2 Chronicles 15:1

2 Chronicles 15:1 says, And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:  We are told that the Spirit of God came upon Azariah, but we as followers of Christ have the Holy Spirit to guide us in all that we do, if we only listen.  Still, at times we may be more aware of the Holy Spirit's presence urging us to act.  Verse two adds, 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.  Azariah came with a warning from God to Asa and all the people of Judah and Benjamin.  God would be with them as long as they were faithful to Him, and if they sought Him, He could be found.  Though the Holy Spirit is with us at all times, we still need to be faithful to God and seek His leadership.  God does not force anyone to obey Him, even those who are followers of Christ.  He also warned them that if they forsook God, He would forsake them.  Though as Christians we are forever saved, if we forsake doing God's will in our lives, He will forsake blessing us.  Verse three continues, Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.  Azariah said that the people of Israel had gone a long time without a true God and a teaching priest and without the law of God.  As a nation, we cannot afford to go for a long time without acknowledging God and still expect Him to bless us, nor can we as individuals.  We also, as a priesthood of believers, need to be teaching the world about God and strengthening each other in our faith.  Verse four states, But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.  Azariah said that even though the people of Israel didn't have a teaching priesthood or maybe even a strong belief in God, that when they were in trouble, they turned to Him and He was found.  Too often, we only look to God when we are in trouble, and we are in trouble because we didn't look to God in the first place.  Verse five adds, And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.  Azariah said that there was no peace for the people when they failed to look to God.  We as Christians can have no spiritual peace if we fail to look to God in faith and obedience.  Verse six continues, And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.  Azariah said that the nation if Israel was destroyed by other nations, city by city, because God vexed them with adversity.  As a nation if we do not follow the leadership of God we can still expect to find problems and a lack of peace.  Verse seven says, Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.  Azariah called on the people of Judah and Benjamin to be strong in the Lord I believe, and to not let their hands be weak.  We need to be strong in the Lord today and not let our hands be weak in doing His work, not that we are doing so for reward, but because we are doing so to bring honor and glory to God.  Verse eight adds, And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord.  When Asa heard these things, he took action by putting away the abominable idols and restoring the altar of God.  As followers of Christ, we need to continually put away the idols in our lives and worship only God.

2 Chronicles 14:9

2 Chronicles 14:9 says, And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.  Zerah the Ethiopian came against Asa with a million troops and three hundred chariots.  This was a sizeable force, and we as followers of Christ are nearly always going to be outnumbered in the war against Satan and his forces today.  They will attack us quite often, but we aren't called on to attack them out of anger but to reach out to them with the love of God.  Verse ten adds, Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.  In this case, Asa went out to meet them.  I do believe that we need to meet the enemies of God head on when they attack us and never retreat in fear, no matter how badly we are outnumbered.  Verse eleven continues, And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, 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 no man prevail against thee.  Asa prayed to God and acknowledged that He was more powerful that any enemy and asked Him to help the people if Judah.  We serve that same God today as Christians.  As His people, we should always call on Him, but when life seems to be overpowering, we need to call on Him even more and rely on his power to keep us safe.  We must also acknowledge that even if we lose our life here on earth while standing with God, we are still the victors.  Verse twelve states, So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.  We are not told how, but we are told that God defeated the Ethiopians, and they fled from Asa.  We may not always know how God has protected us from our enemies, but we can rest assured that we are forever victorious if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. Verse thirteen adds, And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the Lord, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.  Asa and his troops pursued the Ethiopians, and they were overthrown.  They also carried away a lot of spoils of war.  We are not to go to war with the world today seeking to benefit from doing so materially, but we do need to do what God calls us to do to win the victory over them spiritually.  It wasn't Asa and his troops that defeated the Ethiopians, but God did.  If we are successful in our battle against evil today, it will always be by the power of God.  Verse fourteen continues, And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the Lord came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.  We are told that they continued to destroy the cities around Gerar because the fear of the Lord came on them.   We need to have that same fear, or awesome respect I would say, for doing what God call us to do today.  We should never act without knowing that God is leading us to do so, and if we know that He is, nothing should stop us from doing what He has called us to do.  Verse fifteen concludes, They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.  They also gained a lot of spoils, but what we gain today will be our rewards in heaven.  Asa stated before, we don't serve God for earthly rewards, but for a home in Heaven.

