly celibacy." It created "a firestorm because [Pope] Francis is weighing whether to allow married priests in the Amazon to address a priest shortage there." (Ibid.) Many Catholic laymen in the Amazon are not being served the Eucharist more than once a year due to the priest shortage, jeopardizing their salvation according to Church belief, so Pope Francis is considering letting married priests serve to ease the crisis in violation of centuries of Catholic dogma. Thus, the papal infallibility of Pope Francis is being challenged by the actions of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, a big problem for Catholicism!

(4) Evangelicals have their problems, too. David Crary's story, "Trump's prayer breakfast jibes jolt many faith leaders," Ibid., p. 12A) told how "Rev. Jim Wallis, founder of the Christian social justice group Sojourners, took note of Trump's assertion" at the National Prayer Breakfast "that faith should not be used as a justification for doing what someone knows is wrong." Reverend Wallis criticized the President in an email, writing: "'Jesus taught us to welcome immigrants,'" meaning, oppressed people like illegal immigrants, meaning Jesus condoned defying immigration laws!

Similarly, several Democratic presidential candidates are now citing Matthew 25:40 to win evangelicals to their cause, claiming Jesus commanded, "'(W)hatever you did for one of the least of these my brethren, you did for me.'" (Elana Schor, "Gospel of Matthew's message rings loudly for 2020 Dems," Ibid., February14, 2020, p. 6C) The "least of these" in Democratic lingo means illegal immigrants, minorities and the poor, and what you "did" for them in Democratic lingo means raising taxes on the public to transfer wealth from the "haves" to the "have nots" like Marxist ideology extols in the coveting of what the "haves" possess so as to steal from them opposite Exodus 20:17 and 15.

Need: So we ask, "With the deep problems of today's world, how will our children manage after we are gone?!"

I. After David's passing, a young Solomon felt overwhelmed by his calling as Israel's king, 2 Chron. 1:1-10:

A. David's death left a young Solomon alone as ruler over the newly formed empire of Israel, so God came to him in a night vision, asking Solomon what blessings he desired from the Lord as king, 2 Chronicles 1:1-7.

B. Solomon answered God, expressing how personally inadequate he felt to rule over Israel, 2 Chron. 1:8-9, 10b.

II. Yet, the help Solomon asked of God revealingly contrasted with David's suggestion to him, 2 Chr. 1:10a:

A. Back in 1 Chronicles 22:12, David had told Solomon of his hope that God might give Solomon "prudence, good sense" (sekel, Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, 1365; H. A. W., Theol. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, vol. II, p. 877) and "discerning understanding" (binah, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., H. A. W., vol. I, p. 104) that he might realize the value of heeding God's Word so that Solomon might enjoy God's rich blessing in his reign.

B. Though Solomon recalled his father David's words in 1 Chronicles 22:12, he changed the nouns David had used in his suggestion, reflecting a view that DIFFERED from his father David's view on how to be blessed:

1. Instead of David's sekel, "good sense," Solomon asked for "wisdom" (hakmah, Ibid., Kittel, p. 1378; Ibid., H. A. W., vol. I, p. 283-284), knowledge of the universe's fixed moral that an Egyptian prince sought for success (Bruce K. Waltke, "The Book of Proverbs and Ancient Wisdom Literature," Bib. Sac., 136:543 (July-Sept. 1979), p. 221-238), and instead of David's binah, "discerning understanding," Solomon asked for "knowledge" (madda', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., H. A. W., p. 366) to administrate well, 2 Chronicles 1:10a.

2. This CONTRAST between David's words and Solomon's words reveals a difference in VIEWPOINT:

a. David had learned through many trials in his life that all blessings came from God as His reward for obeying His Word like the Mosaic Law taught in Deuteronomy 28:1-14, 15-68.

b. However, Solomon had not experienced the fact that all blessings were from God as His reward for obeying Him, so Solomon desired knowledge of the universe's fixed moral order and general knowledge.

III. God saw this lack in Solomon and answered him in such a way as to disciple him further, 2 Chr. 1:11-12:

A. Solomon had not sought selfish goals like wealth, honor, the lives of his foes or a long life, but knowledge of the universe's fixed moral order and knowledge to rule well, so he was at least headed in the right direction, and God graciously gave him the hakmah and madda' Solomon requested, 2 Chronicles 1:11-12a.

