2 Chronicles 16:9
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”
There are some truths that are so powerful it seems almost frightening to open them up. That is certainly true of this particular verse. The truth tucked away here is so powerful it has the ability to transform the life of every individual who will apply it, and to bring about real and lasting changes in the world in which we live. It is a truth that might even need a warning label. “If you apply this verse to your life, God will do great things in and through you.”
First, notice the promises; He declares that if we are loyal to Him that He will prove Himself strong on our behalf. The word “loyal” means complete, and speaks of the person who has given himself completely to the Lord. The promise here is not for those who are keeping things back from God, or unwilling to give up certain desires, dreams, ambitions or even personal sins. This promise is for the loyal, the devoted, the surrendered, the one who,like Paul, have crucified themselves to the world and are living devoted to Christ.
It is to the loyal person that God promises He will show His strength. His strength will be shown in our weakness, inability, frailty, and confusion. We will find, when we are overwhelmed by our inadequacy and cannot possibly accomplish what is set before us, that the strength of God will meet our weakness, and we will be empowered by His Spirit to do what we could never do on our own. That is what I meant by needing a warning label on this verse. If this truth is applied, then there is nothing the child of God cannot accomplish for the kingdom of God. Suddenly, our personal weaknesses, our fears, and our inabilities, no longer limit what God may accomplish through us. When we apply this truth to our living, we will be able to step into any area of ministry The Lord calls us and we will find His strength for the task at hand.
Pastor Jim
Sometimes we come across passages of Scripture that are difficult to interpret. The imagery is something we do not quite understand, or we feel as though not enough information is given to really explain what the text means. THIS IS NOT one of those times. This passage could not be more clear. There is no doubt left in the mind of the reader as to what we are being told. Two contrasting truths are presented.
Without giving the details of the particular trial he is facing, David writes a recipe for success when overcome with opposition. The recipe includes three key ingredients.
In this portion of the Psalm, David prays three things: search me, try me and lead me. These are very interesting requests in light of what he has previously declared concerning God.
“Thus says The Lord” is a very common phrase in scripture. All in all, it is used over four hundred times. We find God speaking to priests, prophets, kings and commoners. It becomes very clear that the problem is rarely with God being silent, and is more often with man refusing to listen and obey.
David paints a picture that is familiar to all of us. He is surrounded by those who are not following Jehovah, and are feverishly pursuing other things. The false gods of the heathen nations represented the pursuits of the flesh. They had gods of sexual passion, pride, possessions, power, intellect and more. David found himself surrounded by those who rejected God, pursued the flesh, and looked down upon him as he looked up to the Lord.
A person, standing at a distance and looking in at Solomon’s kingdom, would be struck by the enormous wealth and prosperity. We read of merchants traveling the world and returning with treasures of gold and precious stones, as well as exotic spices and animals. We are told, the landscape was marked with elaborate building projects, fine arts, and gourmet foods. Beyond question, the nation looked to be at its apex, and was envied by the world around them. In fact, we are told that delegations, including kings and queens, would make their way to Israel just to see its highly developed society and vast wealth. All the world wanted to be like Israel. Sadly, things were not really as they appeared. Underneath the surface was a cancer that was eating away at the fabric of the nation, and in a few short years would cause its collapse.
Solomon’s expansive building projects did not come cheaply, and had a devastating effect upon the nation of Israel. The people sat under a heavy yoke of taxation. After Solomon’s death, the people had enough. They sought relief from the tax burden the government had imposed on the nation. Young King Rehoboam, in his arrogance, believed the government knew better than the people, and rather than relief, he promised an increase in the tax burden, and workload of the people. His words drove the citizens to rebel against his leadership, and resulted in ten of the twelve “states” separating from the union. The northern tribes formed a new nation, and this became their independence day. Having experienced a heavy yoke, they broke away in order to have freedom. Sadly, the northern tribes never experienced true freedom. Soon after the nation was formed, they set up a system of idolatry, leading the people into a bondage that was much worse than the taxation they had experienced. Their example speaks volumes to us about bondage and true freedom.
It has been suggested by many, this psalm was sung by the worship leaders of Israel, with the congregation serving as the choir. The Levites would sing a verse and the people would respond, “For His mercy endures forever.” Imagine thousands of travelers finally arriving in Jerusalem, for one of the great feasts, and the skilled musicians begin to play this psalm. The vocalists join in singing, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good”, and suddenly an explosion of voices, like the sound of rushing waters, burst forth, “For His mercy endures forever.”