2 Chronicles 14:1

 2 Chronicles 14:1 says, So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.  After Abijah died and was buried, Asa his son became king, and during his reign, it was quiet, or peaceful, in Judah for ten years.  When we become a follower of Christ, there should be a spiritual peace in our lives no matter what in happening in the world.  Verse two adds, And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God:  Asa did good in God's eyes, or obeyed God's commandments.  As Christians, we need to do what is good in the eyes of God, or obey His commandments, not to be saved, but to show that even though we have salvation through our faith in Jesus Christ that we still realize that we need to obey them.  They are still His laws.  Verse three continues, For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:  Asa destroyed all the places of worship of false gods and destroyed their images and even cut down groves where they were worshipped.  He did all he could to remove the physical presence of false God, but that didn't mean that the people of Judah completely gave up worshipping them.  We may remove all the physical things associated with the worship of false gods, but until people accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, they will still be worshipping them.  Verse four states, And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.  Asa commanded that the people of Judah seek the Lord of their fathers and obey His laws and commandments, but it doesn't work that way.  He might have gotten them to appear to do this, but the decision of whether to be obedient to God or not, which has to start with putting our faith in Jesus Christ, is the responsibility of each individual.  Outward compliance to God's commandments is not enough if He does not live in our hearts.  Verse five adds, Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.  He removed the images, or idols, and the high places, where people worshipped falsely, from the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom was quiet before him.  If we remove all the idols from our lives as Christians and worship only God, then we should live a peaceful life spiritually.  Verse six adds, And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the Lord had given him rest.  Though Asa built fenced cities and lived without war during this period, it was God that gave him peace.  We cannot rely on the things of this world to bring us peace but must rely on God for peace in the world.  Verse seven says, Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.  During this time, Asa said they should build cities with walls, towers, and gates, because God had given them rest, and they built and prospered.  God has given us spiritual rest if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior ad Lord, and we should be doing all we can to build His kingdom.  Verse eight adds, And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.  Asa had an army that totaled five hundred and eighty thousand men, but it was still God that brought peace to Judah and Asa himself.  No matter how big our army may be today, it will always be God Who brings us peace, spiritually if not physically.

2 Chronicles 13:13

2 Chronicles 13:13 says, But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.  Instead of accepting peace, Jeroboam set up an ambush of the people of Judah.  People of the world will often still attempt to ambush and destroy Christians before they will accept peace with us,  Verse fourteen adds, And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.  When the people of Judah found themselves surrounded, they cried out to God and the priests sounded the trumpets.  If we are overwhelmed by life today as followers of Christ, we need to cry out to Him, and He may not sound the trumpet yet, but we will be secure spiritually until He does.  Verse fifteen continues, Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.  The men of Judah then gave a shout, and God took care of their enemies.  We as the church and s individual Christians need to always cry out to God in times of crisis and He will deal with the situation.  Verse sixteen states, And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.  The people of Israel might have had the people of Judah outnumbered and surrounded, but they fled when God got involved.  The people of the world may have us outnumbered and surrounded, but if we keep our faith in God, we will have the ultimate victory.  Verse seventeen adds, And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.  Abijah and his forces killed five hundred thousand of the men of Israel, so they no longer had the advantage in numbers.  As long as we are on God's side, we will always have the advantage, no matter how many people oppose us.  Verse eighteen continues, Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers.  It states very plainly that the people of Judah prevailed because they relied on God.  This is the only way we can be sure of success today as Christians.  We must rely on the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit.  Verse nineteen says, And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephraim with the towns thereof.  Not only did Jeroboam and Israel lose a lot of troops, but they also lost some cities.  What we need to acknowledge is that those who oppose God are going to lose everything when the trumpet sounds and Jesus Christ returns.  Verse twenty adds, Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the Lord struck him, and he died.  Jeroboam never did recover his strength as a king after this, and we are told that God struck him, and he died.  If we don't put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are going to be spiritually dead, and one day we will be sent away to everlasting punishment.  Verse twenty continues, But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.  Abijah became stronger in his position, but like many other kings of Israel and Judah, he failed to follow God's law, at least concerning marriage, having fourteen wives.  We cannot allow our success in the world lead us away from God's commandments. and laws.  Verse twenty-two concludes, And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.  We are told that the rest of the acts of Abijah were written in the story of the prophet Iddo, which we do not have.  Not everything written by people concerning the kings of Israel and Judah was preserved by God, but we have what He considered important.

