November 11th, 2012
2 Chronicles 14 (1 Kings 15:8-15)
“Superpower Assured”
Bible Memory Verse for the Week: . . . my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. — 2 Peter 1:10-11
Background Information:
- He was well named Asa (“Physician,” “Cure”), for he healed the hurt of his people. We hear of no resistance to his vigorous measures. The conscience of the nation yet answered to the conscience of the king: “the land was quiet before him.” 2. Asa advanced the material prosperity of Judah. In the 10 years of rest which God gave him “he built fenced cities, with walls and towers, gates and bars,” to protect them from Israel on the north and Egypt on the south. 3. Passing now to determine the nature and the extent of Asa’s influence, we find the cause of his success in his piety. He was a sound reformer, an able king, and a successful soldier, because he was faithful to his God. (Joseph S. Exell, The Biblical Illustrator, 2 Chronicles, 51)
- (v.1) That Asa “removed the foreign altars and high places” (14:1 [2]) is in tension with the statement that “he did not remove the high places from Israel” (15:17); many regard these two statements as flat contradictions or a measure of the author’s incompetence as a historian. Rather than quickly dismiss efforts to ease the apparent contradiction as unconscionably harmonistic, it would be more plausible to assume that in the author’s mind the two statements were not in tension; it is unlikely that either the author or a later editor would contradict himself in such short compass. (1) Since 15:17 occurs toward the end of Asa’s reign, presumably in some proximity to his thirty-fifth year from the narrator’s viewpoint (15:19), and 14:2 refers to early reforms, an intervening period of up to thirty years is possible. The two statements could be understood as no more than evidence of the resilience of the indigenous cults which plagued Judah’s history and required repeated reformation. (2) It is also possible that the Chronicler’s insertion of the words “from Israel” in 15:17 (not in the // at 1 Kgs 15:14) is intended to indicate that Asa did not remove the high places from the cities earlier belonging to the Northern Kingdom and then under his sway; contrast the explicit statement that he removed the high places “from all the cities of Judah” (14:4 [5]). (Raymond B. Dillard, Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 15, 117-18)
- (v. 2) Asa is one of the few godly kings to rule the southern kingdom of Judah. He does what is good and right, meaning that he is not only going through the motions of serving the Lord, but his heart is in the right place as well (14:1-2). (Dr. Tremper Longman, Quicknotes, 1 Chr Thru Job, 79)
The question to be answered is . . . What is the Chronicler attempting to communicate to his post-exilic audience here in 2 Chronicles 14?
Answer: Because Asa was a wise king who understood the heart of God and the implications of divine providence, as well as the wayward hearts of men; he was able to institute policies and actions that encouraged faithfulness for the nation of Judah. If the Chronicler’s audience would do the same they could enjoy God’s favor. The message is important to us as well.
The Word for the Day is . . . assure
What is the Chronicler attempting to communicate?:
I. Asa took steps to encourage God’s favor (2 Chr 14:3-8)
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. (Last line of the Declaration of Independence)
It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor. (George Washington)
At first there seems an odd contrast between the emphasis on peace and this protective building; one might suppose that if God gives peace, there will be no need of military preparation. But we should perhaps see in this the same kind of theme as will appear in the Nehemiah (and Ezra) narratives; the community, if it is to remain the faithful and pure people of God, needs to be protected from the outside world. (Peter R. Ackroyd, 1 & 2 Chr, Ezra, Neh, 136)
2 Kgs 17:9-12 attributes the fall of the northern kingdom and the Israelites’ captivity in Assyria to this syncretism and idolatry. (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, 709)
For God the humanly impossible is as nothing (Gn 18:14); and Asa had the faith to commit himself to Yahweh and to expect the impossible (cf. Mk 9:23). (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, 487)
A- He removed foreign altars and high places (14:3, 5 see also Nm 33:52) -locations
Why would God insist on one central worship place? Israelites would observe the major festivals of its worship calendar there, offer sacrifices there, travel there annually from their homes all over the land. Such a centralized worship life would unify the people and keep them focused on God’s purpose for them as his covenant people. (Mark E. Braun, The People’s Bible, Deuteronomy, 110)
