TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
2 Chronicles 26:1-28:27
Romans 13:1-14
Psalm 23:1-6
Proverbs 20:11
2 Chronicles 26:3 — Uzziah’s 52 years was just 3 years shorter than Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33:1), but in contrast to Manasseh’s evil reign (2 Chronicles 33:2), Uzziah did what was right in the sight of the Lord (2 Chronicles 26:4).
2 Chronicles 26:13 — The 307,500 man army sounds impressive – discounting even today’s standards (the U.S. has 2,092,900 active service men and women + reserves), but let’s see how this compares to other counts we have in Scripture. Keep in mind that some of these are standing armies – they are ready to fight or are in reserve; some are the result of a census count, which means they are available to be drafted; lastly, some are expeditionary forces, i.e. soldiers in a moving army on a campaign.
- 1,600,000 – David (Israel + Judah, but not Levi or Benjamin) / c. 950 BC / 2 Samuel 24:9, 1 Chronicles 21:5 (see explanation at DefendingInerrancy.com)
- 1,160,000 – Jehoshaphat (Judah + Benjamin) / c. 850 BC / 2 Chronicles 17:14-18
- 1,000,000 – Zerah the Ethiopian / c. 901 BC / 2 Chronicles 14:8
- 800,000 – Jeroboam (Israel) / c. 912 BC / 2 Chronicles 13:3
- 603,550 – Moses (Israel) / c. 1445 BC / Exodus 38:26, Numbers 1:46, Numbers 2:32
- 601,730 – Moses (Israel) / c. 1407 BC / Numbers 26:51
- 600,000 – Moses (Israel) / c. 1446 BC / Exodus 12:37
- 580,000 – Asa (Judah + Benjamin) / c. 901 BC / 2 Chronicles 14:8
- 400,000 – Abijah (Judah) / c. 912 BC / 2 Chronicles 13:3
- 400,000 – Judges (Israel, but not Benjamin) / c. ??? / Judges 20:2, Judges 20:17
- 330,000 – Saul (Israel + Judah) / c. 1050 BC / 1 Samuel 11:8
- >320,000 – Ahaz (Judah) / c. 725 BC / 2 Chronicles 28:6-8
- 307,500 – Uzziah (Judah) / c. 768 BC / 2 Chronicles 26:13
- 300,000 – Amaziah (Judah) / c. 795 BC / 2 Chronicles 25:5
- 210,000 – Saul (Israel + Judah / c. 1040 BC / 1 Samuel 15:4
- 185,000 – Sennacherib and Rabshekah’s Expeditionary Force, both from Assyria / c. 701 BC / 2 Kings 19:35
- 180,000 – Rehoboam (Judah+Benjamin) / c. 930 BC / 1 Kings 12:21
- 42,360 – Zerubbabel (Exiles) / c. 516 BC / Ezra 2:64
Uzziah’s army was fairly small historically speaking, but depending on the strength of the surrounding kings, it was still significant, it was adequately supplied (2 Chronicles 26:14), and it had artillery (2 Chronicles 26:15). Because of Uzziah’s pride in the strength of his army, though, things went bad at the end of his life (2 Chronicles 26:16).
2 Chronicles 27:2 — Obedient kings were tough to find. Here’s a chart comparing each king’s general practice. If you have a better way to organize the data, let me know. This is not a fully precise chart (e.g. analyzing Uzziah’s sin of entering the Temple shows a specific practice).
- Worst – Burnt children (violated the 1st and 6th Command)
- Judah: Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:1-2)
- Judah: Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33:6)
- Worse – Sins of Ahab (Baal / 1st Command)
- Israel: Ahab (1 Kings 16:31)
- Judah: Manasseh (2 Kings 21:3)
- Bad – Sins of Jeroboam (Golden Calf / 2nd Command / 1 Kings 12:26-30)
- Israel: Jehoram (2 Kings 3:3).
- Israel: Pekah (2 Kings 15:28)
- Good – Solomonic Temple, but left sodomites, high places
- Judah: Solomon (1 Kings 11:7) – built high places
- Judah: Asa (1 Kings 15:14)
- Good – Solomonic Temple, removed sodomites, but left high places,
- Judah: Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:43, 1 Kings 22:46)
- Better – Solomonic Temple, removed high places
- Judah: Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:4)
- Judah: Josiah (2 Kings 23:8)
2 Chronicles 27:6 — A king that could be trusted with success, as opposed to Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:16).
2 Chronicles 28:9-13 — Remember that “LORD” is the name Jehovah/Yahweh – the specific personal name for the God of Israel. So why should Israel (that had been so disobedient to the LORD) listen to a prophet of the LORD (2 Chronicles 28:9), or speak in the name of the LORD (2 Chronicles 28:9) about sins against the LORD (2 Chronicles 28:10) that results in the wrath of the LORD (2 Chronicles 28:11), or listen to a prophet of the LORD that might result in conviction among the leaders (2 Chronicles 28:13)? Pekah, the ruler at this time (2 Chronicles 28:6), was “Bad” not “Worse/Worst.” While he violated the 2nd Commandment by building the Golden Calf for the worship of the LORD in a city other than Jerusalem, he kept the 1st Commandment. Only a few kings (Ahab, Ahaz, Manasseh) actively promoted the worship of Baal over the LORD. The rest pulled “an Aaron” and declared a feast to the LORD (Exodus 32:5) to dedicate the molten calf (Exodus 32:4) as the god who brought Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 32:4). This was a direct violation of the 2nd commandment – not “another god” but “the God” in the wrong way (see Nadab & Abihu – Numbers 3:4).
2 Chronicles 28:23 — Everything is easier than repenting and following the LORD.
Romans 13:1 — The man who has called upon the name of the LORD (Romans 10:13), has a changed form (Romans 12:1) and has a relationship with government that reflects submission.
Romans 13:9 — Are we free from the Law in the Age of Grace? Has the freedom to eat bacon extended to the freedom to do whatever? No – absolutely not! Commandments 6-10 – the entire second half of the Law – is directly restated and summarized and even given enforcement power (Romans 13:4)!
Psalm 23:1 — From our good friend Patch the Pirate … very close to word perfect according to the KJV!
Proverbs 20:11 — Reputations start early. What’s yours?
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