2 Chronicles 13:1

2 Chronicles 13:1 says, Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.  Jeroboam had been ruling in Israel for eighteen years when Abijah became king of Judah, after Rehoboam his father died.  Kings and rulers will come and go in the world, but our King, Jesus Christ, rules forever.  Verse two adds, He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.  We are told who Abijah's mother was, but not much else about her, but in chapter 11, verse 20, she was said to be the daughter of Absalom, but also Samuel 14, verse 27 that she was likely Absalom's granddaughter, since even future generations were referred to as children of earlier ancestors.  During the three years of his reign, Judah was at war with Israel.  These were all supposed to be God's people, and they were at war with each other.  We as Christians cannot afford to be fighting one another as I have said many times.  Verse three continues, And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour.  Abijah set four hundred thousand men of valor against Jeroboam's eight hundred thousand men.  Abijah was greatly outnumbered, but if God was with him, it wouldn't have mattered.  Matthew Henry says that although Rehoboam had been prevented by God from going to war with the rest of Israel that Jeroboam was likely the aggressor in this case, so God allowed Abijah to defend the people of Judah.  We are not called to try to defeat other people, especially those who profess to be Christians, but we are called to defend the truth of God and those who really are His people.  Verse four states, And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel;  Abijah first tried to reason with Jeroboam and the people of Israel, and we as followers of Christ should always try to reason with people who stand against us.  Verse five adds, Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?  Abijah asked Jeroboam and the people of Israel if they didn't know that God had given all the kingdom of Israel to David and his descendants forever, and Jeroboam wasn't one of them.  He was saying that they should come back under his rule.  The fulfillment of the promise to David came with Jesus Christ, and He is the only one that it applies to.  Verse six continues, Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.  Abijah told them that Jeroboam, the son of one of David's servants had rebelled against God and made himself king.  If we try to establish ourselves as anything that is contrary to God's word as Christians, we do so in rebellion to Him.  Verse seven says, And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.   Abijah added that Jeroboam had gathered vain men to himself and had strengthened themselves against Rehoboam when he was young and foolish.  If God has placed someone in a position of leadership in the church today, if they are young and make mistakes, we need to support them and help correct them and not rebel against them.  Verse eight adds, And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with your golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.  Abijah asked them if the thought that they and their idols could stand against someone God had put in power.  These were all part of God's chosen people, but most were going against God's word and worshipping idols.  We can never defy God's word and be successful spiritually, no matter how many other people who call themselves Christians might.  Verse nine continues, Have ye not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.  Abijah then said that the people following Jeroboam had cast out the true priests and allowed anyone who wanted to offer a sacrifice to their gods, who were no gods, to consecrate themselves and declare themself a priest.  As a part of the priesthood of believers, we are free to come to God at any time, but at the time this was occurring, they were still to go through the priests appointed by God to come before Him.  Verse ten states, But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the Lord, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:  Abijah said the people of Judah had not forsaken God's law and had the priests the sons of Aaron and the Levites to minister to God for them.  We have an even greater priest, Jesus Christ, to stand before God for us.  Verse eleven adds, And they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the Lord our God; but ye have forsaken him.  Abijah then said that the people of Judah worshipped in accordance with God's laws, but the people of Israel had forsaken Him.  No matter what goes on in the church today, we must make sure that everything is done in accordance with God's will and for His glory.  Verse twelve continues, And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.  Abijah said the Lord was on their side and said the people of Israel should not fight against Him.  As long as God is on our side and we are following His leadership, we don't need to be concerned about the number or strength of those who oppose us.

