Today’s reading: 2 Chron 17:1–18:34, Titus 3:8–11, Ps 99:1–100:5

Today’s theme: Be courageous, devoted and holy

Today we learn that we are to be courageous in heart, devoted to good works and holy as God is holy. We also learn that the Lord is holy, He is good and He is the only true God.

2 Chronicles 17:1–18:34

Be courageous in heart

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. As Christians we are called to have this virtue in our character and 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 also requested 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.”

Titus 3:8–11

Be devoted in work

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 in doing good for others. We were not saved by works but we do work, because we are saved.

Here the word ‘devote’ 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.

Psalm 99:1–100:5

The Lord is holy

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 God’s great, unique attributes and speaks of God’s 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.”

The Lord is God

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

Whilst 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.

The Lord is good

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 cannot be tempted with evil, He is good, He always has been and always will be.

We see the reflection of God’s 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?”

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on Titus 3

Today’s reading: 2 Chronicles 14:1–16:14, Titus 3:1–7, Psalm 97:1–98:9

Today’s theme: The calling and reward of peace

Today’s theme is our calling to the wonderful gift of God’s peace. True peace can only be found in God. Today, commit to rest in the peace that is yours in Christ.

2 Chronicles 14:1–16:14

The gift of peace

He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the LORD gave him peace.(2 Chronicles 14:6, ESV)

Asa was one of the few good kings we see after the time of David and Solomon. Verse 2 tells us that he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Due to his righteous conduct, God gave him a unique and prized gift, peace.

Peace was one of the special gifts that Jesus left with the church. Jesus said in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Having a holiday or extra sleep does not guarantee true rest. The word ‘peace’ in this verse, is the Hebrew word ‘nwh’ which means to settle down, to stay settled, rest, to repose, to await, pacify, satisfy, place, set and lay.

God desires that we all experience peace, which is the reward for honouring Him. Paul reminds us of this in his benediction in 2 Thessalonians 3:16; “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”

Ask God for help

And Asa cried to the LORD his God, “O LORD, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.”(2 Chronicles 14:11, ESV)

This is a great example from the early life of Asa as he relied on God, the one who had given him rest. He saw God as great and able to help him and this is true, our God is great and is able to help us if we turn to Him and ask for help.

This is a simple prayer that we should pray today. No matter our need or how overwhelming the odds seem, we openly humble ourselves and cry out to God for help, in faith.

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 7:7–8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Your work will be rewarded

But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”(2 Chronicles 15:7, ESV)

In this world, so many strive for their own peace and rest, this is often expressed in paying off their mortgage and having a long and relaxing retirement or a luxury holiday or some material object. These motivations are all wrong and they all give false peace and rest.

As we work in the Lord’s kingdom, we have the wonderful promise of reward to help spur us on. One of the rewards that we get even in this life, is peace and rest and it will ultimately be realised in the glory of heaven.

Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:9; “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up”

Guard your heart

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”(2 Chronicles 16:9, ESV)

God is sovereign, He is in control and is well able to help His people at all times. He is actively seeking for opportunity to help us in response to our prayer.

We must put our trust in God to help us and we should guard ourselves from complacency, forgetfulness and ignorance:

1. We should not become complacent, so well adjusted to the peace and prosperity that comes from God, that we let our guard down and get caught out by the enemy. 1 Corinthians 10:12 reminds us; “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”
2. We must not forget what the Lord has already done for us. Our past experience with the Lord should encourage and bolster our faith. see Revelation 12:11
3. We must not become ignorant of who God is, this is why daily reading and meditating on the bible is so important. There should be moment by moment submission to God the Holy Spirit, who brings the word to our remembrance. Jesus encourages us in John 14:26.

Titus 3:1–7

Called to peace

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. (Titus 3:1–2, ESV)

As Christians we are called to be model citizens, obeying the law of the land when it does not violate the word of God. We should also seek to be gentle and courteous.

We are called to avoid quarrelling, in other words we are called to peace. The peace that God has given us should help to govern our behaviour and we should spread it to others.

Sin brings no peace

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.(Titus 3:3, ESV)

Sin is slavery and can never bring peace. Our culture today encourages people to be slaves to their own selfish passions and pleasures.

We should not be living for ourselves as Christians, we should live for God and for others.

We do not need to strive for our own cause because God has given us peace.

