2 Crônicas 16
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Crônicas 16
Spurgeon - “I will say nothing about what belonged to his own house. He might do as he liked with that so long as he did not spend it upon sin, but he took of the treasure that belonged to the house of the Lord, and gave it to Benhadad to bribe him to break his league with Bassha, and be in league with himself. Thus God was robbed that the unbelieving king might find help in an arm of flesh.” Knapp - “Jeremiah 41:9 refers to a pit (or cistern) made by Asa ‘for fear of Baasha king of Israel’. God would thus, in this incidental way, remind us by this late and last historical notice of King Asa what was the beginning of his decline—‘The fear of man (which) bringeth a snare’ (Prov 29:25)” (See The Kings of Judah and Israel) Ron Daniel - Asa Pays The Arameans For 35 years, Asa had walked with God. Unfortunately, his last four years were not marked by the same faithfulness. Twenty-six years before, Asa faced the Ethiopeans attacking from the south. Now, he is being assaulted by Israel to the north.Asa's plan 26 years before was to pray, 2Ch 14:11 ..."LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength..." But now he has found someone else to help. He paid Ben-had-AD, king of Aram to be his ally. Asa's plan worked. But at what cost? Andrew Hill: The Chronicler’s report of Baasha’s activity at Ramah and Asa’s response is based on 1 Kings 15:17–22. Asa resorts to the oft-used political ploy of paying tribute to a third party for the purpose of engaging an aggressor nation on a second front (2 Chron. 16:3–4). The cost of contracting Ben-Hadad king of Aram to wage war against Israel is apparently steep, because Asa has to siphon monies from two treasuries (the temple and the palace, 15:6) to seal the pact. This is probably due to the fact that Aram and Israel are already partners in an alliance, and Ben-Hadad will need a greater offer to break his treaty with Baasha (16:3b). (See 1 and 2 Chronicles - Page 18) QUESTION - Who was Ben-Hadad in the Bible? ANSWER - Ben-Hadad seems to have been the title of the reigning king of Aram (Syria). Ben-Hadad means “son of Hadad.” Hadad or Adad was the god of storm and thunder, and, as was common in that epoch of history, kings were seen as sons of the primary god of the region. In the Bible, Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, is mentioned in 1 Kings 15:18–22; throughout 1 Kings 20; 2 Kings 6:24; 8:9; 13:24–25; 2 Chronicles 16:2–4; Jeremiah 49:27; and Amos 1:4. Since Ben-Hadad is a title much like Pharaoh or President, the term can refer to different individuals at different times. The context of each passage must be studied to determine just who is involved. Most students of history accept the existence of three Ben-Hadads who ruled in Damascus: Ben-Hadad I, who ruled c. 900–860 BC; his son (or grandson) Ben-Hadad II, who ruled 860–841; and another, unrelated Ben-Hadad, the son of the man who assassinated Ben-Hadad II. In 1 Kings 15:18, Ben-Hadad is designated as the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion. In this passage, King Asa of Judah makes a treaty with Ben-Hadad to help protect himself against the king of Israel, who was threatening Judah. (This is also recorded in 2 Chronicles 16:2–4.) Ben-Hadad sent soldiers against Israel and King Baasha and conquered a number of towns, bringing some relief to Judah. In 1 Kings 20, Ben-Hadad once again attacks the northern kingdom of Israel, where Ahab is now the king. It is possible that this is the same Ben-Hadad who attacked in 1 Kings 15, or it could be a son, Ben-Hadad II. It seems that this time Ben-Hadad is attacking on his own without consideration for any treaty with Judah. And this time, although he had 32 kings helping him (1 Kings 20:1), he is defeated by King Ahab and the army of Israel. About three years later, Israel and Syria renew their conflict, leading to Ahab’s final battle and death (1 Kings 22). In 2 Kings 6–7, about nine years after Ahab’s death, Ben-Hadad II invades Israel and lays siege to Samaria, the capital. The siege went on for so long that the people in the city were starving to death. However, in the middle of the night, the Lord caused the Aramean army to hear sounds of an advancing army. Thinking the king of Israel was receiving help from foreign nations, all of Ben-Hadad’s men fled, leaving everything behind. In 2 Kings 8, the prophet Elisha travels to Damascus and relays a paradoxical prophecy to Ben-Hadad II, who was ill: “Go and say to him, ‘You will certainly recover.’ Nevertheless, the Lord has revealed to me that he will in fact die” (verse 10). Just as Elisha said, Ben-Hadad began to recover from his illness, but then a man named Hazael murdered Ben-Hadad and took the throne of Aram. In 2 Kings 13, Hazael is succeeded by his son, who is also named Ben-Hadad. This final Ben-Hadad was defeated three times by King Jehoash of Israel, fulfilling another prophecy of Elisha (2 Kings 13:1–25). In Jeremiah 49:27, the word of the Lord says, “I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.” At the time of Jeremiah’s prophecy, none of the Ben-Hadads mentioned above would have been alive. The reference may be to the current king of Aram or perhaps to a fortress that had been built by and now bore the name of a former king. In Amos 1:4 we have a similar prophecy: “I will send fire on the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.” By this time, the original Ben-Hadad had been killed, and Hazael was king. As above, “the fortress of Ben-Hadad” could simply refer to a fortress of the current king or to a specific fortress that was known by that name. In summary, Ben-Hadad is the title of the Aramean king, “son of Hadad,” a prominent deity in the region. Several kings of Aram had extensive interaction with the kingdom of Israel and attacked several times. The Lord used Ben-Hadad and the Arameans to bring judgment on rebellious Israel, but He punished Aram for her evil, as well.GotQuestions.org 2 Chronicles 16:3 “Let there be a treaty between you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” a league: 2Ch 18:3 19:2 Jdg 2:2 Isa 31:1-3 2Co 6:16 break: Ge 20:9,10 Ex 32:21 Jos 9:19,20 2Sa 21:2 Ps 15:4 Eze 17:18,19 Ro 1:31,32 2Ti 3:3 ASA PLACES TRUST IN TEMPLE TREASURY - IN GOLD NOT GOD Let there be a treaty (actually "a covenant" berit/berith/beriyth) between you and me, as between my father and your father - Note the total absence to prayer in this section. There is no record of Asa's seeking the face of the LORD for deliverance in the face of his adversity. To the contrary he actually seeks to make a covenant with an pagan. Recall that covenant (berit/berith/beriyth) was the most solemn and binding agreement known in the ancient world. Recall also that Dt 17:18-19+ says "Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. “It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes." While we cannot state with certainty, it is very likely that Asa was not obeying this instruction for all the kings of Israel, because if he had been, he would have learned the fear of the LORD his God. And the fear of LORD is a powerful "antidote" to sinning against the LORD. Proverbs 3:7 says "Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil." Note the dynamic in this passage - Fear of Yahweh precedes and leads to turning from evil! If you doubt this dynamic, note that Pr 8:13 says "“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil." And do you remember the great description of Job? "There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil." (Job 1:1) Notice once again that "fearing God" is placed before "turning away from evil," clearly because godly fear impedes ungodly actions. THOUGHT - The preceding truths beg the simple question - Do you fear the LORD? We are not speaking of shaking, quaking fear, but of reverential, honoring fear. Peter issues a command to believers we would all do well to obey "If (SINCE) you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work (THIS TRUTH SHOULD MOTIVATE US TO OBEY), conduct (aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) yourselves in FEAR during the time of your (SHORT - Ps 144:4, Jas 4:14+) stay on earth." (1Pe 1:17+) It is sad to see Asa rely on the arm of flesh rather than on the arm of the LORD, relying on his own ability to deliver himself and his people rather than relying on God. Years later Jeremiah would write "Thus says the LORD, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD." (Jer 17:5) WOE! David
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Spurgeon - The power of Ethiopia was broken before him, and Judah’s armies returned laden with the spoil. You would not have thought that a man who could perform that grand action would become, a little after, full of unbelief; but the greatest faith of yesterday will not give us confidence for to-day, unless the fresh springs which are in God shall overflow again.....But this was a smaller trouble altogether, and somehow, I fancy, it was because it was a smaller trouble Asa thought that he could manage it very well himself by the help of an arm of flesh. In the case of the invasion by countless hordes of Ethiopians, Asa must have felt that it was of no use calling in Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, or asking any of the nations to help him, for with all their help he would not have been equal to the tremendous struggle. Therefore he was driven to God. But this being a smaller trial, he does not seem to have been so thoroughly divorced from confidence in man.” NIV Study Bible (BORROW) - Note on "your father and my father" - A reference to a previously unmentioned treaty between Abijah and Tabrimmon of Aram. When Tabrimmon died, Baasha succeeded in establishing a treaty with his successor Ben-Hadad. Asa saw no hope for success against Baasha without the assistance provided by a renewal of the old treaty with Aram. Although his plan seemed to be successful, it was condemned by Hanani the prophet as a foolish act and a denial of reliance on the Lord (see 2Ch 16:7-10). The true theocratic king was never to fear his enemies but to trust in the God of the covenant for security and protection (see note on 1Sa 17:11). Ahaz was later to follow Asa's bad example and seek Assyria's help when he was attacked by Israel and Aram (see 2Ki 16:5-9 and note on 16:7; Isa 7). Utley suggests that "The alliance with Syria would have involved rituals using the names of Syrian's gods." adding that "Several of Judah's kings sought foreign/pagan military alliances. Asa ‒ here (Syria), Jehoshaphat ‒ 2 Chr. 20:35-37 (Israel), Ahaziah ‒ 2 Chr. 22:1-9 (Israel), Ahaz ‒ 2 Chr. 28:16-21 (Assyria). Behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” - Let's face it, money talks in this world and as we see in the next verse Ben-hadad listened to the clinking sound of gold and silver coins! 