Month: February 2024

2 Chronicles 18:31 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, it is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God moved them to depart from him.

This story reveals an instructive contrast in response to battle with the Enemy. Ahab, king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, allied together to join in battle against Syria. On the one hand, Ahab disguised himself so the enemy wouldn’t know he was a king. On the other hand, Jehoshaphat wore his royal robes into battle, and the enemy surrounded him to attack and kill him.

The difference between the two kings was in whom they trusted. Ahab trusted in himself. He trusted in human deceit to save himself from enemy attack. Jehoshaphat trusted in God. He openly and honestly wore the kingly robes as a human target, trusting in the Lord save him from the enemy.

In the battle, the enemy surrounded Jehoshaphat to attack and kill him. In the midst of the impending danger, he cried out to the Lord for help and deliverance from the enemy. And the Lord saved him by moving the enemy to go away. Ironically, an enemy soldier drew an arrow and shot at random, inadvertently hitting Ahab in his chariot so that he died.

In the spiritual battles of our daily lives, will we try to avoid defeat by human strength and wisdom, or will we be saved by praying to the Lord and trusting in Him? “Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” So we pray, “Deliver us from evil.”

2 Chronicles 17:9 And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.

A basic part of the reforms of Jehoshaphat was the widespread teaching of the Law of Moses, the Word of God. Just removing the pagan idols is great, but it doesn’t go deep enough and far enough to make it stick. The false and demonic religion and way of life must be replaced by the positive and effective Truth of God’s Word and the faith to live according to it. Teaching is essential to a deep-seated faith resulting in a changed life.

Most of the people were biblically illiterate and needed someone to teach them the Word of God. They had never taken time to discuss God’s Law and understand how it could change them. Jehoshaphat realized that knowing God’s commands was the first step in showing people how to live, so he initiated a kingdom-wide religious education program, He reversed the religious decline by putting God first in the people’s mind and instilling in them a sense of mission. The kingdom began to follow God again.

Churches and Christian schools today need solid Christian education programs as a joyful response to God’s salvation. Exposure to good Bible teaching through church, Bible study, personal and family devotions is essential for living as God intends. We cannot really live without constant attention to Law and Gospel.

2 Chronicles 17:3-4 And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.

Jehoshaphat was one of the best kings of Judah, and his reign was blessed with peace and prosperity. God’s blessing was a direct result of his seeking the Lord and not the Baals, and because he walked in the ways of David and the Commandments. To seek the Lord is to believe Him and worship Him alone with all the heart. To walk in His ways is to have a sincere desire to do God’s will and keep His Law.

We will fail to walk perfectly for sure, but we live in instant and constant repentance, believing in Christ and His forgiveness. The important meaning of seeking is to firmly believe in Jesus Christ; and the meaning of walking is to actually live according to His Word by that faith. The Holy Spirit plants the faith in the heart through the Gospel; and the Spirit stays with us so that we live in obedience by granting the motivation and ability to live by that faith.

When we seek the Lord and walk His ways, we will enjoy the peace and joy and all the spiritual riches in the kingdom of God’s abundant grace and blessing. Our soul prospers and Life is good!

2 Chronicles 16:9-10, 12 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect before him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in the prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time….And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.

Asa was a good king, but yet he had some sinful flaws. His heart was not perfect before the Lord; therefore, he did foolishly. He was foolish to turn to Syria as an ally, instead of trusting in the Lord alone. He loved the Lord indeed, but did not trust Him with his whole heart. This flaw showed up in his later years when he was diseased in his feet. He did not seek the Lord in his need, but instead sought after the physicians. Sure, it is not wrong to “go to the doctor,” but it is a sin not to trust in the Lord with all your heart as the source of life and health.

He also sinned in “shooting the messenger” by putting Hanani the seer in prison. He did not want to hear the Law that uncovers our sin and guilt, no matter how good we are in the rest of our life. Asa knew the Lord, but not quite well enough to know the gospel of mercy from God.

This confrontation teaches us that no matter how good we think we are still not perfect before the Lord. Therefore we respond by acting foolishly instead of trusting with our whole heart. For this reason the Son of God entered our world to live perfectly before God and entrust Himself into His hands. He did it for us!

2 Chronicles 16:7-8 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa the king of Judah, and said to him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of Syria escaped out of thine hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet because thou thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand.

Asa king of Judah had made an alliance with Benhadad king of Syria to help him in his battle with Baasha king of Israel. With Syria’s assistance Judah recovered the cities Baasha had taken. This happened just after the Lord defeated the huge army of the Ethiopians. Then Hanani the seer told Asa that he relied on the king of Syria and did not rely on the Lord. Thus the enemy army of Syria escaped.

Asa’s response to the threat from Israel was to rely on man for help and not rely on the Lord. This unbelief was regarded as evil because he had just relied on the Lord for victory over the huge army of the Ethiopians, and God delivered him. How could such a thing happen that he turned to man instead of God for help? The issue turned on the question of whom you will rely on.

