Church is Cancelled

²³Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25 NKJV

We are meant to fellowship with each other

• Hebrews 10:23-25
• Matthew 18:20
• Acts 2:42-47

We are not to be conformed to this world

• Romans 12:2
• Deuteronomy 14:2
• 2 Corinthians 6:17
• 1 John 4:4-5
• 1 Peter 2:9

We are protected

• Revelation 9:4
• Daniel 3
• Exodus 7-11
• Revelation 18:4

God did not give us the spirit of fear

• Matthew 16:25-26
• Matthew 10:39
• Romans 8:15
• 2 Timothy 1:7

definition

pandemic[1]

noun

1. : an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population : a pandemic outbreak of a disease

definition

epidemic[2]

noun

1. : an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and affects many individuals at the same time : an outbreak of epidemic disease
2. : an outbreak or product of sudden rapid spread, growth, or development

References

1. "Pandemic". Merriam-Webster; March 11, 2020
2. "Epidemic". Merriam-Webster; March 11, 2020
3. Tessa Wong. "Shincheonji and coronavirus: The mysterious 'cult' church blamed for S Korea's outbreak". BBC. March 14, 2020
4. Choe Sang-Hun. He Blames ‘Evil’ for South Korea’s Coronavirus Surge. Officials Blame Him.". NY Times. March 2, 2020
5. "N.B.A. Suspends Season After Player Tests Positive for Coronavirus". NY Times. March 11, 2020
6. Steve Almasay. "The NCAA is canceling March Madness". CNN. March 12, 2020
7. Grace Hauck and Doug Stanglin. "Coronavirus updates: Trump declares national emergency; schools in 12 states shut down; cruise lines halted". USA Today. March 13, 2020

Isaiah 20: Prophesying in the Nude

The most shocking think in the book of Isaiah, I think, is God commanded him to go about naked to prophesy. Isaiah's nakedness was a sign of the humility and shame that was to come. Nonetheless, it's not what you expect to come next when reading the Bible!

Introduction

Isaiah 20 is a very short chapter. Once again, God is pronouncing judgment on Egypt, but this time there's something else to focus on: Isaiah being commanded to make this proclamation in the nude! Isaiah's action was symbolic of what was to come for Egypt, but history is known to repeat itself, and I can see similar trends here in the United States (U.S.).

Command to be Naked

Can you imagine if your preacher showed up to preach a sermon wearing nothing? Most people can't even imagine a preacher in sweat pants and a t-shirt! On the one hand, it would be pretty awkward and strange, but on the other hand, it would definitely draw attention. When Isaiah, known to be a prophet of God, suddenly took to the street naked and barefoot, what do you think people said?

Today's society is probably a little more comfortable with nudity than the Israelite society Isaiah belonged to, and we would still find it strange to see someone simply walking about without clothes, even with clothes but without shoes. There's a man at my job who often walks around sock-footed at work and numerous people have mentioned how odd it is. So we know Isaiah made a statement.

The Prophecy

Today, celebrities pull stunts like this for shock value to get publicity and "stay relevant," but that wasn't God's intention for Isaiah. This act was a sign for the people. God warned that when the Assyrians turned on Egypt and Ethiopia, they would carry the people away naked and barefoot (just as Isaiah had been). Isaiah's testimony was a prophesy and symbol of the humility that was to come.

A Personal Experience

Have you ever gone through something and realized it helped you understand the people around you better? Maybe it makes you more compassionate or less judgmental, or maybe it just makes you thankful for what you've been blessed with. I feel like this particular act would have had the same effect on Isaiah. He would have felt the shame and humility that he was prophesying to come, and that must have touched him in a way that mere words couldn't. Although the Bible doesn't say so specifically, I have a feeling that the experience was not just a sign for God's people, but a learning experience for Isaiah.

Fulfilled

Isaiah was given this prophecy roughly between 713 and 711bc. During this time, Sargon, the king of Assyria attacked Ashdod due to a rebellion started by the Philistines. The Philistines had an alliance with Egypt, which they likely thought would protect them from the might of Assyria. However, Egypt was powerless to defend the Philistines and allowed them to fall to Sargon.[1] At that time, everyone would have been shocked that Egypt did not help Philistine, so Isaiah's message would have been an answer to this shock. Although he was proclaiming a tragedy to befall Egypt, Isaiah was also reminding Israel not to depend on these foreign nations for protection. Only God can provide us with reliable protection.

Several commentaries mention the fulfillment of this prophecy many years after Isaiah's sign. Modern scholars have found depictions of naked and barefoot slaves among the records left by the Egyptians, as well.[2] Esarhaddon, a descendant of Sargon, successfully defeated Egypt in 671bc.[3]

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Jason Leung

In Modern Times

This is very similar to what is happening in the world today. Back then, Egypt was the most powerful and most advanced nation in the world; other nations looked to them for protection and in awe. Since our victories in World War I and World War II (especially after the use of the a bomb), the U.S. has been in the same position. Like Egypt, the U.S. has fallen away from God and often doesn't actually help those in need. From turning away Jews during the Holocaust to turning away refugees today, the U.S. has proven that it isn't a nation to be depended on.[4][5][6] No Earthly nation can provide protection, comfort, or security. Only God can provide these things.

References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. ?. 2014
2. "Isaiah 20:4 Commentary". Bible Hub; visited October 2018
3. "Esarhaddon". Encyclopædia Britannica. October 23, 2013
4. Halimah Abdullah and Phil McCausland. "Trump Signs Order Suspending Admission of Syrian Refugees". NBC. January 27, 2017
5. A. Naomi Paik. "US turned away thousands of Haitian asylum-seekers and detained hundreds more in the 90s". The Conversation. June 28, 2018
6. "The Jewish refugees the US turned away". BBC. May 10, 2017

Isaiah 19: Egypt

In some cases, absolute destruction is foretold, but it seems that at the end of all this, Egypt will turn to God. That's definitely something to focus on. Even this far back, God was calling Gentile nations to worship Him and prophesying of their eventual conversion. It also speaks to the power of repentance. If you are going through a judgment of sorts, do not be discouraged, but take this time to refocus your life on God.

Introduction

Egypt is spoken of a lot in the Bible. While it may not be the powerhouse it was in Biblical times, even today I'd wager most people are familiar with the country. From opressing the Israelites during slavery to pagan worship, Egypt was not scoring any brownie points with God from their behavior. Therefore, it's no surprise that they would be among the countries that God issues a judgment for.

Isaiah 19 presents the prophesy for Egypt's judgement with quite a few parallels to modern history. Scholars aren't sure if the passage has been fulfilled yet, but as you read the chapters and look through history, it's easy to see how it could be in the process of fulfillment.

Internal Fighting

The first symptom of God's judgment on Egypt is fighting within the nation's borders. Not only would cities turn against cities, like a civil war, but family members would turn against each other! Who can you trust in this world if you can't trust your own family? There are so many psychological side effects of growing up in a family where you can't trust anyone; the long term effects of this could have been major.