2 Chronicles 16:4 So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim and all the store cities of Naphtali. hearkened: 1Ti 6:10 2Pe 2:15 his armies: Heb. armies which were his Ijon: 1Ki 15:20 Dan: Ge 14:14 Jdg 18:28,29 20:1 Abelmaim: Abel-maim is called Abel-beth-maachah in 1 Ki 15:20, and elsewhere, on account of its belonging to the district of Beth-maachah. the store cities: 2Ch 8:6 17:12 1Ki 9:19 BEN-HADAD BRIBED TO BREAD TREATY WITH BAASHA So - As the saying goes "money talks" and Ben-hadad accepted Asa's money. Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim and all the store cities of Naphtali. The cities that Ben-Hadad conquered were located north and east of the Sea of Galilee in Naphtali (SEE MAP ABOVE) were important because it was the location of the major trade routes from Damascus going west to Tyre and SW through the plain of Jezreel to the coastal plain and Egypt. This same territory was later seized by the Assyrian ruler Tiglath-Pileser III (2Ki 15:29). It is interesting to note that Asa's costly covenant with the Syrian Ben-hadad did not endure for long, because during the reign of his son Jehoshaphat, Judah would be at war with Syria (2Ch 18:30). So much for the integrity of human covenants, which are so unlike God's everlasting covenants! Andrew Hill: The Arameans were irrepressible foes of Israel throughout the history of the northern kingdom, so there is doubtless little reservation about reneging on a treaty with Baasha as long as the price is right. The Arameans invade Israelite cities along the northeastern border between the two nations (16:4). When Baasha hears the news that several important cities have fallen to Ben-Hadad, he has to abandon his plan to fortify Ramah and divert his attention to the war with Aram in the northern extremities of his territory (16:5). After Baasha withdraws from Ramah, Judah destroys the fortifications under construction and reuses the stones and timber to fortify Geba (modern day Jeba, a town of Benjamin some six miles northeast of Jerusalem) and Mizpah, thus extending Judah’s defensive perimeter north of Ramah (16:6, assuming this is the Mizpah of Benjamin or Tell en-Nasbeh, nearly eight miles northeast of Jerusalem; cf. Josh 18:24, 26). (SEE 1 and 2 Chronicles - Page 18) Spurgeon - Now, many people in the world judge actions by their immediate results. If a Christian does a wrong thing, and it prospers, then at once they conclude he was justified in doing it; but, ah! Brethren, this is a poor, blind way of judging the actions of men and the providence of God. Do you not know that there are devil’s providences as well as God’s providences?” IJON [ISBE]- i'-jon (`iyon; Septuagint in Kings has Ain, or Nain; in Chronicles Ion; Aion): A town in the territory of Naphtali, first mentioned in connection with the invasion of Ben-hadad, in the reign of Baasha. It was captured along with Dan and Abel-beth-maacah (1 Ki 15:20; 2 Ch 16:4). It shared with these cities a similar fate at the hands of Tiglath-pileser in the reign of Pekah (2 Ki 15:29). The name survives in that of Merj A`yun, "meadow of springs," a rich, oval-shaped plain to the Northwest of Tell el Qady, where the LiTany turns sharply westward to the sea. The ancient city may be represented by Tell Dibbin, an important site to the North of the plain. W. Ewing Dan was a city of the tribe of Dan. Called also Laish, and Leshem, Gen. 14:14; Deut. 34:1; Judg. 20:1; Jer. 8:16. It was captured by the people of Dan in Josh. 19:47. Idolatry established at Dan in Jdg. 18; 1 Ki 12:28, 29; Amos 8:14. It was captured by Ben-hadad, 1 Ki 15:20; 2Chr. 16:4. DAN [ISBE] - A city familiar as marking the northern limit of the land of Israel in the common phrase "from Dan even to Beer-sheba" (Jdg 20:1; 1 Sam 3:20, etc.). Its ancient name was Laish or Leshem (Jdg 18:7, etc.). It was probably an outlying settlement of Tyre of Sidon. Its inhabitants, pursuing the ends of peaceful traders, were defenseless against the onset of the Danite raiders. Having captured the city the Danites gave it the name of their own tribal ancestor (Jdg 18). It lay in the valley near Beth-rehob (Jdg 18:28). Josephus places it near Mt. Lebanon and the fountain of the lesser Jordan, a day's journey from Sidon (Ant., V, iii, 1; VIII, viii, 4; BJ, IV, i, 1). Eusebius, Onomasticon says it lay 4 Roman miles from Paneas on the way to Tyre, at the source of the Jordan. This points decisively to Tell el-Qady, in the plain West of Banias. The mound of this name--Kady is the exact Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew Dan--rises from among the bushes and reeds to a height varying from 40 to 80 ft. The largest of all the springs of the Jordan rises on the west side. The waters join with those of a smaller spring on the other side to form Nahr el-Leddan which flows southward to meet the streams from Banias and Chasbeiyeh. The mound, which is the crater of an extinct volcano, has certain ancient remains on the south side, while the tomb of Sheikh Marzuk is sheltered by two holy trees. The sanctuary and ritual established by the Danites persisted as long as the house of God was in Shiloh, and the priesthood in this idolatrous shrine remained in the family of Jonathan till the conquest of Tiglath-pileser (Jdg 18:30; 2 Ki 15:29). Here Jeroboam I set up the golden calf. The ancient sanctity of the place would tend to promote the success of his scheme (1 Ki 12:28 f, etc.). The calf, according to a Jewish tradition, was taken away by Tiglath-pileser. Dan fell before Benhadad, king of Syria (1 Ki 15:20; 2 Ch 16:4). It was regained by Jeroboam II (2 Ki 14:25). It shared the country's fate at th hands of Tiglath-pileser (2 Ki 15:29). It was to this district that Abraham pursued the army of Chedorlaomer (Gen 14:14). For Dr. G. A. Smith's suggestion that Dan may have been at Banias see HGHL1, 473, 480 f. W. Ewing Abel-maim is either another name for Abel-beth-maacah, or the name of another place in the same vicinity. Store - storehouses, storage areas. It indicates a structure or even a city used for storage or supplies of various kinds, chiefly military supplies (Ex. 1:11; 1 Ki. 9:19; 2 Chr. 8:4, 6; 17:12); grain (2 Chr. 16:4); or wine and oil (2 Chr. 32:28). Gilbrant adds "Occurring seven times in the OT, this feminine noun is likely a loanword from Akkadian. During the sojourn in Egypt, Israelite forced labor was used by Pharaoh to build the store cities of Pithom and Rameses (Exo. 1:11). Of the references in which this noun is found, all but this one refer to Hebrew cities. Strictly speaking, miskenôth does not appear to mean a fortified city per se. Solomon built these throughout Israel (1 Kings 9:19; cf. 2 Chr. 8:6, "store cities" and "chariot cities," along with those near Hamath, 2 Chr. 8:4). The proximity of horses and chariots (i.e., the military) indicates, not only the storage of produce for civilian use and trade, but a prepositioning of provisions for soldiers should the need arise. Both Jehoshaphat (2 Chr. 17:12) and Hezekiah (during the days of the Assyrian threat, 2 Chr. 32:28) stockpiled provisions in an effort to strengthen their kingdoms and to prepare for the possibility of a siege. These may have been built within the villages established for livestock (v. 29). A textual variation has possibly occurred with reference to the "store cities" of Naphtali (2 Chr. 16:4). These were conquered in the aftermath of a pact between King Ben-Hadad of Damascus and King Asa of Judah. The territory lost by King Asa of Israel may indicate a fertile region in the Northern Kingdom rather than "store cities." 2 Chronicles 16:5 When Baasha heard of it, he ceased fortifying Ramah and stopped his work. that he left off: 2Ch 16:1 BAASHA REACTS AND RETRACTS FROM RAMAH When Baasha heard of it, he ceased fortifying Ramah and stopped his work - King Baasha was forced to retreat from Judah in order to deal with the Syrian invasion. 2 Chronicles 16:6 Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he fortified Geba and Mizpah. they carried: 1Ki 15:22 Geba: Jos 18:24-26, Gaba, 2Ch 21:17 1Ch 6:60 Isa 10:29 Zec 14:10 Mizpah: Jos 15:38 18:26 1Sa 7:6,16 10:17, Mizpeh Related Passages: 1 Kings 15:22 Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah–none was exempt–and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had built. And King Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. Source: ESV Global Study Bible, KING ASA RETAKES RAMAH When King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he fortified Geba and Mizpah. Asa confiscated the building materials Baasha was using to fortify Ramah and used them to reinforce Geba and Mizpah, two major cities that could serve as military strongholds and strengthen the border between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. Clearly Asa hoped to prevent any future invasion by the Northern Kingdom. Geba and Mizpah were both north of Jerusalem and very near Ramah as shown on the map above. THOUGHT - Asa formed an alliance with an unbeliever, thus overtly disobeying God’s command to separate from pagans. Believers are not to form alliances or close associations with the evil people of this world. We are not to become unequally yoked with those who deny God, curse His name, reject His commandments, and worship idols. The end result will not be good! Do not be bound (present imperative with a negative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. (2Co 6:14–16+). GEBA [ISBE]- ge'-ba (gebha`, "hill"): A town on the Northeast boundary of the territory of Benjamin (Josh 18:24), given to the Levites (Josh 21:17; 1 Ch 6:60). It stood on the northern frontier of the kingdom of Judah, Geba and Beersheba marking respectively the northern and southern limits (2 Ki 23:8). In 2 Sam 5:25 "Geba" should be altered to "Gibeon," which stands in the corresponding passage, 1 Ch 14:16. In Jdg 20:10,33; 1 Sam 13:3,16, the Hebrew reads "Geba," the translation "Gibeah" being due to confusion of the two names. From 1 Sam 14:5 we gather that Geba stood to the South of the great gorge, Wady Suweinit, commanding the pass at Michmash. This was the scene of Jonathan's daring enterprise against the Philistines, when, accompanied by his armor-bearer, he accomplished an