“High places” were worship sites erected on hills. They were frequently devoted to Canaanite idols, such as the god Baal. However, they could also be illegitimate places for worship of God. For example, today one can visit the remains of a scaled-down version of the Temple which had been set up at Arad in the Negev desert. The law specified that, once there was a designated place of worship, all other sites would be unacceptable (Dt 12:26-27). Thus from Solomon’s time on, only the Temple in Jerusalem was to be used for worship of God. (Broadman & Holman Pub, Shepherd’s Notes, 1, 2 Chr, 68)
Frequently the high place had a stone symbol, a kind of obelisk, or pillar which also was an object of veneration or a commemorative monument. The high place could also contain images of heathen gods placed in a shrine (cf. 2 Kgs 17:29). Sometimes the high place had a basin or tank where water could be kept for ablutions or libations. In addition to violating the greatest commandment, the idolatry of the high place involved the breaking of other divine laws, for the worship of certain deities demanded human sacrifice (usually of infants or children) and the celebration of rites of a sexual nature, whether religious prostitution or homosexual acts. (Merrill C. Tenney, Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 3, 156)
Apparently the Canaanite practices at the high places were proscribed for Israel rather than the use of such sites themselves. At least this is the inference derived from one of the sanctions at the end of the Holiness Code in which Yahweh says, “If you do not obey me, then I will destroy your high places, and knock down your incense altars, and throw your corpses on the memorial stelae of your idols, and my spirit will loathe you” (Lv 26:30; cf. Ez 6:3-6). In any case, the high place seems to have survived as a legitimate site for sacrifice and worship in Israel until, ideally, the building of Solomon’s temple (1 Kgs 3:2f.); in practice, however, it continued till the reforms of Hezekiah (2 Kgs 18) and Josiah (2 Kgs 23). (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, 709)
After the Philistines had destroyed the tabernacle at Shiloh (referred to indirectly in Scripture at Ps 78:60; Jer 7:12, 14; 26:6, 9), there evidently was some worship of the true God at various high places (1 Sm 9:13; 10:5; 2 Chr 1:3). But once Solomon’s temple was built, God made it clear that he wanted his people to seek him there, as we have seen. It did not take long, however, for the cancer of idolatry to work its insidious way into the heart of the kingdom. Surprisingly, Solomon himself was the ruler who could claim the dubious “first” of worshiping again at high places other than the temple mount. That alone was bad enough, but what made it so much worse was his worship there of foreign gods (1 Kgs 11:7). Even a pretense of worshiping the Lord had been dropped! The division of the Lord’s kingdom into two parts naturally gave idolatry a tremendous boost as Jeroboam’s sin made its impact felt. By the time of Asa, it is clear that high place worship–not only of the Lord but also of foreign gods–had become an established feature of the religious landscape, North and South. (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 2 Chr, 171-72)
As vigorous as his efforts were, the power and resiliency of idol worship are revealed in a comment we read later: “[Asa] did not remove the high places from Israel” (15:17). This is probably best understood in the light of verses 2 to 5 of our current chapter: he removed those high places dedicated to the worship of foreign gods; he did not, however, remove those dedicated to the worship of the Lord. All in all, his was a noteworthy effort, but it fell short of completely eradicating this scourge from the land. (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 2 Chr, 172)
. . . as prophets looked back over the history of Israel, the high places were constantly adduced as primary reasons for Yahweh’s displeasure with His chosen people (Ps 78:58; Ez 16:16; 20:28f.; cf. Mic 1:5; Jer 17:3; Ez 36:2; 43:7-9). (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, 709)
B- He smashed the sacred stones (14:3) – reminders
