His heart was courageous in the ways of the LORD. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah. 2 Chronicles 17:6 (ESV)

Courage is the strength of spirit that enables a person to face fear and difficulty. We are called to have this virtue in our character as Christians in the way we serve God just like Jehoshaphat. We must be bold and stand for the Lord.

Paul encourages us to be bold because of the hope we have through Christ in 2 Corinthians 3:12 “Since we have such a hope, we are very bold”

Jesus gives us boldness, we can be courageous because he gives us assurance in Ephesians 3:12 “in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.”

We should pray for one another that we would have courageous faith. Paul asked for this prayer for himself in Ephesians 6:19–20 “and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”

The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. Titus 3:8 (ESV)

As Christians we should be devoted to good works in both our own behaviour and doing good for others. We were not saved by works but we do work because we are saved.

The word devote here has the sense of “to be preeminent”. We should lead the way in good works as an example to others and it should be one of the highest priorities of our lives.

Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! Psalm 99:5 (ESV)

Here and in verse 9 we read that the Lord is holy. This is one of Gods great, unique attributes and speaks of Gods essential being, God literally is Holy.

The hebrew word “qados” is translated as “holy,” It describes that which is by nature sacred or that which has been admitted to the sphere of the sacred by divine rite. It describes, therefore, that which is distinct or separate from the common or profane.

With this definition in mind we realise that we are made holy by God and called to live in honour of that by remaining separate from sin.

Hebrews 12:14 reminds us to “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3 (ESV)

In the middle of our secular society we should affirm again that yes, the Lord is God.

While the lie of evolution has become the conventional wisdom on how we got here, we must stand by the truth that God created us, we belong to him, he is the king and deserves our allegiance.

For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5 (ESV)

Another great attribute of God is that he is good. God is not evil and can not be tempted with evil he is good, he always has been and always will be

We see the reflection of Gods goodness all around us in creation, in the coming of Jesus and in the truth of his word.

Romans 2:4 remind us “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

‘Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives. Return every man to his home, for this thing is from me.’ ” So they listened to the word of the LORD and returned and did not go against Jeroboam. 2 Chronicles 11:4 (ESV)

God is sovereign, the splitting of the kingdom was not the work of the devil, it was Gods own discipline and plan which he brought to pass for his own purposes.

This teaches us that even things that on the surface seem negative may be something God has brought to pass or allowed for his purposes. We must keep a full picture of God, he is not just a God who blesses, he brings judgement too. See Romans 8:28

And those who had set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 2 Chronicles 11:16 (ESV)

In the area of apologetics some will challenge the scripture in Revelation 7:4-8 for example which speak about 144,000 Jewish believers 12,000 form every tribe. The contention is that 10 of the tribes were lost in the Assyrian exile of the northern kingdom.

This scripture show that God actually preserved all Israel in the land of Judah with those faithful to God fleeing the northern lands.

We must be like those who fled the north, we should not stand with compromise. This also helps us to understand why the reformation was so necessary.

Paul reminds us of God’s promise for setting ourselves aside to stand with the Lord in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 “Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

We should stand for and defend the true faith, once for all handed down to the saints Jude 3

When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him. 2 Chronicles 12:1 (ESV)

This is a wicked trait of the human heart, we can often abandon God once seeking him produces our desired end. This is why he must be our end. God should be our aim and treasure.

Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:8 “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

Again in Philippians 3:12 we read “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”

Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the LORD, ‘You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.’ ” 2 Chronicles 12:5 (ESV)

Jesus echoes this characteristic of God which flies in the face of modern images of God as a beneficent father who only dispenses blessings.

Jesus, in his call to us to be loyal and faithful to our King and the kingdom said in Matthew 10:33 “but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

and in Luke 9:26 “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the LORD. 2 Chronicles 12:14 (ESV)

Like the pull of gravity, if we do not set our hearts to serve the Lord we will inevitably do evil, it is our nature as fallen creatures.

