December 3, 2025

Amaziah, the son of Joash, who was born when Joash was only 15, began to reign over Judah when he was 25 years old. He started well, but turned away from God. As soon as he came to rule, he killed the servants who had killed his father. He began by gathering an army of men, but found that he didn’t have enough; remember, we always have enough when we trust in God. As a result of feeling he didn’t have an adequate army, he paid 100,000 talents to men from Israel to help. A prophet warned him that it wasn’t a good idea to hire men from Israel because of their idolatry, but he was worried about losing the talents. The prophet assured him that God could repay what he had lost, which happened with interest when his son came into power. Amaziah killed a bunch of Edomites and then began worshipping their gods. A prophet came to him, reminding him that those gods didn’t help the Edomites, so why should he think they would help him. Why don’t we recognize the obvious? Then Amaziah decided to challenge Joash, the king of Israel (remember there were two Joash: one was his father, the other the king of Israel; they reigned at about the same time, to add to the confusion). Joash, king of Israel, made fun of his challenge, basically calling him weak. Joash captured Amaziah and took him to see him conquer and take all the fine things from the house of God and the king’s house. He fled to Lachish, but the people of Jerusalem conspired against him and killed him there. They brought his body back to be buried with the past kings. 

We must learn to trust God and not turn away from Him. Amaziah’s heart wasn’t into God, and it showed in his actions. Keep God first and foremost in everything you do. If you keep Him first, He will help you pursue the desires of your heart, which in turn will help Him unfold His plan for your life.

Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there. 2 Chronicles 25:27

December 2, 2025

The boy king, Joash, did good for the duration of Jehoiada’s life and ruled for forty years. He even had the heart to make repairs to the temple, using the idea of collecting funds by setting a chest at the temple gate. He collected so much that it had to be emptied, and it filled up again. The people were very generous, so Joash was able to hire carpenters and masons to make repairs and purchase brass and iron. Jehoiada lived to the age of 130; that means he was 90 years old when Joash became king and had lived during Solomon’s time. Jehoiada kept Joash in check while he lived, but as soon as he died, Joash was influenced by the princes of Judah who wanted to restore the groves and idols. God sent prophets to them to try to bring them back. Then Zechariah, Jehoiada’s son, the priest, stood before the people trying to convince them to come back to the LORD, but they conspired against him, and Joash had him stoned. Not long after that, Joash was executed by his servants for killing Zechariah. 

We can see from this story how important it is to surround yourself with godly, Christ-following people. The enemy is eager to pounce when we leave ourselves open to his wiles and follow the influence of those whom he overtakes. Joash did well for his entire life; then, he succumbed to the enemy, and his life ended on a sour note. The people wouldn’t even bury him with the other kings. Your friends matter, so stay the course and keep your eyes on Jesus because the enemy is waiting for you to mess up and ruin your good name.

 And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings. 2 Chronicles 24:25

December 1, 2025

Athaliah had ruled over Judah for six years, and the people had had enough. Jehoiada the priest and his wife, Princess Jehoshabeath, saved Joash, who was only one year old when Athaliah killed all the royals who could have taken over the throne. However, she missed one. Now that Joash is seven, Jehoiada begins arranging for him to take over the throne and become king. He brought in the priest and prepared the temple. I found it interesting that the priest had weapons; I never think of priests as manly men, but my image was quite invalid; these men were ready to protect the king and guard the temple and the king’s home. When they crowned young Joash, the people began singing joyfully with trumpets sounding. Athaliah heard the commotion and came to see what was going on. She tore her clothes and cried “treason, treason!” but the priests had been given orders not to kill her in the temple, so they laid hands on her and took her out to the horse gate and slew her there. Then they took Joash to the king’s house, surrounded by guards, and set him on the throne. After that, they began eliminating all Baal worship, and the people started following God. There was now peace in the land. 

