1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Well, hello and good morning friends and faithful listeners, 2 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: and welcome to the Bible Explain Podcasts on this lovely morning. 3 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 1: And I'm so excited that you're starting your week off 4 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: well with listening to the Bible this morning with me 5 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: and also sharing a delicious cup of coffee. We're going 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: to be talking about Second Chronicles, chapter fifteen and more 7 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:25,159 Speaker 1: of ASA's religious reform that he does in Judah, and 8 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: we'll also talk about how it says God will never 9 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: leave us nor forsake us, but in Second Chronicles fifteen 10 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,200 Speaker 1: it says that God will forsake those who forsake him. 11 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: So how can those two things be true at the 12 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 1: same time. We will talk about that in just one second. Now, 13 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: faithful listeners, before I begin this podcast episode, go ahead 14 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: and help me out by listening to this word from 15 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: one of our sponsors. Okay, So, like I said, we're 16 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: going to be talking about Second Chronicles fifteen today and 17 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: discussing the entire chapter. So grab your cup of coffee 18 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 1: or your cup of tea this morning, and let's go 19 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: ahead and jump into scripture together. As always, I'll be 20 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: reading from the web. The Spirit of God came on 21 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: Azaria the son of Odad. And he went out to 22 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: meet Asa and said to him, hear me, Asa, and 23 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 1: all Judah and Benjamin. Yahweh is with you while you 24 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: are with him, And if you seek him, he will 25 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: be found by you. But if you forsake him, he 26 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: will forsake you. Now, for a long time Israel was 27 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law. 28 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: But when in their distress they turned to Yahweh, the 29 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 1: God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 30 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: In those times, there was no peace to him who 31 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: went out, nor to him who came in. But great 32 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: troubles were on all the inhabitants of the lands. They 33 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city. 34 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: For God troubled them with all adversity. But you be strong, 35 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: don't let your hands be slack, for your work will 36 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: be rewarded. When Aesa heard these words and the prophecy 37 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: of Odd the Prophet, he took courage and put away 38 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, 39 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: and out of the cities which he had taken from 40 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: the hill country of Ephriam. And he renewed Yahwei's altar 41 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 1: that was before Yahwe's porch. He gathered all Judah and 42 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: Benjamin and those who lived with them out of Ephriam, Manassa, 43 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: and Simeon, for they all came to him out of 44 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: Israel in abundance when they saw that Yahweh, his God, 45 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: was with him. So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem. 46 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: In the third month in the fifteenth year of Ace's reign. 47 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,679 Speaker 1: They sacrificed Yahweh in that day of the plunder which 48 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: they had brought seven hundred heads of cattle and seven 49 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 1: thousand sheep. They entered into the covenant to seek Yahweh, 50 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: the God of their fathers, with all their heart and 51 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: with all their soul, and that whoever would not seek Yahweh, 52 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether 53 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,519 Speaker 1: small or great, whether man or woman. They swore to 54 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: Yahweh with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and 55 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: with cornets. All Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they 56 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: had sworn with all their heart and sought him with 57 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: their whole desire, and He was found by them. Then 58 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 1: Yahweh gave them rest all around. Also Maka, the mother 59 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: of Asa the King. He removed from being queen mother 60 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah. 61 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: So Asa cut down her image, grounded into dust and 62 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: burned it at the brook Kidron. But the high places 63 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: were not taken away out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart 64 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: of Asa was perfect all his days. He brought the 65 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: things that his father had dedicated, and the things that 66 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: he had dedicated silver, gold, and vessels into God's house. 