1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. 4 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 1: I'm John Stanghi and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter sixteen, 5 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the New Living Translation. In 6 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: the thirty sixth year of Ace's reign, King Bishah of 7 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent 8 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: anyone from entering or leaving King ASA's territory in Judah. 9 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 1: Asa responded by removing the silver and gold from the 10 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: treasuries of the Temple of the Lord and the royal Palace. 11 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: He sent it to King ben Hadad of Aram, who 12 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: was ruling in Damascus, along with this message, let there 13 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: be a treaty between you and me, like the one 14 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: between your father and my father. See I am sending 15 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Bishah 16 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: of Israel, so that he will leave me alone. Ben 17 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: Hadad agreed to King ASA's request and sent the commanders 18 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,119 Speaker 1: of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They 19 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: conquered the towns of Ijohn, dan Abel, Beth, Makah, and 20 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: all the store cities and naptali. As soon as Bishah 21 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,759 Speaker 1: of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project 22 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:34,479 Speaker 1: of fortifying Rama and stopped all work on it. Then 23 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: King Asa called out all the men of Judah to 24 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 1: carry away the building stones and timbers that Bishah had 25 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: been using to fortify Rama. Asa used these materials to 26 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: fortify the towns of Ghiba and Mizpah. At that time, 27 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: Hannoni the Seer came to King Asa and told him, 28 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: because you have put your trust in the King of 29 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: Aram instead of in the Lord, your God, you missed 30 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: your chance to destroy the army of the King of Arim. 31 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: Don't you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans 32 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:12,959 Speaker 1: and their vast army with all of their chariots and 33 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: charioteers at that time. You relied on the Lord, and 34 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: he handed them over to you. The eyes of the 35 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: Lord searched the whole earth in order to strengthen those 36 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool 37 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 1: you have been. From now on you will be at war. 38 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: Asa became so angry with Hannony for saying this that 39 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: he threw him into prison and put him in stocks. 40 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: At that time, Asa also began to oppress some of 41 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: his people. The rest of the events of Aesa's reign 42 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: from beginning to end are recorded in the Book of 43 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,519 Speaker 1: the Kings of Judah and Israel. In the thirty ninth 44 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. 45 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: Even with the severity of his disease, he did not 46 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: seek the Lord's help, but turned only to his physicians. 47 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: So he died in the forty first year of his reign. 48 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 1: He was buried in the tomb he had carved out 49 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: for himself in the city of David. He was laid 50 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: on a bed perfumed with sweet spices and fragrant ointments, 51 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 1: and the people built a huge funeral fire in his honor. 52 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your word, and 53 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege to be able to 54 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: look at it today. And Lord, there are very instructive 55 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: things for our hearts to be able to observe. In 56 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: this portion of your scriptures. We see something spoken of 57 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: here in this passage that reminds us of a mistake 58 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: that we often make in our lives. Lord, So frequently 59 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: we rely on natural means to accomplish things that only 60 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: you can ultimately accomplish. And we see Asa here relying 61 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: on the strength of other leaders. And we see Asa 62 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: also failing to come to you in prayer when he 63 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: had serious medical needs, but rather relying on the wisdom 64 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: and the abilities of his physicians alone. And Lord, we 65 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: know that that's a mistake. We certainly know Lord, that 66 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: there are things that you call us to do. We 67 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 1: want to be active in doing what you empower us 68 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: to do. But we also know Lord that it's wise 69 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: and right for us to commit our decisions to you, 70 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 1: and to commit our thoughts and the intent of our 71 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 1: heart to you, to seek out your will and to 72 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: ask for your intervention, because you direct us in ways 73 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,360 Speaker 1: that go far beyond our natural inclinations, and you give 74 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 1: us wisdom, and you give us directions so that we 75 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,719 Speaker 1: make better decisions. But you also help us, Lord, in 76 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: ways that are far beyond what we could accomplish in 77 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: our own strength. Lord, we know that you have supplied 78 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: all that we need in your son Jesus Christ, and 79 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: you invite us to trust in your son Jesus, who 80 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 1: has done all that was needed for us so that 81 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: we could experience life and godliness in him. We're blessed 82 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 1: with Christ's righteousness. We're blessed with wisdom and strength through 83 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: faith in Jesus. And we're given a new heart and 84 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: a new mind and new eyes so that we could 85 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 1: see things from your perspective again through faith in your 86 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:20,720 Speaker 1: son Jesus Christ. So Lord, we're grateful for these realities, 87 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 1: and we pray that we would learn to rely on 88 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: Christ in all matters. Lord, we commit this day to 89 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: your care. We thank you for your presence with us, 90 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: and we pray this all in Jesus's name. Amen.