WEBVTT - 2 Chronicles 16

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm John Stanghi and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter sixteen,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll be reading from the New Living Translation. In

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<v Speaker 1>the thirty sixth year of Ace's reign, King Bishah of

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<v Speaker 1>Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent

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<v Speaker 1>anyone from entering or leaving King ASA's territory in Judah.

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<v Speaker 1>Asa responded by removing the silver and gold from the

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<v Speaker 1>treasuries of the Temple of the Lord and the royal Palace.

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<v Speaker 1>He sent it to King ben Hadad of Aram, who

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<v Speaker 1>was ruling in Damascus, along with this message, let there

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<v Speaker 1>be a treaty between you and me, like the one

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<v Speaker 1>between your father and my father. See I am sending

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<v Speaker 1>you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Bishah

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<v Speaker 1>of Israel, so that he will leave me alone. Ben

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<v Speaker 1>Hadad agreed to King ASA's request and sent the commanders

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<v Speaker 1>of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They

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<v Speaker 1>conquered the towns of Ijohn, dan Abel, Beth, Makah, and

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<v Speaker 1>all the store cities and naptali. As soon as Bishah

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<v Speaker 1>of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project

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<v Speaker 1>of fortifying Rama and stopped all work on it. Then

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<v Speaker 1>King Asa called out all the men of Judah to

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<v Speaker 1>carry away the building stones and timbers that Bishah had

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<v Speaker 1>been using to fortify Rama. Asa used these materials to

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<v Speaker 1>fortify the towns of Ghiba and Mizpah. At that time,

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<v Speaker 1>Hannoni the Seer came to King Asa and told him,

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<v Speaker 1>because you have put your trust in the King of

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<v Speaker 1>Aram instead of in the Lord, your God, you missed

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<v Speaker 1>your chance to destroy the army of the King of Arim.

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<v Speaker 1>Don't you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans

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<v Speaker 1>and their vast army with all of their chariots and

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<v Speaker 1>charioteers at that time. You relied on the Lord, and

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<v Speaker 1>he handed them over to you. The eyes of the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord searched the whole earth in order to strengthen those

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<v Speaker 1>whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool

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<v Speaker 1>you have been. From now on you will be at war.

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<v Speaker 1>Asa became so angry with Hannony for saying this that

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<v Speaker 1>he threw him into prison and put him in stocks.

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<v Speaker 1>At that time, Asa also began to oppress some of

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<v Speaker 1>his people. The rest of the events of Aesa's reign

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<v Speaker 1>from beginning to end are recorded in the Book of

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<v Speaker 1>the Kings of Judah and Israel. In the thirty ninth

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<v Speaker 1>year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease.

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<v Speaker 1>Even with the severity of his disease, he did not

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<v Speaker 1>seek the Lord's help, but turned only to his physicians.

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<v Speaker 1>So he died in the forty first year of his reign.

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<v Speaker 1>He was buried in the tomb he had carved out

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<v Speaker 1>for himself in the city of David. He was laid

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<v Speaker 1>on a bed perfumed with sweet spices and fragrant ointments,

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<v Speaker 1>and the people built a huge funeral fire in his honor.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your word, and

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for the privilege to be able to

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<v Speaker 1>look at it today. And Lord, there are very instructive

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<v Speaker 1>things for our hearts to be able to observe. In

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<v Speaker 1>this portion of your scriptures. We see something spoken of

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<v Speaker 1>here in this passage that reminds us of a mistake

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<v Speaker 1>that we often make in our lives. Lord, So frequently

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<v Speaker 1>we rely on natural means to accomplish things that only

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<v Speaker 1>you can ultimately accomplish. And we see Asa here relying

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<v Speaker 1>on the strength of other leaders. And we see Asa

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<v Speaker 1>also failing to come to you in prayer when he

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<v Speaker 1>had serious medical needs, but rather relying on the wisdom

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<v Speaker 1>and the abilities of his physicians alone. And Lord, we

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<v Speaker 1>know that that's a mistake. We certainly know Lord, that

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<v Speaker 1>there are things that you call us to do. We

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<v Speaker 1>want to be active in doing what you empower us

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<v Speaker 1>to do. But we also know Lord that it's wise

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<v Speaker 1>and right for us to commit our decisions to you,

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<v Speaker 1>and to commit our thoughts and the intent of our

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<v Speaker 1>heart to you, to seek out your will and to

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<v Speaker 1>ask for your intervention, because you direct us in ways

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<v Speaker 1>that go far beyond our natural inclinations, and you give

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<v Speaker 1>us wisdom, and you give us directions so that we

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<v Speaker 1>make better decisions. But you also help us, Lord, in

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<v Speaker 1>ways that are far beyond what we could accomplish in

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<v Speaker 1>our own strength. Lord, we know that you have supplied

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<v Speaker 1>all that we need in your son Jesus Christ, and

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<v Speaker 1>you invite us to trust in your son Jesus, who

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<v Speaker 1>has done all that was needed for us so that

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<v Speaker 1>we could experience life and godliness in him. We're blessed

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<v Speaker 1>with Christ's righteousness. We're blessed with wisdom and strength through

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<v Speaker 1>faith in Jesus. And we're given a new heart and

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<v Speaker 1>a new mind and new eyes so that we could

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<v Speaker 1>see things from your perspective again through faith in your

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<v Speaker 1>son Jesus Christ. So Lord, we're grateful for these realities,

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<v Speaker 1>and we pray that we would learn to rely on

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<v Speaker 1>Christ in all matters. Lord, we commit this day to

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<v Speaker 1>your care. We thank you for your presence with us,

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<v Speaker 1>and we pray this all in Jesus's name. Amen.