67 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: There was no more war to the thirty fifth year 68 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: of Ace's reign. I don't know if you guys remember 69 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: what happened in the last chapter, but essentially Asa became 70 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: the king, and he was a good king. He followed 71 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: Yahweh all of his days, so he was a Yahweh 72 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: worshipper through and through. Now his dad was not who 73 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: was the previous king, Abaijah Abijah was actually a terrible 74 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: king and introduced a lot of idolatry in Israel. But 75 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: as soon as Asa became the king, he actually started 76 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: this religious reform. And it says in Second Chronicles fourteen 77 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: the previous chapter that Asa took away out of all 78 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: the cities of Judah, the high places and the sun images, 79 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: and the kingdom was quiet before him. So yes, he 80 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: started this religious reform that spread across Judah. And because 81 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: he was seeking Yahweh and encouraging Judah to seek Yahweh, 82 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: God actually gave King Asa rest, so no wars for 83 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: ten whole years. But then after ten years, this Ethiopian 84 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: army of a million men come up against Israel. And 85 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: the Ethiopians during this time and history, were actually like 86 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: on a rampage. They had taken control of a lot 87 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 1: of Egypt at this point, and they were kind of 88 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: going on a conquest across all of the ancient world. 89 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: So they set their sights on Israel and King Asa. 90 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: King Asa with his five hundred thousand men, is going 91 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: up against an army of a million men. So Asa 92 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: cries out to God, as does all of the army, 93 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: and God a actually defeats the Ethiopian army for King 94 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: Asa and for Judah. And so now we are up 95 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: to date. In Second Chronicles fifteen, it says in verse 96 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: one that the spirit of God came on Azaria, the 97 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 1: son of Odaed. Now we don't know really who Azaria 98 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 1: the son of Oded is. He's very briefly mentioned in scripture. 99 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: He's one of the lesser known prophets, but he was 100 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 1: a prophet who received a special word from God specifically 101 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: for King Asa. So it says Azaria went out to 102 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: meet Asa and said to him, hear me, Asa and 103 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: all Judah and Benjamin Yahweh is with you while you 104 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 1: are with him, and if you seek him, he will 105 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,600 Speaker 1: be found by you. But if you forsake him, he 106 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: will forsake you. The first time I ever read that 107 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: verse years ago, it actually really struck me, particularly the 108 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: phrase if you seek him, he will be found by you. 109 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: The people who are truly looking for God, they're going 110 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: to find him. God is not hiding. He actually wants 111 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: you to know him. He wants to be in a 112 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:08,919 Speaker 1: relationship with you. But if you forsake him, he will 113 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 1: forsake you. And that's the part of the verse that 114 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: I think maybe confuses a lot of people because there 115 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,720 Speaker 1: are so many verses in scripture that say I will 116 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: never leave you or forsake you. For example, let's go 117 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: ahead and read Deuteronomy thirty one one through eight, And 118 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: this was while his people were still in the wilderness, 119 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,479 Speaker 1: right before Moses dies and Joshua takes over, and they're 120 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: about to go into the promised land. Here's what God 121 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 1: says to the people. Verse one. Moses went and spoke 122 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: all these words to Israel. He said to them, I 123 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: am one hundred and twenty years old. Today I can 124 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: no more go out and come in. Yahweh has said 125 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:47,239 Speaker 1: to me. You shall not go over this Jordan. Yahweh 126 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:49,839 Speaker 1: or God himself, will go over before you. He will 127 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. 128 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: Joshua will go over before you, as Yahweh has spoken. 129 00:06:57,400 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: Yahweh will do to them as he did to Sihon 130 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 1: and Og the kings of the Amirits, and to their 131 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: land when he destroyed them. Yahweh will deliver them up 132 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: before you, and you shall do to them according to 133 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: all the commandment which I've commanded. You. Be strong and courageous. 134 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: Don't be afraid or scared of them. For Yahweh or 135 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: God himself is who goes with you. He will not 136 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: fail you nor forsake you. Moses called to Joshua and 137 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: said to him, in sight of all of Israel, be 138 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people 139 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 1: into the land which Yahweh has sworn to their fathers. 140 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: To give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 141 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: Yahweh himself is who goes before you. He will be 142 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. 