apparently impossible feat, climbing the rocky steeps of the gorge to the North and putting the enemy to flight. There can be no doubt that the modern village of Jeba` occupies the ancient site. It stands to the South of Wady Suweinit, looking toward Michmash--modern Mukhmas--with Seneh, the crag on the southern lip of the gorge, in front of it. The distance from Jerusalem is about 6 miles. It was fortified by Asa with materials that his enemy Baasha had used to fortify Ramah against him (1 Ki 15:22). It is named by Isaiah in his description of the terrifying march of the Assyrians upon Jerusalem from the North (1Ki 10:28 ff). It appears among the cities which were reoccupied by Israel after the Exile (Ezr 2:26, etc.; Neh 11:31). MIZPAH; MIZPEH [ISBE] - miz'-pa, miz'-pe: This name is pointed both ways in the Hebrew, and is found usually with the article. The meaning seems to be "outlook" or "watchtower." It is natural, therefore, to look for the places so named in high positions commanding wide prospects. Mizpah was a town in the territory of Benjamin (Josh 18:26). Hither came the men of Israel to deal with the Benjamites after the outrage on the Levite's concubine (Jdg 20:1,3; 21:1,5,8). At Mizpah, Samuel gathered his countrymen. While there crying to God in their distress, they were attacked by the Philistines, whom they defeated with great slaughter (1 Sam 7:5, etc.). Here also Saul, the son of Kish, was chosen king, after which Samuel told the people the "manner of the kingdom" (10:17, etc.). Mizpah was fortified by Asa, king of Judah, with materials which Baasha, king of Israel, had used to fortify Ramah (1 Ki 15:22; 2 Ch 16:6). When Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and made Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, governor of the remnant of the people left in the land of Judah, the governor's residence was fixed at Mizpah (2 Ki 25:23). Here he was joined by Jeremiah, whom Nebuzaradan, captain of the Babylonian guard, had set free. At Mizpah, Ishmael, son of Nathaiah, treacherously slew Gedaliah and many who were with him. Two days later he murdered a company of pilgrims, throwing their dead bodies into the great cistern which Asa had made when strengthening the place against possible attack by Baasha of Samaria. He then made prisoners of the people, including the king's daughters, and attempted to convey them away to the Ammonites, an attempt that was frustrated by Johanan, son of Kareah (Jer 40; 41). Mizpah was the scene of memorable assembly in a day of sore anxiety for Judah, when Judas Maccabeus called the warriors of Judah together for counsel and prayer (1 Macc 3:46). From this passage we also learn that the place was an ancient sanctuary--"for in Mizpah there was a place of prayer aforetime for Israel." 2 Chronicles 16:7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. Hanani: 2Ch 19:2 2Ch 20:34 1Ki 16:1 Because: Ps 146:3-6 Isa 31:1 Isa 32:2 Jer 17:5-6 Eph 1:12,13 relied on: 2Ch 13:18 32:7,8 2Ki 18:5 1Ch 5:20 the army: 2Ch 16:3 Related Passages: Psalm 146:3-6 Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. 4 His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish. 5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, 6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever; Jeremiah 17:5-6 Thus says the LORD, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 “For he will be like a bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt without inhabitant. 2 Chronicles 13:18+ (RESULTS OF RELYING ON GOD) Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah conquered because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their fathers. THE PROPHET'S PITHY PRONOUNCEMENT At that time Hanani the seer (roeh; Lxx = prophetes) came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you have relied on (sha'an) the king of Aram and have not relied on (sha'an) the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand - Note that 2Ch 16:7-10 are omitted from the account in First Kings, but obviously are critical to get a full account of King Asa's reign. Remember that King Asa was the most powerful man in Judah, so it is no small task for Hanani to confront the king with a strong admonition. Hanani's son Jehu was also a prophet who spoke to Baasha the king of Israel (1Ki 16:1, 16:7) and to Jehoshaphat king of Judah (2Ch 19:2). Relied on is the Hebrew verb sha'an in both uses in this passage and means to lean on or the trust in and is used in Proverbs 3:5+ Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on (sha'an) your own understanding. Asa selected the wrong "support" to lean on, one that would prove detrimental and bring affliction the rest of his 5 year reign. The Septuagint translates sha'an with peitho which means to depend on, to trust in, to put one's confidence in (see 2Co 1:9+ - confidence in flesh versus in God Who raises the dead!) THOUGHT - The preceding discussion on reliance (confidence) begs the question, in whom are you trusting in the midst of your "test" (trial, affliction, etc), the "arm of flesh" (like Asa did with Ben-hadad) or the good hand of the LORD? Beloved, may God grant us all the grace to choose to lean on the everlasting arms of our omnipotent God the next time the winds of adversity begin to blow. In Jesus' Name. Amen LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the everlasting arms; What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, Leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms. Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, Leaning on the everlasting arms; Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day, Leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms. What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms; I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms. It is so sad to see Asa's dramatically antithetical responses to two of God's prophets. The prophet Azariah gave God’s warning to King Asa, encouraging him to rid the nation of Judah of idols (2 Chronicles 15:1–7), a warning Asa heeded and for which he was blessed by Yahweh (2Ch 15:8ff). But the second prophet Hanani receives a rejection and a rebuke rather than a reception! Asa clearly has developed "heart disease," a hardening of his heart to God's truth. Recall Asa's words when his heart was tender to the LORD "Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.” (2Ch 14:11) This is an amazing declaration of confidence in the unseen God's omnipotence! Asa was walking by faith in those early years, but now he is walking by sight. THOUGHT - There is a lesson here for all of us. Faith is a dynamic entity. It is not static. We don't just reach an "apex" or "mountain top" in our faith and remain there. In fact if we think we have reached the "mountain top" in our faith, we need to take heed lest we fall down the other side of the mountain! (1Co 10:12+, cf Pr 16:18, Pr 28:14 = like Asa fell into calamity!) Faith is like riding a bicycle -- stop pedaling and you will eventually fall! Faith must be fed and must lead to Spirit enabled obedience, which demonstrates that it is authentic faith. If it is not "fed," it will fade! And ultimately we will fail the next divine "pop test" that God sends/allows (like He always does!) So feed your faith with the Word of Truth (Ro 10:17+), something Asa neglected to do to his great chagrin! Things which appear successful may, in the life of faith, prove to be most disastrous. -- G Campbell Morgan MacArthur Study Bible on the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand - Asa forfeited by this sin the opportunity of gaining victory not only over Israel, but also Aram, or Syria. This could have been a greater victory than over the Ethiopians, which would have deprived Syria of any future successful attacks on Judah. Though God had delivered them when they were outnumbered (2Ch 13:3ff.; 2Ch 14:9ff.), the king showed his own spiritual decline both in lack of trust and in his treatment of the prophet of God who spoke truth (2Ch 16:10). (BORROW The MacArthur Study Bible) David
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Spurgeon - excerpt from sermon A Lesson from the Life of King Asa - OUR text leads us to speak upon historical matters, and for this I shall by no means apologise, although I have sometimes heard very foolish professors speak slightingly of the historical part of Scripture. Remember that the historical books were almost the only Scripture possessed by the early saints; and from those they learned the mind of God. David sang the blessedness of the man who delighted in the law of the Lord, yet he had only the first five books, and, perhaps, Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, all books of history, in which to meditate day and night. The psalmist himself spoke most lovingly of these books, which were the only statutes and testimonies of the Lord to him, with, perhaps, the addition of the Book of Job. Other saints delighted in the histories of the word before the more spiritual books came in their way at all. If rightly viewed, the histories of the Old Testament are full of instruction. They supply us both with warnings and examples in the realm of practical morals; and hidden within their letter, like pearls in oyster shells, lie grand spiritual truths couched in allegory and metaphor. I may say of the least important of all the books what our Lord said of children, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones.” To take away from Holy Writ involves a curse upon the daring deed: may we never incur the penalty! All Scripture is given by inspiration, and is profitable; be it ours to gain the profit. Let us see whether we cannot get a lesson from the life of King Asa. We will commence by noticing who he was, and what he had done in his better days, for this will help to understand more clearly the fault into which he fell. He was a man of whom it is said that his heart was perfect before God all his days. It is a great thing to have said of any one; indeed, it is the greatest commendation which can be pronounced upon mortal man. When the heart, the intention, the master-affection is right, the man is reckoned a good man before the Lord, notwithstanding that there may be a thousand things which are not commendable—yea, and some things which are censurable in the man’s outward career. Asa is noticeable in the early part of his life for the fact that he set up the worship of God, and carried it out with great diligence, though his mother was an idolater, and his father, Abijah, was little better. He had enjoyed