When we think about this in terms of Egypt—ancient Egypt at that—it's hard to really care about this prophecy. Those of us who've seen enough to believe are probably content enough to just assume it was fulfilled, and those who need a little more evidence might simply use the information to search for the fulfillment, but I realized how much it sounds like present day in the United States of America (probably the whole world).

Our past election was really a war between the middle states and the metropolitan areas on the East and West coast. The 2016 election may have been the most polarizing election in the history of the country, and the aftermath has brought up quite a bit of hatred within these borders. In recent weeks, we've just seen a man arrested for killing his wife and children.[18] A man sued his parents.[17] A sister killed her sister. It sounds eerily relevant to today![1]

That's probably why the first time I read this passage I asked myself if Isaiah was speaking to the physical nation of Egypt alone, or if he was also speaking to the nations who take on the spirit of Egypt (e.g., deliberately sinful nations). The behavior prophesied to occur is very much like what is happening around the world today. In many cases of the Bible, there are initial or partial fulfillments, followed by absolute fulfillments (like David, versus Jesus fulling the prophecy of a great ruler coming from the tribe of Judah).

External Fighting

God also declares that there will be kingdoms against kingdoms, which means the chaos would spill out from Egypt's borders and nations would attack them. The worst time to be fighting wars is when there's civil unrest and the nation is falling apart internally. This also sounds familiar as Donald Trump cozies up to Russia and pokes at North Korea, while the tension between groups in the country are on the rise.

Some believe the fulfillment of this prophecy is given in Jeremiah 46 when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeats Egypt.

Pagan Crutch

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Pradeep Gopal

Isaiah 19:3 lets us know that in this time of judgment, Egypt will turn to many of the man-made methods (the occult) God condemned in Deuteronomy 18:10. I think it's easy for most to skip over passages like this and write it off as irrelevant to today. After all, who believes in witches and wizards? This mentality firmly sets the passage in the past when people did believe in witches. However, I would caution us to remember that terminology can change, especially when deceit is at play. People may not rely on statues, but they do dote on people or develop dependencies on objects (like cellphones). There are quite a few celebrities that have "alter egos" whom they claim as inspiration or creators of their art (e.g., Beyoncé/Sasha Fierce, Nicki Minaj/Roman, Eminem/Slim Shady[13][14][15]). In our society, we are just as likely to use our own creations as a crutch or object of comfort, despite God's warnings against this. Just because we don't refer to people as witches or idols, doesn't mean some of the same concepts aren't at play.

A Fierce King

When I read Isaiah 19:4, it drew me to a verse from my favorite book of prophecy: Daniel. Let's look at the two verses...

And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts.Isaiah 19:4 KJV

And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.Daniel 8:23 KJV

Of course what drew me to Daniel 8:23 is this fierce king that is being discussed. There's something very interesting about this reference. If you've watched too many Disney movies, you probably think of kings as short, old, fat, and/or only concerned about their child's well being (e.g., Aladdin, Cinderella, etc.). However, if you stop and thing about history, kings have always been "fierce"—there have been many ruthless kings in this world.[2]

I'd like to also point out that many words we use today to denote a ruler might not have existed in Isaiah nor Daniel's day. Leaders such as Hitler, Sadam Hussein, and Kim Jong Un, would probably fall under these writers' understanding of the word "king." As we continue, I'm going to use the word "leader" to describe these fierce kings, because I think it's more likely what Isaiah and Daniel meant and I don't want us to focus only on rulers we call king as we analyze the text.

Defining Fierce

The description of fierce is supposed to be a clue to the identity of these leaders, so something in their demeanor should make us go "ah ha! that's the fierce king." Naturally, given the history of kings/queens, dictators, and even presidents in the world, that brings me to the question: what makes these leaders so much worse than all the other bad leaders we've read about? Daniel's leader comes with the added description that he understands "dark sentences," but Isaiah just tells us the leader will rule over Egypt.

Fierce doesn't always have to be negative; in fact, in our society today it's usually used to mean something positive. However, in the context of these two verses, I'm confident the word was meant to describe the leader negatively. Traits of someone that is fierce (in a negative sense) that come to my mind are aggressiveness, lack of mercy and compassion, arrogance, and greed. For us to identify the person by these traits, I would imagine that along with the prophesied climate in the country (discussed below), the person would would exhibit these traits to an extreme not seen before (or perhaps just not seen before in Egypt).

Most commentaries suggest this prophesy hasn't been fulfilled yet, though some suggest Nebuchadnezzar. Some speculated that this mysterious leader would arise out of the chaos that occurred in Egypt on the heels of Arab Spring.[3]

Is it the Same Person?

So the next question, naturally, is whether or not these verses are describing the same person. The person described in Daniel 8 is the antichrist power that will be ruling the world, not just Egypt. I feel as though if God wanted us to make that leap, He would have made this pronouncement on Babylon, since the end time power is referred to as Babylon—or he would have referred to the end time power as Egypt. Based on this, I think these two leaders will be very similar in demeanor and purpose, but are not the same person.

Drought

What's the worst thing that could happen to a country other than a war? Well, God pronounces a drought on Egypt. In a society that doesn't have grocery stores, doesn't use GMOs (which is a good thing), and can't have food shipped in from around the world, a drought is a big deal. Animals would thirst to death, crops wouldn't grow, and the direct result would be a famine.

The effect of such a drought is submission to God. When we are down, we have no choice but to trust God. We become desperate and cling to anything we think will improve our situation. The problem is that we don't keep this faith in times of prosperity, therefore God is forced to remind us we need Him through such disasters.

Zoan

In Isaiah 19, Isaiah really goes in on the princes of Zoan and the princes of Noph; they are said to be fools and deceived, respectively. It appears that the princes of Zoan are cocky and unable to recognize their foolishness (as is usually the case). It seems pretty reasonable that God would not be happy about their behavior, but who are they and what do they have to do with Egypt? (At least that's what I asked myself after reading Isaiah 19:11-15.)

Zoan and Noph are actually both cities in Egypt. Zoan was even the capital at one point.[9][16] The princes of these cities would have been high ranking members of Egyptian society, maybe even some of the pharaohs. As is the case in most societies, these rich and elite men would have set the standard for the culture and behavior in Egypt.

Isaiah tells us that these men have fallen into deception and foolishness because God has "sent a perverse spirit" among them. If you read this verse without the context of the whole Bible or the historical context of the Israelites, it sounds as though God made them act this way then punished them for it. Luckily, that's not what is being said.

If you remember Genesis 1, you know that in the beginning there was darkness until God created light. Even today we know that darkness is simply the absence of light. The light is the glory of God; when His presence is gone, terrible things are bound to happen. God does not force us to love Him nor does He force us to stay in His presence, however if we choose to push Him away, He does get to choose how long to extend protection over us before allowing us to completely leave His presence. It is in the absence of God's presence that these men found a perverse spirit. The most accurate way of describing this situation is that God allowed it to happen (because He didn't force the people to worship Him instead).

