◄ 2 Chronicles 30:8 ►
Now do not stiffen your necks as your fathers did. Submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you.
Study Bible
Now do not stiffen your necks
The phrase "stiffen your necks" is a vivid metaphor used throughout the Old Testament to describe stubbornness and rebellion against God. In Hebrew, the term often translates to "harden" or "make obstinate," suggesting a deliberate resistance to divine guidance. Historically, this imagery would resonate with an agrarian society familiar with the behavior of oxen that resist the yoke. The exhortation here is a call to humility and repentance, urging the Israelites to learn from the past mistakes of their ancestors who resisted God's will.

as your fathers did
This reference to "your fathers" serves as a reminder of the historical pattern of disobedience among the Israelites. The chronicler is pointing to the repeated failures of previous generations who turned away from God, leading to their downfall and suffering. This historical context underscores the importance of breaking the cycle of rebellion and choosing a path of obedience and faithfulness.

Submit to the LORD
The call to "submit" is an invitation to yield to God's authority and embrace His sovereignty. The Hebrew root for "submit" conveys the idea of giving oneself wholly to God, acknowledging His rightful place as Lord. This submission is not merely external compliance but an internal transformation of the heart, aligning one's will with God's purposes.

and come to His sanctuary
The "sanctuary" refers to the temple in Jerusalem, the physical dwelling place of God's presence among His people. In the historical context, the temple was the center of worship and a symbol of God's covenant relationship with Israel. Coming to the sanctuary signifies a return to worship, fellowship, and communion with God, emphasizing the importance of corporate worship and the community of faith.

which He has consecrated forever
The phrase "consecrated forever" highlights the eternal nature of God's covenant and His enduring commitment to His people. The Hebrew word for "consecrated" implies being set apart for a holy purpose. This assurance of permanence serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and the unchanging nature of His promises, encouraging the Israelites to trust in His everlasting covenant.

Serve the LORD your God
To "serve" the LORD is to live a life of devotion and obedience, actively engaging in worship and fulfilling God's commandments. The Hebrew concept of service encompasses both worship and ethical living, reflecting a holistic commitment to God. This call to service is a reminder that true faith is demonstrated through action and a life dedicated to God's glory.

so that His fierce anger will turn away from you
The warning of "fierce anger" reflects the seriousness of sin and the consequences of disobedience. In the biblical narrative, God's anger is often depicted as a response to idolatry and injustice. However, the promise that His anger will "turn away" offers hope and redemption. It underscores the transformative power of repentance and God's willingness to forgive and restore those who return to Him with sincere hearts. This assurance of divine mercy is a central theme in the message of the prophets and the overarching narrative of Scripture.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Hezekiah
The king of Judah who initiated religious reforms and called the people to return to the worship of Yahweh.

2. Judah and Israel
The divided kingdoms during the time of Hezekiah, with Judah being the southern kingdom and Israel the northern.

3. The Sanctuary
Refers to the temple in Jerusalem, which was the central place of worship and sacrifice for the Israelites.

4. The Fathers
The ancestors of the Israelites who had turned away from God, leading to their downfall and exile.

5. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who desires the people's repentance and return to Him.
Teaching Points
Repentance and Submission
The call to not "stiffen your necks" is a call to repentance. True repentance involves a change of heart and a willingness to submit to God's authority.

The Importance of Worship
Coming to God's sanctuary signifies the importance of worship and fellowship with God. Worship is central to our relationship with Him.

Consecration and Holiness
The sanctuary is consecrated forever, reminding us of the holiness required in our approach to God. We are called to live consecrated lives.

Avoiding God's Anger
Serving the LORD is not just about avoiding His anger but about aligning ourselves with His will and experiencing His blessings.

Learning from the Past
The reference to the fathers serves as a warning. We must learn from past mistakes and choose obedience over rebellion.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does it mean to "stiffen your neck" in the context of your personal walk with God, and how can you avoid this attitude?

2. How can regular worship and fellowship in the "sanctuary" (church) strengthen your relationship with God?

3. In what ways can you consecrate your life to God, and how does this affect your daily decisions and actions?

4. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's discipline. How did it lead you to a deeper understanding of His love and holiness?

