Psalm 62:1-7 An Exclusive Relationship
Ps 62:1 “My soul rests in God alone. My salvation is from him. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress—I will never be greatly shaken. 3 How long will you assault a man, would all of you throw him down, Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? 4 They fully intend to throw him down from his lofty place. They delight in lies. They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah. 5 My soul, wait in silence for God alone, for my expectation is from him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I will not be shaken. 7 With God is my salvation and my honor/glory. The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God...12 Also to you, Lord, belongs hesed/loyal covenantal love, for you reward every man according to his work.
Observations: 62:3-4 David is experiencing the usual attacks and lies from those who don't walk with God.
62:1-2,5-7 His response is to completely trust in God, which means he doesn't trust or hope in anyone or anything else. To do so would be a breach of covenantal loyalty (hesed), which would not only cut David off from God's salvation, but also reward (62:12).
62:8-11 (next time round) give alternatives to fully trusting God.
Application: If you have put your trust in God as He's revealed Himself (Plan A), don't disloyally look for deliverance from Plan B. (It wouldn't be wrong to consider Plan B options, for to do so frequently reinforces Plan A. But trusting Plan B at the expense of Plan A is the foolish choice.)
Prayer: God, You are my stronghold, my salvation, and source of glory; help me wait for the fulfillment of Your perfect plan, particularly when surrounded by lying hypocrites. Amen.
Proverbs 16:10-13 Divine Righteousness of Kings
Observations: 16:10-13 A king speaks as God's righteous servant on earth, saying what God would say, judging justly. God is the source of all justice, be it legal, civil, or commercial. It is an abomination for a king to speak or do what is unrighteous, because he rules as God's representative, doing what God would do. (It's not the other way around, where whatever the king does is what God would do; that's an abomination.) Kings interested in ruling righteously (in the fear of God), delight in and value those who speak the truth, even if it's not what they wanted to hear. Such kings usually exist only in fairy tales.
Application: Righteous rulers and leaders not only do what's right, they value hearing what's right and true.
Prayer: Righteous God, may the leaders of our country, institutions, businesses, and families value and express Your righteousness and truth in all their deliberations and decisions. Amen.
2 Chronicles 13-16 These chapters are a real bright spot in the early history of the divided kingdom. Two kings start out learning from history and do well, and then forget their lessons. Rehoboam's successor in Judah, Abijah, trusts God and gets blessed, although he doesn't continue to seek God. Superstar King Asa, motivated by God's promise of reward, revives the nation, and they wholeheartedly seek God, and find Him! Unfortunately, Asa fails to faithfully trust to the end, and experiences some unpleasant consequences, reaping both halves of God's promise in 2 Chronicles 16:9
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars."
2 Chronicles 13 God Wins
Observations: 13:1-5 Outnumbered two to one by Jeroboam and Israel, legal heir of David, Abijah gives a history lesson (maybe he wants to bore them to death?). The Davidic covenant is referred to as a covenant of salt, since salt endured.
13:6-12 Abijah rightly portrays Jeroboam as the servant who rebelled, removed Yahweh worship and the legitimate priests, the Levites, and instituted the same pagan worship for which God judged the initial occupants of the land. Israel had forsaken God, while Judah had not. Therefore, Israel was fighting against people rightly related to God, and thus against God. They would not prosper fighting against Yahweh.
13:13-20 Ignoring the truth of history, as most do, Israel attacked, with both numerical and tactical superiority. Judah called out to God, the priests sounded the trumpets, and as the men of Judah shouted (just like Jericho, but without the marching), God struck Israel, and the majority of Jeroboam's force was wiped out. The text says Judah won because they relied on God. Had they not been worshiping properly, their call and trumpets and shouting would have been in vain. Bethel, the center of idolatrous worship was taken by Judah. Jeroboam will die a year or two later.
13:21-22 These last verses record Abijah/Abijam's prosperity, but apparently he failed to learn from his own history, because he didn't continue to obey and trust God.
1Kg 15:3 He (Abijam) walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father.
Application: Remember how God has acted in history and your own life, so you will not fail to follow Him.
Prayer: God, You are the Mighty Warrior who protects those rightly related to You; may I always obey and faithfully depend upon You in times of need. Amen.