no training as a youth that could lead him aright, but quite the contrary; yet he was very decided, even in the first days of his reign, for the Lord his God, and acted in all things with an earnest desire to glorify Jehovah, and to lead his people away from all idols to the worship of the true God. Now, a life may begin well, and yet may be clouded ere its close; the verdure of earnestness may fade into the sere and yellow leaf of backsliding. We may have the grace of God in our earliest days, but unless we have day by day fresh help from on high, dead flies may pollute the ointment and spoil the sweet odour of our lives. We shall need to watch against temptation so long as we are in this wilderness of sin. Only in heaven are we out of gunshot of the devil. Though we may have been kept in the ways of the Lord, as Asa was, for fifty or sixty years, yet if left by the Master for a single moment we shall bring discredit upon his holy name. In the middle of his reign Asa was put to the test by a very serious trial. He was attacked by the Ethiopians, and they came against him in mighty swarms. What a host to be arrayed against poor little Judah—an army of a million footmen and three hundred thousand chariots! All the host that Asa could muster—and he did his best—was but small compared to this mighty band; and it appeared as if the whole land would be eaten up, for the people seemed sufficient to carry away Judea by handfuls. But Asa believed in God, and therefore when he had mustered his little band he committed the battle to the Lord his God. Read attentively that earnest believing prayer which he offered. “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.” How grandly he threw all his burden upon God! He declared that he rested in the Most High, and believed that God could as well achieve the victory by a few and feeble folk as by a vast army; after this prayer he marched to the battle with holy confidence, and God gave him the victory. The power of Ethiopia was broken before him, and Judah’s armies returned laden with the spoil. You would not have thought that a man who could perform that grand action would become, a little after, full of unbelief; but the greatest faith of yesterday will not give us confidence for to-day, unless the fresh springs which are in God shall overflow again. Even Abraham, who at one time staggered not at the promise through unbelief, yet did stagger some time afterwards about a far less difficult matter. The greatest of God’s servants, if their Lord hides his face, soon sink even below the least; all the strength of the strongest lies in him. After Asa had thus by divine strength won a great victory, he did not, as some do, grow proud of it, but he set to work, in obedience to a prophetic warning, to purge his country by a thorough reformation; he did it, and did it well. He did not show any partiality towards the rich and great in his country who were guilty of the worship of false gods, for the queen-mother was a great fosterer of idolatry, and she had a grove of her own with a temple in it, in which was her own peculiar idol; but the king put her away from her eminent position, took her idol, and not merely broke it, but stamped upon it and burned it, with every sign of contempt, at the brook Kidron, into which ran the sewage of the temple, to let the people know that, whether in high places or amongst the poor, there should be nothing left to provoke the Lord throughout the land. This was well done. Oh that such a reformation might happen in this land, for the country is beginning to be covered with idols and mass-houses! Everywhere they are setting up the altars of their breaden deity, shrines to the queen of heaven, the crucifix and the saints, while the spiritual worship of God is put aside to make room for vain shows and spiritual masquerades. The God of the Reformation—how much is he forgotten now-a-days! Oh for a return of the days of Knox, and his covenanting brethren! Asa was for a root and branch reform, and he went through with it bravely. You would not have thought that a man so thorough—a man who, like Levi of old, knew not his own mother when it came to the matter of serving God, but made “through stitch” with it, as the old writers used to say—you would not have supposed that he would be the man who, when he came into another trial, would be running after an idolater and cringing before him and praying him to give him his help. Alas, the best of men are men at the best! God alone is unchangeable. He alone is good always, or indeed at all. “There is none good save one, that is God.” We are only good as he makes us good; and if his hand be withdrawn even for a moment, we start aside like a deceitful bow, or a broken bone which has been badly set. Alas, how soon are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war broken, if the Lord uphold not! Asa, who could do marvels, and who walked so well and thoroughly before his God, yet nevertheless came to do foolishly and bring upon himself lifelong chastisement..... WHOLE HEART (HEART ...WHOLLY DEVOTED TO): combination of whole & heart: PLAY THIS SONG BY CRAIG SMITH - WHOLE HEART PLAY THIS SONG BY CRAIG SMITH - SINGLE HEART 1 Ki 8:61 heart therefore be wholly devoted 1 Ki 11:4 heart was not wholly devoted 1 Ki 15:3 heart was not wholly devoted 1 Ki 15:14 heart of Asa was wholly devoted 2 Ki 20:3 with a whole heart, 1 Chr 12:38 (PERFECT HEART) 1 Chr 28:9 with a whole heart 1 Chr 29:19 (PERFECT HEART) 2 Chr 15:17 (heart was blameless) 2 Chr 16:9 heart is completely 2 Chr 19:9 wholeheartedly. 2 Chr 25:2 a whole heart. What an exquisite thought is suggested by the allusion to the eyes of the Lord running to and fro throughout the whole earth F B
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Spurgeon - THE EYES OF THE LORD. 2 Chronicles 16:9 I testify that in some of my many sicknesses I have been able to see the reason as plainly as I can see that two time two equals four. Even when we cannot see the reason, God knows why. Your sickness, pain, grief, depression, and all sorts of trials are often sent to prevent sinning. It ties you fast, like a horse with a heavy weight on its leg. Someone asked the horse’s owner, “Why do you put a weight on such a fine horse. It seems a pity.” “Well,” replied the owner, “I would rather weight him down than lose him. He jumps fences, and this is the only way we can keep him in the pasture.” So, my friend, you might be weighed down because the Lord does not want to lose you. He would sooner have you suffer here than permit you to suffer forever in hell. A Quaker felt an irresistible impulse to get out of bed and ride to a neighboring town. He stopped at a house where he saw a light upstairs. He knocked and knocked and knocked again. Finally a man came to the door and asked what he wanted at that time of night. The Quaker replied, “Perhaps, friend, thou canst tell me, for the Lord has sent me to thee. But I do not know why.” “Come upstairs,” said the man. “I think I can tell you.” He had fixed a rope to hang himself, but God had sent His servant to prevent the crime. Such striking providence may not happen to us, but it does happen to some to prevent sinning. The wheels of providence are full of eyes. Those eyes are continually fixed on us, and those wheels revolve on our behalf to God’s glory (Ezek. 10:12). “The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself A Lock Of Hair The Lord . . . [shows] Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. —2 Chronicles 16:9 After his return from the moon, Neil Armstrong was often plagued by the media. Seeking greater privacy, he moved his family into a small town. But notoriety was a nuisance even there. Armstrong’s barber found out that people would pay good money to get a lock of his hair. So after giving the space hero several haircuts, he sold the clippings to a buyer for $3,000! Armstrong was shocked at the barber’s opportunism. The Scriptures tell of another story of disloyalty and a haircut. As a symbol of God’s calling of Samson as a Nazirite, he was never to cut his hair (Judg. 13:5). When the Spirit of God came upon him, he was given super-human strength over his enemies (15:14). Wanting to overpower him, the Philistines hired Delilah, a woman who had a relationship with him, to find out the secret of that strength. He foolishly told her that his power would be gone if his hair were cut. She lulled him to sleep and had him shorn (2Ch 16:5,19). O Lord, may my heart be loyal to You In all that I say and all that I do; When a trusted person is not a true friend, I know that on You I can always depend. —Hess Loyalty is the test of true love. Not a Simple Story The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 Today's Scripture & Insight: 2 Chronicles 16:7–14 Life seems straightforward in the laws of the Old Testament. Obey God and get blessed. Disobey Him and expect trouble. It’s a satisfying theology. But is it that simple? King Asa’s story seems to fit the pattern. He led his people away from false gods and his kingdom thrived (2 Chron. 15:1–19). Then late in his reign, he depended on himself instead of God (2Ch 16:2–7) and the rest of his life was marked by war and illness (2Ch 16:12). It’s easy to look at that story and draw a simple conclusion. But when the prophet Hanani warned Asa, he said that God will “strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (16:9). Why do our hearts need strengthening? Because doing the right thing may require courage and perseverance. Job got the starring role in a cosmic tragedy. His crime? “He [was] blameless and upright” (Job 1:8). Joseph, falsely accused of attempted rape, languished in prison for years—to serve God’s good purposes (Gen. 39:19–41:1). And Jeremiah was beaten and put in stocks (Jer. 20:2). What was the prophet’s offense? Telling the truth to rebellious people (Jer 26:15). Lord, thank You for the examples of courage and obedience in Your Word. Help us learn from their mistakes and from their wise choices, as we make our choice to serve You. God helps those who depend on Him. To Show His Strength The eyes of the Lord run to and fro . . . , to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. —2 Chronicles 16:9 Although it’s God’s desire to reveal His power to us, we seldom give Him the chance. We’re like the accountant who was told by his boss to falsify company records. Afraid of being fired, he chose to comply—even though as a believer in Christ he knew he was lying and breaking the law. Worse than being out of a job, he ended up in jail. He missed the opportunity to trust God and give Him a chance to show His power. I’m afraid we’re not much different. We’re like King Asa, a good king who foolishly chose to make a treaty with Ben-Hadad rather than trust God. Asa had reason to worry—Judah was at war with Israel. But Hanani the prophet told Asa, “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped” (2 Chr. 16:7). As a result, the rest of Asa’s reign was plagued by war (1 Ki. 15:16). In God we trust, let others trust their rulers, We trust in God to save us from alarm; Like broken reeds, the works of man will fail us, Our God alone can keep us from all harm. —Smith BENEFICIAL POWER The eyes of the Lord run to and fro . . . , to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. —2 Chronicles 16:9 Boxing and strong-man competitions have a unique aspect to them. In the events, the athletes compete individually to demonstrate their superior strength. It’s like arm wrestling—you do it to prove that you are the strongest person in the room. One aspect of God’s glory is His almighty power. But how does He show His strength? He doesn’t do it by rearranging the galaxies before our very eyes, changing the colour of the sun at a whim or freezing a lightning bolt. Instead, in His love and compassion for needy people like ourselves, God has chosen to “show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chron. 