God will make a way for reformation and bring the people back to Himself; it takes time, and for the people to rise and say they’ve had enough of evil and defend themselves against tyrants. It’s not an easy task; we, here in the United States, understand this process, as we’ve lived under an evil government and are finally starting to reform ourselves. It’s a slow but sure process. It won’t be perfect until Jesus rids all the nations of evil. 

And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD'S people. 2 Chronicles 23:16

November 30, 2025

One of King Jehoram’s sons was preserved in the lineage of David because of God’s covenant with him. Ahaziah was made king, but his mother, Athaliah, ruled the kingdom. He reigned for only one year. He was the grandson of Ahab and Jezebel through his mother, Athaliah, and was as evil as they were. He got together with Jehoram, son of Ahab, to fight against the Syrians; Jehoram was wounded and went back to Jezreel to heal. Ahaziah went to visit him in Jezreel. It was to his destruction to see Jehoram, because the two of them got together to go against Jehu, whom God anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. Jehu killed them all, including the nephews of Ahaziah, and went looking for Ahaziah, found him in Samaria, and killed him too. When Athaliah found out her son was dead, she set out to kill all those in the royal lineage so she could take over the throne. What she didn’t know was that her grandson was saved by Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, and was hidden away for six years. God honored His commitment to keep a son of David on the throne. Athaliah reigned over Judah. 

The names can become confusing because there is more than one Jehoram mentioned in 2 Chronicles 22, and they were both kings. King Jehoram, son of Ahab, ruled over the northern kingdom of Israel, and King Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, ruled over Judah before he died, and Ahaziah was made king. Trying to keep this information on paper is one thing, but keeping it straight in my head is another. That’s why I’m explaining it. 

Evil has its place in this world, and it is to sort out the good from the bad, but it doesn’t win. Keep that in mind when you see evil going on around you. God wins; it’s no competition. The devil is not his equal, but was created by God for a purpose. 

And it came to pass, that, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them. 2 Chronicles 22:8

November 29, 2025

Jehoshaphat handed the kingdom to his firstborn son, Jehoram, before he died. He had other sons who would have been a better choice because they were holier than he was, but he gave them cities, silver, and gold for their inheritance. However, after Jehoshaphat passed away, Jehoram killed all his brothers. He was probably protecting his throne so none of them would try to overtake him. Jehoram was not a good king like his father, Jehoshaphat, and his grandfather, Asa, and the people didn’t like him. It makes perfect sense that he turned out the way he did since he was married to Ahab and Jezebel’s daughter, Athaliah. Elijah had passed a letter on to him before he was translated into heaven, telling him that all his family would be killed, his people would die of disease, the goods in his house would be taken away, and he would die because disease would cause his bowels to fall out. Everything Elijah told him came true. He reigned for only eight years. God saved one of his sons to keep the Davidic line reigning over the kingdom. Given that information, we know now that Ahab and Jezebel were in the lineage of Jesus through Athaliah and Jehoram. Jesus is the prime example of how you can overcome your lineage. 

The lesson is not to allow fear to overtake you to the point that you undermine your own life. Relax and let God handle the details so you can live in peace knowing that nothing happens unless God allows it. Could fear have been the issue with Jehoram’s bowel health? It’s possible; that’s why we need to let it go and trust God.

And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day. 2 Chronicles 21:15

November 28, 2025

Hanani the seer made sure Jehoshaphat knew that God wasn’t pleased with him for dealing with the ungodly Ahab, who had set himself against Him. Here’s what he said to him:

And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. 2 Chronicles 19:2

Yes, we are to love our neighbors, and those who hate us, but are we to love those who hate God? Even David set himself apart from those who hated God. You have to think hard about this one. Can “Christian,” who hates you, even love God? My thoughts are that we should keep them at a distance and have no dealings with them because it seems that they are a “Christian” in name only, and there is no true love there. This situation may be one of those instances where we must rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit; we don’t want to cross the line and face rebuke for dealing with someone who hates God like Ahab. 

Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? Psalms 139:21

Even though Jehoshaphat aligned himself with the ungodly king, Ahab, He commended him for the good he had done for Judah. God was pleased with how he tried to set the people in the right direction and bring them back to Him by removing the groves (the Phoenician goddess Astarte) from the land.