We are reminded to keep our hearts focused on Jesus and serving him in Hebrews 12:2 “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.” 2 Chronicles 13:12 (ESV)

This is true, it is foolish to fight God, no one can win no matter how much they try, it is like a boxer vs an ant…. no contest. This is why it is foolish to resist God or to rebel against him, he is God and we are not, he is the King, we should submit to him and end the offence of rebellion.

Gamaliel echoes this truth in Acts 5:39 “but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice,”

Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 2 Chronicles 13:15 (ESV)

We can take confidence from this that we can cry out to God today to see his deliverance in the middle of the battles we face.

Peter reminds us in 2 Peter 2:9 “then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,”

not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. Titus 2:10 (ESV)

This scripture (from verse 9 – 10) is a call for all of us who are employed to be submissive to our superiors, we should not be argumentative and should be honest. This behaviour will be like the dressing for our teaching and belief.

Correct beliefs without correct living is worthless and shameful.

This is the Christian manifesto for the workplace and we must adhere to it to be good witnesses and for the glory of God’s church and in turn God’s own glory.

training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, Titus 2:12 (ESV)

God’s grace does not teach us that we can live however we want because we made a confession, no.

Here we learn that Gods grace and goodness which has appeared for all people through the good news actually trains us to turn away from ungodly behaviour and evil passions driven by our heart and culture, to instead live self controlled, honest and godly lives in whatever age we are living in.

Gods grace means we can live in holiness as God requires no matter our surroundings.

There is no excuse for Christians to live in compromise or sin , those who have truly been saved by grace will have new natures that desire to live for God.

waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Titus 2:13 (ESV)

The scripture quite clearly teach that Jesus is God

who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:14 (ESV)

Jesus substitutionary atonement for the church on the cross was not made to give us a licence to sin but to set us free from the tyranny of sin.

Jesus intention is that we be pure, a pure people who stand and live for the King and his kingdom as we read in the OT today.

Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.” Psalm 96:10 (ESV)

We are called to declare this truth, the good news of the kingdom, that God is King and he reigns

Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the LORD your God! Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness.” 2 Chronicles 9:8 (ESV)

The declaration from the Queen of Sheba (modern day Yemen) blessing God and his chosen king Solomon shows us that seeing the way God had blessed Solomon went some way to opening the eyes of this Gentile Arabic Queen to the greatness of the one true God.

Israel was what we call a Theocratic Kingdom which means that God was the ultimate king and ruler, creating the laws and directly involved in the government and running of the country.

The Queen recognises the order in this theocratic kingdom and gives the glory to the true king God, declaring that Solomon sits as a vice regent on “God’s throne”.

Solomon is king for God because of God’s love for the people, this is a picture of the Kingdom of God and Jesus as our King.

The account of the Queen of Sheba is mentioned in the NT where Jesus said he is greater than Solomon, he is the greater king that solomon pointed to, executing justice and righteousness to. See Matthew 12:42 and Luke 11:31

And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.  2 Chronicles 9:23 (ESV)

As we read the account of Solomon’s great wisdom and wealth we must remember that both of these came as blessings from God.

It was God who put the wisdom in the mind of Solomon, it was not derived from the, at best foolish, at worst devilish philosophies of this world. We should not seek the wisdom that the world applauds instead we should seek the wisdom that God gives. James 3:13-18

It is God who gives us power to get wealth and then holds us accountable to be good stewards. Deuteronomy 8:18

Jesus uses Solomon as an example when speaking of us having our needs meet by our loving Father and warning us against the lie and trap of Materialism. God’s goodness to Solomon was not an invitation to materialism, the goodness of God should lead us to repentance and reliance on God with a joyful and grateful heart.

Jesus teaches this in Matthew 6:28–34 “And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Paul speaks to those of us blessed with riches in this world in 1 Timothy 6:17–19 “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

And the king answered them harshly; and forsaking the counsel of the old men, 2 Chronicles 10:13 (ESV)

This stands as a warning to the young and inexperienced. The bible teaches that younger men should seek counsel from older men and younger women should seek counsel from older women.

The reason for this seems obvious, those who have lived longer have the knowledge and experience to guide the young.