16:9). And this happens throughout Scripture. From the dividing of the Red Sea, to the provision of bread in the wilderness; from the miraculous virgin birth ultimately to the power of the resurrection—our Almighty God has chosen to demonstrate His strength to bless, preserve and protect His people. ALL OF GOD’S PROMISES ARE BACKED BY HIS WISDOM, LOVE AND POWER. The Eye Of God The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. —2 Chronicles 16:9 Today's Scripture: 2 Chronicles 16:7-14 The Hubble Space Telescope has taken photos of the Helix Nebula. Some astronomers describe it as “a trillion-mile-long tunnel of glowing gases.” At its center is a dying star that has ejected dust and gas stretching toward its outer rim. Remarkable photos of it look like the blue iris of a human eye complete with eyelids. Because of this, some have called it the “Eye of God.” Although this nebula is not literally the eye of God, the Scriptures do talk about God’s gaze on our lives. The prophet Hanani said, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chron. 16:9). This proclamation of God’s all-seeing eye was given in response to King Asa’s reliance upon another ruler for military security. Asa seemed to have forgotten that it was the Lord God, not mere soldiers, who had given him past victories over his enemies (14:11-12). This spiritual disloyalty did not escape the notice of God, who seeks to pour out blessing on acts of obedience to Him. Precious promise God hath given To the weary passerby, On the way from earth to heaven, “I will guide thee with Mine eye.” —Niles To know that God sees us brings both conviction and comfort. Streams in the Desert - GOD is looking for a man, or woman, whose heart will be always set on Him, and who will trust Him for all He desires to do. God is eager to work more mightily now than He ever has through any soul. The clock of the centuries points to the eleventh hour. “The world is waiting yet to see what God can do through a consecrated soul.” Not the world alone, but God Himself is waiting for one, who will be more fully devoted to Him than any who have ever lived; who will be willing to be nothing that Christ may be all; who will grasp God’s own purposes; and taking His humility and His faith, His love and His power, will, without hindering, continue to let God do exploits.—C. H. P. “There is no limit to what God can do with a man, providing he will not touch the glory.” In an address given to ministers and workers after his ninetieth birthday, George Mueller spoke thus of himself: “I was converted in November, 1825, but I only came into the full surrender of the heart four years later, in July, 1829. The love of money was gone, the love of place was gone, the love of position was gone, the love of worldly pleasures and engagements was gone. God, God alone became my portion. I found my all in Him; I wanted nothing else. And by the grace of God this has remained, and has made me a happy man, anexceedingly happy man, and it led me to care only about the things of God. I ask affectionately, my beloved brethren, have you fully surrendered the heart to God, or is there this thing or that thing with which you are taken up irrespective of God? I read a little of the Scriptures before, but preferred other books; but since that time the revelation He has made of Himself has become unspeakably blessed to me, and I can say from my heart, God is an infinitely lovely Being. Oh, be not satisfied until in your own inmost soul you can say, God is an infinitely lovely Being!;”—Selected. I pray to God this day to make me an extraordinary Christian.—Whitefield. Daily Light on the Daily Path - You search out my path and my lying down. Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.—If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.—He gives to his beloved sleep. Ps. 139:3; Gen. 28:16–17; 2 Chron. 16:9; Ps. 4:8; Ps. 91:9–11; Prov. 3:24; Ps. 127:2 2 Chronicles 16:9 THE EYES OF THE LORD RUN TO AND FRO These words were spoken by Hanani the seer to Asa king of Judah near the end of his life. Asa was being reminded of the constant attention of God towards His people. His eyes never close in sleep but are ever watchful of both the good and bad in our lives. This scrutiny took place at every stage of Asa’s life. The service of Asa had begun well with a period of rest for ten years during which he ‘did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God’. He took away from the kingdom all forms of evil, both spiritual, such as idolatry, 2 Chr. 14:3, and moral, such as sodomy, 1 Kgs. 15:12. His heart was perfect towards God and he was a good influence on his people as he ‘commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment’, 2 Chr. 14:4. Then, there was a twenty-five-year period when King Asa was tested in war and in other ways. The first came when Zerah the Ethiopian brought well over a million soldiers and many chariots against Judah. But Asa relied on the power of God and not merely on the might of his army. He cried to God, saying, ‘we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude’. And ‘the Lord smote the Ethiopians’. God was showing ‘himself strong’ on Asa’s behalf, and prayer, with the subsequent divine power, was the secret of the victory. As Asa returned from this battle he found that God had sent the seer Azariah to meet him with a solemn warning. Azariah confirmed that God’s presence and future help would be with him providing that he would still seek Him. This resulted in him putting away further idolatry and renewing the altar. The people were brought back to the Lord through these actions because they could see that once again the Lord was helping a man whose heart was toward Him. But his final period of three years was his worst. We know that past blessing cannot meet the present need. And, like others, Asa failed at the end despite the many times of fellowship with God. It happened when Baasha king of Israel came against him. Instead of turning to the Lord he turned to Benhadad, the Gentile king of Syria. The result was imprisonment for Hanani and the close of Asa’s life—out of fellowship with God. Daily Light on the Daily Path - “You are a God of seeing.” O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. . . . Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.—For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.—“But God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”—“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” But Jesus . . . knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.—“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Gen. 16:13; Ps. 139:1–4, 6; Prov. 15:3; Prov. 5:21; Luke 16:15; 2 Chron. 16:9; John 2:24–25; John 21:17 SEIZE TODAY - Greg Laurie Because... - Page 133 “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) What kind of people does God want to use? We find the same pattern throughout Scripture: the people God used were faithful in what He had placed before them. The people that God used for big things were people who were faithful in the little things. Perhaps you have considered dedicating your life to Christian service one day, maybe even in another country. That is a good and noble aspiration. But how about just serving the Lord where you are right now? How about seizing the opportunities around you today? When God used David to defeat Goliath, he was on an errand for his father, taking food to his brothers on the front lines. But as he was faithful in a little way, God gave him more. We know that when God called Gideon to lead Israel, he was threshing wheat. When Elijah called Elisha into the Lord’s service, he was plowing a field. When Jesus called Peter and John to become fishers of men, they were mending their nets. Not one of them was sitting around thinking, “I wonder if God will ever do anything in my life?” They were busy with the work at hand. While we’re looking for distant opportunities, we might miss the ones that are right in front of us. Are you serving the Lord right now with what He has called you to do? Be faithful in that. Do it well. Do it as unto the Lord. It may seem like your efforts go unnoticed, but there is someone who sees. And He will one day reward you openly. Chris Tiegreen - 2 Chronicles 16:9 The words were spoken to someone who didn’t fit God’s criteria, but they still invite a response from those who will. God isn’t looking for those who have behaved perfectly, or for those who have discovered His principles for life, or for those who impress Him with their achievements. He looks for those whose hearts are devoted—those who seek Him, trust Him, and love Him. He searches for those like David, who, in spite of their flaws, are continually running in His direction. And when He finds them, He rises up to support them. The image of God’s eyes looking back and forth throughout the earth is a startling one. Why is He searching? Why does this God seem to care so much? Does He just need servants who will do what He says? No, He wants those who will recognize Him for who He is—His strength and love and wisdom—and who will relate to Him on that basis. He searches for those who see dire circumstances, hear