November 27, 2025

We must be careful with whom we align ourselves. Jehoshaphat made an agreement with Ahab for his son Joram to marry Ahab and Jezebel’s daughter, Athaliah. He must have thought that his son should marry a king’s daughter, even though Ahab was not a son of David and was a usurper to the throne. Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat to help him go to war to recover Ramoth-gilead from the Syrians. They inquired of the fake prophets of Ahab, but Jehoshaphat wanted him to ask one of the Lord’s prophets; however, Ahab hated him because he never prophesied good for him. He was right, because when you are bad, you only get dire prophecies. The Lord’s prophet, Micaiah, in so many words, told him he would die in battle. Ahab put him in prison.  Ahab devised a plan: he would dress as a soldier, while Jehoshaphat would wear kingly robes. Jehoshaphat should have been suspicious of a plan coming from Ahab since he was a good-for-nothing scoundrel, but he wasn’t, and when the Syrian king sent his men to kill King Ahab, they thought Jehoshaphat was him. Jehoshaphat cried out to the Lord, and He saved him. However, the Syrians did kill Ahab, and the prophet Micaiah’s prediction came true. 

We must be careful. There are scoundrels out there hoping to take advantage of our godly nature; we must always be aware of the character of those we deal with and use our best judgment when we align with others. Remember, just because someone calls themselves a Christian doesn’t mean they are holy. They may be the devil in disguise. Pray and listen to the Holy Spirit, especially when he gives you a check in your spirit about someone’s intentions. God admonished Jehoshaphat for aligning with such a scoundrel. 

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle. 2 Chronicles18:29

November 26, 2025

After King Asa’s death, Jehoshaphat, his son, began to reign. At that time, Ahab reigned in Israel; if you remember anything about Ahab and his wife Jezebel, you know they were awful. So Jehoshaphat increased his army to over a million soldiers and began fortifying the cities against Israel. Seeing this, Ahab allied with Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat tore down all the high places and groves where the people worshipped their fake gods. The people loved him, brought him gifts, and he increased in wealth. He built castles and storehouses throughout the land. The more his wealth increased, the more grateful he was to God. He loved the Lord and didn’t worship any other gods, but because his people were ignorant of the truth about God, three years into his reign, he sent princes, Levites, teachers, and priests to teach the people the law of the Lord. Up to this point in the story, there was peace in the land of Judah. 

When we set our minds to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, worshiping only Him, the one thing we can count on is inner peace. Jesus is the key to our peace, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will teach us and lead us in the right direction. Your household is your kingdom; start there, and God will increase your kingdom.  

And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; But sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. 2 Chronicles 17:3-4

November 25, 2025

Baasha, king of Israel, the northern kingdom, decided to rebuild the city of Ramah to control King Asa, from the southern kingdom, and keep him from coming and going as he pleased. King Asa, forgetting what God had done to help him win against Ethiopia, consulted with the king of Syria, King Benhadad, sending him gifts from the temple and from the king’s house to encourage him to help. Benhadad went to war with Israel and smote some of the territories. When King Baasha heard what had happened, he stopped building Ramah, and Judah went in and carried away all the building materials they were using. God wasn’t happy about what Asa did without consulting Him and sent the seer, Hanani, to admonish him for what he did. Asa got mad about his chastisement and put Hanani in prison. If ever there was an example of the saying, “don’t shoot the messenger,” this was it! We need to make sure we express our anger only to the appropriate person; in this case, he should have been mad at himself and become remorseful. A few years later, he began to suffer from a disease in his feet, but still didn’t consult God for healing. Instead, he relied on those considered doctors. He died a couple of years later. 

Don’t forget that God is your source for everything. We must rely on Him. Consult Him before every decision you make, whether it is about a business deal or about your health. Allow Him to guide your actions. He is very jealous and wants all of your attention, so make sure you never leave Him out.

