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Reflections on the Old Testament: 2 Chronicles and Nehemiah



“Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place.”

--2 Chronicles 29:5 (NKJV)

“My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense.”

--2 Chronicles 29:11 (NKJV)

The Lord commands His servants to sanctify themselves, that He may build His house in them. He has purchased us with His blood, and expects us to “carry out the rubbish” from within us, that He may make us holy. “Do not be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him….”

Do not shut up your doors or put out your lamps (2 Chron. 29:7), but be diligent in sanctifying yourselves (2 Chron. 29:34). God has prepared you for this, therefore follow Him and rejoice (2 Chron. 29:36).

 

In 2 Chron. 32:31, God withdraws from Hezekiah, “in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.” It was at this time that Hezekiah made the terrible mistake of showing the Babylonian envoys all that Judah possessed.

There is nothing impressive in men’s hearts. We have no wisdom, no goodness—we have nothing, without God. The reason Jesus Christ was crucified in the first place was because God looked into our hearts—tested us—and found us appallingly lacking.

Only God can fill up the empty places and flood with light the dark corners.

 

“Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. It shall no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God….”

--2 Chron. 35:3 (NKJV)

What does “the holy ark” represent in this verse? What burden must we lay down (as a holy ark) before we may serve the Lord?

There are a number of possibilities, I suppose, but here is one:

The pretensions of religion may be a “holy ark,” in terms of morality, but it is a burden we need not bear in order to serve the Lord. We are not saved by works—our moral conduct alone is by no means enough to impress God; indeed, our shortages in this area are appalling.

Jesus Christ bids us lay down our holy ark, filled with morals, ideals, and denominations—that it may no longer be a burden on our shoulders. He bids us serve Him—for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He bids us exchange our ark for a cross. For only He is able to cleanse us and make us righteous.

 

True Christians should always tremble at God’s word; if you do not, it only indicates a very unfortunate failure to recognize the power and truth contained therein. Ezra 9:4 says: “Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel assembled to me, because of the transgressions of those who had been carried away captive…” (NKJV). Trembling at God’s word also indicates a guilty conscience, as the perfection of God conflicts with your own sinful nature; therefore a failure to tremble also indicates a failure to acknowledge and be ashamed of your sin, which is the first step to faith in Christ.

“For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, ‘Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.’ Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.”

--Nehemiah 6:9 (NKJV)

Do not let the world frighten you away from the work of the Lord. When you undergo various trials, the world will often mock your faith, saying that your “hands will be weakened in the work and it will not be done”—just as Sanballat said of the Israelites in Nehemiah 6.

Tribulation always has the same effect: it forces you to acknowledge your weaknesses. How you proceed after this realization, is what makes all the difference. You can either give in to the fear and despair that the world thrusts upon you, pushing aside the work of the Lord as being “too difficult,” or you can do as Nehemiah did, and, fully aware of your weakness and inability, utter the same prayer: “Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.”

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