5. How can the mistakes of the "fathers" in the Bible serve as lessons for your spiritual journey today?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 32:9
The concept of "stiff-necked" people is introduced, describing the Israelites' stubbornness and rebellion against God.

Deuteronomy 10:16
Calls for the circumcision of the heart, a metaphor for repentance and submission to God.

Hebrews 3:15
Warns against hardening one's heart, echoing the call to heed God's voice and not repeat the mistakes of the past.

Romans 12:1
Encourages believers to offer themselves as living sacrifices, which aligns with the call to serve and submit to God.
Sermons
Letters to Ephraim: GenerosityW. Clarkson 2 Chronicles 30:1, 10, 11
Preparations for a Grand National PassoverT. Whitelaw 2 Chronicles 30:1-12
Four Reasons for RepentanceW. Clarkson 2 Chronicles 30:6-9
A Season of GraceT. Boston, D. D.2 Chronicles 30:7-8
Mercy Turned to PenaltyChristian Age2 Chronicles 30:7-8
The Duty of Yielding Ourselves to the LordT. Boston, D.D.2 Chronicles 30:7-8
The Manner in Which the Soul Should Yield Itself to the LordT. Boston, D. D.2 Chronicles 30:7-8
People
Asher, Dan, David, Hezekiah, Isaac, Issachar, Levites, Manasseh, Solomon, Zebulun
Places
Assyria, Beersheba, Dan, Jerusalem, Kidron
Topics
Age, Anger, Burning, Consecrated, Enter, Fathers, Fierce, Fierceness, Forever, Harden, Hard-hearted, Heat, Holy, Neck, Necks, Sanctified, Sanctuary, Servants, Serve, Stiffen, Stiffnecked, Stiff-necked, Submit, Turn, Wrath, Yield, Yourselves
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Chronicles 30:8

     5790   anger, divine
     6245   stubbornness
     7438   sanctuary

2 Chronicles 30:1-10

     5463   proclamations

2 Chronicles 30:1-20

     7266   tribes of Israel

2 Chronicles 30:1-27

     8466   reformation

2 Chronicles 30:6-9

     6195   impenitence, results

2 Chronicles 30:6-10

     8817   ridicule, objects of

2 Chronicles 30:7-9

     8705   apostasy, in OT

Library
A Loving Call to Reunion
'And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the Lord God of Israel. 2. For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month. 3. For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
BY JOHN BUNYAN PREFATORY REMARKS BY THE EDITOR This important treatise was prepared for the press, and left by the author, at his decease, to the care of his surviving friend for publication. It first appeared in a collection of his works in folio, 1692; and although a subject of universal interest; most admirably elucidated; no edition has been published in a separate form. Antichrist has agitated the Christian world from the earliest ages; and his craft has been to mislead the thoughtless, by …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The New Temple and Its Worship
'And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo: and they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15. And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. 16. And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Appendix v. Rabbinic Theology and Literature
1. The Traditional Law. - The brief account given in vol. i. p. 100, of the character and authority claimed for the traditional law may here be supplemented by a chronological arrangement of the Halakhoth in the order of their supposed introduction or promulgation. In the first class, or Halakhoth of Moses from Sinai,' tradition enumerates fifty-five, [6370] which may be thus designated: religio-agrarian, four; [6371] ritual, including questions about clean and unclean,' twenty-three; [6372] concerning …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers. …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Covenanting Performed in Former Ages with Approbation from Above.
That the Lord gave special token of his approbation of the exercise of Covenanting, it belongs to this place to show. His approval of the duty was seen when he unfolded the promises of the Everlasting Covenant to his people, while they endeavoured to perform it; and his approval thereof is continually seen in his fulfilment to them of these promises. The special manifestations of his regard, made to them while attending to the service before him, belonged to one or other, or both, of those exhibitions …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Covenanting a Duty.
The exercise of Covenanting with God is enjoined by Him as the Supreme Moral Governor of all. That his Covenant should be acceded to, by men in every age and condition, is ordained as a law, sanctioned by his high authority,--recorded in his law of perpetual moral obligation on men, as a statute decreed by him, and in virtue of his underived sovereignty, promulgated by his command. "He hath commanded his covenant for ever."[171] The exercise is inculcated according to the will of God, as King and …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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