Chronicles: Positioned for Promise (23)

God’s good Will and Stories of Defeat

Choosing life

Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

Moses tells the People He lays out two course in which one can take

Life, Blessing or Death and Cursing

Deuteronomy 30:15–16 ESV

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.

How do you experience God’s goodwill and plans of Increase for your life?

1. Love the Lord Your God

Joshua 22:5 NKJV

But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Deuteronomy 6:5 NKJV

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

3. Obey His Voice

Obedience is an act of Love

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 ESV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Jesus said

Matthew 22:36–40 NKJV

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

All of the Law hangs on these two commandments

2. Cling To Him

To cling to the Lord is to Be Loyal to Go above all else

Cling

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words To Cleave, Cling

dabaq (דָּבַק, 1692), “to cling, cleave, keep close.” Used in modern Hebrew in the sense of “to stick to, adhere to,” dabaq yields the noun form for “glue” and also the more abstract ideas of “loyalty, devotion.”

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words To Cleave, Cling

The figurative use of dabaq in the sense of “loyalty” and “affection” is based on the physical closeness of the persons involved, such as a husband’s closeness to his wife (

The same word is used of Marriage

Genesis 2:24 ESV

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

And of Ruth 1:14

Ruth 1:14 NKJV

Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Ruth refused to leave Naomi.

She stayed through uncertainty, poverty, and difficulty.

That is a picture of covenant loyalty.

Likewise, believers are called to remain faithful to God not only when blessings abound but when life becomes difficult.

Clinging Is More Than Believing

Notice the progression in Deuteronomy 30:20:

Love the Lord

Obey His voice

Cling to Him

Love affects the heart. Obedience affects the actions. Clinging describes ongoing relationship and dependence.

A person can obey outwardly for a season, but clinging speaks of remaining connected to God when circumstances are difficult.

Clinging Means Refusing Other Sources

Israel was constantly tempted to cling to:

Idols

Foreign gods

Military power

Political alliances

Wealth

Moses says life is found in clinging to God alone.

The opposite of clinging is drifting.

Joshua Uses the Same Language

After entering the land, Joshua repeats Moses' command.

Joshua 23:8 NKJV

but you shall hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.

Again, the phrase "hold fast" is dabaq.

Israel's victory would not come from military strength but from staying attached to God.

4. Understanding He is Your Source - He is Life

Deut 30:20 “For He is your Life and the Length of Your Days…”

We Don’t Love, Obey, and Cling to God because He gives us life-

We Love , Obey and Cling to God Because He is our Life

God Himself is the source of:

Life

Strength

Purpose

Blessing

Identity

Future

Moses is teaching that life is not found merely in God's gifts, but in God Himself.

When you understand He is your source you worship Him for what you have

You continue to give to Him for what He has given you

The Road of blessing

Deuteronomy 30:19–20 NKJV

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

What Goes Wrong?

Moses Says Chose life- and the wrong action is taken

God is the source and choosing anything other them Him is the wrong choice

2 Chronicles 35:20–25 ESV

After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. But he sent envoys to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.” Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo. And the archers shot King Josiah. And the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a rule in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments.

God Plans Don’t Change

Adam Didn’t cancel God’s plan for mankind- Christ Came so we could have restored what Adam lost

What we chose matters- What we run to

What we worship

What we don’t do

what we don’t give

It Matters because it reflects the condition of our heart

Zedekiah- hardens His Heart

2 Chronicles 36:11–14 NLT

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. But Zedekiah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and he refused to humble himself when the prophet Jeremiah spoke to him directly from the Lord. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, even though he had taken an oath of loyalty in God’s name. Zedekiah was a hard and stubborn man, refusing to turn to the Lord, the God of Israel. Likewise, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful. They followed all the pagan practices of the surrounding nations, desecrating the Temple of the Lord that had been consecrated in Jerusalem.

God continues to have Comapssion:

2 Chronicles 36:15–16 ESV

The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

2 Chronicles Ends with God still working His Plain

2 Chronicles 36:22–23 ESV

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’ ”

1 Corinthians 2:9 ESV

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

Conclusion: Positioned for Promise

When Moses stood before Israel, he gave them a choice:

Life or death. Blessing or cursing.

Then he told them the secret to experiencing God's good will:

Love the Lord. Obey His voice. Cling to Him. Recognize that He is your life.

Throughout Chronicles we have seen this truth played out again and again.

Some chose life.

Some chose their own way.

Josiah was one of the greatest kings Judah ever had. He loved God, restored the Temple, and led a national revival. Yet at the end of his life, he failed to listen to a word God was speaking and suffered a tragic defeat.

Zedekiah hardened his heart. Though God repeatedly sent prophets, warnings, and opportunities to repent, he refused to humble himself before the Lord. His story ended in judgment.

But even after rebellion, failure, captivity, and defeat, God's plan did not end.

The final verses of Chronicles are not about destruction. They are about restoration.

The Lord stirred the heart of Cyrus.

The Lord remembered His promise.

The Lord opened a door.

The Lord made a way home.

Why?

Because God's purposes are greater than man's failures.

Adam failed, but God sent Christ.

Israel failed, but God preserved a remnant.

Judah went into captivity, but God brought them back.

The Cross proves that even when man fails, God's redemptive plan continues.

The lesson of Chronicles is not that people are perfect.

The lesson of Chronicles is that God remains faithful.

Today the same choice Moses gave Israel is before us.

Will we love Him?

Will we obey His voice?

Will we cling to Him?

Will we recognize that He is our life?

Because blessing is not found in a place. Blessing is not found in possessions. Blessing is not found in human strength.

Blessing is found in relationship with the God who is Life Himself.

God's promises are still before us.

God's purpose is still moving forward.

God is still stirring hearts.

God is still opening doors.

God is still calling His people higher.

Therefore choose life.

Choose obedience.

Choose faithfulness.

Choose to cling to the Lord.

For eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

The story is not over.

God is still working His plan.