God's Chastening Hand

Once we read through 1 and 2 Kings and then through 1 and 2 Chronicles, our heads can be spinning! A few kings did right, but the majority did evil.

Yet, when we get to the end of 2 Chronicles, we find a summary statement of how God dealt with His people. The words of 2 Chronicles 36:15-23 provide a sort of "bottom-line" description of God's chastening hand. It mixes correction and compassion because any discussion of of God's chastisement must mention both His motive (love) and His method (training).

Let's take a general look at 2 Chronicles 36:15-23 in light of these points above...

1. 2 Chronicles 36:15, "The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place" (NIV).

Surely, we can see God's compassion in these words. In fact, we can see God's compassion bleed through all the words spoken by every prophet God sent to His people. While some of their messages were hard to hear, God was calling His people back to Himself through the prophets because of His great love for them.

Now look at what happened: The people did not listen to God's message through the prophets, and they went into captivity. So we can ask ourselves: Was God being "heartless" through the sometimes hard messages of the prophets? Or, was God lovingly calling them to repentance so that they could avoid the devastating consequences of their disobedience? It's clear: God's love was the motivation for His discipline.

2. 2 Chronicles 36:16, "But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy" (NIV).

Of course, the people, for the most part, did not heed God's call to repentance through the prophets. So there should be no surprise on our part that God's people faced His chastisement. Why? Simple: God is holy, and His Word is true. When we stubbornly violate His Word and run pass warning sign after warning sign, the consequences for our sin will catch-up with us.

3. 2 Chronicles 36:17-19, "He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and spared neither young man nor young woman, old man or aged. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar. 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the LORD's temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there" (NIV).

Wow, the consequences of sin are steep, aren't they? And the consequences of sin are also wide-spread. Many people suffered during this time of discipline. As long as God's people obeyed Him, no enemy could stand against them (see Joshua 1:1-9), but when His people disobeyed Him, they couldn't stand against any enemy (see Joshua 7:1-15)!

4. 2 Chronicles 36:20-21, "He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah" (NIV).

But there's hope! As long as God is factored into the equation, there's always a solution - even for the most complex problem. Did you notice the subtle clues and irony of hope that surface in these words? For example, the mention of a "remnant" means God isn't through with His people. The word "until" signals that this isn't the end of the story. The words "desolation" and "rest" appear almost side-by-side which let us know that God has a plan even in the midst of our pain; He's sovereign even when we experience the suffering of our sin. The words "until the seventy years were completed" indicate that sin's devastation won't last forever. And the mention of "Jeremiah" reminds us how God's Word, even though "despised" and "scoffed" (see verse 16 above), will be fulfilled. In other words, no one scripts the end of the story but God. Regardless of how bleak life may look, God still reigns over all.

5. 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, "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 proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: 23 '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. Anyone of his people among you-- may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up"'" (NIV).

Again, we see another mention of "Jeremiah" here, reminding us that God will fulfill His Words even in the midst of what we consider to be "hopeless" circumstances. Why? Simple: God works to accomplish His will. If He can use even pagan kings to accomplish His plan, then surely He can use His people - even with all of their imperfections.

Be encouraged today! Hebrews 12:7-11 says, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (NIV).

God does chasten His children, but always remember that His motivation is love and His method is to train us through our sufferings so that He might produce a harvest of righteousness and peace for His glory!

Blessings...