Comparison to a Woman

In Isaiah 19:16 Egypt is compared to a woman. Because of what follows the comparison, it seems like it is meant as an insult, but I'm not sure that is the case. Throughout the Bible a woman is symbolic of a church. Later in the passage we will see that some people in Egypt are worshipping the Lord. These people would recognize the hand of God in Egypt's destruction. In their fear, they would realize they need God to escape that judgment. In a stereotypical sense, this is similar to how a wife would depend on her husband in fearful situations, just as the church is the bride of Christ.

If compared to Jeremiah 51:30, you might also interpret this comparison to mean powerless. Jeremiah 51:30 likens soldiers to a woman during a time where it was illegal and pretty much unheard of for a woman to be involved in battle. It's basically the school yard cry of "you hit like a girl." We see this idea carried in verse 17 where Isaiah prophesies that Judah will be more powerful Egypt. Perhaps it is worth noting that currently, Egypt is the only Arab country in which the government recognizes Israel and holds some sort of alliance.[10][11][12] This might be part of the fulfillment of the last few verses in the chapter that discuss some sort of alliance between Assyria, Egypt, and Israel.

The Language of Canaan

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Simon Matzinger

Isaiah then tells us that Egypt will begin speaking the language of Canaan (Isaiah 19:18). Many assume this to be Hebrew, since the Israelites over took the land of Canaan. I find this an odd way to describe the language if it is the language of the Israelites. Why didn't Isaiah just say "our language?"

Today, Israel—a.k.a. the land of Canaan—is home to two main groups: Jews and Arabs. The Jews speak Hebrew, but the Arabs speak Arabic. During Isaiah's day, the Israelites would have shared the land with Canaanites, who are not necessarily related to the Palestinians. The Canaanites of Isaiah's day may not have been speaking Arabic since there's a possibility that they aren't descended from the Philistines or Canaan, but I imagine they weren't speaking Hebrew like the Israelites. So which language did/will Egypt adopt?

Today, most Egyptians speak Arabic, but you can probably guess from the knowledge of hieroglyphics that Arabic wasn't always the primary language in Egypt.[4] Arabic, though not the language of the Israelites, is a Semitic language and the language of most Arab countries in the Middle East. Although most say the Canaanites cannot be traced to modern times, a DNA study asserts that 93% of Canaanite DNA can be found in the people of Lebanon today.[6] While this doesn't mean they are the same people, it seems likely that the Canaanites heavily intermarried with the Lebanese. The language of Lebanon used to be Phonecian until it was replaced by Arabic under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. That is also how Arabic became the primary language of Egypt.[5][7] So technically, Egypt is speaking the same language as the land of Canaan...

If you interpret this to mean Egypt will be speaking Hebrew, we'll have to wait a little longer to talk about fulfillment. In any case, this prophecy is also referenced in Isaiah 11:15, where God says He will destroy the Egyptian language.

An Altar to God

Isaiah also says that these people build an altar to God and cry out to Him. All 3 Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) are currently practiced in Egypt. Gone are the days of the Egyptian pantheon of gods like Ra, Horus, and Amun. I don't know if there are altars, per se, but there are definitely churches in Egypt. Holding true to Isaiah's prophecy, Christianity and Judaism are in the minority and do not constitute the whole of Egypt.

Conclusion of the Judgement

In some cases, absolute destruction is foretold, but it seems that at the end of all this, Egypt will turn to God. That's definitely something to focus on. Even this far back, God was calling Gentile nations to worship Him and prophesying of their eventual conversion. It also speaks to the power of repentance. If you are going through a judgment of sorts, do not be discouraged, but take this time to refocus your life on God.

References

1. Kyle Swenson. "Two sisters wed two brothers. Sibling rivalry and a grudge led to murder". The Washington Post. May 24, 2018
2. Elena Holodny and Amanda Macias. "The 25 most ruthless leaders of all time". Business Insider. October 7, 2015
3. Eric Salus. "Is Isaiah 19 Finding Fulfillment Amidst Egypt’s Chaos?". Prophecy Depot Ministries. August 15, 2013
4. James Hoch. "Egyptian language". Encyclopædia Britannica. October 30, 2013
5. Peter M. Holt, et. al. "Ottoman Administration". Encyclopædia Brittanica; visited September 2018
6. Mira Abed. "The DNA of ancient Canaanites lives on in modern-day Lebanese, genetic analysis shows". The LA Times. July 27, 2017
7. "History of the Arabic Language". Arab Academy; visited September 2018
8. "Religion in Egypt". Wikipedia; visited September 8, 2018
9. Emil G. Hirsch and W. Max Muller. "Zoan". Jewish Encyclopedia; visited September 2018
10. David D. Kirkpatrick. "Secret Alliance: Israel Carries Out Airstrikes in Egypt, With Cairo’s O.K.". The New York Times. February 3, 2018
11. Tzvi Lev. "We have ties with a dozen Arab countries". Israel Nation News. November 27, 2017
12. Zena Tahhan. "Egypt-Israel relations 'at highest level' in history". Al Jazeera. September 20, 2017
13. "Nicki Minaj Has A Gay Alter Ego, Roman Zolanski". Essence. December 5, 2010
14. The Associated Press. "Beyonce Transforms Into 'Sasha' Onstage". The Washington Post. December 15, 2006
15. Nicole Weiner. "D12 Talks About How Eminem Became Slim Shady". Billboard. November 20, 2015
16. "Zoan". Bible Hub; visited September 2018
17. Lia Eustachewich. "Parents win suit to kick 30-year-old deadbeat son out of their house". The New York Post. May 22, 2018
18. Matt Zerrell. "Man accused of killing pregnant wife, daughters says he walked in on wife strangling children: Police". ABC News. August 20, 2018

2 Chronicles 36: Captivity of Judah

During the reign of the last few kings, Judah falls into captivity.

Introduction

The Babylonian captivity occurred in 3 stages. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, kept returning to take people away until finally, he destroyed the Temple and city of Jerusalem. The events leading up to this and after are very important in understanding the Bible. In prophecy about the end times, Babylon is always used to symbolize the end times. Just as Jerusalem is always God's city, Babylon is the city of the devil. However, it is unlikely that in end times prophecy Babylon refers to the literal location.
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Egypt

Josiah died because he got involved in a battle with Egypt that didn't concern him. Even though he disguised himself in battle to protect Judah, this came back to haunt the people he left behind. Josiah's son, Jehohaz, only reigns 3 months before the Egyptian pharaoh takes him off the throne and places his brother Eliakim on the throne. On top of placing Eliakim on throne, the pharaoh renames him to Jehoiakim.
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Meaning of the Names

The name Eliakim roughly means "God will establish" or "God sets up." Jehoiakim means "YHWH raises up." The major difference between these names is that "El" in Eliakim refers to the Canaanite god, where "Jeho" refers to the Yah in YHWH.^[2][3] This is interesting for a few difference reasons.

The first point of interest is that a foreign king changes the king's name to be "closer" to the name of God. At first glance it seems odd that the Egyptians would think to name the king after the Israelite God while the Israelites named him after a pagan god. However this isn't quite the case and makes much more sense. Egyptian pharaohs thought of themselves as god. Even today, we see that people tend to force their culture on others, which is likely what the Egyptian pharaoh was doing. Many Egyptian pharaohs bore the name of the god the promoted, so Necho applied this tradition to Eliakim.