The deception of youth is that “we are the first ones with real knowledge”, “we know what to do”, “we are professional”, “the older ones don’t understand”, “we have a better way of doing things”, “this is the modern world so things have changed” etc.

Theses are all deceptions of the enemy to keep the cycle of “learning the hard way” going when God intends for us to break that cycle by the young humbling themselves under the guidance of those who are older and have gone on before.

This includes those who have gone on long before, there are over 2000 years of church history, many modern controversies and difficulties have already been dealt with so we should look back to those like Charles Spurgeon, The Reformers, The Puritans and so many more.

In today’s NT reading we will read about this submission, it is also recorded in 1 Peter 5:5 “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Titus 2:1 (ESV)

Our faith is not against teaching, teaching is at its core, the issue is what is taught.

We should avoid attitudes of Christian anti-intellectualism as God gave us minds to be interacted with. The devil did not create and does not control the mind, our minds belong to God.

However we are called to be renewed in our minds and this comes through the right teaching of the word of God from God’s ministers.

We should have an appetite to sit under good teaching. If the church throws teaching away we will lose our way and all sorts of heresy will find its way into the church, forming strongholds of arguments and beliefs in the minds of those who adhere to them.

So we must submit to the doctrine of the church as defined by the historical, biblical, universal and orthodox church. We as the most recent generation of the church should not try to be novel or teach a new doctrine, we should maintain and teach the old and true story again and again.

and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:4–5 (ESV)

Again we see the bible calling for older women to train younger women in the matters of the family and home, namely to love their husbands and children, to be pure and self controlled themselves, to work in the home and to be kind and submissive to their husbands.

This flies in the face of modern ideas of womanhood which encourage women to be liberated from the home, motherhood and marriage. Teaching them instead to throw of purity and self control and become like men.

The true roots of Feminism is found in Gnosticism and was started by Satan in the garden of Eden when he sought to empower Eve to rebel against God’s order. The modern founders were homosexual women with an Anti-Christian agenda

In a culture which is redefining what men and women are we should hold even more firmly to the biblical models and definitions and be a witness to the world of what it means to be fulfilled and flourishing in Christ.

Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Titus 2:6 (ESV)

Young men need to be taught, again against the culture to have self control. The culture teaches young men to throw of social and sexual restraints encouraging our men to have multiple partners and waste their lives in drinking and partying.

This was not God’s intention for man, we are to be self controlled and our lives should bring glory to God as we lovingly serve our wives and children.

For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. Psalm 95:3 (ESV)

God is the true king we bow down today and worship him

do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, Psalm 95:8 (ESV)

We should ensure our hearts are not hard to God’s word today, we must hear his word and submit to it in humble obedience

then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind, 2 Chronicles 6:30 (ESV)

We see a unique attribute of God here, namely his omniscience or all knowledge. There is literally nothing God does not know, he knows every thought of every heart, but it does not stop there, God knows everything in advance, he know what each of us will choose to do because he knows the end from the beginning Isaiah 46:10

It goes even further than that, God knows the outcome of everyone of the infinite possibilities of each thought and action, he know for example what will happen if I turn right or if I turn left at the end of the street, nothing takes God by surprise.

Demons do not have this perspective or advantage that belongs only to God. Only God knows our hearts, only God has the capacity to know everything and only God has the unique vantage point of standing outside time and space and so sees the whole story from start to end.

Knowledge is not successive to God like it is to us, God knows past, present and future now, it is always now for God because his knowledge is perfect and eternal, God does not need sense knowledge or the power of imagination, God knows perfectly.

We are reminded in Hebrews 4:13 “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

And even regarding our salvation God knew his chosen before the world began as we read in Romans 8:29 “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

hear from heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name. 2 Chronicles 6:33 (ESV)

God’s unique ability to hear and answer prayer should cause us to reverence him. The temple would stand as an evangelical monument to the nations that God was real, God could be entered into relationship with and God could answer prayer.

This prayer shows one of Israel’s core purposes to be a light and blessing to the nations showing them the way to the one true God.