2 Chronicles 14 Peace, Problem, Prosperity
Observations: 14:1-8 Asa becomes one of Judah's greatest kings, doing what is right in God's sight, even removing the high places dedicated to idols (he apparently left those dedicated to Yahweh 15:17). He was wholehearted in worshiping Yahweh.
14:9-15 God responds with peace and prosperity. And then a million Ethopians show up on their doorstep. The “problem” turns out to be God's means of blessing Judah with prosperity and abundance, as God fights the battle in response to Asa's prayerful trust.
Application: When following God wholeheartedly, He allows apparent problems as a means to deepen our dependence upon Him, so He can bless us even more.
Prayer: God, thanks that You desire to bless Your faithful saints; may I not fret over the difficulties You allow in my life, but confidently look to You for Your solution and blessing. Amen.
2 Chronicles 15 God Rewards Wholehearted Seeking
15:1 The Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded: 2 and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin! Yahweh is with you, while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 Now for a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. 4 But when in their distress they turned to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 5 In those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came in; but great troubles were on all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God troubled them with all adversity. 7 But you be strong, and don’t let your hands be slack; for your work shall be rewarded."
8 When Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill country of Ephraim; and he renewed the altar of Yahweh, that was before the porch of Yahweh. 9 He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who lived with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they came to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that Yahweh 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 They sacrificed to Yahweh in that day, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep. 12 They entered into the covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul; 13 and that whoever would not seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 14 They swore to Yahweh with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets. 15 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 Yahweh gave them rest all around. 16 Also Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image, and made dust of 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 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 There was no more war to the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.
Observations: 15:1-7 God sends the prophet Azariah to give a similar promise to Asa that David had given to Solomon. “1Chron 28:9 "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.”
15:8-19 Motivated by God's promise of reward, Asa cleans up the land and temple, and the people make themselves holy to Yahweh again. Those from the northern tribes who feared Yahweh flooded to Judah, when they saw that Yahweh was with Asa. Everyone entered into a covenant to seek Him wholeheartedly, and eliminated those who didn't (What ever happened to freedom of religion? Oh, it hadn't been invented yet. Purging apostates is usually not a good idea, because usually the purgers are even more apostate.) God had mandated in Deuteronomy 17:2-7 that those who didn't want to be His people didn't have a reason for occupying space on the planet, and could infect others.
Application: God rewards wholehearted seeking, so what are you waiting for?
Prayer: Lord, bring into my life others who want to seek You wholeheartedly, and may we together experience Your goodness, and rejoice in Your name. Amen.
2 Chronicles 16 Asa Wins the War but Gets Defeated
16:1 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of Yahweh and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben Hadad king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying, 3 "Let there be a treaty between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me." 4 Ben Hadad listened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel 5 When Baasha heard of it, he left off building Ramah, and let his work cease. 6 Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had built; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.
Observations: 16:1-6 Like his father Abijah, Asa failed to learn from his own history. Faced with a threat by Baasha, (who had assassinated Jeroboam's son Nadab (1Kg 15), and became the third king of Israel), Asa failed to rely on God and call out to him for protection (as he had with the larger Ethiopian threat). Instead, Asa was disloyal to God and sought help from the king of Syria. This was a breach of the father-son, Suzerain-Vassal, covenantal relationship found in many Ancient Near East treaties, in which part of the deal was that the greater power would protect the lesser power, who would rely exclusively upon the greater power.
16:7-11 God sends a messenger to review history with Asa, who gets angry and engages in another ancient custom, still practiced in our day, of shooting/imprisoning the messenger. The message ends with a great verse (16:9), only the first half of which is usually quoted. The imagery of God sitting on His throne, scanning the earth muttering under His breath “Now, who can I help? On whose behalf can I unleash My might? Any hearts out there focused wholly on Me? Anybody? Hello? Anyone?” brings great comfort to those who do seek God wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, in spite of all the good he did and God's blessings, Asa, drifted toward the end. He didn't worship other gods, but didn't wholeheartedly worship Yahweh, failing to continue to respond in trust and obedience to God's promises.
16:12-14 God responded to Asa's tantrum with a little toe trouble, which became a real defeat, but Asa was too busy being self-reliant (and mad at God) to seek Him. Too bad, he was a great guy.
Application: God is serious about having us totally trust Him; anything less is disloyalty.
Prayer: God, thanks that You want to fight my battles and show Yourself strong on my behalf. May my heart be totally focused on trusting and obeying You, so You can come to my aid. Amen.