Another interesting point is the naming convention of the Israelites. El, though also associated with the god of Canaan, is heavily featured in the names of the Israelites: Israel, Emmanuel, Bethel, Elijah, Elisha. Some of these names are given by God Himself. Today, there are many people who argue about the name given to God. There is an entire movement that rejects calling Him God, Jesus, and/or Jehovah. They focus on the name of God given in the Bible (YHWH) and the modern origin of the letter J. In their interpretation, it is wrong to call God by any other name. Yet, Elohim is also given as a name for God. It is from this name that the many of His people's names draw on. This could be because we are not worthy of His true name, which would make Necho's renaming sacrilegious. However, Jehoshaphat and Joshua also make use of "Yah" in their name. I find there to be ample evidence in the Bible to suggest both are acceptable.
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Stealing A Name

So what is the major takeaway from Necho change Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim? You can only name something if you have ownership of it or if the owner grants you that right. Stars, planets, theorems, buildings... All of these things are named after the people who discover or create them. Naming something signifies control over it; this is true in all cultures. In the Japanese Anime Spirited Away, stealing the name of a person is what gives the villain power over people. The same was true for Necho. Necho was exerting his authority over Eliakim and Judah. From this point on, Judah was essentially a vassal kingdom struggling to maintain independence.
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Pharaoh Necho

The pharaoh during this conflict is identified as Necho in 2 Chronicles 36:4. He is associated with the secular record of Egyptian pharaoh Necho II who reigned from 610-595bc.
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Kings of Judah

Given the fact that Judah is basically a puppet nation until the final captivity by Babylon, we know the kings must have been corrupt. Jehoiakim reigns for 11 years before he is taken captive by Babylon. His son, Jehoachin, takes over in his absence.

Jehoiachin

Jehoiachin is only 8 years old when he takes the throne, but we are told that he does wickedly. This is quite a different sentiment than that of Josiah who also took the throne at 8. Jehoiachin only reigns for 3 months and Josiah didn't seek out God until he was 16, which means they were both ungodly rulers at the age of 8. However, only Jehoiachin is described as wicked.

In the previous post, I discussed the age of accountability. The difference between the description of these two rulers could be evidence that the age of accountability is based on the individual. We would conclude that Jehoiachin knew that his actions were ungodly but chose to do them anyway while Josiah was unaware.

Another possibility is that Jehoiachin's actions were more severe than Josiah's. What I mean is, there are varying degrees of ungodly people. There are people who are very nice, loving, and desire good for those around them, despite having no relationship with God. Then there are people who claim tho have a relationship with God, but commit heinous crimes and abuse their fellow man. Perhaps Jehoiachin fell into the latter category and Josiah fell into the former.

For me, the real question is: what did an 8 year old command in 3 months that was so wicked? Was Jehoiachin violent at 8? Was he idolatrous? Did he take on the ways of the Egyptians and require the the Israelites to worship him as a god? He was clearly born after Jehoiakim was placed on the throne and named following Jehoiakim's Egyptian given name instead of his birth name.

Jehoiachin is taken to Babylon during the second phase of captivity, just as his father had been taken during the first. Top

Zedekiah

In Jehoiachin's stead, Zedekiah takes over the throne. When I first read the passage in 2 Chronicles 36:10-11, I was confused. Zedekiah is described as Jehoiachin's older brother. The first born son was the one who was supposed to inherit everything from the father, which would have placed Zedekiah on the throne first. With the exception of Jacob tricking Esau, the only time the younger brother was given everything was when the eldest sinned against the father (or God). Both Zedekiah and Jehoiachin are described as wicked kings, so how did the 8 year old Jehoiachin end up king over the 21 year old Zedekiah?

My study bible actually identifies Zedekiah as the uncle of Jehoiachin.^[4] If this is the case, Zedekiah would have been the younger brother of Jehoiakim and Jehohaz. As Jehoiakim's brother, Zedekiah would only have been first in line for the throne if Jehoiakim did not have sons.

2 Kings 24:15-17 tells us that Zedekiah was originally named Mattaniah and the brother of Jehoiakim. 2 Chronicles 36:10 is likely supposed to read "and made Zedekiah, his father's brother, king" instead of "and made Zedekiah his brother king." The NKJV and NIV translate the verse to reference Zedekiah as an uncle, the NASB refers to Zedekiah as a kinsmen, while the ESV and KJV use the phrase "Zedekiah his brother." Regardless, this is not a contradiction because brother could mean kinsmen or relative without meaning a literal brother. In fact, Zedekiah may have acted more as a older brother to Jehoiachin than an uncle.

Zedekiah was the final king of Judah before the complete reign of Babylon. He doesn't just rebel against God during his reign, he rebels against the king of Babylon. Pride often goes hand-in-hand with rebelling against God, and it also leads to trouble with our fellow man. Had Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon while seeking God, the outcome would likely have been in his favor. However, Zedekiah rebels against both the true King (God) and the false king (Babylon), which only makes both angry. God does not come to Judah's defense when Babylon carries out this final attack. Without God's protection, the Israelites are swiftly defeated by the Babylonians who destroy the Temple and carry off the people to be captives.
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The Exile

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Chaz McGregor

If each book of the Bible were a TV show, 2 Kings would have ended with a major cliff hanger leaving us to wonder what happened. 2 Chronicles, on the other hand, tells us exactly what happened after the exile. The book ends with Cyrus, king of Persia, issuing a decree for the Israelites to return home many years later. In Jeremiah 25, Jeremiah prophesies that the Israelites will be captive for 70 years. This is referenced and expanded upon in 2 Chronicles 36:21 Many kings tried to restore Judah, but it is obvious that there were periods of time when they did not follow the sabbaths and feasts proclaimed by God. It is these days that needed to be fulfilled while Judah was in captivity.
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Babylon

I often wonder why Babylon is the city representing evil in prophecy. Why not Egypt or Assyria? Why not Rome? The people of Judah would not have had any experience with Assyria, only the lost tribes from the northern kingdom would have related to that. Since the prophecies were given to Judah, it would make sense that God would stick to nations they understood. There was one major differences between bondage in Egypt and the Roman takeover, compared to captivity in Babylon. Babylon pounced on a weak kingdom of Judah. The Babylonians invaded Judah, destroyed God's Temple, and forced the Israelites to another location. In the cases of Egypt and Rome, the terms of bondage were a little different. The Israelites freely walked into Egypt. The Romans took over Judah, but didn't actually conquer or subdue the Jews until after most of the Bible was written. This is likely why Babylon is the big bad villain in prophecy. Identifying the differences between the Babylonians and these other nations is important to help us identify traits of the antichrist and how the world will operate at the end.
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References

1. "Necho II". Wikipedia; visited March 2017
2. "Eliakim". Abarim Publications; visited March 2017
3. "Jehoiakim". Abarim Publications; visited March 2017
4. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 787-788. 2014

2 Chronicles 34&35: Josiah

After Amon is killed, Josiah takes the throne at the tender age of 8 (only one year older than Joash when he took the throne). Josiah is another important king in terms of restoring Judah's relationship with God.

