2 Crônicas 31
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Crônicas 31
Spurgeon - Reform “Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all.” 2 Chronicles 31:1 There are many books that are to be so esteemed by the Christian man, that they must be cut down like the groves of trees, not because they are bad in themselves, but because there false gods are worshipped. Novel-reading is the rage of the present day. I go to a railway bookstall, and I cannot see a book that I can read, I get one, and it is all trash. I search to find something that would be really valuable, but I am told, “It would not sell here.” The fact is, nothing will sell but that which is light, and frothy, and frivolous; so every traveller is compelled to consume such food as that, unless he carry something better with him. Do I, therefore, say, that the Christian man must condemn all reading of fiction and novels? No, I do not, but I do say, that the mass of popular books published under the name of light literature, is to be eschewed and cut down, for the simple reason that the moral of it is not that of piety and goodness; the tendency of the reading is not to bring the Christian towards heaven, but rather to retard and impede him in his good course. I lift up my axe against many a work that I cannot condemn, if I look at it abstractedly in itself, but which must come down, because I recollect how much of my own precious time I wasted in such trivial reading, how many years in which I might have had fellowship with Christ have been cast away, whilst I have been foolishly indulging a vicious taste for the romantic and the frivolous. No, there are many things which are not wrong in themselves, but which nevertheless must be given up by the true Christian, because they have had, and do have association with things positively wrong. Just as these groves must be cut down—not because there can be a sin in trees, but because the trees have been associated with the worship of idols. 2 Chronicles 31:2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites by their divisions, each according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD. appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites by their divisions: 2Ch 5:11 8:14 23:8 1Ch 16:37,40 23:1-26:32 Ezr 6:18 Lu 1:5 to give thanks: 2Ch 29:24-26 1Ch 16:4-6,41 23:30 25:1-3 Ne 11:17 Ps 134:1-3 Ps 135:1-3 Jer 33:11 in the gates of the tents of the Lord: {Beshaarey machanoth Yehowah,} "within the gates of the camps of Jehovah;" which comprehended the whole of the buildings that surrounded the temple, in which the priests and Levites were stationed, and which resembled military encampments. Related Passage: 1 Chronicles 24:4 Since more chief men were found from the descendants of Eleazar than the descendants of Ithamar, they divided them thus: there were sixteen heads of fathers’ households of the descendants of Eleazar and eight of the descendants of Ithamar, according to their fathers’ households. HEZEKIAH RESTORES PRIESTLY ORDER And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites by their divisions, each according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD - The ripple effect of revival continues and in order to keep it sustained Hezekiah organized the priests and Levites into their proper groups and duties, restoring temple worship, sacrifices, thanksgiving, and praise according to God’s law, so that worship of the LORD was orderly, continual, and heartfelt in His house. In short, the great Passover celebration had passed, but the effect of that celebration continued and ordering of the priests and Levites was the key to perpetuating the spiritual atmosphere of revival. Revival should never be one and done. If the truth be told, EVERY one of us needs revival EVERY day! Bob
2 Crônicas 31
Spurgeon - “He did it with all his heart and prospered.” —2 Chronicles 31:21 This is no unusual occurrence; it is the general rule of the moral universe that those men prosper who do their work with all their hearts, while those are almost certain to fail who go to their labour leaving half their hearts behind them. God does not give harvests to idle men except harvests of thistles, nor is he pleased to send wealth to those who will not dig in the field to find its hid treasure. It is universally confessed that if a man would prosper, he must be diligent in business. It is the same in religion as it is in other things. If you would prosper in your work for Jesus, let it be heart work, and let it be done with all your heart. Put as much force, energy, heartiness, and earnestness into religion as ever you do into business, for it deserves far more. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmities, but he does not encourage our idleness; he loves active believers. Who are the most useful men in the Christian church? The men who do what they undertake for God with all their hearts. Who are the most successful Sabbath-school teachers? The most talented? No; the most zealous; the men whose hearts are on fire, those are the men who see their Lord riding forth prosperously in the majesty of his salvation. Whole-heartedness shows itself in perseverance; there may be failure at first, but the earnest worker will say, “It is the Lord’s work, and it must be done; my Lord has bidden me do it, and in his strength I will accomplish it.” Christian, art thou thus “with all thine heart” serving thy Master? Remember the earnestness of Jesus! Think what heart-work was his! He could say, “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” When he sweat great drops of blood, it was no light burden he had to carry upon those blessed shoulders; and when he poured out his heart, it was no weak effort he was making for the salvation of his people. Was Jesus in