Standing stones (usually translated “pillar”) were commonly associated with high places. Etymologically, a massēbôt, sing. massēbâ could be any stone that is “set up”; its unnatural position would then serve the purpose of being some kind of a reminder. From the biblical point of view, the practice was both permitted (Gn 28:18; 31:45-52; Ex 24:4) and denounced (Dt 16:22; 2 Kgs 23), depending, of course, on the purpose for setting up the stone. Though these stones have been variously interpreted as phallic symbols, sacred abodes of animistic spirits, and idols or representations of deity, a comprehensive study of standing stones by Graesser suggests that they normally perform one of four kinds of functions: (1) memorial, to mark the memory of a dead person or the position of his grace (Gn 35:20; 2 Sm 18:18); (2) legal, to mark a legal relationship between two or more individuals, such as boundary and treaty stones (Gn 31:45-52; Ex 24:4; Dt 19:14; 27:17; Jo 24:26f.); (3) commemorative, to commemorate an event and especially to call to mind its participants (1 Sm 7;12; 15:12); (4) cultic, to mark the sacred area where the deity might be found or even the exact point where the deity is cultically immanent, i.e., where worship and sacrifice will reach the deity (Gn 28:16-18; 35:14; 2 Kgs 3:2; 10:26f.). Naturally, the standing stones erected at the high places were most closely associated with this last function. (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, 710)
C- He cut down the Asherah poles (14:3) – seductions
This deity was the female consort of the male deity Ba’al, and pairs of them were found in the villages of the Canaanites; thus the OT prohibition against the worship and rites of either Baalim (pl.) or Ashtaroth (Jgs 2:13; 10:6). Some scholars have attempted to use these pl. forms as criteria for documentary and fragmentary analyses of the MT. Such attempts, however, are specious and based on subjective assumptions. During the period of the Judges, the influence of Baalim and Ashtaroth was of such seriousness that repeated warnings were raised by the Judges against this worship (1 Sm 7:4; 12:10). Apostalizing after the Canaanite cult of Ashtaroth was one of the reasons given for Israel’s defeat at the hand of the Philistines (12:10). (Merrill C. Tenney, Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 1, 358)
There is little question but that some of the rites and rituals involved were obscene and perverse in the context of the law given by God to Israel. It was this fact which brought about the imprecations of the Judges and Prophets. (Merrill C. Tenney, Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 1, 358)
Ashtoreth was the main Semitic fertility-goddess worshiped throughout the ancient Near East, though in Mesopotamia, where she was also an astral deity, she was called Ishtar. Later she was identified with Greek Aphrodite and Roman Venus. Palestinian excavations often recover images of Ashtoreth that depict her as a nude woman with her sexual features accentuated; these artifacts are usually referred to as Astarte figurines or plaques (astarte being the Greek transliteration of Ashtoreth), though it is now thought that many of these actually represented Asherah, the supreme Canaanite mother goddess, whose memory was obliterated in the Iron Age through the spread of the Mesopotamian Ishtar cult. (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, 710)
Asherah poles (i.e., Asherim) were wooden cult symbols of Asherah and were found in the form of both living trees and wooden poles or pillars. Asherah poles would be erected, consecrated, and worshiped as a representative of the goddess. The destruction of these poles by Asa suggests that Yahweh worship was being tainted with Asherah worship. (John H. Walton, Zondervan Ill. Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Vol. 3, 333)
D- He commanded Judah to seek the Lord (14:4)
In the Judean monarchy the rank of queen mother was an official appointment, as the habitual naming in Kings attests: see 1 Kgs 22:41; 2 Kgs 14:1. Maachah by her Canaanite form of religion proved unworthy of the appointment and had to be dismissed. It must have caused a public scandal, and a lesser king would have done a cover-up. Painful as the incident was, consistency demanded it. If the heart is committed to God, it will not shrink from making necessary changes, however radical and disturbing. (Leslie Allen, Mastering the OT, 1, 2 Chr, 285)
As the Chronicler’s readers heard these descriptions of Asa’s time, they were to yearn to see the same blessings in their own day. Rebuilding and prosperity were among their goals as well. The Chronicler left no room for misunderstanding the way that would lead to these results. Seeking the Lord as Asa did was the key to their desires. (Richard L. Pratt, 1 & 2 Chr, A Mentor Commentary, 299-300)
I’ve lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: That God governs in the affairs of men. If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We’ve been assured in the sacred writings that unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. I firmly believe this, and I also believe that without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel. (Benjamin Franklin)
E- He commanded Judah to obey the Lord’s laws (14:4)
