June 17, 2014 - Tuesday

Start Time: 6:06 A.M.

End Time: 6:42 A.M.

Title: Abijah King of Judah

Scripture: 1 Kings 15:1 – 33

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah^[a] became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.^[b] He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. There was war between Abijah^[c] and Jeroboam throughout Abijah’s lifetime. As for the other events of Abijah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king.

NOTES:

Ø There is no peace for those who continually do what is sinful and evil in the eyes of the Lord!  Because God is peace and God cannot dwell with darkness or evil together, evil will have to flee but when we choose evil, we put God aside and we become farther away from Him.  When this happens, war is expected, chaos and danger.  No peace, no order and everything does not function as it is designed by God.  So when our lives are chaotic or we don’t have any peace, know that this is the fruit of what we have chosen.  So make sure to choose wisely.  In truth, there’s only one right choice and that is God. 

Ø God’s love and favor to those who obey and walked uprightly remains even in their descendants who did evil in His sight! God continued to be gracious and merciful to the descendants of David, giving them an heir every time despite of their wickedness and it is all because of David’s sake.  Today, we are given grace, love, favor and mercy because of Jesus’ sake.  Let us not abuse or take advantage of it but turn to the right path of walking uprightly before God.

→ In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.  Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done. He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made.  He even deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother,because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.  There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.  Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s templeand of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus.  “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.” Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.  As for all the other events of Asa’s reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased.  Then Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king.

NOTES:

Ø God will raise up one that will have His heart among the wickedness line of man.  Always, God raised heros to save His children and in the same manner, God raised Asa, a descendant of David to do what is right after the wickedness of his ancestors after David.  God made sure that all that is not right were destroyed and it was so.  Note that the first thing for restoration and redemption with God, is the destroying of whatever is evil and not right before God’s eyes.  When we go thru the process of reconciliation with God, God will not allow that evil will remain.  He will ensure that all evil are destroyed so we will not have anything that will divert our focus away from Him!  Thank You Lord!

→ Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.  He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of his father and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit.  Baasha son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it. Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king.  As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family. He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the Lord given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. This happened because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel.  As for the other events of Nadab’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ³² There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.  In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. ³⁴ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

NOTES:

Ø Chaos follows those who disobeys the Lord and confirms His words about them!  When Asa reigned, he did what was right so he was spared from the war between Judah and Israel.  And so war broke free within Israel when Baasha plotted against Nadab, son of Jeroboam and annihilated everyone in Jeroboam’s line, which is a confirmation of what God has spoken against Jeroboam because of his sins (Jeroboam, despite of the Lord’s warning, still continued to sin – a prophet from Judah came to Jeroboam and told him about the wrong he did, yet he continued to keep the people from going to Jerusalem to worship God and had them offer to the high places he built in their own cities).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing the truth to me.  Thank You for showing me the ways of Your children from the past that I may learn from them.  Thank You because You make sure that I do not go to my destruction by showing me the lives of the people before me and warn me for what things to come if I continue to do evil in the Lord’s sight.  Lord I do not want to sin, I want to obey.  That is my heart’s desire but at times, I am overpowered by my humanly desire and I am weak.  But You are my strength!  If You hold on to me Lord, I know I can fight this battle.  I need You everyday to overpower my enemies and the greatest enemy, which is my self.  Help me Lord and make me like Asa who chose to walk uprightly despite of the examples he saw from his father, Rehoboam.  Help me make the right choices in life Lord.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!