Continuing from yesterday’s readings, today’s section - 2 Chronicles 31:2-20 - addresses the presentation of Hezekiah’s reforms in Judah. Here, we see that Hezekiah “assigned the priests and Levites to their appropriate duties to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister, to give thanks, and to sing praises at the gates of the Lord’s dwelling” (verse 2). Hezekiah set the example by “contributing from his own possessions,” and he “ordered the people to give the portion due the priests and Levites” (verse 4). The Israelites “gave generously – in heaps” (verses 5-8). Such generous giving resulted in Hezekiah’s order that the priests and Levites “prepare storerooms in the temple” (verse 11). After the king instituted his tithing and food distribution program, his subjects “began to bring their contributions in to the temple, and they had enough to eat with plenty to spare because the Lord blessed His people” (verses 9-19). When people give as unto the Lord, the Lord blesses them with an abundance. We can never outgive God. God is never tight-fisted with His resources - He is always generous. Here's a thought: what if He gave to us like we give to Him? The text records, “This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly … and he prospered” (verse 20). Under a righteous ruler like Hezekiah, the people and the nation prospered (cf., today’s reading from Proverbs). God takes note of things (cf., Proverbs 21:12). God blesses a righteous ruler as well as his people. This principle obtains over the long term, and if only our own leaders would line up under it - how different our country would be! Abundant blessing is God’s desired provision for man’s obedience. Hezekiah’s “heart was truly in the hand of the LORD” (cf., Proverbs 21:1), and his commitment to do the right thing was based on principles found in the book of Proverbs …
The text of today’s Proverbs (21:5-16) says, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty” (verse 5). In fact, verse 3 in the previous section reads, “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifices” (verse 3). Clearly, Hezekiah’s prosperity reveals his commitment to these truths. In verse 12, we read that “the Righteous One takes note.” God sees and hears our every thought, all our motives, and our actions. We are to “do justice” (verse 15), which “brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” Interestingly, what is actual delight for the one is dread for the other - depending upon where the one stands relative to right and wrong. Verse 16 summarizes this section well: “Whoever strays from the path of prudence comes to rest in the company of the dead” (verse 16). These proverbs teach us that God wants us to be diligent – not dilatory; He wants our discretion – not our digression; and He wants us to stay on the right path – not to stray from it – so we don’t come to a bad end.
Today, 2 Corinthians 1:23-24 incorporates only two verses in which we see that Paul “calls upon God as his witness that it was in order to spare you [the Corinthian believers] regarding his return to Corinth” (verse 23). In all likelihood, as he referred in the last section specifically to the Holy Spirit, it was Paul’s intention to avoid a sad visit and allow room for the Holy Spirit to accomplish His work among the Corinthian believers in correcting the ten major problems that we addressed earlier – especially among those who were involved in the sins of immorality. Paul would rather visit under conditions of joy and encouragement. For this reason, he says, “Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy” (verse 24). Thus, Paul calls on them to “stand firm” in their faith (verse 24). As believers in Christ, we always operate from a much stronger position - joyous encouragement - rather than from confrontation and correction - the weaker position.
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