Asa is the first of 4 reforming kings in Chronicles, who set out to restore and purify Judah’s worship (the others are Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah). The groundwork for this view of Asa was already present in the Chronicler’s source, where the king “put away the male temple prostitutes out of the land, and removed all the idols that his ancestors had made” (1 Kgs 15:12). Indeed, so great was Asa’s zeal that he “removed his mother Maacah from being queen mother, because she had made an abominable image for Asherah” (1 Kgs 15:12//2 Chr 15:16). (Steven S. Tuell, Interpretation: 1 & 2 Chr, 166)
The description of Asa’s efforts closely follows the instructions of Dt 12:1-3. The Chronicler cast the king’s reforms in this traditional language to present him as an example of what Judah’s kings were always to do. (Richard L. Pratt, 1 & 2 Chr, A Mentor Commentary, 297)
Asa had the good fortune to inherit a kingdom at peace, and he had the good sense to use the time to protect his kingdom from future war (14:5-8). Asa also had the insight to see that it was the Lord who had given his kingdom peace, and he took clear steps to maintain that relationship with God, for he removed the unlawful religious objects (14:3) and led the people in the lawful worship of God (v. 4). (John Sailhamer, Everyman’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Chr, 88)
Asa’s obedience to the Mosaic law is seen in the fact that Dt 7:5; 12:2 prescribe removing heathen altars, smashing the sacred stones, cutting down the Asherah poles, and destroying the Canaanite high places (2 Chr 14:5). (Andrew E. Hill, The NIV Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Chr, 469)
F- He removed the incense altars in every town (14:5) – emotional worship connections
Incense (“perfume” RSV) brings joy (Prv 27:9). It could be burned by a prostitute at a revel (Ez 23:41) and was passed around in bowls after a banquet (Mishnah, Berakoth, VI. 6). It perfumed the litter of Solomon (Sg 3:6) and was an element of the luxurious life at Rome (Rv 18:13). Nm 16:46-48 illustrates the fumigatory use of incense to stop a plague. Incense was burned at the funerals of kings (2 Chr 16:14; 21:19; Jer 34:5), and perhaps Amos 6:9, 10 points to the same custom among the common people. (Merrill C. Tenney, Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 3, 275)
The worship of Baal, the queen of heaven, and other foreign gods by means of incense often is condemned in the OT (e.g. 1 Kgs 11:8; Ep Jer 43). Also condemned are the pagan “incense altars” KJV usually “images” (Lv 26:30), and the “altars for burning incense” (2 Chr 30:14).
The burning of incense at the shrines on “high places” also is often criticized (e.g. 1 Kgs 22:43), either because these high places were associated with idolatry (14:23) or because they conflicted with the centralization of worship in Jerusalem (3:2). (Merrill C. Tenney, Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 3, 275)
According to the law only the priests descended from Aaron could offer incense (Lv 2:2). Those who tried to usurp the priestly function of offering incense were punished by death (Nm 16:31, 32) or disease (2 Chr 26:19), and even priests who offered incense improperly were killed (Lv 10:1, 2).
In the special case of a plague Aaron offered the incense with a censer, not in the sanctuary as usually, but in the camp (Nm 16:46, 47). (Merrill C. Tenney, Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 3, 275)
Most of the biblical passages dealing with incense occur in the priestly stratum (P) of the Pentateuch, which regards it as an important element of the Mosaic cult. Its recipe, in which frankincense is the chief ingredient, is revealed by God Himself (Ex 30:34-36; cf. 37:29; 1 Chr 9:30); no secular use may be made of it (vv. 37f.). Conversely, no other compound may be burned upon the incense altar (Ex 30:9). Incense may be offered only by a descendant of Aaron (Nm 16:35, 40; cf. 2 Chr 26:16-21), and only the proper fire may be used for it (presumably, fire from the altar of whole offering; Lv 10:1f.; cf. 16:12; Nm 16:46); violation of these restrictions brings the most drastic punishment (Mn 16:35; cf. 2 Chr 26:19). (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, 817)
Two passages (Lv 16:13; cf. V. 2; Nm 16:46-48) suggest that the cloud of incense smoke serves to protect people from the dangers inherent in contact with the holy. (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, 817)
G- In faith Asa appealed to the Lord for provision and protection (14:11)
“Will God’s people lean on their own understanding, or will they depend upon their God?” Once this spiritual contest has been decided, what the world might see as the actual battle becomes no battle at all. (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 2 Chr, 176)