Introduction

After Amon is killed, Josiah takes the throne at the tender age of 8 (only one year older than Joash when he took the throne). Josiah is another important king in terms of restoring Judah's relationship with God.
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Age of Accountability

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Rod Long

Can you imagine taking over an entire kingdom at the age of 8? When I was 8 I was barely aware that there were countries other than the US; I would have been a horrible leader. Most likely there were people to advise the young king, and of course, he would have been raised in preparation of taking on such a role. Still, I think its important to take note of the pattern when the young kings took the throne. It seems that child-kings were much more common in Judah, and that God protected the kingdom during their vulnerable years. Joash was raised in the Temple, so he set out following God from the beginning of his reign, but Josiah didn't begin his relationship with God until he had been king for 8 years. Yet, we don't see God become angry or punish the people for Josiah's negligence. We also don't read any negative commentary from the chronicler.

Clearly God did not expect Josiah to know any better at such a young age, which brings us to the topic of "the age of accountability." Most Christians believe that before a certain age, we are not accountable for our sins because we are too young to understand. Since this concept isn't explicitly stated in the Bible, there isn't a consensus of what this age is. Some believe the age is 20, since that's the age at which men began to be included into the number for the army. Others think it is around 12 or 13.^[1] Jesus was 12 when Joseph and Mary found Him studying at the Temple (Luke 2:39-52). Also, the Jewish bar and bat mitzvahs, which represent the age at which Jewish children are considered a part of the community and obligated to keep the law, take place at the ages of 13 and 12 respectively.^[2]

Personally, I do not believe there is a set age and I think Josiah lends to this idea. Josiah was still finding his footing, and God allowed this, despite Josiah being years over 13 when he began to lead the kingdom toward God. People develop at different rates, are introduced to God at different times, and may even have disabilities that affect their maturity level. Surely God takes all of this into consideration when determining whether a person is responsible for a sin or not.
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Josiah's Reign

Once Josiah begins to worship God, eight years into his reign, he brings the people of Judah back to God. At that time, Josiah purged Judah of false altars and idols his grandfather (Manasseh) had built. He even takes this campaign into the northern kingdom in attempt to remove idolatry from all of God's people. Josiah also has the priest make repairs to the Temple, at which point they find the Book of Law.

This is interesting because it leads to the questions of where the Ark of the Covenant was and how long the book had been missing. The law was supposed to be read each year for the people, but if it was lost, this was not occurring. Even the Israelite kingdom that was being led (on average) by God-fearing kings was failing to uphold the law. It's important to remember this when trying to understand why Jesus was needed.

Reading the Law

Many people would be afraid to read such a document; once he read it, he would be accountable and required to uphold that law. Nonetheless, Josiah is quick to have the law read to the people. After realizing how far the kingdom has strayed from God, he seeks counsel from a prophet.

We don't generally think of people as prophets today, but there are definitely people who are better at hearing God's voice than others. When we are having difficulty hearing God, we should seek out such people just as Josiah did. The prophet warns that there will definitely be consequences for Judah's sin, but also promises that due to Josiah's actions, that wrath would not come yet. God was pleased that Josiah had humbled himself before God and put Israel back on the right track, thus he would spare him from judgment. God is merciful; He doesn't punish those who don't deserve it. At the time God was informing the prophet that Judah's punishment would not fall on Josiah, He knew Israel would return to idolatry, thus He knew there would be a group of more sinful Israelites at a later time and they would be more deserving of the punishment.

Passover

As part of Josiah's push to turn the Israelites back to God, he hosts the most festive and remarkable Passover in the history of the kings of Israel. He follows the commandments to the letter and provides sacrificial animals for the those too poor to provide their own. Josiah reestablishes the roles of the Levites for the Temple, which had been instituted by David, including the music for worship service. When addressing the crowd, Josiah mentions the ark, which implies that the ark was still present, though some believe that last time the ark was actually seen was during Solomon's reign. Whether the last sighting of the Ark was during Josiah or Solomon's reign hangs on the literalness of 2 Chronicles 35:2. Josiah may have been referencing the Levite's responsibility to carry the ark during the exodus, or he could have been speaking of them moving the ark right then. In the former case, the Ark could have already been missing, but in the latter it is probably being witnessed in 2 Chronicles. To me, the latter seems more likely. Either way, this is the last time the ark is mentioned at all in the Old Testament.
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Battles & Death

After the Passover, Josiah goes to battle with Egypt. This is quite bold because Egypt wasn't trying to battle Judah, and Josiah had no business in the fight. The pharaoh even claims he is battling with God on his side. The word God is capitalized in the KJV version hinting that the Egyptian may have been referencing the God of Israel, not a pagan god. This could be confirmed or disproven by finding the original Hebrew word and compare it to other references to God versus pagan gods. No reference is given as to why Josiah felt the need to participate in this battle and we are not told what God thought of the issue. Neither are we shown any evidence that Josiah sought out God's guidance before going to battle. Josiah disguises himself because he doesn't want the pharaoh to recognize him and become angry with Judah. Possibly, Josiah didn't want Egypt to become more powerful under the suspicion that eventually they would attack. Regardless, he is injured in battle and dies.
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References

1. What does the bible say about age accountability. Bible.org. January 2001
2. Tracey R Rich. "Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah and Confirmation". Jewfaq.org. 2011

2 Chronicles 10-12: Rehoboam & The Division of Israel

A look at the division of Israel and the rule of Rehoboam. Also covered in 1 Kings 12.

Introduction

Photocredit: Holy Spirit Interactive

Rehoboam takes the throne after Solomon, and shortly after, he is confronted by the tribes of the north. The tribes from the north were unhappy with how Solomon had treated them, likely during the building of the Temple. Instead of following the wise council of the elders to heed the tribes' request, Rehoboam decides to make it even harder for them. This prompts the splitting of the kingdom. God allowed Rehoboam to do this because he had already foretold that the kingdom would split and Jeroboam would be king of the north. This was punishment for Solomon's fall into idolatry and a consequence of Rehoboam's lack of a relationship with God.
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Battling the North

When the people of the north disassociate themselves from Rehoboam's rule, he tries to reign them back in using his chief overseer, Adoram. The northern tribes confirm this dissatisfaction and reinforce the split by killing the man. Following this, Rehoboam sets up a an army consisting of the men of Judah and the men of Benjamin, numbering 180,000. These men were to fight the rebelling tribes of the north, but before they go into battle, God speaks to the prophet Shemaiah and stops them from going forth. This is recounted in 1 Kings 12, as well. Although the army retreats, Rehoboam continues to build cities of defense (a way of listening to God without really listening to God).
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A Turning Point

