2 Chronicles 16:1

2 Chronicles 16:1 says, In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.  After Asa had reigned thirty-six years, Baasha king of Israel came against him.  Matthew Henry says this was likely the thirty-sixth year of the existence of Judah as a separate kingdom, since we are told elsewhere that Baasha died in the twenty-sixth year of Asa's reign, but it adds up correctly from the beginning of the split between Judah and Israel.  This was some of God's chosen people fighting against others of God's chosen people, and we as Christians, God's chosen people today, should never be guilty of doing the same thing.  Baasha built Ramah to try to keep anyone from going to and from Asa.  We as followers of Christ certainly should never attempt to keep others from coming to Him.  Verse two adds, Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,  Asa then sent the treasures from the house of the Lord to Benhadad, King of Syria.  We also should never attempt to buy the protection of the world with the things of God.  Verse three continues, There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. Asa asked Benhadad to break the league he had made with Baasha and remember the one that his father had with Asa's father.  He also said he had sent the silver and gold to show that he supported Benhadad.  We need to pray that we never have to make a pact with non-Christians, especially to the point of giving them things that are dedicated to God, to keep from being destroyed by others who profess to be Christians.  We need to be united in our battle with the world and not fighting each other.  Verse four states, And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.  Benhadad agreed to join with Asa and sent his armies against Israel and defeated several of their cities.  We need to rely on God alone to give us victory in the world, and I believe if Asa had called on God that God would have given him the victory if that was God's will, and if it weren't, it would have been a hollow victory.  If we compromise with the world to gain success instead of relying on God, our success will be hollow.  Verse five adds, And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease.  When Baasha heard what was happening, he stopped his work on building Ramah.  Asa had won the victory with the help of Benhadad, but he had given away the gold and silver that belonged to God.  We should never give the things of God to those who aren't His people in order to gain victory over others who are a part of God's people, and both Judah and Israel were still a part of God's chosen people.  Verse six continues, Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.  Asa took the stones and timbers intended to be used to build Ramah and built Geba and Mizpah.  He was profiting materially by his alliance with Benhadad, but he had given away the treasures of God from the temple.  We may profit materially from an alliance with the people of the world against our fellow believers, but we will never profit spiritually.

2 Chronicles 15:9

2 Chronicles 15:9 says, And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.  With his reformation of Judah to worshipping God alone, other people began to come to Judah, from the other tribes of Israel.  They did this because they saw that God was with Asa.  We as individual Christians and as a nation should draw people to God because they see evidence that He is with us.  Verse ten adds, So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.  In the fifteenth year of Asa's reign, the people gathered at Jerusalem.  It had taken a while for them to get to this point, and if we stray away from God, it may take us a while to get back, but when we do, we need to celebrate the fact that we have.  Verse eleven continues, And they offered unto the Lord the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.  The people then offered and offering to God from the spoils of war that they had taken.  We need to offer sacrifices to God from all that He blesses us with today.  Verse twelve states, And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;  They also entered ino a covenant relationship with God to seek Him with all their hearts and souls.  He was called the God of their fathers, but once they entered into a covenant relationship with Him, He was no longer just the God of their fathers.  He was their God.  We cannot be a part of the family of God simply because our parents were but must enter into a personal covenant relationship with Him by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse eleven adds, That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.  Anyone not seeking God, whether a great person or a little known one, was to be put to death.  Though this might be a great motivator for people to at least say they are a Christian, it still wouldn't make them one.  We are not called on to kill nonbelievers, but to share the gospel with them as we reach out to them with the love of God.  Verse fourteen continues, And they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.  They cried out to God as a group with shouting and trumpets and cornets.  We need to shout out to God and worship Him with music and songs today as well.  Verse fifteen says, 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.  When the people sincerely sought God and swore their allegiance to Him, He was found and gave them rest.  God never hides, but He actually seeks us.  If we put our faith in Him, He will give us rest spiritually, no matter what is going on in the world.  Verse sixteen adds, And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.  Asa also removed his mother from being queen, because she was still worshipping an idol.  He then destroyed the idol and the grove dedicated to it.  When we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we must destroy all the idols in our lives if we are going to serve Him effectively and we can never allow anyone, even our parents, to lead us to worship any other god.  Verse eighteen continues, But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.   Still, Asa did not remove the high places of worship, though we are told that his heart was perfect all his days.  We must remove everything that would lead us away from worshipping God as His word tells us to.  Verse eighteen states. And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.  Asa also brought the things that had been dedicated to the temple back into the temple and dedicated some more himself.  We should never attempt to take back anything that we have dedicated to God but must allow it to be used as He sees fit.  Verse nineteen adds, And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.  For the next twenty years of Asa's reign, God gave them peace.  As Christians, we should be at peace spiritually for the rest of our lives, and if we are obedient to God, we will be,

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.