II. How did God assure Asa His favor towards Judah?
A- God gave them rest (14:6, 7)
God’s gifts of rest and responsibilities went together as a package deal. Asa is portrayed in 14:1-8 as a second Solomon, living up to the obligations laid on him and so living in peace. In this phase of his life he matches up to the Solomonic model associated with the beginning of the new era. (Leslie Allen, Mastering the OT, 1, 2 Chr, 280)
The surprising recurrence of terms for “rest” throughout this entire section (vs. 5-7; see also 15:15) lets us know that, from the Chronicler’s point of view, tranquility and peace were the key blessings enjoyed during the good period of Asa’s reign. God’s people had entered that rest through “[seeking] the LORD,” that is, through faith in him (v. 7; see Heb 4:3). Rest was not won through their own efforts. Security was not a product of bricks and mortar, nor was a large, citizen army any guarantee of tranquility. (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 2 Chr, 172-73)
“Rest” in the land is the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to give Canaan to the Israelites as their “inheritance” (Dt 12:8-10). (Andrew E. Hill, The NIV Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Chr, 470)
True peace does not come from extreme indifference, nor does it originate from becoming so “spiritual” that you fail to notice the world around you. Peace is the fruit of being confident in God’s love; it is born of the revelation that, regardless of the battle, “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 Jn 4:4). You are not self-assured, you are God-assured. (Francis Frangipane, The Three Battlegrounds, p. 55)
B- God gave Judah security (14:7 see also: Ps 7:9; 12:7; 16:5; 18:2; 25:20-21; 28:7; 32:7; 37:28; 86:2; 91:14; 97:10; 125:1; 140:12; 144:2; Prv 2:8; 14:26; 23:9-11; 30:5)
Eyes that have spiritual sight see things for what they are. A person who truly sees has looked within and found nothing there to rely on. That person has sized up the enemy and knows the impossibility of standing against him. Above all, such a person has turned to God and has found in him a place of rest for an anxious heart. (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 2 Chr, 176)
If a king built fortifications as a result of peace given by God, the Chronicler approved the projects as God’s blessing. If a king built in response to the threat of an enemy, the fortification demonstrated a lack of trust in God. (Richard L. Pratt, 1 & 2 Chr, A Mentor Commentary, 299)
C- God allowed Judah to prosper (14:7)
D- God gave Judah victory over her enemies (14:12)
The Chronicler includes this story of Judah’s victory over Zerah and the Cushites as evidence of the king’s faithfulness and reliance on God. Despite Asa’s defensive strategy and military resources (14:7-8), he acknowledges powerlessness before the foe and pleads for divine deliverance (14:11). McConville observes that events like this one are recorded in the Bible “precisely to encourage faith that can hold in the fact of such (overwhelming) odds.” Allen goes further, first by outlining the beautiful structure of Asa’s prayer, “beginning and ending with appeals to God and setting human faith in the middle, surrounded by the protective power of the covenant God,” and second by noting that “God’s help is triggered by prayer, prayer which admits to human helplessness and lays claim to God’s patronage.” Such prayer is exemplary, whether for the Chronicler’s time or our own. (Andrew E. Hill, The NIV Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Chr, 470-71)
Fundamentally the Chronicler has a realistic view of life. Foes do not appear on the horizon merely as divine agents of retribution. Fond though he is of preaching providential causality, he is too good a student of life to promise a bed of roses to the faithful believer. Crisis is a fact of life. Yet God is able to deal with crisis when it comes: for the believer it is an opportunity to prove God’s power in a new way. (Leslie Allen, Mastering the OT, 1, 2 Chr, 282)
Vastly outnumbered and completely outclassed (vow, spear, and shield are no match for chariotry), it seemed that Judah’s army would be slaughtered by their enemies. By now we should recognize the kinds of battle the Chronicler likes to depict. Physical supremacy is never the issue in them. If the Chronicler’s battles were to be settled in earthly terms, the opposing army should have easily won out every time over the Lord’s little flock. But they were not so much a physical contest as they were spiritual warfare. (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 2 Chr, 174)
Our Savior-God has so identified himself with our struggles and conflicts that those who oppose us, oppose him. We are “his army” (v. 13) and so do battle under his banner. Let every baptized believer be sure of this: God has put his name on us; we never fight alone, for we are his! (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 2 Chr, 176)
CONCLUSION/APPLICATION: What does this message have to do with Christ and me?:
A- Christ seeks to remove those things from our lives that might compete with our affections towards God (Ps 119:37; Prv 4:23; chs 5-7; 13:6; 16:17; 19:16; 21:23; 22:5; Mt 16:6-12; Lk 12:15; 1 Cor 16:13; 2 Thes 3:3; Heb 12:1-3; Jas 1:3-4, 12; 2 Pt 3:17)
God calls us to live pure and holy lives (1 Thes 4:3, 7, 8; Eph 1:4; Ti 2:13, 14). Not lives that are compromised with the sins and ways of the world.
