2CHRONICLES 31:
A sign of how far Judah and Israel had wandered from the Lord was that even the Passover was not celebrated. When Hezekiah reinstituted the Passover celebration, it was the start of a real revival.

ECCLESIASTES 7:
I find it interesting that Solomon would say that everything has been decided beforehand. GNT certainly implied Who it was who decided beforehand, but NLT makes that explicit:

Ecc. 6:10 NLT Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny.

Not about the issue of destiny, but about another key point presented in chapter 6, I think that Solomon would have taken back some of his words if he could have listened to what Jesus taught in yesterday’s reading in Matthew.

MATTHEW 20:
In yesterday’s reading, Jesus taught how evil divorce is, He blessed children (because they are so close to the kingdom of God), and He taught about the difficulty for rich people in this world to enter the Kingdom of God. And at the end of chapter 19, he gave that promise that all missionaries love, the one about the eternal rewards that will be given to those who leave their families and possessions for the Kingdom of God.

NLT Translation notes:
Mat. 20:16“[Even so, at the end,//So] those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”
18 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where [I,] the Son of Man[,] will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence [me/him] to die. 19Then they will hand [me/him] over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day [I/he] will be raised from the dead.”
28 For even [I,] the Son of Man came not to be served[,] but to serve others and to give [my/his] life as a ransom for many.”
32When Jesus heard them, he stopped and [said/called], “What do you want me to do for you?”

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2CHRONICLES 30:
Hezekiah led a wonderful spiritual revival which included the reopening and cleansing of the temple and the resumption of sacrifices. And he wasted no time in doing those things.

ECCLESIASTES 6:
Solomon gave wonderful conclusions about happiness in yesterday’s reading. And he also observed that we leave the world as naked and empty-handed as when we came into the world.

MATTHEW 19:
Yesterday’s portion of Matthew 18 included the important parable about the king and the forgiven servant who did not forgive the debt of his fellow servant.

NLT Translation note:
Mat. 19:15 And [before he left//0] he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them [0//before he left].

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2CHRONICLES 29:
Ahaz’s rule was one of the darkest chapters in Judah’s history. The people didn’t even bury him in the royal cemetery. He closed the temple and put up places to worship Baal all over the country. Even when under severe punishment from the Lord, he never turned to the Lord for help.

ECCLESIASTES 5:
In yesterday’s chapter, I really like the passages that talk of having the companionship of 2 (or perhaps 3) people. And when it is 2, I always think that the relationship of a man and wife is in view.

MATTHEW 18b:
Yesterday we heard the passage that deals with following Jesus with child-like faith. And we heard instructions for restoring broken relationships, and what to do if reconciliation is not achieved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2CHRONICLES 28:
Yesterday we heard of the reign of Uzziah (who suffered a terrible punishment for his pride) and the reign of his son, Jotham. Both were basically good kings.

ECCLESIASTES 4:
Yesterday we heard the famous chapter of Ecclesiastes which starts with

Ecc. 3:1 (like NLT) For everything (turn, turn, turn) there is a season, (turn, turn, turn) a time for every activity under heaven. (Except of course, the NLT does not contain 'turn, turn, turn'.)

GNT is very perceptive in bringing out some implicit information that would have been understood by Solomon’s audience, but which modern readers could easily miss in NLT’s translation, namely that God sets the seasons:

Ecc. 3:1 GNT Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses.
2 He sets the time for birth and the time for death,
the time for planting and the time for pulling up,

MATTHEW 18a:
Yesterday in Matthew 17 we heard the events that happened on the mount of transfiguration, the shorter story of the healing of the demon possessed boy right afterward, and we ended with Peter catching a fish to pay the temple tax for him and Jesus.

NLT Translation note:
Eccl. 4:16 Endless crowds stand around [the new favorite//him] …

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2CHRONICLES 26-27:
King Joash didn’t end so well, did he?! He ordered the murder of Jehoiadah’s son Zechariah. Time and time again Judah’s kings needed to learn not to be proud, and that certainly happened to Joash’s son Amaziah, who was assassinated like his father.