This question is a real one for our daily lives: on whom are we relying for our everyday problems? While we need the help of people to resolve issues, to whom are we really looking for every good behind that? We trust in the Lord, for all good comes from Him even though He may serve us through humans. We respond by thanking God for everything, and so we live our lives in daily awareness of the Lord.

2 Chtonicles 15:14-15 And they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about.

All Israel gathered together with Asa to celebrate and worship with loud rejoicing after God’s victory. Thankfulness and praise led to shouting with instrumental accompaniment. They swore to be faithful to the Lord who was faithful to them. The response to God’s grace, salvation, and victory over enemies was a heartfelt promise to worship the Lord, loud rejoicing for what He has done, and an earnest seeking of the Lord alone with deep desire.

Such exuberance showed enthusiasm for God and a renewed commitment to believe. They were happy to swear an oath to serve such a great and good God. The Lord was found, and He gave them rest.

Our response to the Gospel of Grace is just as loud and joyful in heart. The surprise is that we can be glad to swear an oath of faithfulness to Jesus. This promise is not coerced or forced by duty, but we freely, willingly, and joyfully commit in response to the Lord’s victory given to us in Jesus Christ. “The love of Christ compels us.”

2 Chronicles 15:12-13 And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; that whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

After Asa’s victories had established peace in the land, the people gathered together to offer unto the Lord some of the spoil. They thanked God, gave Him glory, and renewed their commitment to the Lord. They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord with all their heart and soul. They vowed to keep the First Commandment of the Mosaic Covenant (“No other gods”). This event was like a high point of the history of Judah.

It is always a high point in our Christian life when we respond to the Gospel of God’s covenant faithfulness to us and we vow to love the Lord alone with all our heart and soul. This happens officially and publicly in the Church’s Rite of Confirmation. But we renew the covenant daily and weekly in our life. We actually march from “victory unto victory,” from high point to high point. We respond to the Gospel with daily repentance and faith and with weekly worship and reception of the Blood of the Covenant in Holy Communion. What we do, and need to be aware of doing, is to enter into a covenant to seek the Lord with heart and soul.

Unfortunately, as sinners we cannot keep our promise as we desire. Therefore, it is necessary that we regularly make a covenant to seek the Lord. Distractions and temptations lure us away from faithfulness, but we keep coming back to renew. And we believe and thank God that Jesus kept the covenant perfectly for us And of this grace we need to be reminded often.

2 Chronicles 1, 2, 8 And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah, the son of Oded: 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….And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols.

After God gave a great victory, the prophet Azariah came to meet Asa with a word of warning and encouragement from the Spirit of God. Asa listened to the Spirit through the prophet, and determined to stay with the Lord, to seek Him, and not forsake Him. Asa responded to God’s Word by taking the courage to continue his religious reforms and destroy the false idols.

He believed the Word of God and acted accordingly. He reacted to the promise and the warning with faith. The promise is that when you seek the Lord you will find Him. The warning is that when you forget God He will forget you.

When things are going well it is tempting to forsake the Lord and not continue to seek Him. We need to listen to the reminders of Law and Gospel to stay with the Lord. Our response to all circumstances, good or ill, is to listen to the Spirit as he speaks through the wise words of fellow believers. For this reason we continue in fellowship with others Christians in church and Bible study. We welcome people who have a close relationship with God, and listen. We keep in contact with people who are filled with God’s Spirit. We spend regular time in discussion and prayer. We surround ourself with influences and people who encourage us to seek the Lord. Heeding Godly advice helps good and godly living.

2 Chronicles 14:11 And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

The Ethiopians were coming against Asa and Judah with an overwhelming force. Asa prayed to the Lord. He asked the Lord to help. He put his trust in the Lord. We are small and weak, but size doesn’t matter with our big God. In answer to his prayer of faith, the Lord smote the Ethiopians so that they fled. With God on our side fighting our enemies, solving our problems, and helping us in time of need we overcome impossible odds.

The key word in this response of prayer in time of need is rest. Prayer and faith in the God who answers prayer brings us to a place of rest in Him. It is not easy to rest when troubles loom ahead of us, but with the help of God we can find rest in the midst of the storm. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This is the promise of Jesus. And He grants it.

2 Chronicles 14:2-5 And Asa did that which that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God: For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images and the kingdom was quiet before him.

Asa was one of the few good kings of Judah, doing what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord. He secured God’s peace and the kingdom was quiet in his time. He did this by taking away the altars, high places, images, and groves of the strange gods. They were strange because they were foreign to and opposed to the one true God. He led the people to seek the Lord and do His will.

Asa’s actions are positive examples for our response to the gospel in our lives: actively remove anything that is offensive to God. Going to church and doing good can still leave us feeling empty if we fail to eliminate sinful practices from our lives. We may continually ask God to help us to remove sources of temptation from our lives by daily repentance and receiving forgiveness by faith.

it takes some work, thought, and effort on our part to let the Holy Spirit root out the sins that so easily beset us. We may name and renounce those words, thoughts, and actions that pull us away from pure devotion to Jesus. Peaceful thinking and quiet living are the positive results of such a thorough response. We continually allow the Lord to enter into our thoughts, words, and deeds.