Giving false assurance to sinners is a Scriptural sign of a false prophet. ‘From the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the bruise of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace’ [Jer 6:14]. It is the Holy Spirit’s work to assure the hearts of God’s children. Thus, our forefathers would not have used the methods of assurance which are in vogue today. (Walter J. Chantry, Today’s Gospel: Authentic or Synthetic?, 70)
The church has been compromised because it has been guilty of elevating human expediency over divine principle. (Alister Begg)
“This is why a continual desire for worldly pleasures often signifies that all is not well. Some of this world’s pleasures, even in moderation, will undermine a Christian’s spiritual life. If a married man wants to flirt with other girls, even in moderation, one assumes that there is something wrong with his marriage—of if not, that there soon will be! So it is when a Christian flirts with worldliness. The command is clear and uncompromising: Come out from them and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you. (2 Cor. 6:17) We are to abstain from every form of evil (2 Thes 5:22).” (Kenneth Prior; The Way of Holiness, p. 144)
“America first proclaimed its independence on the basis of self-evident moral truths. America will remain a beacon of freedom for the world as long as it stands by those moral truths which are the very heart of its historical experience…And so America: if you want peace, work for justice. If you want justice, defend life. If you want life, embrace truth-truth revealed by God.” (Pope John Paul II; Leadership, Spring 1999, 75)
B- Christ seeks to give believers a strategy to seek the Lord (means of grace) (Ps 119:11; Isa 37:35; Lk 17:33; Jn 17:17; Rom 15:4-5; Eph 4:7-16; Col; 4:12; 1 Thes 4:1-6; 2 Thes 2:13-14; 1 Tm 4:16; 6:20-21; 2 Tm 1:12-14; Heb 12:7; 1 Jn 1:9; 2 Pt 1:2-11 + see Pastor Keith’s Means of Grace Wednesday Night study – D.V. available on line @ the HFM web-site in 2013)
The Chronicler recorded this battle so that the “little flock” of God’s own might have reason to hope in all their struggles. Gently he leads them to see that the real issues they face are never those earthly questions that usually stand at the top of people’s anxiety lists, “What shall we eat; what shall we drink; how are we ever going to make it?” The genuine struggle always takes place on a spiritual plane. Do these earthly concerns lead me to try in some desperate way to save myself, relying on whatever resources I possess to surmount the difficulty at hand? Or do they teach me again to despair of myself and lean upon my gracious God? The Chronicler speaks to us here too so that “through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom 15:4). (Paul O. Wendland, The People’s Bible, 2 Chr, 177)
Just as Judah, under Asa’s godly leadership, prepares to meet the challenge of more invaders during a time of peace, we must practice daily the spiritual disciplines that strengthen us so that we can be ready when times of trial come. And when trials arrive, we must turn to the Lord for strength and trust that He will prevail–we will share in His victory if we are on His side. (Dr. Tremper Longman, Quicknotes, 1 Chr Thru Job, 79)
Zerah the Ethiopian attacks Judah with overwhelming force: “an army of a million men and 300 chariots” (14:9). In the face of this threat, Asa rightly turns to the Lord. This does not mean that Asa’s military preparations have been needless, or worse, a sign of faithlessness. Repeatedly, the Scriptures urge us to trust in God. However, trusting in God does not mean that we abandon all caution, or that we cease to plan ahead. Later in the Chronicler’s History, Nehemiah will go about his plans to rebuild Jerusalem carefully and cannily (see especially Neh 2:9-20). In Mt 10:16, Jesus warns his followers, “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Similarly, in Lk 14:25-33, Jesus urges those who would follow him first of all to plan ahead and count the cost, like a builder beginning work on a tower or a king preparing for war. Careful, constructive planning is an important first step if we really want to make a difference in our world. (Steven S. Tuell, Interpretation: 1 & 2 Chr, 167)