Jesus now replaces the temple as the hope for all nations, Jesus told us himself that he is greater than the temple in Matthew 12:6 “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.”

Jesus also teaches us that he is the only way in John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus is the one who we should point people to, as he is able to save them. Hebrews 7:25 says “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their captivity to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 2 Chronicles 6:38 (ESV)

Repentance is not a confession said to a priest, or some ritual to make us feel better. It is a heartfelt turning of mind and therefore behaviour.

The word repentance has the following basic meaning in the original languages of the Bible. In Hebrew (The old testament) “niphal” which means “to regret, be sorry,” and “to return.” In Greek (The new testament) metanoeō which means “to change one’s mind,”

God grants us repentance by his grace as we read in Acts 5:31, 2 Timothy 2:25 and Acts 11:18 which says “When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s house. 2 Chronicles 7:1–2 (ESV)

What an amazing response from God to the prayer of Solomon. This brings credibility to the temple and the request of Solomon for God to fulfil his word. The people viewing and recording this would have been filled with confidence and faith to use the temple as a place to meet with God, pray and sacrifice.

Jesus is our temple. The fire that came down form heaven and consumed the sacrifice speaks of Jesus being consumed by the wrath of God on our behalf on the cross. The temple being filled with the glory of the Lord’s presence speaks of the glorious resurrection and the outpouring of God’s Holy spirit which we celebrate this Sunday on Pentecost.

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)

This verse has been picked up by God’s people today to be used when we pray for our nations, we pray and apply this in faith and we have seen God move.

However the original application was quite specific to the people of Israel and the land of Israel when in a God inflicted drought. God was confirming that yes he would listen to the prayers directed toward the temple and stop the drought which he had brought about as judgement / discipline.

God disciplines those he loves, seeking that they might turn and cry out to him in heartfelt repentance. Hebrews 12:6 reminds us “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

If your life feels like it is in a time of drought right now, then cry out to God, you may be under his loving discipline. We read later in Hebrews 12:11 “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the LORD has come are holy.” 2 Chronicles 8:11 (ESV)

We start to see the slow rot of compromise in Solomon’s life. He knew his wife was unholy in her beliefs and practices, yet he married her and now holds a compromised position because he knows the things of God are holy.

We must ask ourselves the question today, what are our “darling” sins? The sins we hold dear, sins that have such a grip on us that they lead us into an unsustainable place of compromise.

We should ask the Lord to help us be free from any entanglements like this and walk in the true freedom and holiness that Christ brought for us at the cross.

Galatians 5:1 remind us “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.“

This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. Titus 1:13–14 (ESV)

This is a Pastoral letter so we should be careful not to take the responsibility on our own shoulders to rebuke sharply although we must be ready to rebuke / correct where necessary.

In this case we are dealing with false teachers who were Jewish preachers in the early church trying to bring the church under the superstition and bondage of circumcision and old Jewish myths which they did for money.

We have these types of false teachers today. There are the obvious money grabbing preachers on TV but there are also the more subtle usurpers to biblical Christianity who would see the church come under bondage to some sort of legalistic system and some even advocating that circumcision is still required as part of the covenant.

This is why every believer must be a part of a biblical church with biblical leadership who can rebuke false teaching which may arise in and around the congregation and keep the people on the well worn path of the sound faith.

They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. Titus 1:16 (ESV)

Our profession means nothing without repentance and lives lived in accordance with that which we profess.

We can decree and declare all day long but if our lives are not obedient to the word of God then our profession of faith and declarations in prayer are worth nothing.

As Paul says if we are hypocrites (like the false teachers he is talking about) like this then we are detestable and unfit for any good work. We must live honest, humble lives inline with our profession as disciples of Jesus Christ, serving one another in the fear and love of God.

Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, Psalm 94:12 (ESV)

This is in line with the theme of discipline and repentance we picked up in our reading today. We should thank God that he loves us enough to discipline and teach us.

and they say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? Psalm 94:7–9 (ESV)

This summarises today’s dual themes of God’s omniscience and his judgement and discipline. Nothing we do can be hidden from God, he know everything and judges or disciplines accordingly.