Text:
2Chronicles 16:9:
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.
Theme:
God’s Got My Back
Introduction:
- The Books of Chronicles have an interesting origin. They were originally one book documenting what were believed to be omissions from the Books of Kings. Ezra is believed to be the author of both books.
- The Books of Chronicles can be divided into primary sections:
- The first nine chapters of Book I contain little more than a list of genealogies in the line of Israel down to the time of David.
- The remainder of the first book contains a history of the reign of David.
- The first nine chapters of Book II contain the history of the reign of Solomon.
- The remaining chapters of the second book contain the history of the separate kingdom of Judah to the time of the return from Babylonian Exile.
- It is befitting that the Books of Chronicles would be the inspired house for this 9th verse of the 16th chapter of Second Chronicles.
- We are the regal heirs of the Kingdom of God à Romans 8:17, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
- In times like these, the believers of Jesus the Christ need a word from God!!!!
- One old hymn says:
In a world like this
In a time like this
I need the Lord to help me
- We live in a world where and a time when:
- Brothers are killing brothers
- Fathers are molesting daughters…and sons
- Mothers are abandoning sons and daughters
- Children are putting parents in jail
- It’s not safe for a child to play in the yard after dark
- The crime rate is so high that some murders don’t make the evening news
- Leaders in our society are abusing their positions by robbing, raping, and wrecking the lives of the people
- Diseases are so rampant that they battle for space on the front page o the newspaper
- Cancer has no cure but it has been trivialized to the level of the common cold in the shadow of AIDS and SARS
- Even in the Institutional church building we find such maladies as stealing, assault, rape, murder, adultery, tattling, backbiting, and, yes, bearing false witness!
- We need the Lord to give us words of comfort that we can endure…as good soldiers!
- 2Timothy 2:3, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
- As David said in Psalms 143:7, “Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.”
- It is at this point that Ezra writes these powerful words of God:
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.
- These words truly tell me that God’s Got My Back!!!
Body:
- The first half of verse 9, as some preachers would call the “A clause”, gives the merciful gift of God to which believers are made available.
- “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth”
- God is know to have a three-fold existence in this world:
- Omnipotent – All powerful
- Omniscient – All knowing
- Omnipresent – All over the place à Everywhere
- God is everywhere and sees everything!
- The gospel song “His eye is on the Sparrow” explains this “A clause” also:
- God is know to have a three-fold existence in this world:
- “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth”
Why should I feel discouraged,
Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely,
And long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion,
My constant Friend is He;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free;
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
- Another old Gospel song says these words:
“He sits high and looks low
He guides my feet wherever I go”
- God is always watching over us!!!
- “to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him”
- God is a strong tower for those who are “perfect toward Him”
- “shew himself strong in the behalf”
- Isaiah 40:9-10 explains, “O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.”
- It may seem that God is not All Powerful when you are not living in Him. However, for the believer, God is our strong tower who will not let His own fall!
- John 10:28-29, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”
- God’s strength is realized in adversity!
- 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
- “them whose heart is perfect toward him”
- There is a condition for God’s power to be realized in your life!
- It is only for those whose heart is perfect toward him
- The HEART is critical
- Romans 10:10, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
- PERFECTion is seemingly unattainable, but spiritually required
- Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
- Deuteronomy 18:13, “Thou shalt be perfect WITH the LORD thy God.”
- We can only be perfect through the perfecting power of God in our lives!
- All praise must be TOWARD Godà Our perfection is manifested in our PERFECT PRAISE = serving God completely
- It is required à Exodus 20:3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
- It is complete à Deuteronomy 6:5, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
- It is self-death à Mark 8:34, “…Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
- So after you give your life to God, God has your “Back”
- No longer can that “Bully” called the world take your “lunch money” called salvation
- God is that “strong” friend who is there to either keep the enemy away or help you to fight them off WHEN they attack!!
- The HEART is critical
- “shew himself strong in the behalf”
- God is a strong tower for those who are “perfect toward Him”
Conclusion:
- But the “B clause” of that verse gives the adverse consequences of not heeding to the words of Ezra in our text. Ezra says of our mistake:
“Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”
- “Herein thou hast done foolishly:”
- It is amazing how we can be told time and time again what the difference is between right and wrong, but we still mess up!!
- It was in the very PERFECTION of God’s redemption that the people of God have “done foolishly”
- Abused the Gift of God!!
- “therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars”
- THEREFORE à Our actions of sin have CONSEQUENCES!!!
- HENCEFORTH à If we are not in God’s Hand, the enemy PERSISTENTLY accosts our peace!!!
- WARS à Our sins are what keep us in the messes that we are in!!
- Isaiah 59:2, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
- God knew that we would mess up!
- Mark 13:7, “And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.”
- “but the end shall not be yet”
- It’s not over yet!!!!!!!
- Please be patient with me. God is not through with me yet!!
- We have another chance!!
- If we don’t heed è We will surely die!
- If we heed Ezra’s words è We can enjoy the security and comfort of God!!
- Thank you, Father, for another chance!
- Thank you, Father, for hearing my cry!
- Thank you, Father, for saving my soul!
- Thank you, Father, for keeping my life!
- THANK YOU!!
- “but the end shall not be yet”
- Mark 13:7, “And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.”
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