05/07/2025 – Day 311 – 2 Chronicles – Chapters 33 – 36 : From Manasseh King of Judah through the Fall of Jerusalem.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3: 22-23)
Unbelievable!: When Manasseh prayed for forgiveness, we are told: “the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.” (2 Chronicles 33:13). Manasseh had “sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom… and more… (33:6)
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Chapter 34 – young King Josiah’s Reforms:
A key event: Hilkiah finding “the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses.” (34:14). What a scene when this young King “tore his robes” upon hearing the words of the Law”. This is eighteen years into his reign , just 28 years old or so. It is evident that he had never heard the Law before, let alone been instructed in the Law.
Chapter 36: After the death of Josiah, the chosen people repeatedly rejected his pleas: “The LORD, the God their ancestors, sent word to hem through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place.” (2 Chronicles 36:15)
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Last two verses of the Book of 2 Chronicles:
“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a poclamation throughout his realm and also to put in writingL
This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:
“The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the LorD their God be with them.” (2 Chronicles 22:23)
Now, let’s get some help from Matthew Henry’s commentary on these two verses!:
These last two verses of this book have a double aspect. 1. They look back to the prophecy of Jeremiah, and show how that was accomplished, v 22. God had, by him, promised the restoring of the captives and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, at the end of seventy years; and that time to favour Sion, that set time, came at last. After a long and dark night the day-spring from on high visited them. 2. They look forward to the history of Ezra, which begins with the repetition of these last two verses. They look forward to the history of Ezra, which begins with the repetition of these two verses. They are there the introduction to a pleasant story; here they are the conclusion of a very melancholy one; and so we learn from them that, though God’s church be cast down, it is not cast off, though his people be corrected, they are not abandoned, though thrown into the furnace , yet not lost there, nor left there any longer than till the dross be separated. It may be long, but the vision is for an appointed time, and at the end it shall speak and not lie; therefore, though it carry, wait for it.”
Soli Deo Gloria indeed!