of His faithfulness, and choose to trust the truth of the latter over the power of the former. He longs for those who will believe Him and love Him. He is always trying to cultivate relationship. When people ask, “Why doesn’t God do something?” this is sometimes the reason. We can be reluctant to trust, slow to fully commit, hesitant to invest ourselves with reckless abandon. But that’s exactly what God is looking for—those who will abandon themselves to Him. He strongly supports those who do. Lord, I don’t want Your eyes to look past me. I want to have one of those hearts You stop to gaze at. I devote myself completely to You and trust that You will show me Your strong support. (See The One Year Experiencing God's Presence Devotional) Ham and Eggs The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 Today's Scripture: 2 Chronicles 16:1–9 In the fable of the chicken and the pig, the two animals discuss opening a restaurant together. As they plan their menu, the chicken suggests they serve ham and eggs. The pig swiftly objects saying, “No thanks. I’d be committed, but you would only be involved.” Although the pig didn’t care to put himself on the platter, his understanding of commitment is instructive to me as I learn to better follow God with my whole heart. To protect his kingdom, Asa, king of Judah, sought to break up a treaty between the kings of Israel and Aram. To accomplish this, he sent personal treasure along with “silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple” to secure favor with Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram (2 Chron. 16:2). Ben-Hadad agreed and their joint forces repelled Israel. But God’s prophet Hanani called Asa foolish for relying on human help instead of God who had delivered other enemies into their hands. Hanani asserted, “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (v. 9). Lord, I want to rely on You more fully. Sometimes I see only what is around me. Please help me to look up and to trust You more. When we are abandoned to God, He works through us all the time. Oswald Chambers C H Spurgeon - A lesson from the life of king Asa (full sermon) ‘Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.’ 2 Chronicles 16:9 I may be speaking as God’s mouth to some of you who are now entering upon a testing time, a trouble in the family, a trial in business, or a difficulty in reference to a contemplated marriage, and you are asking, ‘What course shall I take?’ You know what a man of the world would do, and it has been suggested to you that such a course is the right one for you to follow. My dear brother, remember that you are not of the world, even as Christ is not of the world; mind you act accordingly. If you are a worldly man and do as worldly men do, then I must leave you, for ‘them that are without God judgeth’. But if you are a man of God and an heir of heaven, I beseech you, do not follow custom, or do a wrong thing because others would do it, or do a little evil for the sake of a great good, but in your confidence possess your soul, and abide faithful to conscience and to the eternal law of rectitude. Let others do as they please, but as for you, set the Lord always before you, and let integrity and uprightness preserve you. Ask the Lord to help you. Is it not written that he ‘will with the temptation also make a way to escape’? ‘Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.’ Do not put forth your hand to iniquity. You may, in order to help yourself, do in five minutes what you cannot undo in fifty years, and you may bring upon yourself a lifelong series of trials by one single unbelieving action. Beware of relying on Egypt and sending for help to Assyria, for these will distress you, but not help you. Cry, ‘Lord, Increase our faith.’ That is what you greatly need in the trying hour. 2 Chronicles 16:10 Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time. then: 2Ch 25:16 26:19 2Sa 12:13 24:10-14 Ps 141:5 Pr 9:7-9 put him: 2Ch 18:26 Jer 20:2 29:26 Mt 14:3,4 Lu 3:20 Ac 16:23,24 oppressed: Job 20:19 *marg: Isa 51:23 Jer 51:34 La 3:34 the same time: 2Sa 11:4 12:31 ASA'S WRONG RESPONSE TO HANINI'S RIGHTEOUS WORDS Then - This time sensitive word should always get your attention for it show progression in a narrative and at times shows sequence if a prophecy. Asa was angry with the seer - Why is Asa really angry? What does a prophet speak? The prophet speaks for God, so in effect Asa is showing his contempt for God's word! Amazing hubris! But when you are deceived by sin, by definition you don't even know you are deceived! and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this - Oh, that horrible internal "demon" of pride! If Asa cannot stop the prophet's voice, he will put him in prison! Utley It is always dangerous to speak to power (ED: GOD'S PROPHET!) But for Asa, who started so well (cf. 2 Chr. 14:2,17), like so many of the Israelite kings, his reign ended poorly. This is the first recorded royal action against YHWH's spokesman. Other persecution of prophets followed. (1) Micaiah, son of Imla ‒ 2 Chr. 18:4-27 (2) Zechariah, son of Jehoiada ‒ 2 Chr. 24:20-22 (3) characteristics of the covenant people ‒ Matt. 5:12 (4) John the Baptist by Herod ‒ Mark 6:14-29. Surprisingly, Kings omits the account. Usually most of the negative things about the kings of Judah are in Kings but omitted in Chronicles. This is just the reverse! And Asa oppressed (ratsats) some of the people at the same time - While the text does not say for certain, it is possible that it was those who supported Hanani as a true prophet. The Septuagint uses lumaino a strong verb to translate oppressed (ratsats), this verb meaning to cause harm to, injure, damage, spoil, ruin, destroy. Asa had turned his back on Yahweh and now begins lashing out at men. God had given Asa over to the lusts of his flesh, in this case an evil desire to inflict punishment on others, a righteous prophet and likely righteous Hebrews who reacted to Asa's foolish decision to trust gold, not God. Rather than confessing his guilt, and repenting (an acceptable "about-face"), Asa became angry and oppressed his own kingdom. Asa's heart was right in that he consistently loved God. Nevertheless, like David, his obedience lapsed. He trusted in a foreign alliance and later in physicians more than in Yahweh. This resulted in his defeat and death. "Asa, then, has done a complete volte-face [about-face, change of policy] from his earlier faithfulness. It is as if we meet two altogether different Asas. He appeared first in the strength of God-reliance, now in the weakness of self reliance." [McConville - borrow I & II Chronicles] ESV Study Bible (BORROW) - Asa’s response is the first act of persecution of a prophet by a king recorded in the OT (see 18:26; 24:21; 25:16; 36:16). Put him in the stocks calls to mind the persecution of Jeremiah (Jer. 20:2). Oppressed (crushed)(07533) ratsats iterally means to crush (as a skull - Jdg 9:53), but most of the uses are figurative of crushing in the sense of oppression (Dt 28:33, Jdg 10:8), as in the exercising of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. Of King Asa oppressing his own people (2 Chr 16:10) Refers to nation of Egypt as a crushed reed (2 Ki 18:21, Isa 36:6). The verb rātsats conveys the basic meaning "to crush," "to oppress" or "to break into pieces." Used literally, this verb illustrates the breaking of a golden bowl and well wheel (Ecc. 12:6). Ratsats is translated in the Septuagint in Jdg 10:8 with the Greek verb thlao which means to break a seal (which in this case is not a natural, purposeful act, but one greatly to be regretted, since the seal appears as a means of protection, whose destruction is followed by dire consequences) Hs 8, 6, 3. It means to crush, to bruise (of persons) 2 Sa 22,39; to break (down) (of things) 2 Ki18,21; to oppress as in Jgs 10,8. 2 Chronicles 16:11 Now, the acts of Asa from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. the acts of Asa: 2Ch 9:29 12:15 20:34 26:22 Judah: 2Ch 25:26 27:7 32:32 34:18 35:27 1Ki 15:23 Related Passages: 2Ch 12:15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, according to genealogical enrollment? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 2Ch 13:22; Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo. 1 Kings 14:19 ow the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he made war and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Now, the acts of Asa from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel - Notice the writer includes both the Southern and Northern Kingdoms. Gustafson writes "Verse 11 is the first time in 2 Chronicles that the Chronicler gives his most important literary source—” the book of the kings of Judah and Israel”. It is mentioned also in 1 Chronicles 9:1. This source cannot be our present 1 and 2 Kings (that has only a small part of the material on Asa found in Chronicles), and is now lost. In the following chapters this title or similar titles occur several times (2Ch 20:34; 24:27; 25:26; 27:7; 28:26; 32:32; 33:18; 35:27; 36:8). In the parallel portion in 1 Kings 15:23 we read of, “the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah”. But never once in any of these other nine references does the writer of the Chronicles refer to the kings of Judah alone. Whenever we read of the kings of Judah we also read of Israel. In this way the historian wanted to show that Judah was part of the inclusive Israel, which he considered an ideal." (What the Bible Teaches - 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles) Ron Daniel - 16:11-14 He Did Not Seek The Lord, But The Physicians. Three years later, King Asa came to his end. He never turned back to the Lord, but continued to trust in man. This is evident when we read, 2Chr. 16:12 ...Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians. Understand, this is not a slam against doctors. The Apostle Paul called Luke, Col. 4:14 ...the beloved physician... And Jesus acknowledged people's need for doctors when He said, Mark 2:17 ..."It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick..." However, when a believer trusts in the doctors instead of the Lord, they are in danger. "No thanks, God. My doc's got this one covered." And it seems the more severe the disease, the less people trust prayer. But here, we see the opposite being presented as the truth: "His disease was severe, but he STILL didn't seek God." Saints, who are we trusting in? The other day, someone was telling me about the latest miracle product, the hottest, newest cure-all. They said, "I've gotten so bold, I'm telling everyone about this stuff!" It's amazing to me how most Christians can't be bold enough to say to a sick friend, James 5:14-15 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick... And yet, those same Christians have no problem evangelizing the latest herb or technique! This has a very spiritual application for us as well. When you're diseased in the feet, it means that you can't walk well. Our Christian walk is vital for our lives. If your walk is going poorly, who are you going to put your trust in? The latest book? The latest wind of doctrine? Or are you going to seek the Lord? The more severe the disease, the more clearly you need to seek Him. 2 Chronicles 16:12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians. diseased: Mt 7:2 Lu 6:37,38 Rev 3:19 in his disease: 2Ch 16:9 28:22 1Ch 10:14 Jer 17:5 physicians: Ge 50:2 Job 13:4 Jer 8:22 Mt 9:12 Mk 2:17 5:26 Col 4:14 SECOND BAD SEEKING In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians - Severe disease in his feet could have been gangrene, which is common with diabetics and for which the orthopedic surgeon has to perform an amputation lest it spread to the rest of the leg and then the body and ultimately cause death. This miserable way of dying could indeed have been Asa's tragic fate! For a second time in this chapter when adversity struck Asa, he turned away from Yahweh and sought men's wisdom. The chronicler is not condemning physicians (of which this writer is one), but just Asa's faith failure, his failure to lean on Yahweh. THOUGHT - There is a lesson here. When we begin to backslide and turn away from God, it becomes easier to turn away from Him the next time we experience adversity. And be assured that there will be a NEXT TIME of adversity, because the long arm of the Lord will discipline us in an attempt to bring us back to our senses (Hebrews 12:5-10+). It did not work out well with Asa. Will it work out well for you (ME)? Remember the final "fruit" of divine discipline is "the peaceful fruit of righteousness." (Hebrews 12:11+) Asa was reaping the rotten fruit of unrighteousness! (cf Gal 6:7-8+). The following could have been "Asa's song"... Sin will take you further than you ever wanted to stray! Cost you more than you ever dreamed you would pay! Keep you longer than you ever thought you would stay! "You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?” (Gal 5:7+) might be asked of many saints and not just the Galatians or King Asa. A good beginning is good, but it is not good enough! The clarion call is to run with endurance the race that is set before us (Heb 12:1+). The problem is that when God’s people become "diseased in their feet," (whatever that might look like in each of our lives), we cease to run well. As Knapp says "We may try various expedients, such as ritualism, revivalism, the union of churches, etc., to recover themselves, they are every one of them “physicians of no value.” “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation,” wrote a notable backslider (Ps 51:12). It is Jehovah Who says through His prophet, “I will heal their backslidings.” (Jer 3:22KJV, Hos 14:4KJV) It is amazing that Asa is the same man who had "commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers" (2Ch 14:4, cf 2Ch 14:7). And in 2Ch 15:12 under Asa's leadership "They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and soul." If Asa had been reading the Law of the LORD as he had been instructed in Dt 17:18-19+, he would have run across a passage that would have aided him in his present illness, for in Ex 15:26+ Yahweh declares "I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.” See the study of this great Name of Yahweh - Jehovah Rapha: (Jehovah Rophe) The LORD our Healer. As an aside Asa seems also to have forgotten the healing of the land promised in 2Ch 7:14+. Gustafson writes "Asa failed to seek God in his military crisis but not only then. He also failed to seek God in his personal crisis. In both cases he relied on human aid instead of relying on God. He had done so well in seeking the Lord in his earlier years. Now he is not condemned for going to physicians, but he is condemned for going to physicians without seeking God at all in the matter. The writer of the Chronicles is amazed that Asa did not turn to the Lord when he was so seriously ill. Hezekiah, who excelled in trusting the Lord (2 Kings 18:5), is a good example of how one who trusts should react in serious sickness (2 Kings 20:1–3). Even in the miraculous cure of Hezekiah means were used (2 Kings 20:7), showing that it is not wrong to use such methods so long as one seeks God first. Every saint should be exercised by any chastening that God sends into their lives (Heb 12:11). (What the Bible Teaches - 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles) NIV Study Bible (BORROW) - For other examples of disease as punishment for sin see 2Ch 21:16-20; 26:16-23; Ac 12:23. Cf. 2Ki 15:5. Contrast King Hezekiah (Isa 38); cf. Jer 17:5-8; Jas 5:14-16. Spurgeon - It is not wrong to send for physicians, it is quite right; but it is very wrong to send for physicians in place of crying to God, thus putting the human agency before the divine; besides, it is very probable that these physicians were only heathenish conjurors, necromancers, and pretenders to magical arts, and could not be consulted without implicating the patient in their evil practices. Believer's Study Bible According to the most likely reconstruction of the chronology of the kings of Judah and Israel, Asa reigned from 911 to 870 B.C. In his thirty-ninth year (873 B.C.), when he contracted a foot disease, he appointed his son Jehoshaphat as coregent with him, the first of several coregencies in Judah (cf. 2 Ki 1:17). Jehoshaphat's 25-year rule is counted from this point (cf. 1 Ki 22:41-42). Iain Duguid: Asa’s failure to seek God in his disease does not necessarily negate the value of physicians in general but rather judges his reliance on them alone and his failure to see that God ultimately is the source of all healing. A comparison can be seen in the earlier recounting of military defensive preparedness within an overall life of seeking and relying on God (2 Chronicles 14). Elsewhere, Scripture includes both frequent references to God as the one who “heals” (Gen. 20:17; Ex. 15:26; Deut. 32:39; Pss. 6:2; 30:2; etc.) and positive instances of help from physicians (e.g., Isa. 38:21; Jer. 8:22; Col. 4:14). Further, illness may have a spiritual cause (1 Cor. 11:30), and, increasingly, modern medicine is becoming aware of spiritual factors in health and healing. The account of Asa points to the God who calls for people to “seek” and “rely on” him in all of life Jamieson: The physicians that Asa sought (v. 12) were most probably Egyptian physicians, who were anciently in high repute at foreign courts, and who pretended to expel diseases by charms, incantations, and mystic arts. Asa's fault consisted in his trusting to such physicians, while he neglected to supplicate the aid and blessing of God. Norman Geisler - 2 CHRONICLES 16:12—Does this text teach that king Asa’s death resulted from seeking physicians rather than the Lord? MISINTERPRETATION: According to Christian Science, this passage teaches that King Asa’s death was a consequence of his seeking the aid of physicians, rather than from the Lord (Eddy, 245). From this they infer that we too should refrain from drugs and medical assistance, even in time of serious illness. CORRECTING THE MISINTERPRETATION: Such an inference is not necessary in this context, and it is contrary to other passages of Scripture. Several considerations make this apparent. The verse does not say it is wrong to seek the aid of a physician but to do this instead of seeking the Lord. God wants to be put first (cf. Matt. 6:33; Col. 1:18). As Jeremiah put it, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD” (Jer. 17:5). Both the Old and New Testaments recommend the use of medicine. Isaiah the prophet was commanded to “prepare a poultice of figs” for a boil. This poultice was applied to the boil, and he recovered (2 Kings 20:7). And Paul told Timothy, “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1 Tim. 5:23 NIV). Finally, the fact that the apostle Paul was afflicted with an infirmity (Gal. 4:13; cf. 2 Cor. 12:7) may be the reason he often traveled with Dr. Luke (see Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11). Nowhere does the Bible condemn going to a physician or taking medicine. Even Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Matt. 9:12 NIV). The Bible simply insists that we should seek God first to determine whether the sickness is sent by him. (When Cultists Ask) John Kitto - Physicians—I Kings 15:23; II Chronicles 16:12 Asa was in his latter days afflicted with “a disease in his feet,” which is generally supposed to have been the gout. Here, again, the king incurs some blame for having resorted to “the physicians instead of relying upon God.” We cannot suppose that he was blameworthy for taking proper means for his recovery, but he was for relying upon them instead of upon the Lord’s blessing upon the means they employed. It was therefore a new manifestation of that lapse of faith, to which he had unhappily become too prone. Much had been given to him—even large capacities of faith—and much more therefore was required from him than from men less favored. It may have been something even worse. It is even probable that the “physicians” may have been foreigners and idolaters, whose practice consisted much in superstitious arts and idolatrous rites, instead of the priests, or rather Levites, in whose hands the medical practice of the Jews chiefly rested. In this case his offence was the same in kind as that of the king of Israel (Jehoram) in the next generation, who sent to Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, respecting the disease with which he was afflicted, and who incurred thereby a dreadful rebuke for not having rather consulted the God of Israel. This shows, that since diseases were considered the immediate act of God, so was also the cure; and it was usual to ascertain his will through the priests or prophets. It was also sought to propitiate Him by vows, by prayers, and by sacrifices. Under the same views as to the cause of the disease, the heathen resorted to their gods, and sought to will their favor or to pacify them by various strange, superstitious, and often brutal rites. In any case, certainly, under such a state of things, to apply to a foreign physician was but an