Saved by God’s mercy

he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5, ESV)

God saved us because of His own mercy, there was nothing we did to deserve it. Regeneration can only be initiated by God and is only possible through God the Holy Spirit.

We should remember that today; that God saved us and made us new by His Holy Spirit out of pure mercy and grace. This should fill us with hope, joy and peace.

Psalm 97:1–98:9

Rejoice in God’s deliverance

O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.(Psalm 97:10, ESV)

We should set our hearts to hate what is evil and rejoice that God preserves our lives and delivers us, thus giving us peace.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on Titus 3

Today’s reading: 2 Chron 11:1–13:22, Titus 2:9–15, Ps 96:1–13

Today’s theme: Grace trains us

There are a lot of good lessons today, centred around serving the King in His kingdom, by His grace, in purity. One of the most powerful and practical lessons is that the genuine grace of God does not open the door to sin (thus abusing that grace), but trains us to live holy lives in our union with Christ. God’s grace trains us, causing us to grow in the Lord.

2 Chronicles 11:1–13:22

God’s judgement

‘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 God’s own discipline and plan which He brought to pass for His own purposes.

This teaches us that even things, which 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

God’s remnant

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 speaks 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 which has been once for all handed down to the saints as mentioned in Jude 3.

May God be your end

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 after we have received 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.”

Abandoned by God

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 for 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.”

The pull of sin

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 on 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.”

Why fight 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 versus an ant, there is 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 5:39-40 “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…”

The battle shout

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, 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.”

Titus 2:9–15

The Christian manifesto

not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour. 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 is 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.

Grace trains us

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 God’s grace and goodness which has appeared for all people through the good news, 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.

God’s 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 a new nature that desires to live for God.

Jesus is God

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

The scripture clearly teaches that Jesus is God.

Redeemed to be pure

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.

Psalm 96:1–13

The gospel of the kingdom

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.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on Titus 2

Today’s reading: 2 Chron 9:1–10:19, Titus 2:1–8, Ps 95:1–11

Today’s theme: Sound Teaching

Today’s theme focuses on the necessity of the sound teaching of the church, as passed down through the ages, and on the principle of the young men listening to older men and young women being taught by older women. All of this is underpinned by the teaching that God is King and we are a part of His Theocratic Kingdom in Christ.

2 Chronicles 9:1–10:19

The Theocratic Kingdom

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. See Matthew 12:42 and Luke 11:31

Blessed by God

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 wisdom in the mind of Solomon, it was not derived from the philosophies of this world, which are at best foolish and at worst devilish . 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 that 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 met 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.”

Submit to the elders

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 the belief 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.

These 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.”

Titus 2:1–8

Sound teaching

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 kinds of heresies will find their way into the church, forming strongholds of arguments and beliefs in the minds of those who adhere to them.

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.

Training for young women

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 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 contradicts 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 root 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 of feminism 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.

Teaching for young men

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

Young men need to be taught (against the culture) to have self control. The culture teaches young men to throw off social and sexual restraints, encouraging them 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.

Psalm 95:1–11

God our King

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

Don’t harden your heart

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

We should ensure that our hearts are not hardened to God’s word today, we must hear His word and submit to it in humble obedience.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on Titus 2

Today’s reading: 2 Chron 6:12–8:18, Titus 1:10–16, Ps 94:1–23

Today’s theme: God knows everything

Today we learn that God alone knows everything. We also learn that God disciplines us in love and expects discipline and correction to operate in the church, to His glory and our joyful flourishing.

2 Chronicles 6:12–8:18

God knows everything

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, and He knows everything in advance. God knows 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 evey one of the infinite possibilities of each thought and action. He knows 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 and only God has the capacity to know everything. Only God has the unique vantage point of standing outside time and space and therefore 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.”

God hears and answers prayer

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 is 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 that 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.”

Repentance, heartfelt turning

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.”

The temple points to Jesus

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 to sacrifice.

Jesus is our temple. The fire that came down from 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.

God’s loving discipline

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 and 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.”

The slow rot of compromise

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 these 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.“

Titus 1:10–16

Biblical correction

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 and 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 kind 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.

Empty professions

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), then we are detestable and unfit for any good work. We must live honest, humble lives in line with our profession as disciples of Jesus Christ, serving one another in the fear and love of God.

Psalm 94:1–23

Discipline is a blessing

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 that we see in our reading today. We should thank God that He loves us enough to discipline and teach us.

God knows!

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.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on Titus 1