This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&handling) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the books of
Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just
mail your request for COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.
2CHRONICLES
1 And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
2 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.
3 Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
4 But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.
5 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.
6 And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.
7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.
Asa had placed the responsibility for victory squarely upon God's shoulders, and God had given him a great victory.
8 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.
9 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.
10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
11 And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
12 And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
13 That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
14 And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.
15 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.
Asa took the message "to heart." He went around making sure everyone put away their idols. And he "renewed" (or restored) the altar at the temple. You see, it was in disrepair because the people had not been worshipping God properly.
16 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.
17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
18 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.
19 And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.
In fact, for TWENTY YEARS there was no war for Judah! Please continue in Bible Study with us.
CHAPTER 15
Now God sends Asa a prophet to utilize the former situation for EDUCATION.
What we learn from this is that daily living for God is REWARDED by God. When we genuinely SEEK God in our lives, He is ALWAYS present and helps us (verse 2).
See also: Psalm 9:9, Psalm 37:39, Psalm 46:1.
The prophet reminded Asa that Israel had not been following God, and God had allowed them to have many problems. However, when they realized their distress and they called upon God, He was there to HELP (verse 4).
Now God tells Asa that if he and the people will be diligent about doing God's will, God will REWARD them (verse 7).
God is definately a "Rewarder" of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
When the people saw that God was "with" Asa, and helping him, they came to JOIN him. They even came out of Israel (the Northern 10 tribes) to be with this godly king.
Dr. Henry Blackaby says in his book "Experiencing God," that when we see God at work, we should JOIN Him.
And when people see God's BLESSINGS they certainly want to come and participate. That is what has happened in America. Men and women who really wanted to live for Christ founded this nation on godly principals. And God has richly blessed this nation. Many people from all over the world want to become citizens of this country.
The people who joined Asa brought a desire to WORSHIP God, and they made sacrifices and had a great feast.
The reason for their worship and celebration was they had SOUGHT God and "He was found of them." (verse 15)
God had also given them "rest" from their enemies (verse 15).
Asa was so diligent in his pursuit of God that he removed his own mother from any position of authority because she had disobeyed God and was worshipping an idol.
Christian friend, the Bible teaches us that we should not even allow our own family to turn us away from God.