indirect mode of application to the god he served. We will take this opportunity of stating a few particulars respecting the state of medicine among the ancient Hebrews. There have been some curious speculations among them as to the medical knowledge of Adam—founded on the idea that the knowledge of all creatures, implied in his bestowal of appropriate names upon them, must have comprised a knowledge of their medicinal properties and uses. The mere conjecture shows the extent to which animal substances were applied in the materia medica of the Hebrews. In this age, where more potent medicinal agents have been found, it is hard to conceive the extent to which the parts of animals were used, not only by the ancients, but, until a comparatively recent date, by the moderns. Indeed, most of the practices as to applications of animal simples, which, where found in use among our peasantry, are cited, under such headings as “Folk-Lore,” as rural superstitions, are often little other than remnants of ancient and legitimate medical practice. The point is curious; and in proof of it we might quote largely from a work bearing the date of 1664, which sets forth the medical uses of most animals, citing ancient and medical authorities for most of the statements—including Jewish medical writers.545 We wish our space allowed quotation from this book; but can only give a sample or two. The first article is “Ape,”—in which, among other things, we are told “an ape eaten by a lion, cureth his diseases”—a fact we most potently believe, having often noted a lion to seem greatly refreshed after demolishing an ape. Under “Asse” we are told, among other delectable matter, that “a little of the water being drunke, of which the cow or asse hath drunke, doth effectually help the headach.” “The dryed brain of an asse, being drunke daily in water and honey, helpeth the epilepsie in 30 daies.”—“The heart of a black male asse, being eaten with bread, helpeth the falling sicknesse.”—“The gall doth asswage the signes of abscesses.”—“The flesh helpeth against the paine of the back-bone and hipps. The marrow anointed cureth the gout, and easeth the paine. The ashes of the hoofes burned help the falling sickness. The dung mixed with the yolk of an egge, and applied to the forehead, stoppeth the fluxe of blood, and, with a bull’s gall, curleth the haire.” Of the mouse it is said,—“The flesh causeth oblivion. A mouse dissected and applied draweth out reeds, darts, and other things that stick in the flesh. Being eaten by children, when rosted, they dry up their spittle. The water in which they have been boiled helpeth against the quinsey.The ashes, with honey, used ten dayes, clear the eyes. The head, worne in a cloth, helpeth the headache and epilepsy. The liver, rosted in the new of the moon, trieth the epilepsie. The brain, being steeped in wine and applied to the forehead, helpeth the headach. The gall, with vinegar, dropped into the eare, bringeth out live creatures in the eare. The dung, given in any liquour, helpeth the colick,” and is further stated to be good, as are other of its parts and products, for a variety of other uses, which must have rendered this little creature formerly of much more estimation in public opinion than it now bears. The first mention of physicians in Scripture is in the time of Joseph, and with reference to Egypt, which may be regarded as the western cradle of this and many other ancient sciences and arts. These physicians were those who embalmed Jacob; and were, therefore, rather embalmers than physicians, whose profession is to cure the living, not to embalm the dead. Nevertheless, we know from other sources that the Egyptians had early made great progress in the study of medicine, and acquired high reputation; so that the aid of Egyptian physicians was much sought for even in foreign lands. Indeed, it is far from unlikely that the physicians whose skill Asa so unwisely relied on were of Egypt. It was believed that they had a knowledge of materia medica more extensive than any other men by whom medical science was cultivated, and that in this their great strength lay. Indeed, there is clear enough allusion to this in one of the prophets, who exclaims, “O, virgin daughter of Egypt, in vain shalt thou use many medicines, for thou shalt not be cured.” Jeremiah 46:11. No one can doubt that the Hebrews must have brought some considerable portion of this knowledge of medicine with them from Egypt. The proof of the knowledge actually possessed is strikingly manifested in the indication of the characters by which the priest was to recognize the leprosy, as well as of the sanitary measures to be taken, and the means of cure to be adopted. All this may be seen in Leviticus 13; and it suffices to observe, that modern physicians,546 who have given attention to the subject, have only found occasion to attest the exact accuracy of these indications. The knowledge thus possessed by, and required from the priests, sufficiently indicates that medicine was in all essential respects a sacred pursuit, and was, as such, in the hands of the Levitical priesthood, whose learned leisure and dispersion through the country, as well as their superior education, rendered them in these remote ages the best and fittest depositaries of medical science. Indeed, nothing is more certain than the essential identity among all ancient nations of the professions—religion, law, and medicine, which the progress of civilization has separated into three. Indeed, in our own country even, the profession of the law still bears the outward and visible marks of its ancient connection with religion; and the time is not distant when every parish priest was expected to possess some knowledge of medicine. Among the Hebrews, leprosy, and all other diseases, were deemed to be the immediate effect of the omnipotence of God. They were sent for punishment or fatherly correction to those who had offended Him or incurred His rebuke; and they were cured when they had appeased Him by their contrition and their prayers, or when the object of their chastening had been accomplished. This true theory of disease and cure among the Hebrews will, in its application, throw much light upon all the passages which more or less bear upon the subject. As we shall, in the Illustrations of the New Testament, have to take up the further developments of a subject which is most conspicuously produced in that portion of Divine revelation, we here limit our view, as much as possible, to the state of the matter before Christ. For the elucidation of this, there is a most remarkable passage in the Apocrypha, which has been much overlooked in the consideration of the question. It is in Ecclesiasticus; and as the apocryphal books are not now generally accessible, we give it entire below.547 It appears to us that this passage very exactly defines the position of the physician. It allows him honor, and gives due weight to his skill and the real use of the means he employs, but admirably refers all to God. The skill of the physician is His; the medicaments are His; and the cure is His. Even the skill of the physician is proportioned to the faculty he possesses of rendering God honor, by his knowledge and employment of the healing properties which he has imparted to various productions of the earth. In the last clause there is, however, something which would be regarded as a sarcasm on the profession if it were met with in a modern writing:—“He that sinneth before his Maker, let him fall into the hands of the physician!” 2 Chronicles 16:13 So Asa slept with his fathers, having died in the forty-first year of his reign. slept: 1Ki 15:24 So Asa slept with his fathers, having died in the forty-first year of his reign - He reigned 912-871. For 36 years Yahweh reigned over Asa, but for 5 years Asa reigned over Asa! Asa died in his 41st year and reigned concurrent with 7 other kings of Israel - Jeroboam (reigning when Asa began to reign), Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab. Iain Duguid:: Here have been recounted, in quick succession, three examples of Asa’s not “relying on” or “seeking” the Lord, which led to judgment: (1) seeking aid from Ben-hadad, resulting in failure to defeat Ben-hadad and in continuing “wars” instead; (2) anger at the prophet’s message, leading to disease; and (3) failure “even in his disease [to] seek the Lord,” leading to death. The ending, however, is positive, as the Chronicler adds details of burial rites that give him “honor.” In fact, he is the only king for whom such memorial “fire” and spices are specifically mentioned (generic mention in 21:19 and Jer. 34:5). It seems that Asa’s experience of God’s grace had diminished but not been destroyed. Knapp - Asa’s history reveals his weaknesses: God, in His comments on his character, gives no hint of them (2 Chron. 20:32; 21:12). He loves to commend whatever is lovely in His servants’ lives, and only when necessary exposes their failures and follies. May we in this, as in all things else, be “imitators of God”! (Eph. 5:1.) (The Kings of Judah and Israel) 2 Chronicles 16:14 They buried him in his own tomb which he had cut out for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the resting place which he had filled with spices of various kinds blended by the perfumers’ art; and they made a very great fire for him. his own sepulchres: 2Ch 35:24 Isa 22:16 Joh 19:41,42 made: Heb. digged sweet odours: Ge 50:2 Mk 16:1 Joh 19:39,40 the apothecaries' art: Ex 30:25-37 Ec 10:1 a very great: 2Ch 21:19 Jer 34:5 Related Passage: Jeremiah 34:5 ‘You will die in peace; and as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will burn spices for you; and they will lament for you, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word,” declares the LORD. BURIAL AND A BON FIRE They buried him in his own tomb (KJV - sepulchres) which he had cut out for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the resting place which he had filled with spices of various kinds blended by the perfumers’ art See SPECIAL TOPIC: BURIAL SPICES. In death he made sure he would rest in a sweet aroma. It is too bad he did not give off such a sweet aroma in the last 5 years of his reign. Rawlinson “The use of the plural—’sepulchres’—will not seem strange, if we remember that a tomb in Judæa was ordinarily an excavation in the solid rock containing a number of cells each capable of holding a body.” And they made a very great fire for him - This is not a reference to cremation, which was only used in extraordinary circumstances (1Sa 31:12). Bob