2 Chronicles 12:9

2 Chronicles 12:9 says, So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.  Shishak took away many of the things Solomon had amassed during his reign.  We don't serve God for earthly riches, so everything we amass here in this world will one day be left behind.  Also, as followers of Christ, if we stray away from Him, the things He has blessed us with may be taken away while we live.  Verse ten adds, Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house.  Where Solomon had lived in peace, making shields of gold, Rehoboam lived with war making shields of brass.  He gave these shields of brass to the chief of the guard, and they were kept at the entrance of the king's house.  Rehoboam was concerned with protecting himself more than he was worried about the rest of the kingdom of Israel it would seem.  I do know that we as Christians cannot afford to put our own physical well-being ahead of following God's word.  Verse eleven continues, And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.  When the king was in the house, the guard got the shields and brought them into the guard chamber.  Again, it seems that Rehoboam was concerned with protesting himself after he lost all the treasures that David by war and Solomon by trade had amassed.  If we have amassed things in this world as Christians by the grace of God, and we turn away from Him, we should be prepared to lose them.  We cannot expect God's blessings if we do not obey Him, and Rehoboam hadn't obeyed God. Verse twelve states, And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well. Rehoboam then humbled himself before God, and he wasn't destroyed.  Things also went well for Israel, but much of their riches were gone.  As followers of Christ, we will never be destroyed spiritually, but we may lose a lot of the blessings of God if we turn away from doing His will.  Verse thirteen adds, So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.  Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, the city of God, we are told and ruled from the time he was forty-one until he was fifty-eight.  He had a fairly long reign to have started so badly.  He gave up on many of the fortified cities it would seem and concentrated on keeping Jerusalem safe.  We aren't called to just protect one place but to spread the gospel to all the world.  Verse fourteen continues, And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.  Though Rehoboam may not have been worshipping idols, neither was he worshipping God with all his heart.  We don't need to rely on the fact that we aren't worshipping other gods but must instead worship God wholeheartedly.  Verse sixteen says, Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.  We are told that the acts of Rehoboam, from the beginning of his reign to the end, were recorded in the book of Shemiah the prophet and his genealogy was kept by Iddo the seer.  We don't have these books, which means they are unimportant to our understanding God.  Verse sixteen adds, And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.  Rehoboam died and was buried in Jerusalem, and his son Abijah became king.  Unless Jesus Christ returns first, one day we are going to die and someone else will take our place in doing God's work, but our King will never die and be replaced.

2 Chronicles 12:1

2 Chronicles 12:1 says, And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.  After Rehoboam was established as king, he forsook the law of God, and all Israel did so as well.  Though the kingdom was divided, I believe all of Israel, and not just Judah, the part Rehoboam ruled over, rejected God's law.  Ruling from Jerusalem with the temple there as well, Rehoboam should have followed God's law, but he didn't.  We may live in what is called a Christian nation and have a church on every corner, but that doesn't mean that we are going to obey God.  Verse two adds, And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord,  In the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign, Shishak the king of Egypt came up against him.  God had removed His protective hand from them and the time of peace was over.  If we as Christians turn away from doing God's will, our time of spiritual peace will be over, though we will still be a part of God's kingdom.  Verse three continues, With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.  Shishak came with twelve hundred chariots, sixty thousand horsemen, and a force that was too large to number.  As we draw ever closer to the return of Christ, which we do every day no matter how long it may be before He returns, the forces of Satan are going to attack us even more.  We cannot afford to be divided as Christians.  Verse four states, And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.  Rehoboam had set up fenced cities for defense, but they did him no good.  We should not rely things of this world to keep us safe as followers of Christ but must rely on God alone.  Verse five adds, Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.  Shemiah the prophet came to Rehoboam with a message from God, and it wasn't good news.  He said since Rehoboam had forsaken God, God had removed His protection from him and Judah and left them in the hand of Shishak.  We as individual Christians and as a Christian nation need to pray that we don't get so far away from God that He removes His protective hand from us.  Verse six continues, Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous.  The princes of Israel and Rehoboam humbled themselves before God.  If we have strayed away from God, we need to humble ourselves and return to Him.  Verse seven says, And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.  God sent another message by Shemiah.  Since the people of Judah had humbled themselves before God, He was going to keep Shishak from destroying them.  If we are in danger of spiritual defeat today, we need to humble ourselves before God and ask for His forgiveness if we have allowed sin back into our life.  Verse eight adds, Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.  Though they weren't going to be destroyed, they were going to be under Shishak's rule.  Their disobedience was going to cost them, and our disobedience to God as Christians will always bring consequences.