Jesus mentioned a Zechariah in Matthew 23 who was “murdered between the temple and the altar.” I previously was mistaken in saying in the intro to 2Chronicles 26 that Joash murdered the son of Jehoida. The Zechariah that Joash murdered was the son of Jehoida, but the one Jesus mentioned is Zechariah “the son of Berekiah, the grandson of Iddo,” who was the prophet who wrote the book of Zechariah. (Zech. 1:1) So evidently two men named Zechariah were killed in the temple about 300 years apart. Incidentally, the name Zechariah means ‘Yahweh has remembered’.

ECCLESIASTES 3:
Chapter 2 ended with a significant conclusion or two:

Ecc. 2:24 NLT So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him?
26 God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

MATTHEW 16:24—17:
Yesterday we heard the words that remind me of Jim Elliot’s words. He was one of five martyrs who was killed when they were trying to make initial contact with the Waodani tribe. Jim Elliot wrote in one of his notebooks, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” We’ll start by re-reading those words of Jesus at the end of chapter 16, so that we get a good transition to chapter 17.

NLT Translation notes:
16:27 NLT For [I,] the Son of Man will come with [my//his] angels in the glory of [my//his] Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.//GNT For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his deeds.]
28 I assure you that there are some here who will not die until they have seen [me, the victorious Son of Man, coming to rule as king.//the Son of Man come as King.]”
Mat. 17:20 “[You don’t believe fully in me.//You don’t have enough faith,]” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had [belief/faith] even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2CHRONICLES 24-25:
Yesterday we heard of Ahaziah’s one year reign, and then his mother Athaliah’s reign. The baby Joash was the only royal descendant of David saved from slaughter. He was raised in the temple by Jehoiada and Jehosheba. When he reached only seven years old, Jehoiada mounted a dangerous coup, which succeeded.

ECCLESIASTES 2B:
In yesterday’s reading, Solomon sought to find meaning in life through pleasure, folly, wine, and hard work. But both the wise man and the fool share the same fate (as far as Solomon could see).

MATTHEW 16:
In yesterday’s reading, Matthew gave more than one hint that Jesus’ work would benefit more than just the Jews. Note that the baskets used in the feeding of the 5,000 were different than the baskets used for the feeding of the 4,000. In the first miracle, the smaller Jewish basket was used. But in the feeding of the 4,000, the larger Gentile basket was used. (This was the same size basket that was used to lower Paul down from the wall at Damascus.)

NLT Translation notes:
Mat. 16:13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, [“What role do people say that I, the Son of Man, am fulfilling?//Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”]
14 “Well,” they replied, “some say [the role of] John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
15 Then he asked them, “But [what role do you say that I am fulfilling//who do you say I am?”]
16 [Peter— also called Simon//Simon Peter} answered, “You are the Messiah,d the Son of the living God.”

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2CHRONICLES 22-23:
Yesterday we heard of Jehoshaphat’s famous victory, accomplished only by prayer, worship, and the power of the Lord. Then we also heard about Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram, who might possibly be Judah’s worst king, except for several at the very end of that kingdom.

ECCLESIASTES 2a:
Yesterday the theme of Ecclesiastes was given in these words:

Ecc. 2:2 NLT “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”
15 What is wrong cannot be made right.
What is missing cannot be recovered.
18 The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief.
To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.

MATTHEW 15b:
In yesterday’s reading, the confrontation with the Jewish religious leaders about traditions of hand washing before eating led to Jesus’ revolutionary teaching about what defiles a person. It is what comes out of the heart that defiles people.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2CHRONICLES 20-21:
Yesterday we heard of Jehoshaphat wisely appointing judges, and he also travelled all over Israel personally encouraging people to follow the Lord.

ECCLESIASTES 1:
The book of Ecclesiastes is the record of Solomon seeking to find God in a worldly way. This is a book of worldly wisdom. Solomon repeatedly uses the key theme word ‘useless’ to describe our lives on earth. God had not given clear promises about how all mankind will live after death, and Solomon considers the afterlife an open question. Had he known what we know, his opinions on many things would have changed. He does finally come to the same conclusion found in Proverbs— namely that the best thing is to fear God and keep his commands.

MATTHEW 15a:
Yesterday we heard of John the Baptist’s beheading. Jesus retreated to the countryside, but a huge crowd followed him. Then he worked several powerful miracles— all of which hold clear symbolic meanings for us. It is worth the time to meditate on Jesus’ miracles!

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.