Category: 2 Chronicles

The flow of this conversation feels almost like a breakup would. First, God tells them how he remembers how they once loved Him. He then asks what he did he that made them not love him anymore. Then God tells them about how they wronged him. So although it sounds like a breakup, it doesn’t end that way because God wants to fight for his people’s love.

God calls the people out multiple times during this talk. He says how they “went after worthlessness, and became worthless” (v. 5) and how they destroyed His land (v. 7). He then points out how crazy it is for a nation to change gods while also pointing out that those other gods are not real (v. 11). Verse 13 ends by saying how they chose to abandon the living water for cisterns that cannot hold water.

Sometimes I think we are no different than the Israelites. We may have started off with a burning passion for God and would do anything for Him, but now have tapered off and do just what we need to do in order to rest our conscience.

 I feel like a lot of us can relate to verse 13. I know I try to take things into my own hands. I abandon God’s plan and try and write my own future, but quickly God changes those plans. I try and fill my life with things that I think will be enough, but they ultimately fall short. Why do we abandon the living water? Why do we abandon God who has never failed to fulfill? Why do we turn to the god of sports, the god of pop culture, the god of money, the god of lust, or anything else to fulfill when only God can? Seems crazy, right?

By: Jacob Kerr — West Campus Pastoral Ministry Apprentice: Students & Worship

Welcome to Jumpstart as we start another book… The book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah is a major prophet – which simply means his book is long… not that he is greater than the others!

Before you go any further, watch this amazing video that helps us make sense of a book that can be confusing!

God is sending Jeremiah to speak to the people. God set him apart for this purpose in the womb (v.5). God was going to use Jeremiah to confront His people about their sin

 Jeremiah had a big purpose but often like us, he got scared. He did not feel qualified. But God reminded him… “I am WITH you!” (v.8). This is a GREAT PROMISE of God. God is with us too. He has promised this to us all over Scripture. God is with us as we follow Him in obedience. This was not a “man’s job” this was a “God job”. God does not call the equipped. God equips the called. 

But God in verse 10 reminded him of just how great his purpose is. These words are not just going to tear down but they are going to BUILD UP! This is what the truth of God does in our lives. It does not just tear us down. It builds us up through PRUNING (John 15). 

However, Jeremiah still knew there would be pushback. People often push back on leaders, even if it’s for their best. People simultaneously want to be led and don’t want to be led. But God reminded him again… I am with you (v.19).

As we go out into the world and proclaim the good news of Jesus in word and action… there will be push back. But God has given us a high calling. Not just to tear down lies… but to build up with truth. And we can hold on to this. He is with us.

By: Nick Parsons — Pastoral Ministry Associate: College

If you couldn’t tell by now, the Passover was a pretty big deal as described in 2 Chronicles 30. This was the opportunity for all of Israel and Judah, separated by distance and other issues, can unite together to worship the Lord as one at the temple. They get together to remember and commemorate the story of the Exodus where God miraculously freed his people from slavery in Egypt. And from that point forward they were to get together for that same purpose and remembrance.

Jesus knew what He was doing, getting his disciples together for the Passover, explaining more in-depth what was about to happen with his loving sacrifice on the Cross. He knew that just like God’s people got together to remember God freeing His people from physical slavery, Jesus would commission us to get together with the Lord’s Supper to remember Him freeing us from spiritual slavery. And through this great ordinance or sacrament, we are reminded of our unity again. Like Israel and Judah’s experiences in this chapter.

By: Erik Koliser — West Campus Pastor

The first thing to notice about Hezekiah is that he, “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.” (v. 2) Hezekiah might have only been 25 years old at the time, but he showed much more wisdom and godliness than many of his predecessors. PRINCIPLE: age is not the primary determining factor in someone’s leadership ability, wisdom, or godliness.

We also see that Hezekiah begins to take action steps in influencing the people towards holiness. He begins by consecrating the temple, and this seems to be quite the task (v. 16). It was only after this cleansing and the sacrifices that were then made that they then began to rightly worship God (v. 28). What was the result of this cleansing and sacrifice? “Thus the service of the house of the Lord was restored. And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had provided for the people, for the thing came about suddenly.” (v. 35-36)

How is the gospel seen in this passage?

Just like the people of Israel, we must be cleansed from our sin. And in order for our sin to be cleansed, a sacrifice must be made. The difference for us is that with the coming of Jesus, we are not the ones who clean ourselves up, we are cleansed by the blood of Christ. We also don’t make the necessary sacrifices, Jesus made the perfect sacrifice on the cross on our behalf. All we do is repent and believe in the gospel. Some might need to repent and believe in the gospel for the first time in order to receive the free gift of forgiveness that has been offered to them. Others, who have received this initial gift need to repent and believe in the gospel over and over again, not so that they can be saved again, but so that they can remind themselves of what has really saved them, and what is really redeeming them: Jesus.

It is only when we accept the forgiveness offered to us by Jesus that we can, like the people of Israel in verses 27-28 of our passage, worship God with a pure heart; it is only then that we can live how we were designed to live.

By: Graham Withers — Pastoral Ministry Associate