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. 2 Chronicles 16:9

November 24, 2025

After Abijah’s death, his son Asa became king. Asa started well and did what was right in the eyes of God, and encouraged the people to return to God. He destroyed all the altars, high places, idols, and groves, then persuaded them to follow the commandments. It was quiet for ten years under his watch, so they began building cities and fortifications. His army in both Judah and Benjamin was solid, and their use of weapons was complementary. They had peace until Ethiopia decided to cause them trouble. However, Ethiopia didn’t factor in Asa’s closeness to God, and even with an army many times bigger than Asa’s, they were overtaken and plundered. That day, God increased the herds of cattle and sheep for the people of Judah.

This story is a good lesson for us not to be idle during times of peace in our household. Find something to do; don’t waste your day away just because you think everything is under control. Shore up your relationship with God because you never know when the enemy will strike; send them running because your relationship with the Almighty is solid. Remember, He will fight for you; you only need to be still.. 

So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. 2 Chronicles 14:12

November 23, 2025

Abijah is now the King of Judah; he was the son of Rehoboam, the grandson, or possibly the great-grandson, of Absalom, King David’s son, who had amazing hair that led to his death. That’s not the point of 2 Chronicles 13, but I thought it was a good tidbit of information to help keep track of the lineage. Abijah tried to restore the ten tribes to the authority of the line of David, but King Jeroboam disagreed. Abijah continued to acknowledge God and continue the daily ritual of sacrifice to Him, but Jeroboam and the people of Israel, the ten tribes that left, worshipped the golden calf that Jeroboam had made for them to worship. Abijah told them that God was on his side. A battle ensued, with Abijah having 400,000 men of valor and Jeroboam having 800,000 soldiers. Jeroboam ambushed the soldiers of Abijah’s army, but the priests sounded the trumpets, and the men of Judah shouted unto God. Israel fled, and God delivered them into the hands of Judah; it was a slaughter. Judah won because God was on their side. Jeroboam was weakened that day and never recovered; he died a few years later.  

We all face battles, but if you want to win, you had best proclaim God as your strength. There might be an order to procuring the victory: tell your enemy that God is on your side, and when you appear to be losing, cry for God to intervene, and don’t ever leave God out; make Him the reason for your confidence. It worked for Abijah; it certainly couldn’t hurt to use his strategy. The point is never to go it alone; God is for you, so who could be against you?

Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers. 2 Chronicles 13:18 

November 22, 2025

Of course, Rehoboam forsook the Lord. Did we expect anything different? He was only 24 years old when he began his reign. Could you imagine a person that young running our country? He sowed his oats and paid the price because God sent a massive army from Egypt to teach a lesson. Egypt robbed them of all the treasures in the temple and the king’s house. Rehoboam’s fortifications didn’t hold. According to the marginal notes in Matthew Henry’s Bible, those who didn’t waver in their commitment to God prospered during this time of calamity in their country. Rehoboam repented and turned back to God, and God lifted His hand of wrath from upon them. Rehoboam died at the age of 41. There are several things we can learn from what happened here in 2 Chronicles 12. 

1. God doesn’t leave you until you turn away from him. Always keep your eyes on Him.
2. If you fall but turn back to Him, realize and acknowledge that He was justified in His actions against you. It is to our advantage to admit that God was right in His rebuke.
3. This lesson is my favorite: Those who maintain their commitment to God during times of trouble and wrath will prosper during those times.

Don’t worry about what is going on in the country; stay the course, and at no point turn your back on God. Remain faithful, and you too will prosper during times of trouble. 

And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD. 2 Chronicles 12:14

November 21, 2025

Though I felt sorry for Jeroboam because Rehoboam caused the kingdom to split into the northern and southern kingdoms, I’m now angry with Jeroboam. (Refer to 2 Chronicles 10.) When the land was sectioned off back in the time of Joshua, each tribe was required to give a portion of land to the Levites, who were the priests of the temple and were to provide them with all the necessities, as they were not allotted any land; they were to find their sustenance in God. What were the priests of the northern kingdom to do now that they were separated from the temple at Jerusalem? Jeroboam had set up calves and idols to the devils, and wouldn’t allow the Levite priest to continue in their assigned duty at the temple. So they left their homes and went to Jerusalem to be near the temple, so that they could continue their duty to God. They left the comfort of their homes and all their possessions because it was more important to be free to serve God and even face the possibility of becoming poor than to stay where they were no longer allowed to do their duty to God. They left all they had in pursuit of God. 

