King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Thursday, June 25, 2020
Chapters: II Chronicles 13-16, I Kings 15
Message: Our Helper In Battles
Hello My Friend,
As I was reading the chapters for today, this verse stood out, [II Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.] Do you see all the wars that are within our own country? We do not need the enemy to destroy this country, all these fools are destroying it all on their own. God is indeed watching over ours and every nation, His mercies are in abundance in hopes that they will turn from their false gods and to Him. It truly is incredible that God never stops knocking on the doors of each and every heart, [Revelation 3:19-21 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.]
God is not just going to let us get saved and do whatever we want until He brings us home, if we want all the blessings that come with being faithful to Him we need to allow Christ is live in and through us. If we sin against Him, He will chasten us. Why? He loves us too much to see us suffer in our sin, and believe me, the suffering we face for living in sin as opposed to what God’s chastening would be a lot worse. While Rehoboam was king he fought with Jeroboam the entire time he reigned, and things did not get better after Rehoboam’s son, Abijam took over as his heart was not perfect with God.
[I Kings 15:1-6 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. 2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. 3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. 4 Nevertheless for David’s sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem: 5 Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. 6 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.]
[Nevertheless for David’s sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem,] God already determined that He was going to use David to establish His own kingdom, He was not just going to let them live as they please, they would either repent and turn to Him or die in their sin. Well, Abijah’s heart may not have been perfect toward God, but he did know that God was with them and the promise He made to his great, great grandfather. He stood up in front of his army and proclaimed God as LORD. [II Chronicles 13:4-5,8,10 And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel; 5 Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? 8 And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods. 10 But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:]
[the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him;] Our heart may not always be perfect with God, but we will not forsake Him, and for that reason, God will defend His people until Christ returns to establish His Kingdom. Jeroboam might not have listened to what Abijah said, but God was listening.
[II Chronicles 13:14-20 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand. 17 And Abijah and his people slew 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 upon the LORD God of their fathers. 19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof. 20 Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him, and he died.]
[because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.] You see, God never leaves nor forsakes His people. Yes, He will deal with our sin as He sees fit, but He made a promise to us the second we received Christ as our Saviour, and that promise was eternal life. If we are honest with ourselves, our heart is not always perfect with God, we have lots of matters tugging on it, and instead of asking God for help we just let them fester. That is until we have had enough and remind ourselves that God is with us, He has not forsaken us, and He wants to help us, [Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.]
If you ever wondered why God has not completely destroyed all rebellious nations already it is because He really does not want to see them destroyed, He wants all the nations that were built upon His Word word to get there act together and return to Him. Besides, there are a lot of faithful Christians that will not bow to the world still around, fighting for the cause of Christ. Now, after Abijah died his son, Asa reigned, unlike his father, he followed God as David did, and since he ran the kingdom according to the Law, even removing the idols and groves used to worship them, for ten years there was peace in Judah.
[II Chronicles 14:2-4,9,11-12 And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: 3 For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: 4 And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. 9 And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah. 11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. 12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.]
[and in thy name we go against this multitude.] Let me tell you, the devil is forever attempting to get God’s faithful to turn their backs on Him completely, all the while God is using the whole thing to strengthen our faith in Him. It does not matter how many are against us, God will always be before us, [Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.]
Asa credited his success to God, and even did great things to make sure that the only law in Judah was God’s law. God sent the prophet Azariah to speak with Asa.
[II Chronicles 15:1-4,7-9 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. 7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. 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.]
[and if ye seek him, he will be found of you;] God is not hard to find, all you have to do is look to Christ. Believe it or not, when the presence of God is noticed by the world many will flock to Him. The lost are not hopeless, many are in search of something to give them that hope they need to get through their problems, and that is when they seek Him and find Christ, [Matthew 10:32-33 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.]
Part of our walk with Christ is trusting Him, at all times, and turning to Him when we are tempted, God wants us turning to Him at all times, especially when we are dealing with issues that are out of our control. Asa’s faith in God came to a screeching halt as he made a foolish decision to make allies with the king of Syria.
[II Chronicles 16:1-3,7,12-13 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none 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 the LORD and of the king’s house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, 3 There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. 7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. 12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians. 13 And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.]
[and not relied on the LORD thy God,] It was Asa’s pride that got in the way of repentance. There is a reason why God did not want Asa to make a league with these people, and Israel still suffers today for that decision. We must trust God completely to see Him deliver us from the dangers in this world, if we choose our own way we will suffer more than we have to. You see, it is not we who fight our battles, it is God, [Deuteronomy 20:4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You, for being my hope, faith, for loving me and not forsaking me, even when my heart is not perfect. Thank You, for Your endless mercy, and grace, and for always being there to defend and fight for me, even when I have failed You. You are always there for me, faithful and just to forgive me and cleanse me of all my unrighteousness, and to help me fight my battles, even the ones I start myself, when I come to You. Lord, I am nothing without You, lead me and guide me, remove from my heart anything that keeps it perfectly on You, let me not trust in the world to take care of or protect me, only trust in You for you are before me, fighting every battle. Oh, and as for Satan, he has no power over me, for You are much more powerful than he, so, I rebuke the devil and am trusting in You to see me through my battle. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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