II Chronicles 14 - Abijah & Asa, Kings of Judah (NIV)

Summary:

Abijah King of Judah
Verse 1

Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.  His son, Asa, succeeded him as king and there was peace in the land for 10 years.

Asa King of Judah
Verses 2-15

Asa did good in the eyes of God.  He removed from every town the foreign and incense altars, as well as the high places.  He smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles.  He commanded Judah to seek God and obey His laws, and the kingdom was at peace.  Asa also built up the fortified cities of Judah.  No one was at war with them during that time because the Lord gave them rest.  Asa put up walls, towers, gates, and bars.  He said that the land was still theirs, because they had sought God and He had given them rest.  So, they built and they prospered.

Asa had an army of 300,000 men of Judah, with large shields and spears, and 280,000 men of Benjamin, with small shields and bows.  They were all brave fighting men.  Zerah the Cushite marched out against them, with a vast army (thousands upon thousands) and 300 chariots.  They marched out to Mareshah.  Nearby, Zerah and Asa took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah.

Asa called upon God, claiming that there is none like Him to help the powerless against the mighty.  He asked God for help, stating that they were coming into battle in His name.  He asked for God not to let man prevail against Him.  So, God struck down the Cushites and they fled.  Judah pursued them as far as Gerar.  So many Cushites fell that they couldn't recover.  They were crushed by God and His forces.  Judah took a lot of plunder from them.  They destroyed the villages around Gerar because the terror of the Lord had fallen upon them.  They attacked the camps of the herdsmen and took droves of sheep, goats, and camels.  Then, they returned to Jerusalem.

Lori's Thoughts:

Abijah had led Judah and Benjamin in continuing to serve the Lord, despite what the majority of Israel was doing.  He stood for his beliefs and laid the foundation for Asa to do his work for God.  God gave Asa the time and tools to tear down what was used in idol worship and to build up what belonged to God.  As workers for God, we must lay the groundwork for others to serve Him.  Rather than allow our children to start from ground zero, we can provide them with a platform from which to prosper with God, as Abijah did for Asa.

People have a tendency to only seek God when they are hurting.  I challenge you to seek Him at all times.  Don't stay lukewarm.  During Asa's reign, during the time of peace, they built up their city.  They were ready for battle when the time came.  We must prepare ourselves for spiritual warfare now, so when the battle comes to us, we will know what to do.  First, we must rely on God.  Second, we must use the tools He's given us.  Pick up the sword He's provided for you.  The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, that is, the Bible.  Check out Ephesians 6, starting at verse 10.  You have been equipped.

Now, I'm not a fan of war.  However, things are different from Asa's time, now that Christ died for us.  Rather than man vs. man, it's humans vs. spirits of darkness.  These spirits turn humans against each other, but God told us this would happen (see Matthew 24, Mark 13, or Luke 21).  We must educate ourselves by studying the Word, so we can bring others to God and to the winning side of the battle.  Remember, though, that we must rely on His strength and follow His lead.  He may not want us to fight, but will fight for us.  He may pave the way and we follow, as He did for Asa.  Seek God and He will supply your every need to help you make it home, because He Wants You There!!!