Digging Deeper:
God in a nutshell: God desires to show Himself strong on behalf of those who wholeheartedly seek and find Him, according to His invitation. He blesses obedience, and holds out the promise of reward to motivate His people to service. He allows/sends problems into our lives to bless us if we seek Him, and curse us if we don't. It's our choice of consequences.
Us in a nutshell: We can have a heart that is wholeheartedly devoted to God, and receive His corresponding blessing. We can turn from trusting Him, and reap negative consequences as well. Living in covenantal unity with fellow God-seekers necessitates exclusion of those who don't want to seek God according to His revealed will. If we forsake God, and fail to trust Him for our needs and desires, He will forsake us, and let us reap the devastating and destructive consequences of our actions (even if we've been really good saints). We tend not to learn from history, even our own.
Where to Go for More:
Truthbase.net
2Chronicles complete text
2 Chronicles 13
13:1 In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valour. 4 Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5 Ought you not to know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord. 7 There were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them. 8 "Now you think to withstand the kingdom of Yahweh in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods. 9 Haven’t you driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves after the ways of the peoples of other lands? so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, the same may be a priest of those who are no gods. 10 "But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and we have priests ministering to Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work: 11 and they burn to Yahweh every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in order on the pure table; and the lampstand of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening: for we keep the instruction of Yahweh our God; but you have forsaken him. 12 Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, don’t fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers; for you shall not prosper."
13 But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 When Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to Yahweh, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened, that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 The children of Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand. 17 Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. 18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on Yahweh, the God of their fathers. 19 Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with its towns, and Jeshanah with its towns, and Ephron with its towns. 20 Jeroboam didn’t recover strength again in the days of Abijah. Yahweh struck him, and he died. 21 But Abijah grew mighty, and took to himself fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters. 22 The rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.
2 Chronicles 14
14:1 So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet ten years. 2 Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of Yahweh his God: 3 for he took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and broke down the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, 4 and commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. 5 Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun images: and the kingdom was quiet before him. 6 He built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because Yahweh had given him rest. 7 For he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities, and make walls around them, with towers, gates, and bars. The land is yet before us, because we have sought Yahweh our God; we have sought him, and he has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered. 8 Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.
9 There came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a million troops, and three hundred chariots; and he came to Mareshah. 10 Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 Asa cried to Yahweh his God, and said, "Yahweh, there is none besides you to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength. Help us, Yahweh our God; for we rely on you, and in your name are we come against this multitude. Yahweh, you are our God. Don’t let man prevail against you." 12 So Yahweh struck the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. 13 Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar: and there fell of the Ethiopians so many that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before Yahweh, and before his army; and they carried away very much booty. 14 They struck all the cities around Gerar; for the fear of Yahweh came on them: and they despoiled all the cities; for there was much spoil in them. 15 They struck also the tents of livestock, and carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 15
15:1 The Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded: 2 and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin! Yahweh is with you, while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 Now for a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. 4 But when in their distress they turned to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 5 In those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came in; but great troubles were on all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God troubled them with all adversity. 7 But you be strong, and don’t let your hands be slack; for your work shall be rewarded."
8 When Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill country of Ephraim; and he renewed the altar of Yahweh, that was before the porch of Yahweh. 9 He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who lived 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 Yahweh 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 They sacrificed to Yahweh in that day, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep. 12 They entered into the covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul; 13 and that whoever would not seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 14 They swore to Yahweh with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets. 15 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 Yahweh gave them rest all around. 16 Also Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image, and made dust of 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 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 There was no more war to the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.
2 Chronicles 16
16:1 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of Yahweh and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben Hadad king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying, 3 "Let there be a treaty between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me." 4 Ben Hadad listened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali. 5 It happened, when Baasha heard of it, that he left off building Ramah, and let his work cease. 6 Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had built; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.
7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him, "Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on Yahweh your God, therefore is the army of the king of Syria escaped out of your hand. 8 Weren’t the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge army, with chariots and horsemen exceeding many? Yet, because you relied on Yahweh, he delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of Yahweh run back and forth throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein you have done foolishly; for from henceforth you shall have wars." 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the prison; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time. 11 Behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet; his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he didn’t seek Yahweh, but to the physicians. 13 Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. 14 They buried him in his own tombs, which he had dug out for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumers’ art: and they made a very great burning for him.
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