What are you hanging onto that prevents you from worshipping God fully? How willing are you to leave everything you have to pursue a relationship with God? You must be willing to leave everything behind to follow Jesus; he taught this lesson himself. God strengthened Rehoboam’s kingdom because all their priests were there. Was God testing the commitment of the Levite priests? It could be.

And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers. 2 Chronicles 11:16

November 20, 2025

The way you treat people matters. Not only should you treat the people over you with kindness and respect, but your subordinates should also receive your due regard and appreciation. After King Solomon died, Rehoboam reigned in his place. However, when Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who had served King Solomon for many years but had fled to Egypt because Solomon placed a heavy burden on him and his people, came to the newly crowned King Rehoboam to plead for mercy and to lighten their burden. Rehoboam sought counsel with the elders, who told him to lighten their load, but when he consulted the younger men, they told him to increase their burden. He took the younger men's advice. The people were shocked by how he was treated, and they left Jerusalem; the ten tribes of the northern kingdom parted ways with Benjamin and Judah and crowned Jeroboam king. Israel was the northern kingdom, and Judah was the southern kingdom. A prophet had told Jeroboam that he would reign over ten tribes, and this is how God brought that prediction to fruition. 

Kindness is essential! You never know how your actions will impact your future. As for Rehoboam, he lost the support of a significant portion of the kingdom, which had likely significantly contributed to Jerusalem's wealth. Also, if things don't seem to be going your way, wait and don't get too bent out of shape; sometimes it is God's plan falling into place.  

And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. 2 Chronicles 10:19

November 19, 2025

The Queen of Sheba came to see King Solomon, bringing many gifts. Knowing what I do about King Solomon and all the wives and concubines he had, I was curious whether he had consummated a relationship with the queen. Of course, the Bible doesn’t mention it; however, if you do a quick search on the internet, you will find historical information concerning their promiscuity. I don’t mean to sensationalize a story, but the information is out there, whether it is accurate or not. The Ethiopians say the Queen of Sheba was from their region and had a son by King Solomon, Menelik I, who later became emperor. However, Jewish historians say it is possible that the queen had a daughter who was an ancestor of Nebuchadnezzar. Whether any of this is true or not, it makes for an interesting story. 

King Solomon reigned in peace for forty years, and died and was buried in the City of David. Why doesn’t the Bible mention any of the sins of Solomon? To answer that question, we must ask ourselves why God doesn’t mention any of our sins. It’s because we, like Solomon, have been forgiven much. Remember, because of Jesus, our sins are forgiven and forgotten. I’m grateful for that. 

Imagine trying to trace Solomon’s lineage; it stresses me out just thinking about it.

 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. 2 Chronicles 9:31

November 18, 2025

Solomon spent twenty years building the house of the Lord and his home. We sometimes spend years in schools and colleges. Solomon, using his wisdom, didn’t waste time; he got right to work, completing the temple, his home, and building cities. He built a palace for his wife, the daughter of Huram, the Egyptian, because he didn’t think it was proper for her to live in the house of David. After all, it had been a house of great piety. She had converted to the Israelite religion; however, she had people working for her who likely didn’t leave their idolatry behind. Solomon observed all the feasts and holy days of his father, David, and sacrificed the proper offerings as required by the Lord. 

Use the time you have here on earth wisely. When you reach a certain age, you realize how short our lives are, and wasting them by not appreciating all the things God has given us and by not pursuing a relationship with Jesus is a careless use of time. The very best use of our time is honoring Jesus and worshipping the Father. If you need to, wake up a little earlier so that you can begin your day by spending time with Jesus, feeling the movement of the Holy Spirit through songs of worship, and enlightening your mind with the Holy Scriptures.  