Meanwhile, in the north, Jeroboam turns the people against the service of the Levites in fear that they will return to Jerusalem, which naturally leads to idolatry. Since the Levites are no longer of use in those territories, they leave their cities to live in Jerusalem. This placed them under Rehoboam's control and gave the southern kingdom an advantage. For 3 years, the southern kingdom of Judah followed the ways of God and were strong because of this.
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Wives

Like Solomon, Rehoboam had many wives. His wives were quite closely related to him (though not close enough to be considered incest) and bore him 28 sons and 60 daughters. Of his wives he loved Maachah most. Maacah is described as the daughter of Absalom, though this likely means granddaughter since the 2 Chronicles 13:12 refers to her as the daughter of Uriel (note that Michaiah is an alternate form of the name)^[1]. Her son Abijah (also called Abia and Abijam) would inherit the throne. It is interesting that the granddaughter of the man who attempt a coup to subvert power from Solomon; had Absalom succeeded, Rehoboam would never have inherited the throne.
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Shishak of Egypt

Once Rehoboam found his footing and was confident in his leadership, he turned away from God, thinking he could take care of everything himself. As punishment for turning away from God, God allows a pharaoh from Egypt (Shishak) to attack Jerusalem. As usual, God sends a message through His prophet warning Rehoboam and his generals of their evils. When they repent, God grants them reprieve, but that doesn't mean everything ends perfectly as though Rehoboam never rebelled. Shishak steals everything from the Temple.

The same is true today, God may welcome us back, and spare our lives, but we still have to pay the price for our actions. Unfortunately, in Rehoboam's case, this does not bring Rehoboam back to God permanently. One in the clear, he continues to live in sin.
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References

1. Zondervan. "Michaiah". via Bible Gateway. 1988

2 Chronicles 8-10: Queen of Sheba

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.Matthew 6:24 KJV

Solomon's wealth and visit with the Queen of Sheba is covered.

Introduction

Chapter 8-10 cover the wealth of Solomon's kingdom. To construct the Temple he must have had a tremendous amount of wealth. Solomon receives enormous amounts of wealth from kingdoms far and wide. The amounts of gold and silver he receives are detailed in these chapters. We also learn of the ornate nature of Solomon's throne, which was made of ivory and Gold. It even had were lions attached to the it, confirming the symbolism of lions to the tribe of Judah. All together, these chapters also give us a better look at who Solomon was. Much of the information covered here is also covered in 1 Kings 9 and 10.
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Solomon's Egyptian Wife

1 Kings introduces us to Solomon's Egyptian wife, but 2 Chronicles shows us that Solomon knew his wife was not acceptable in God's eyes. Solomon builds a home for his wife outside of the city because he says the city is holy thus it is unacceptable to have her there. Solomon treaded the line of being of the world (marrying women who served pagan gods) and keeping God's law. In the end Solomon falls to paganism. We all must make a choice; you can't serve two masters! (Matthew 6:24).
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Ophir's Gold

The amount of gold collected by Solomon's men differs in 2 Chronicles 8:18 than what is written 1 Kings 9:28. I discussed this "contradiction" in the post on 1 Kings 9. Likely it is a copyist error.
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Queen of Sheba

Also discussed in 1 Kings 9 and 10 is the visit Solomon receives from the queen of Sheba. The queen of Sheba visits to see if he really is as wise and rich as they say. When Solomon proves to be even wiser and more wealthy, the queen is shocked. She is impressed by the glory bestowed upon God by the Temple and those who work there as well as by Solomon's wisdom and riches. She gives money to Solomon, and he gives money to her—it appears they establish a system of trade between the two nations.

Interestingly, in Ethiopia, which was part of Sheba during Biblical times, many people believe Solomon and the queen conceived a child. Menelik I is said to be a descendant of Solomon and started the Solomonistic dynasty in Ethiopia. This is the root of the Rasta belief that Haile Selassie I was the Messiah.^[1] The Bible does not confirm a child between the pair. However, even if the two did conceive a child, Haile Selassie I was not the Messiah (I'll discuss this when I get around to talking about denominations). Despite the consequences of this belief, I do agree that it is possible for Solomon to have fathered a child with the queen of Sheba; I would not stake my life on the theory however. If it was important to God's plan for our salvation, He would have revealed such a thing.
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References

1. "The Zagwe and Solomonic dynasties". Encyclopædia Britannica; visited March 2017

2 Chronicles 1-7: Solomon Builds the Temple

The most important event in Israel, is the building of the temple. Chronicles focuses on this heavily, with most of 1 Chronicles discussing David's preparation and the first 7 chapters of 2 Chronicles discussing Solomon actually building the temple.

Introduction

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Tatyana Khramtsova

The most important event in Israel, is the building of the temple. Chronicles focuses on this heavily, with most of 1 Chronicles discussing David's preparation and the first 7 chapters of 2 Chronicles discussing Solomon actually building the temple.
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Solomon Placed In Charge

2 Chronicles begins with Solomon taking over David's throne. Solomon continues to generate wealth for the Temple by initiating trade with Egypt and neighboring nations. This acquire great wealth for Israel and with it, he purchases chariots and horses, which were sure to strengthen Israel's army. God promised that Solomon would have a peaceful reign, but some of that could be because he purchased so many chariots. Neighboring countries would then know he was too powerful to be attacked. Likely God told Solomon to make these purchases, though there is also a chance that Solomon did not trust God's promise of peace and bought them just in case.
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Great Wisdom

We are blessed with the story of Solomon asking God for wisdom, which is also given in 1 Kings 4. God told Solomon he could ask for anything he wanted, and Solomon requested wisdom! How many of us can say we would ask the for the same if put in this situation. Matthew 21:22 tells us anything we ask of in prayer will be given to us, provided we come to prayer in faith. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes what I pray for is entirely selfish: good health for myself, help graduating from graduate school, etc. The conversation between Solomon and God reminds us that we should pray for wisdom. God had already promised us an abundant life (John 10:10), so why do ask for such things. What we truly need is the wisdom to discern right from wrong, righteous from unrighteous. God was so please that this is what Solomon asked for that he gave Solomon riches and honor in addition to wisdom. When we ask for the right things, everything else follows.
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Huram of Tyre

Solomon making a deal with Huram, the king of Tyre. King Huram sends wood and even employs some of his own men to do the work of cutting the wood at Solomon's request. When we are doing God's Will and ask nicely, things fall into place.

