2 Chronicles 30:9b - God Desires a Relationship with His Children.
2 Chronicles 30:9b; God Desires a Relationship with His Children.
2 Chr 30:9b (NIV) God is gracious and compassionate. He will
not turn his face from you if you return to him.
CONTEXT
King Hezekiah (29:1-32:33)
The Great Passover
Preparations for the Passover (30:1-12)
All Israel Invited to the Passover
Passover Celebrated (30:1-27)
CROSS REFERENCES
Exodus 34:6-7 (KJV) And the Lord passed by before him, and
proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering,
and abundant in goodness and truth, [7] Keeping mercy for thousands,
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means
clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the
fourth generation.
1 Chron. 28:9 (KJV) And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God
of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a
willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all
the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found
of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
2 Chron. 7:14 (KJV) If my people, which are called by my name,
shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from
their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chron. 15:2 (KJV) And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto
him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with
you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of
you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
Neh. 9:31 (KJV) Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou
didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a
gracious and merciful God.
Psalm 86:5 (KJV) For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to
forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Psalm 86:15 (KJV) But thou, O Lord, art a God full of
compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
Proverbs 28:13 (KJV) He that covereth his sins shall not
prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Isaiah 55:7 (KJV) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will
have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Jeremiah 29:12-13 (KJV) Then shall ye call upon me, and ye
shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. [13] And ye
shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your
heart.
Ezekiel 18:30-32 (KJV) Therefore I will judge you, O house of
Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and
turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not
be your ruin. [31] Cast away from you all your transgressions,
whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit:
for why will ye die, O house of Israel? [32] For I have no pleasure
in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn
yourselves, and live ye.
Micah 7:18 (KJV) Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth
iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?
he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in
mercy.
James 4:8 (KJV) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye
COMMENTARY / APPLICATION
Nothing in the world is of greater importance than a knowledge
of God. To know God brings peace and happiness in this world, and
the blessings of life eternal. "This is life eternal, that they
might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent" (John 17:3). [SDA Commentary]
For the man who searches for God, the Lord is not far away. He
who desires to know God will find Him, and he will also find
confidence, peace, and life everlasting. Life's most rewarding quest is the
search after God. [SDA Commentary]
It is man who causes a separation between himself and God. Only
when man forsakes the Lord and His ways of righteousness will he find
that God has cast him off. The Lord never forsakes those who seek
after Him (Ps. 9:10). [SDA Commentary]
True service of God is heart service. No man can be a child of
God who does not willingly serve Him. There is no such thing as
forced Christianity (Isa. 1:19). This does not imply that performance
of duty is always in harmony with one's inclination. In fact,
obedience often does involve crucifixion of self. Paul's wishes and
desires daily conflicted with duty; nevertheless he did the will of God,
however unpleasant and crucifying to his nature. [SDA Commentary]
It is a sobering thought to know that God requires our hearts to
be right and our motives to be pure in our service to Him. It is
not enough to do "good" things, even though there are many
worthwhile endeavors for us to become involved with. We must examine our
relationship with God very carefully to ensure that we are pure and holy
vessels fit for use. We must constantly recheck our motives and realign
them with the Word of God when necessary, or risk having our labor be
in vain. On that day when your works of service are examined, will
they be burned up as if they were wood, hay, or stubble? Or will
they stand the test of fire and remain as precious gold? Ask God to
reveal to you the condition of your heart and mind before doing one
more thing for Him! [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]
But God's sovereign will does not rule out the exercise of man's
free will. It is the responsibility of those God has chosen to
acknowledge the LORD and serve Him wholeheartedly.... God has chosen us in
Christ, and through Christ granted us forgiveness and new life. So we
are to acknowledge God "and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and
with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and
understands every motive behind the thoughts" (v. 9). As David promised, if
we seek God we will find Him. But if we reject God, we will never
experience His blessing. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
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