You can’t be free until you are secure. And you can’t be secure unless you know the sovereign God who is ruling this whole show. (Steve Brown, Born Free)
The Lord has fought for Israel. But the principle has a wider application. The English and American pioneers of the movements for the abolition of slavery had to face what seemed an impenetrable phalanx of powerful interests and influences. It may be objected that if victory were to be secured by Divine intervention, there was no need to muster 580,000 men, or indeed any army at all. We have no right to look for Divine co-operation till we have done our best; we are to work out our own salvation, for it is God that worketh in us. (Joseph S. Exell, The Biblical Illustrator, 2 Chronicles, 53)
C- Christ seeks to create in us a greater love for Himself so we might study to know and then endeavor to follow God’s Law (Ps 18:30; 119:14; Lk 7:47; Jn 14:15; 15:14; Phil 4:7; Col 1:10-14; 2 Pt 3:18; 1Jn 2:3-3:10; 4:1-5:5)
Disobedience and assurance do not sleep in the same bead — Alister Begg
“One thing essential to growth in grace is diligence in the use of private means of grace. By these I understand such means as a man must use by himself alone, and no one can use for him. I include under this head private prayer, private reading of the Scriptures, and private meditation and self-examination. The man who does not take pains about these three things must never expect to grow.” (J. C. Ryle, Holiness, 89)
Most people are trying to sanctify themselves by means of grace. In reality, we use the means of grace and allow God to do His work. God comes when He comes. Our task is to expose ourselves to the means of grace and WAIT! There is an element of mystery of this in allowing God to be God. We (in the Western nations) like a cause and effect religion. Do this and this will happen. God says no! He does His work when He wants. He is like the wind blowing. We do our job and wait for the wind to blow. Usually the light comes when we are using the means. Usually the taste of the honey comes to us when we are using the means of grace. But we must wait on God. Let God be God.
“Whatever pretenses men make of thankfulness for the Word of God, however they speak of it as a privilege to have light and the means of grace, if they do not yield obedience to the light and conform themselves to the commands of it, they are practically unthankful and do in effect cast it behind their backs (Neh 9:26). (Robert Roberts; Sanctify the Congregation, 127)
D- Realize all Christ has done to for those “in Christ”. They are shielded from God’s wrath (Is 51:22; ch 53; Mt 3:7; 5:21-25; 10:15; 11:22-24; 12:36-42; 23:33; Mk 16:16; Lk 3:7; 10:14; 11:31-32; 12:1-7; 13:3, 5; Jn 3:16-18, 36; 5:24; Rom 1:18; 2:1-8; 5:8-10; 8:1-3; Eph 2:3; 5:6; Col 1:21; 1 Thes 1:10; 2 Thes 2:10-12; Heb 10:26-31; Jas 4:4, 11-12; 1 Pt 1:5; 2 Pt 3:7; Rv 14:10, 19)
“Grace has meaning only when we are seen as fallen, unworthy of salvation & liable to eternal wrath.” (Samuel Storms; Grandeur of God, 124)
“See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god with Me; I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; neither is there any that can deliver out of My hand. For I lift up My hand to heaven, and say, I live forever. If I whet My glittering sword, and Mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to Mine enemies, and will reward them that hate Me.” (Dt 32:39-41). A study of the concordance will show that there are more references in Scripture to the anger, fury, and wrath of God, than there are to His love and tenderness. Because God is holy, He hates all sin; and because He hates all sin, His anger burns against the sinner (Psa 7:11).