King Huram also sends a craftsman, also named Huram to help build things for the Temple. This Huram, though from Tyre, was born of an Israelite father and has ties to Dan. Whether one was considered an Israelite or not is often discussed as a matter of parentage, but those who converted to the God's law were also considered part of the Israelites. Thus, the fact that Huram's father was an Israelite, and depending on Huram's customs and attitudes, he may have even been seen as Israelite.
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Construction

Solomon began building the Temple on the second day of the second month during his 4th year in power. Considering the fact that he had the wood shipped from Tyre, which would have taken much longer back then than it would today, this is a pretty quick start to carrying out God's instructions. 2 Chronicles 3 gives us the dimensions of the Temple and is basically a blueprint. We are given intricate details about the gold used to overlay the walls, posts, and beams, as well as, the design of cherubims in the Temple. It was a masterpiece of great splendor. Solomon was determined that nothing but the finest was for God. We should remember that in our every day life. We may not be able to afford gold, but when we give to God, we should give the best that's in our ability to give.
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Furniture

2 Chronicles 4 recounts the items Solomon had made for the Temple and the craftsmanship of Huram, who came from Tyre to create these things. Solomon had an abundance of tables, lavars, basins, and candlesticks made to adorn the house and to be used in praising God. He was not stingy nor did he skimp on materials when it came to God. That's a major theme in the description of the Temple.
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Relating to Today

In the New Testament we are told that our bodies are the Temple of God. They are just as intricately designed and valuable. We should be sure to treat them well and take care of them. Solomon took great care to create the Temple and we should be sure to take great care in maintaining our personal temples.
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Dedication

Once Solomon gets everything in the Temple, he prepares for the dedication of the ark. During this time, the ark of the covenant was brought from the city of David (Zion) inside the Temple. Consequently, this is the last time the ark of the covenant is seen.

The dedication of the Temple takes place during a feast in the seventh month; this feast is likely the feast of Tabernacles, which would have required all the men of Israel to come to the Temple anyway. This ensured a large crowd for the dedication. At the dedication, the Levites which David assigned to musicianship praise God with music and song. There is a grand showing of people and praise. As the people praise God, He enters the Temple and appears as a cloud.

Solomon addresses the crowd with a brief synopsis of how he came to be the one to build the Temple; this includes a reminder that God foretold the coming of the Temple. Following the address, Solomon submits to prayer. This prayer is done publicly, proving that public prayer is sometimes acceptable. As with most prayers, He starts by praising God, invokes the covenant, then asks that God hear the prayers of Israel. Solomon's prayer is long and covers many scenarios. One such case is that of foreigners or strangers who seek out God. Solomon prays that they too will be heard.

God confirms that He has heard Solomon's prayer by consuming the burnt offering at the Temple with fire from Heaven. His glory fills the Temple and the priests are unable to enter. When the people of Israel see this, they humble themselves before God.

In gratitude, Solomon offers burnt sacrifices to God and they keep the feast for 7 days. On the 8th day they have a solemn assembly and the next day Solomon allows everyone to go home. On that final day, everyone is happy that God has blessed Israel and her kings. We are told that this day is the 23rd of 7th month, which means the feasts started on the 15th day, confirming this feast as the Feast of Tabernacles.

That night, God comes to Solomon and answers Solomon's prayer. He promises to hear Israel's pleas and establish Solomon as king, under the provision that they keep the law. If at any time they were to break the law and go astray, He would "pluck them up by the roots" from the land (which is exactly what eventually happened).
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References

Rehoboam

Rehoboam, 1st king of Judah, is discussed.

Introduction

Rehoboam is the son of Solomon and Naamah. He becomes king of Israel upon Solomon's death. 1 Kings 14 tells us that he took the throne when he was 41 years old and reigned for 17 years. Most sources site the begin of his rule to be 931bc, which would mean he lived from 972-914bc and was king from 931-914bc. Some scholars date the split of the kingdom to 922bc.^[1] This would place Rehoboam's reign from 922-905bc, and his birth in 963bc. The bulk of Rehoboam's reign is given in 1 Kings 12, 1 Kings 14:21-31, and 2 Chronicles 10-12.
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Relationship with God

Kings were to lead by example, and whether the king followed God's law or not directly effected the state of the nation. Thus each kings' relationship with God is clearly defined. Rehoboam's relationship with God appears to be pretty bad. Rehoboam causes the kingdom to split by not listening to the elders. God sends word to Rehoboam through a prophet named Shemaiah to cease fighting with the northern tribes, however, Rehoboam fights with them for his entire reign (1 Kings 12:22-24 and 1 Kings 14:30). This tells us Rehoboam didn't listen to God. In 2 Chronicles 11:16-17, we learn that under Rehoboam, Israel followed the ways of God for 3 years. Considering the fact that he reigned for 17 years, this isn't a lengthy period of faithfulness. 2 Chronicles 12 confirms that while Rehoboam had brief moments where he submitted to God, his was known for his ungodly behavior.
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Family History

As the son of Solomon, Rehoboam was also the grandson of David and Bathsheba. He is thus descended from the tribe of Judah, which makes him a descendant of Boaz and Ruth.

Given the timeline, Rehoboam would have been about 2 years old when David died. One of my grandfathers died when I was 2 (about to turn 3) years old and I have no memory of him; however I still managed to pick up some of his habits. Likely, Rehoboam wouldn't have retained any memories of David, but it would have been possible for him to pick up some of David's mannerisms, quirks, and habits if he was around him long enough.

Rehoboam's mother is named Naamah. Naamah was not an Israelite, despite God specifically commanding kings to marry Israelite women. Her ties to Ammon and paganism likely influenced both Solomon and Rehoboam.^[2]

Rehoboam marries many women, like his father. The details of his marriages are listed in 2 Chronicles 11. Many of these women are quiet closely related to him, though not close enough to be defined as incest biblically. Maachah, the daughter (or granddaughter) of Absalom (Rehoboam's uncle who tried to steal the throne), becomes Rehoboam's favorite wife. Although Rehoboam has 28 sons and even more daughters, it is Maachah's son who succeeds him on the throne. Maachah's son is called Abijah, Abijam, and Abia throughout the text.

Battles and Wars

Egypt

In the fifth year of his reign, the city of Jerusalem is attacked by Shishak, the king of Egypt (1 Kings 14:25). Shishak, which is also written Shishaq, is generally identified as Egyptian pharaoh Shoshenq I. Interestingly, Shisak is the first pharaoh mentioned by name in the Bible. The account of Shishak launching an attack on Jerusalem is listed in the history texts of Egypt, as well.^[3][4]

Shishak brings a considerable army for his attack and is able to raid the Temple of all of its treasures. Although it is not mentioned, I have to wonder if this includes the Ark of the Covenant; after all the ark is not mentioned again after it is placed in the Temple under Solomon's rule. The Israelites were likely devastated by such a defeat, and were not able to replace the expensive treasures from before. Instead, Rehoboam replaces everything with brass replicas.

Note that some sources do not identify Shoshenq I as Shishak, instead they suggest Shishak should be identified as Thutmose III.^[5] This would require a significant change in the timeline as Thutmose III was pharaoh of Egypt from 1479–1426bc.^[6] On the other hand, Shoshenq I was pharaoh of Egypt from 945–924bc. Using the generally agreed upon date that Rehoboam began his reign in 931bc, his 5th year would have been 926bc, 2 years before the end of Shoshenq I's reign.^[4]

Cases have also been made for Rameses II to be the pharaoh called Shishak. Reading the different hypothesis is quite interesting.If you are interested in Biblical timelines and/or matching Biblical events to secular events, you should look up the information on which of these kings actually his Shishank.
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Israel

It isn't surprising that Rehoboam would have been furious when the northern kingdom split from him. I can't think of a single point in history where part of a country decided to form it's own sovereign nation and the original king (or president) didn't fight to retain the territory. Some of this is about pride, but many times, it's also about wealth and power. The northern kingdoms consisted of 10 whole tribes as opposed to Judah's 2 tribes. The loss of these 10 tribes robbed Judah of both wealth and man power, something no nation wants to lose. Rehoboam did just as one would expect and went to war with Jeroboam.