And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come. 2 Chronicles 8:11

November 17, 2025

After Solomon’s prayer to dedicate the temple, fire came down from God and consumed the burnt offerings and sacrifices. Then the glory of the Lord filled the house of the LORD. The people brought their sacrifices, along with the massive amounts that Solomon offered; there were so many that Solomon made the middle court holy so that no sacrifice was turned away. All of this happened during the fall feasts, including the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. After he sent everyone home, while he was sleeping, God came to him in a dream or night vision and spoke to him about his prayer, the one recorded in 2 Chronicles 6. His answer to this prayer is that famous verse that nearly everyone quotes for the repentance of our nation.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

The turning from our wicked ways is where our country seems to have trouble; not only that, but how can we seek His face when we cannot even turn away from our sinfulness? We must pray for our government and those causing distress in our nation. Individually, we do our best to honor God, but collectively, we depend on those who’ve fallen for their own self-interest, which puts us in quite a predicament. Our best bet is that more people turn to God and follow Jesus; that’s when things will turn around. 

November 16, 2025

Solomon prayed a blessing for the people and then dedicated the temple to God. However, God didn’t need a building to live in because he can exist in the vast darkness. He chose not a particular tribe to reside with, but chose Jerusalem as His place to dwell, particularly the temple that He sanctioned, which was planned by David and built by Solomon. The words Solomon prayed are almost a list of prophetic words concerning the people of Israel that have come to fruition over time. Did the words spoken over them cause them to come true by speaking them into existence, or was it pure prophecy? He was asking God to hear their prayer and intervene should any of the negative things happen, but I can’t help but think his words set the stage for them to come true. I believe we need to be cautious about the things we speak over ourselves, such as negative self-talk. Not only does God hear those words, but the enemy and his cronies also hear them and may try to make your words stick. For this reason, we should avoid any detrimental words and speak only positive things about ourselves and others. Don’t give the devil any ammunition. Keep your words holy, confident, and optimistic. 

O LORD God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant. 2 Chronicles 6:42

November 16, 2025

Part 2 of 2 Chronicles 5

One thing I failed to expand on in yesterday’s devotional for 2 Chronicles 5 was that once the priest had left the holy of holies, they began to sing and play their instruments, worshiping and praising God; that’s when God filled the temple. The room, empty of all the ungodly, and the praise and worship brought Him in. It was the music and singing that brought in the presence of God! Make sure to empty yourself and raise your voice in praise to help usher in the presence of God during your time of devotion; this may be crucial, so don’t miss it. 

It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; 2 Chronicles 5:13

November 15, 2025

Did you know that all the remains in the Ark of the Covenant are the stone tablets? By the time Solomon placed the ark in the temple, all that remained in it were the tablets. What happened to the rest of it, Aaron’s staff, the show bread, and the manna? If the Philistines took them out, how did they get them out without dying? Isn’t it funny how a straightforward verse can cause so much curiosity? At least that’s my experience when reading the scriptures. 

There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. 2 Chronicles 5:10

The temple was finished, and all the dedicated items were brought in. The ark was brought up, and a multitude of people gathered before it for the innumerable number of sacrifices. Then they placed the ark in its designated location, the priests exited the holy of holies, and the singers and musicians began worshiping and praising God. The glory of the Lord filled the temple, and His presence was so powerful that they could no longer stand. 

We are the temple of the Holy Spirit of God; how can we stand? Because we don’t get out of the way. Our minds are too focused on other, unimportant things to empty our vessels so that He can come in. I know He’s always there, but when do you actually feel his presence? It’s when you empty yourselves of all the worldly cares and focus your attention on Him. Stay in constant communication with Him, but make sure to set aside dedicated time to empty yourself so God can fill your temple with His presence and put you on your face, just as He did the priest when the temple was dedicated. 

So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God. 2 Chronicles 5:14