B. Yet, God also gave him riches, wealth and honor more than any other mortal king would have, 2 Chronicles 1:12b. Such profuse, comprehensive blessing aimed to teach Solomon that God was the real Source of ALL blessing, that heeding Him was all Solomon needed for all he desire like his father David had learned!

Lesson: When Solomon felt overwhelmed as Israel's new king and asked God for wisdom and knowledge to rule, God gave him what he asked, but also impressed Solomon to heed His Word for blessing like his father had done.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ to be saved, John 3:16. (2) If concerned about our children's discipling in an increasingly evil world, may we tell them of their need to heed Scripture and trust God to disciple them after us.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

To heed this sermon, we Scripturally address the issues in our introduction and let God follow up (as follows):

(1) On the issue of presidential candidates failing to address the concerns of many people today, as we have often noted, Revelation 3:21 predicts our era will be marked by leaders who afflict people, driving them to seek solace, what they will only find in churches that expound Scripture. May we as a church then expound God's Word.

(2) On these candidates' issues, (a) God has ordained the borders, nations and eras that exist (Acts 17:26-27; Genesis 11:1-9), so we should respect such boundaries. (b) On carbon fuels, Jesus built a charcoal fire in John 21:9-13 ESV, condoning the use of carbon fuels. (c) On nuclear energy, God made the sun and stars that use nuclear energy to produce heat and light (Genesis 1:16), condoning the use of nuclear energy. (d) On letting criminals vote, voting is a function of governing by the people, and Scripture opposes letting wicked men govern, so criminals should not vote. (d) On loan forgiveness, failing to repay a loan is stealing, so forced loan forgiveness is wrong. (e) On free college for all, 2 Thessalonians 3:10 teaches that if we do not work, we should not eat, countering free college for all.

(3) On the skyrocketing national debt by actions of government officials that we ourselves cannot control, at the personal level, Hebrews 13:5-6 calls us to be content with what we have, 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 to work as independently as we can to meet our material needs and Psalm 62:10-12 promises God will meet our material needs.

(4) On the problem of the celibacy of priests in the Catholic Church, (a) the problem becomes a non-issue if we note that 1 Corinthians 9:1-5 and 1 Timothy 4:1-3 allow Christian ministers to marry. (b) Then, the issue of papal infallibility in the conflict between emeritus Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis over the celibacy of priests in the Church becomes a non-issue in noting that Scripture, not a pope, is our final authority (2 Timothy 3:15-17), and Peter, the first alleged pope, had to be corrected by Paul for major error on the Gospel in Galatians 2:11-14. (c) The problem of a lack of ministers in the Amazon to serve the Eucharist for the salvation of souls becomes a non-issue in noting that Ephesians 2:8-9 claims salvation is not by works such as partaking of the Eucharist, but by faith in Christ.

(5) On evangelical and social justice promoter Rev. Jim Wallis' claim that Jesus in Matthew 25:35 taught us to welcome oppressed people like illegal immigrants and the Democratic presidential candidates' use of Matthew 25:40 to woo evangelicals to adopt their call to tax the "haves" to give to the "have not" illegal immigrants, minorities and the poor, the "least of these my brethren" Jesus mentioned in Matthew 25 are Jews who will flee from the anti-christ's persecution in the future Great Tribulation Period, and believing Gentiles in that era will demonstrate their faith in Christ by helping these Jews. (Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 81) Marxist evangelicals like Rev. Jim Wallis (Brannon S. Howse, Marxianity, 2018, p. 26) and Democratic presidential candidates who cite Matthew 25:35 and 40 adopt errant amillennial replacement theology where the Church is thought to replace Israel in God's plan, so they do the opposite of what Jesus taught in Matthew 25 -- they oppose the state of Israel! (Ibid., p. 280) Also, God wants people to immigrate lawfully (1 Peter 2:13), respecting national borders He ordained to exist (Acts 17:26-27; Genesis 11:1-9), and He wants all people, including minorities and the poor, to work to earn a living, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15!

May we trust in Christ for salvation. May we testify to the next generation of their need to heed Bible exposition and let God impress that truth to them after we are gone.