earnest, and are we lukewarm? TAKEAWAY - True and lasting fruit—whether in life or in service for Christ—belongs to those who labor with wholehearted diligence and earnest zeal, for God prospers heart-work, not half-hearted effort. Wholehearted toil the Lord delights to bless, Half-hearted hands can never know success. G Campbell Morgan —2 Chr 31.21. This chapter gives in general terms the account of the work which followed worship; the reconstruction in the national life which eventuated from the national return to God which had been expressed in the great celebration of the Passover feast. It is very significant that the remnant gathered from Israel became the pioneers in the work of destroying all that remained of idolatry throughout the cities of Judah, and also in Ephraim and Manasseh. The king set in order the courses of priests and Levites; re-arranged the offerings according to the Law; and called for the payment of the tithe. The response was general and generous. The special value of the work was the thoroughness with which Hezekiah carried it out, and this is declared in this final verse. These words reveal his purpose, his method, and the result; and form a revelation of abiding value to all who are called upon to perform Divine service in any form. His purpose was "to seek his God"; and the expression is exactly equivalent to that with which we are familiar: "Seek ye first His Kingdom." His method was that of complete devotion, "with all his heart." The result was that of prosperity, that is, of success in the very work which was attempted. A right purpose and a true method always produce the highest results. C H Spurgeon - Life in earnest - ‘He did it with all his heart and prospered.’ 2 Chronicles 31:21 Look around you; who are the most useful men in the Christian church today? The men who do what they undertake for God with all their hearts. Where is the preacher whom God blesses by the conversion of hundreds in a year? Is he a sleepy, prosaic soul? Does he confine himself within narrow limits? Does he speak sleepy words to a slumbering congregation? We know it is not so, but where God is pleased to assemble a congregation it is, whatever it may not be, a proof that there has been earnestness in the preacher. Who are the most successful Sunday school teachers? The most learned? Every superintendent will tell you it is not so. The most talented? The most wealthy? No; they who are the most zealous; the men whose hearts are on fire; those are the men who honour Christ. Who among you today is doing the most for your Master’s kingdom? I will tell you. Lend me a spiritual thermometer by which I may try the heat of your heart, and I will tell you the amount of your success. If your hearts be cold towards God, I am sure you are doing nothing though you may pretend to do it, but if you can say, ‘Lord, my soul is all on flame with an agony of desire to do good to the souls of men,’ then you are doing good, and God is blessing you as he did Hezekiah, who did it with all his heart and prospered. Feeling that very many Christians are not Christians with all their hearts, and that perhaps some of you have only given Jesus Christ a dull, cobwebby corner of your hearts, instead of bidding him sit at the head of the table and reign upon the throne: fearing that we are all in danger of getting into a Laodicean lukewarm state, I wish to stir you up. PAUL APPLE - DEVOTIONAL QUESTIONS: 1) Do we pay enough attention to orderly administration of the local church? 2) Are we reluctant to ask God’s people to be responsible in their giving? 3) Should we expect the type of generous and abundant provision for ministry that we see here? 4) How do the Law of God and the Word of God dominate this topic in chap. 31? QUOTES FOR REFLECTION: Raymond Dillard: For most modern Western readers of the Bible this chapter reads somewhat awkwardly; it is one more example of the Chronicler’s punctilious concern with matters cultic, an interest at great chronological and cultural distance from his readers today. But for the Chronicler and his own contemporaries, rather than a distant and curious pericope, this section would have been full of the utmost practical relevance for godly living. Its reports of generosity and its focus on the correct worship of God through giving and caring for his servants were practical exhortations of what it meant to seek God and to obey his commandments. For the Chronicler it was a lesson from history that needed to be heard in his own day, for it remained the pathway to success and blessing (2Ch 31:21). Providing for the servants of God to free them for more important matters (2Ch 31:4) is likewise a concern of the NT (Phil 2:25–30; 4:14–19; 2 Cor 8:10—9:15; Acts 6:1–4; 20:32–35). (Borrow 2 Chronicles) August Konkel: The provisions for the temple fall into two categories: - those from the king, and - those from the people (2 Chron 31:3-4). The portion of the king indicates obligatory provisions rather than voluntary contributions. The contribution of the king from his own possessions was his responsibility for daily sacrifices and the festival sacrifices in their annual cycle. The people were responsible to give provisions for the clergy. The king’s order was given to those who lived in Jerusalem, perhaps because they were in the closest proximity to the temple (2Ch 31:4). Word of the need for temple provisions spread abroad, and the response came from all Israel (2Ch 31:5). This included those who lived outside of Judah in the north. Two points emerge from this observation: - Israel was united in its support of the temple, and - the response became far more than anticipated or even required. The purpose of the gifts of support was that the clergy might devote themselves to the Law (2Ch 31:4). David