143 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: Don't be afraid, don't be discouraged. And later on in 144 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: the New Testament, Hebrews actually quotes this verse that God 145 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: is never going to leave nor forsake his people. So 146 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 1: how is it that if God promises he is never 147 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: going to leave or forsake his people. That second Chronicles 148 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,560 Speaker 1: fifteen says that if we forsake God, he's going to 149 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 1: forsake us. How can those two things be true at 150 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: the same time. How can God both never forsake us 151 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: and also forsake us. Well, first, let's go back to 152 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 1: the Hebrew word for forsake. The Hebrew word is a zab. 153 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: It means to leave, abandon, reject, dessert, be left behind, 154 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: be freed, to be abandoned, YadA, YadA, YadA. So keep 155 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 1: those definitions in mind as I present my arguments here. Well, 156 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,679 Speaker 1: first and foremost, God can never really leave us because 157 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 1: of the prime reason that God is omnipresent. So, for example, 158 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 1: in Jeremiah twenty three Versus twenty three and twenty four. 159 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: God says this to his people. I am a god 160 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 1: at hand, says Yahweh, and a god not far off. 161 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I 162 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: can't see him? Says Yahweh. Don't I fill heaven and earth? 163 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: And then if you turn to Psalm one thirty nine, 164 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: one of my favorite psalms, here's what Verses seven through 165 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:04,880 Speaker 1: twelve says, where could I go from your spirit? Where 166 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: could I flee from your presence? If I ascend up 167 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed 168 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: and shoal behold, you are there. If I take the 169 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 1: wings of the dawn and settle in the uttermost parts 170 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 1: of the sea, even there, your hand will lead me, 171 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 1: and your right hand will hold me. If I say, 172 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: surely the darkness will overwhelm me, the light around me 173 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 1: will be night. Even the darkness doesn't hide from you, 174 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: but the night shines as the day. The darkness is 175 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 1: like a light to you. So that's the Psalmist to David, 176 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,560 Speaker 1: saying that no matter where he goes, even if he 177 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: went to the bottom of the sea, even if he 178 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: went to the grave, even if he ascended up into 179 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: heaven or the highest mountain, no matter where he goes 180 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: in all of God's creation, God would be there because 181 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 1: God is omnipresent. That means he is everywhere all the time. 182 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: There is nothing hidden from him. But he can hide 183 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 1: him self from us. So here's what Isaiah sixty four 184 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: five through seven says. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned. 185 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:10,679 Speaker 1: We have been in sin for a long time. Shall 186 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 1: we be saved? For we have all become like one 187 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: who is unclean, and our righteousness is like polluted garments. 188 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 1: We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities like 189 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 1: the wind take us away. There is no one who 190 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: calls on your name, who stirs himself up to take 191 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 1: hold of you, for you have hidden your face from 192 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:30,599 Speaker 1: us and have consumed us by means of our iniquities. 193 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 1: So there you go. That entire passage Isaiah sixty four 194 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: answers the question how can God forsake us? When he 195 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:41,680 Speaker 1: says He's not going to leave us or forsake us. 196 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: Don't forget the word forsake in Hebrew has multiple meanings. 197 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: He is never going to leave us or abandon us, 198 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 1: but he will reject us, which is one of the 199 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: other meanings of the word for sake, because we are 200 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: not following after him. So that is how both things 201 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: can be true at the exact same time. He won't 202 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 1: leave us or abandon us because he's always around, but 203 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:09,760 Speaker 1: he will reject us if we refuse to follow after him, 204 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:13,680 Speaker 1: if we refuse to stop sinning, eventually his hand of 205 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 1: blessing will get taken off of us. And that is 206 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 1: what the prophet Azaria is telling Asa. In Second Chronicles fifteen. 