…Indifference to sin is a moral blemish, and he who hates it not is a moral leper. How could He who is the Sum of all excellency look with equal satisfaction upon virtue and vice, wisdom and folly? How could He who is infinitely holy disregard sin and refuse to manifest His “severity” (Rom 9:22) toward it? …The very nature of God makes Hell as real a necessity, as imperatively and eternally requisite, as Heaven is. Not only is there no imperfection in God, but there is no perfection in Him that is less perfect than another.
The wrath of God is eternal detestation of all unrighteousness. (Arthur W. Pink, The Attributes of God, 83)
If you do not believe in a God of wrath, but only in a God of love; then what did it cost for your God of love to really love you? When you understand the wrath of God, you better understand the love of God because you understand what God was willing to do for you because of Your Sin. (Tim Keller)
Here you may say, “I don’t like the idea of the wrath of God. I want a God of love.”
The problem is that if you want a loving God, you have to have an angry God. Please think about it. Loving people can get angry, not in spite of their love but because of it. In fact, the more closely and deeply you love people in your life, the angrier you can get. Have you noticed that? When you see people who are harmed or abused, you get mad. If you see people abusing themselves, you get mad at them, out of love. Your senses of love and justice are activated together, not in opposition to each other. If you see people destroying themselves or destroying other people and you don’t get mad, it’s because you don’t care. You’re too absorbed in yourself, too cynical, too hard. The more loving you are, the more ferociously angry you will be at whatever harms your beloved.
. . . But we don’t ponder how much his anger is also a function of his love and goodness. The Bible tells us that God loves everything he has made. That’s one of the reasons he’s angry at what’s going on in his creation; he is angry at anything or anyone that is destroying the people and world he loves. His capacity for love is so much greater than ours–and the cumulative extent of evil in the world is so vast–that the word wrath doesn’t really do justice to how God rightly feels when he looks at the world. So it makes no sense to say, “I don’t want a wrathful God, I want a loving God.” If God is loving and good, he must be angry at evil–angry enough to do something about it. (Timothy Keller, King’s Cross, 177)
The Bible looks at the Wrath of God as a product of His moral integrity. (Chuck Swindoll)
Worship point: The more you endeavor to seek, know, love, and obey God; the more you will discover your inability to do any of these perfectly; thus, the more you will worship Christ who did, in fact, perfectly love and obey God the Father as well as protect you from God’s wrath.
The consciousness of weakness may unnerve a man; and that is why people in the world are always patting each other on the back and saying, “be of good cheer, and rely upon yourself.” But the self-distrust that turns to God becomes the parent of a far more reliable self-reliance than that which trusts to men. My consciousness of need is my opening the door for God to come in. Just as you always find the lakes in the hollows, so you will always find the grace of God coming into men’s hearts to strengthen them and make them victorious, when there has been the preparation of the lowered estimate of one’s self. Hollow out your heart by self-distrust, and God will fill it with the flashing waters of His strength bestowed. (Joseph S. Exell, The Biblical Illustrator, 2 Chronicles, 54)
Spiritual Challenge: Being ever cognizant of the purpose of the Law (to drive you to Christ) create an intentional and purposeful strategy to see Christ more clearly, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more nearly. Make use of the means of grace that God has provided so you might grow in your faith or Christian maturity. Then, as you recognize your inability to keep the Law perfectly, bask in the grace, mercy and love of God in Christ Who keeps you and shields you from the wrath, justice and holiness of God. (2 Pt 1:2-11)
Quotes to Note:
The Chronicler omits all four references found in Kings to cultic prostitutes (1 Kgs 14:24; 15:12; 22:46 [46]; 2 Kgs 23:7), possibly to suppress abhorrent memories, though more likely because cultic prostitution was not practiced widely in post-exilic Judah, and references to it were somewhat irrelevant to his audience (P. Dion, CBQ 43, 41-48). (Raymond B. Dillard, Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 15, 117)
We should all be concerned about our assurance of salvation, because if we lack assurance we lack joy, and if we lack joy our life is probably of a poor quality. “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh 8:10). (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans, Exposition of Chapter 8:5-17, 16)
God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever. (Thomas Jefferson in the Jefferson Memorial)
Christ:
Salvation Assured
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