March 9, 2021- 2 Chronicles 13-17

Rehoboam has died and his son Abijah is now King of Judah (south) in his place. Abijah seems to be goodish King. He is at war with Jeroboam the King of Israel (north) and Abijah criticizes the idolatry of Israel and their gods made with hands of men. Although Judah is surrounded with twice as many men, God gives Judah the victory. It often seems like the people of God are hopeless and small in number, but this need not be the case. The people of God will always prevail if our God is with us. He never fails.

Abijah dies and his son Asa rules Judah in his place. Asa seems to be an even better King. Judah is blessed by God and Asa says, “The land is still ours because we have sought the Lord our God.” It seems Asa remembers the promise to Abraham and that the land is only given to the people of God if they do not violate the covenant. A foreign kingdom comes to battle Judah, Asa and the people call out to God and he saves them once again. Christian, call out to our God. He is good and powerful to save.

Jesus said that he came to not to bring peace but the sword, even the sword between families. Asa shows us this by him removing his own mother as Queen. She had committed idolatry and created false idols. Asa deposed her from the Queenship and smashed her idol. Asa was good in doing this but as so often happens Asa did not end well. More foreign kingdoms came but Asa did not call out the Lord. Asa was diseased in the feet, but he did not call out to God. It is so important for Christians to be steadfast in both calling out and depending on God and fighting sin and evil. Christian remain steadfast!

Asa dies and is followed by his son Jehoshaphat. King Jehoshaphat was also a good King. He walked in the ways of his father David and God blessed him. The text says that Jehoshaphat did not go after the false gods of Baal, he sought after God and walked in his commandments. What does faithfulness look like? What does seeking after God look like? It looks just like this. It looks like knowing what God has said in his word and doing what he has commanded. Our faith is not a gnostic/spiritual only faith. Our faith is an active/personal/real faith. Christian, do not fool yourself by thinking that just because we go to church that we are okay. We are okay because of Jesus. We are okay because of what he has done. We respond to the faithfulness of our God by being faithful ourselves by living lives in accordance with his word.