207 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 1: He says, Asa, pursue God. When you pursue him, he 208 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: will be found by you. But if you forsake him, 209 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 1: if you reject him, he is also going to reject you. 210 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: But moving on to verse three of our passage for 211 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: today now, for a long time Israel was without the 212 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 1: true God, without a teaching priest, and without law. But 213 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: when in their distress they turned to Yahweh, the God 214 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 1: of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 215 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 1: In those times, there was no peace to him who 216 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 1: went out, nor to him who came in. But great 217 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: troubles were on all the inhabitants of the land. They 218 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 1: were broken in peaces, nation against nation, city against city, 219 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: For God truled them with all their adversity so I 220 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 1: believe the prophet here is talking about the times right 221 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:07,719 Speaker 1: before the Kings. I don't know if you remember how 222 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 1: crazy the Book of Judges was. It's one of my 223 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: favorite books of the Bible because it's so interesting, but 224 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 1: it also shows just the mercy of God over and 225 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,719 Speaker 1: over and over again, when Israel was so corrupt and 226 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: so terrible during their early days, right before the Kings 227 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:28,840 Speaker 1: took over. Fantastic book, but it was exactly what Azaria 228 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: is talking about in those times verse five. There was 229 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 1: no peace to him who went out, nor to him 230 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 1: who came in. But great troubles were on all the 231 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 1: inhabitants of the lands. They were broken in peaces, nations 232 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:44,559 Speaker 1: against nation, and city against city, for God troubled them 233 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:48,079 Speaker 1: with all adversity. So I think the point of Azaria, 234 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 1: this prophet telling Asa all of this is to remind 235 00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:56,439 Speaker 1: him that when Israel or Judah does not follow after God, 236 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: bad things start to happen. As Israel rejs God, God 237 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: is going to reject Israel now. Of course, because of 238 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: God's mercy, he always comes to the aid of his 239 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:10,680 Speaker 1: people over and over and over again, which is essentially 240 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 1: what the Book of Judges was. About God always comes 241 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 1: back to his people because again, he can never leave 242 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: or abandon them, but he can reject them from time 243 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,760 Speaker 1: to time when they reject him. So this prophet who 244 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 1: is receiving this word from God does not want Asa 245 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 1: to make the same mistakes that the judges made and 246 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: the kings before Asa had made. So depending on how 247 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: you look at it, this is either a warning to 248 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 1: Asa or it's a very encouraging message because the prophet 249 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:50,079 Speaker 1: ends by saying, you be strong, Asa, don't let your 250 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: hands be slack, for your work will be rewarded. And 251 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: it could be that Asa, you know, as the years 252 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: go on, is starting to feel a little bit of 253 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 1: fear because it says here in verse eight that when 254 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 1: Asa heard these words and the prophecy of oded the prophet, 255 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 1: he took courage and put away the abominations out of 256 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: all the land of Judah and Benjamin, out of all 257 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 1: the cities which he had taken from the hill country 258 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,560 Speaker 1: of Ephriam, and he renewed Yahwei's altar that was before 259 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 1: Yahwe's porch. So you remember that early on in Aesa's 260 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: reign he did have that religious reform. But now because 261 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 1: of this prophet's words and other prophets. It looks like 262 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: it also says that Odad the prophet came to Asa 263 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 1: as well, which would have been the father of this 264 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: other prophet, Azaria. These two prophets encouraged Asa to keep 265 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:42,440 Speaker 1: on going and spreading this religious reform on behalf of Yahweh, 266 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: so that the people would not worship all of these 267 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 1: other abominable idols is what scripture calls them, but actually 268 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 1: worship Yahweh fully and don't forget. You know, Asa had 269 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: that big battle with the Ethiopian men, and after that, 270 00:14:57,480 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: it looks like Asa had some more battles because it 271 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 1: also meant that he took some land from the hill 272 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: country of Ephriam. So after all of those battles happened, 273 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: Asa no longer continued, it sounds like with his religious reform, 274 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 1: but now he has courage to do it once again, 275 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 1: and so all of these cities that he took, he 276 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: removes all of the idols and everything that was causing 277 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: Israel to fall away from Yahweh. And it also says 278 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: that he renewed Yahwa's altar that was before Yahwe's porch, 279 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 1: So I'd imagine that he repaired it in some way. 280 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: Then in verse nine, he gathered all Judah and Benjamin 281 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 1: and those who lived with them out of Ephria, Manassa, 282 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: and Simeon, for they came out to him out of 283 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: Israel in abundance when they saw that Yahweh, his God, 284 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 1: was with him. So people were migrating out of Israel 285 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 1: into Judah because Judah, you know, it is kind of 286 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: going downhill from