Liberty taken with the depiction of Rehoboam
the Bible does not give a description of Rehoboam.

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Related Posts

References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 605. 2014
2. Elizabeth Fletcher. "Naamah, wife of Solomon". Women in the Bible. 2006
3. Associates for Biblical Research. "What evidence has been found of the Egyptian king, Shishak?". Christian Answers. 1999
4. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Sheshonk I". Encyclopædia Brittanica. July 2, 2010
5. Elizabeth Mitchell, PhD. "Will the Real Shishak Please Stand Up?". Answers in Genesis. March 2, 2012
6. Peter F. Dorman and Margaret Stefana Drower. "Thutmose III". Encyclopædia Brittanica. July 1, 2010

1 Chronicles 17: The Temple

But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.1 Chronicles 22:8 KJV

God tells David he isn't to build the Ark, but we don't find out why until a few chapters later.

Introduction

David wanted to build the Temple, but God stopped him. God told the prophet Nathan that David wasn't going to be the one to create his home and many people wonder why. 1 Chronicles 17 and 2 Samuel 7 discuss David's desire to build the Temple and God's response.
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A Theory

One group theorizes that Solomon was chosen because of his wisdom. They believe that Solomon constructed a hidden room in the Temple, with the help of his Egyptian bride, to conceal the Ark. Although no mention of the Ark is made from the time it enters the first Temple onward, they believe it is still in Jerusalem in this hidden space.^[1] Egypt is known for their expertise in hiding things; in fact new chambers may have been recently discovered in one of the pyramids just last year.^[2][3] If the Egyptians were involved with the process it seems likely that a hidden room is possible. Of course, God could have given Solomon this knowledge directly if He wanted to, why include the Egyptians?

If this theory proves true, it seems to me that the plan was carried out by Solomon without inspiration from God. Kings were not to marry foreign women and God would have possessed the knowledge to to create a secret chamber. It seems odd that God would send Solomon to the Egyptians to carry out such a task. Of course, it is also possible that the Egyptian princess was meant to help and Solomon decided to make her his wife on his own. It is one of the Bible's many mysteries.
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The Bible Speaks

But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.1 Chronicles 22:8 KJV

While the theory mentioned above is impressive, the Bible actually tells us why David wasn't allowed to build the Ark in 1 Chronicles 22. David may have had great faith, but David was a man of war who killed many people; David was violent. God shows that is His preference that we be wise and peaceful over violent when he tasks Solomon with building the Temple instead.
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References

1. Edoardo Recanati. "The Ark of the Covenant". Israelhai.org; visited February 2017
2. Adam Boult . "Scientists discover two mysterious ‘chambers’ in the Great Pyramid of Giza". The Telegraph. October 18, 2016
3. Owen Jarus. "Chambers Hidden in Great Pyramid? Scientists Cast Doubt". Live Science. October 17, 2016

Lessons Learned: A Reminder of Where We Came

Exodus the book is synonymous with the exodus (the journey), and rarely do people remember anything else. Both movies, The Ten Commandments and The Prince of Egypt, end after Moses is given the Ten Commandments (the former shows the ordeal with the golden calf, while the latter does not). Neither discuss the priesthood or tabernacle, which are also discussed heavily in Exodus. Also, in addition to Ten Commandments, we see other laws which are rarely discussed.

Introduction

Exodus the book is synonymous with the exodus (the journey), and rarely do people remember anything else. Both movies, The Ten Commandments and The Prince of Egypt, end after Moses is given the Ten Commandments (the former shows the ordeal with the golden calf, while the latter does not). Neither discuss the priesthood or tabernacle, which are also discussed heavily in Exodus. Also, in addition to Ten Commandments, we see other laws which are rarely discussed. Many overlook these portions of the book in favor of the action-packed showdown between God and the pharaoh or because they feel information on the old covenant doesn't pertain to them any more. Yet, the connections between Moses' day and now are so numerous I couldn't keep track of them all.

God vs. Pharaoh

God's conversation with Pharaoh, through Moses, shows us a lot about today's society. Moses performs a miracle by God's hand, then Pharaoh has his magicians imitate God's miracle, to which point Pharaoh denies God. This leads Pharaoh's heart to harden to the point than when the magicians can no longer imitate God, Pharaoh is delusional and unwilling to admit that God is all powerful and in charge. This happens all around us with science today. Scientists replicate God's majesty in theories and laws, but they can't recreate His actions. People think they are being smart by following the scientists, just as Pharaoh thought he was being smart. However, there will come a time when it is too late to turn back (after the mark of the beast is issued) and many will be victim to falling for these false substitutions for God. I believe this is part of the reason God gives us this full story with so much detail. Not just to remind the Israelites what He did for them but to warn us of our future.

Priesthood/Tabernacle

Today, we have churches, none of which can compare to the splendor of the Tabernacle. In fact, Churches are not like the Tabernacle at all, even though some churches put the word tabernacle in their name. For starters, only the clean and holy were allowed on the premises and only the priests were allowed beyond the vail where God dwelled. While modern churches have pulpits where only the preacher is allowed to stand, the choir often stands behind the preacher and there is no vail that separates this area. Similarly, while priests were responsible for knowing and maintaining the law, nowhere in Exodus does it say that the priest was to give sermons and especially not from the Tabernacle. Teaching was a duty ascribed to the disciples and apostles in the New Testament. In Exodus, we see the priest's duty was to atone for the people's sins—a duty Christ took over after His resurrection from the crucifixion. Exodus' description of the priesthood explains why we need Jesus. Before He took over the office of High Priest, one would have had to consult the priest at the temple in Jerusalem which is now gone and previously could have been quite a distance to travel. The priest had to atone for your sins because only the priest was worthy to speak with God. However, the priest had to atone for his on sins as well, and if a priest was corrupt (like Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu—see Leviticus 10) the whole community was doomed. We don't have this problem with Jesus, as He is perfect; He is always available where ever we are, and He is never defiled. We have no use for priests under the new covenant, but Exodus reminds us of why the new covenant is special.

Reflections on Sin

Since most churches teach that the law was abolished on the cross (see The Law for more details), only the Ten Commandments are used as a basis for sin—remember sin is disobedience of the law.^[1][2] It is easy (for me at least) to step down the Ten Commandments and think I have committed no sins. It is much harder to look at the other laws listed in Exodus (and Leviticus) and maintain that I have not committed sins. It is a great reminder of all the wrong Jesus took upon himself at the cross.

Egyptology

Reading about the Israelites' journey to and from Egypt made me curious about the history of Egypt. Some of the information I have researched is presented in the posts on Exodus as they apply, more research is likely to appear as I continue on.

Reference

1. Romans 4:15
   
2. 1 John 3:4