"Deeds of Faithfulness"

2 Chronicles 32:1 After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself.

Deeds/acts/matters of faithfulness/trustworthiness/constancy/duration

Lexham Theological Wordbook אֱמֶת

Use of אֱמֶת (ʾĕmeṯ) ranges from the basic sense of literal dependability to the more abstract notions of truth and faithfulness. The term can be applied to people or things with the sense of “dependability,” as when God led Abraham’s servant by the derek ʾĕmet (“trustworthy path”) in order to find a wife for Isaac (Gen 24:48). The term is also used in the sense of an abstract quality of “trustworthiness,” even when applied to inanimate things, such as words (Eccl 12:10), teachings (Neh 9:13), peace (Jer 14:13), or justice (Ezek 18:8; Zech 7:9). People may also be characterized as trustworthy or dependable (Exod 18:21; Neh 7:2).

Period: Divided Kingdom

Northern Israel - all wicked kings

Southern Judah - Some good, some bad.

The “Hall of Fame” of the Kings of Judah

In the Chronicles, only 3 men in the Davidic line approximate the reign of David, in God’s eyes.

Jehoshaphat - 2 Chron. 17:3-4

2 Chronicles 17:3–4 Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel.

Hezekiah - 2 Chron. 29:2; 2 Kings 18:3

2 Chronicles 29:2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.

2 Kings 18:3 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.

Josiah - 2 Chronicles 34:2; 2 Kings 22:2

2 Chronicles 34:2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

2 Kings 22:2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

In the Kings, Asa is mentioned in this way. 1 Kings 15:11

1 Kings 15:11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did his father David.

Interestingly, the difference in this seems to be centered in the high places.

For example, Amaziah, son of Joash: 2 Kings 14:3-4

2 Kings 14:3–4 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he did everything as his father Joash had done. However the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Jehoshaphat and the high places 2 Chron. 20:32–33

2 Chronicles 20:32–33 And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.

The Good Deeds of Jehoshaphat

Jehoshaphat - “Yahweh has judged”

He strengthened himself against Israel - 2 Chron. 17:1-2

His heart took delight in the ways of the LORD - 2 Chron. 17:6

He removed the high places and wooden images from Judah - 2 Chron. 17:6

He sent his leaders to teach in the cities of Judah - 2 Chron. 17:7-9

The fear of the LORD fell on the kingdoms surrounding Judah during his reign - 2 Chron. 17:10-11

He built fortresses and storage cities, and had a vast army - 2 Chron. 17:12-19

He brought the people from Beersheba and the mountains of Ephraim back to the LORD God of their fathers - 2 Chron. 19:4

He set judges in the land, city by city, and charged them to be just in their rulings - 2 Chron. 19:5-7

He bolstered the sanctuary cities - 2 Chron. 19:8-11

Problems:

He allied his house to the house of Ahab - 2 Chron. 18:1-3

Even though allied to a wicked king, he still sought to inquire of the LORD - 2 Chron. 18:4, 6-7

He was rebuked for his association with Ahab - 2 Chron. 19:1-3

He allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, and his work suffered because of it - 2 Chron. 20:35-37

His shortsightedness in choosing Jehoram to be king led to the ruin of his house - 2 Chron. 21:1-4

The Reforms of Hezekiah

Hezekiah - “[he] whom Jehovah has strengthened”

He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all his father David had done - 2 Kings 18:1-3

He repaired the temple and authorized its cleansing - 2 Chron. 29:3-19

He worshiped God according to the commandments - 2 Chron. 29:20-36

He kept the Passover like Solomon - 2 Chron. 30:1-27

His actions provoked Israel to destroy their idols - 2 Chron. 31:1-2; 2 Kings 18:4

He appointed Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings - 2 Chron. 31:2-3

He commanded Israel to contribute to the work of the Levites - 2 Chron. 31:4-19

All this he did with all his heart, and prospered - 2 Chron. 31:20-21 2 Kings 18:5-8

He stood up to the Assyrians by giving the battle to the LORD - 2 Chron. 32; Isaiah 36; 2 Kings 18:9-19:37

Problems:

He prided himself after the LORD healed him from grave sickness - 2 Chron. 32:24-26; Isaiah 38

Afterwards, he did humble himself (32:26)

Isaiah gives us more of his thoughts (38:10-20)

He gave up too much information to the princes of Babylon - 2 Kings 20:12-19; 2 Chron. 32:31; Isaiah 39

The Zeal of Josiah

Josiah - “Jehovah will support”

He reacted to the words of the Law with sadness and conviction - 2 Chron. 34:19-21; 24-28; 2 Kings 22

He re-instituted the covenant with Israel and God - 2 Chron. 34:19-33; 2 Kings 23:1-3

He sought the God of his father David at 16 years old, and purged Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, wooden images, carved images, and molded images - 2 Chron. 34:3-7; 2 Kings 23:3-14

He destroyed the altar of Jeroboam at Bethel, fulfilled the prophecy of the man of God who told Jeroboam what would happen, and then left the man of God’s bones alone - 2 Kings 23:15-18

Observed a Passover unlike any since the days of Samuel - 2 Chron. 35:1-19; 2 Kings 23:21-23

He was 26 when this occurred. (19)

He put away mediums and spiritists, and all the abominations in the land of Judah and Jerusalem - 2 Kings 23:24

There was no king like him, before or since - 2 Kings 23:25

Problems:

He did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God - 2 Chron. 35:20-27

Led to his death.

Our Goal - To Be The Good Ground

The good ground is diverse in the amount of its fruit. Matt. 13:8, 23; Mark 4:8, 20

Matthew 13:8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Matthew 13:23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Mark 4:8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Mark 4:20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

The good ground hears the word with a noble and good heart, keeps it, and bears fruit with patience. Luke 8:15

Luke 8:15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

In a sense, one might say that Jehoshaphat was the “thirty”, Hezekiah was the “sixty”, and Josiah was the “hundredfold”.

We are humans, just like all three of these men. Even though we have very different circumstances, we can still enjoy the same victories of faith, and make the same kind of mistakes they made.

Let us work to have “deeds of faithfulness” in our own lives!

We will reap what we sow! Gal. 6:7-9