almost the immediate get go. But Judah 287 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: under King Asa was actually flourishing, and so the people 288 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: of Israel noticed this, so like, oh, you know, Judah 289 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: is actually doing really well under King Asa, and so 290 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 1: they all left, they immigrated into Judah, it says, And 291 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: that could be why in the next chapter, King Basha 292 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 1: of Israel was so irritated and angry at Asa and 293 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: started all of these wars with him because he was 294 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 1: losing his people in droves down to Judah. So it 295 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: says that all of these people in verse ten gathered 296 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month in the 297 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: fifteenth year of ASA's reign. They sacrificed to Yahweh that 298 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: day of the plunder, which they had brought seven hundred 299 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: heads of cattle and seven thousand sheep. It says that 300 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: they sacrificed to Yahweh that day, and they entered into 301 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 1: the covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, 302 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: with all their heart and with all their soul, and 303 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: that whoever would not seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, 304 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 1: should be put to death, whether small or great, or 305 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 1: whether man or woman. So they enter into this oath, 306 00:16:55,640 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: this covenant, this promise. And you know, there's usually bad 307 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:05,359 Speaker 1: things associated with oaths in the Old Testament. It tends 308 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:08,719 Speaker 1: to burn the people in the end because they can't 309 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 1: keep their end of the bargain. And I'm certainly not 310 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:15,440 Speaker 1: saying that every single oath is bad. It's not. It's 311 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,359 Speaker 1: not sinful to make an oath, it's just sinful to 312 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 1: not keep the oath. So oaths are not inherently wrong, 313 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:26,680 Speaker 1: but generally people can't keep the oath that they make. 314 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: And I would imagine here this is probably an oath 315 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: that the people cannot keep. And they may have done 316 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 1: this out of the emotion they were feeling at the time, 317 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:37,880 Speaker 1: where they're like, God, we're never gonna leave you. In fact, 318 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,159 Speaker 1: we are going to dedicate our lives to you so 319 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 1: much that we will kill anybody who does not follow 320 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 1: after you. Now that being said, there were Old Testament 321 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 1: laws that said to put idolators to death because idolatry 322 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 1: was a spiritual sickness that would spread like wildfire across 323 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: all of Israel. However, in this verse, it says they 324 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 1: would put to death anybody who would not seek after Yahweh. 325 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 1: And I find that interesting because I was pouring through 326 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:11,640 Speaker 1: the Old Testament laws to see if there was one 327 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:13,920 Speaker 1: that said to put to death anybody that doesn't seek 328 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,680 Speaker 1: after God. It says that capital punishment is for those 329 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: who are actively worshiping other gods, breaking their covenant with God, 330 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:26,879 Speaker 1: and also encouraging other people to worship these idols as well. 331 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,639 Speaker 1: It could be that they made this vow without really 332 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,560 Speaker 1: thinking about it, and that's what we see with vows 333 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: a lot of times in the Old Testament, is like 334 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:39,399 Speaker 1: people will make them without really thinking this thing through, 335 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 1: and that could be the case of what happened here. 336 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 1: But again, it could also be that the people were 337 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 1: trying to follow after Yahweh genuinely had a heart of 338 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 1: wanting to worship God, wanting to seek after God and 339 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: renewed their covenant with God because they had made a 340 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,920 Speaker 1: covenant with God. You know, way back in the wilderness times, 341 00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: they said, God, We're going to worship you and you own. 342 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:02,760 Speaker 1: And so it could be that these people were truly 343 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: renewing that covenant with God, saying, for all of our lives, 344 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:09,399 Speaker 1: we are going to worship the one and only God. 345 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:11,680 Speaker 1: So it says that they swore to Yahweh with a 346 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets and with cornets. So 347 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:18,200 Speaker 1: they had this big parade. All Judah rejoiced at the oath, 348 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:20,680 Speaker 1: for they had sworn with all their heart and sought 349 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 1: him with their whole desire, and He was found by them. 350 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 1: It says that Yahweh gave them rest all around. So 351 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 1: after this entire religious reform ends up happening, it says 352 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: that God gave them rest from their enemies, and there 353 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: was so much rest actually that there is no more 354 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: war until the thirty fifth year of Ace's reign. So 355 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: approximately twenty years of peace happens for Israel after all 356 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,440 Speaker 1: of this takes place, and that's because of Ace's courage 357 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: to actually finish what he started, this religious reform. It 358 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:50,879 Speaker 1: also says in verse sixteen through eighteen which I have 359 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 1: to apologize because I mentioned a few episodes ago that 360 00:19:55,680 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 1: Second Chronicles didn't mention Maka, Ace's mother that it does 361 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:05,439 Speaker 1: right here, And again I didn't read forward enough to 362 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,159 Speaker 1: see that Maka is in fact right here. So Maka, 363 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,240 Speaker 1: as we know, was the mother of King Asa, and 364 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: she was also the mother of King ASA's father, and 365 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:16,280 Speaker 1: that is just disgusting. You know. Every single time I 366 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 1: read about this, I'm like, oh, okay, So Maka, the 367 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:23,120 Speaker 1: mother of Asa the king, who was also the mother 368 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: of ASA's father, was removed from being the queen mother. Okay. 369 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: So Asa removed her because she had made an abominable 370 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: image for an Ashrah. So Asa cut down her image, 371 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 1: grounded into dust and burned it at the brook Kidron. 372 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: But the high places were not taken away out of Israel. Nevertheless, 373 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 1: the heart of Asa was perfect all his days, and 374 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: we did talk about that a few days ago, so 375 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:47,119 Speaker 1: I'm not going to rehash that particular verse, but essentially, 376 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:52,160 Speaker 1: ASA's heart was always for God. You know, he never 377 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:55,679 Speaker 1: worshiped any other God other than Yahweh. He was one 378 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,200 Speaker 1: of the first kings to actually do this. It says 379 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,480 Speaker 1: that he brought things that his father had den dedicated 380 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 1: and that he himself had dedicated silver, gold and vessels 381 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:06,399 Speaker 1: into God's house and there was no more war to 382 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:09,680 Speaker 1: the thirty fifth year of Ace's Rain. So yeah, Asa 383 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,919 Speaker 1: was a pretty good king. He had his problems, as 384 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:15,399 Speaker 1: we're going to find out soon enough, but he was 385 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,720 Speaker 1: a good king for Israel. He started this religious reform 386 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:21,880 Speaker 1: that ended up helping Israel out for a very long 387 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:24,880 Speaker 1: period of time because God was not rejecting Israel since 388 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: Israel was not rejecting God. And so overall, Ace's Rain 389 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:31,399 Speaker 1: pretty good one. But we'll talk about some of his 390 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,679 Speaker 1: problems in the next chapter. But before I end this 391 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: podcast episode, go ahead and help me out by listening 392 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: to a word from one of our sponsors. So in 393 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: the next chapter we will be talking about ASA's Rain, 394 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 1: And normally I would do that this upcoming Wednesday, but 395 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:49,560 Speaker 1: we're not going to have a regular scheduled episode on 396 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 1: Wednesday because it's Christmas Eve and every single Christmas Eve, 397 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:56,639 Speaker 1: I do a special episode for you guys, A candlelit 398 00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:59,679 Speaker 1: Christmas podcast episode is what I call it. So to 399 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:03,719 Speaker 1: become coming out midnight on December twenty fifth, So make 400 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: sure to stay up nice and late. It's gonna be 401 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: a good family friendly episode that you can listen to 402 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 1: with your entire crew, and you can have your pjs 403 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: on and sit next to a fire and have some 404 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:16,439 Speaker 1: nice hot chocolate and you can listen to the Bible 405 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: Explained podcast special Candlelight Christmas episode. We're going to be 406 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:23,560 Speaker 1: talking about the Mother Mary this year, and I'm also 407 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 1: going to be singing hopefully a lovely song for you guys. 408 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:28,920 Speaker 1: At least I hope it's going to be lovely, because 409 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 1: I've got a little scratchy throat right now and I'm like, oh, 410 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:35,880 Speaker 1: I hope I can actually sing this song, So pray 411 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: for me for that. All right, faithful listeners, have a 412 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,639 Speaker 1: fantastic and wonderful rest of your dad. I'll see you 413 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: guys tomorrow, bright and early for a regular episode from 414 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 1: First Timothy, Happy listening, and God bless. I just want 415 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:50,160 Speaker 1: to take a second to thank the team at Life 416 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: Audio for their partnership with me on the Bible Explain Podcast. 417 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 1: In fact, if you go to lifeaudio dot com you 418 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,880 Speaker 1: will find dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network. 419 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:02,760 Speaker 1: They've got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more.