2 Chronicles 13-17 (By Rev. Deacon Margaret Friesen)

OBSERVATION

• Israel (Jeroboam) and Judah (Abijah) were at war. Abijah accused Jeroboam of rebellion against God, building idols (golden calves) to worship and appointing priests from among people who had not been chosen by God to be priests. The Lord God prevailed in favour of Abijah.
• Under King Asa, Abijah’s son, Judah was at peace for 10, then 35 years. “Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.”
• People from near-by lands of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon moved to Judah because they saw that the Lord God was with King Asa and they experienced peace in the land.
• What happened in the 36th year of King Asa? He forgot about God and asked for human help; when rebuked by a prophet from God, he became enraged and began to oppress the people.
• Chapter 17 – Jehoshaphat became Judah’s king and followed the way of the Lord God. He sent teachers throughout the land to teach the Lord’s Law.

 
INTERPRETATION

• “They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them.” What a relief this time of peace (King Asa) must have been for the people: they experienced peace for 35 years! All because they eagerly sought God. A good king = a peaceful kingdom.
• Another change for Judah – Instead of everyone learning how to fight, they were taught the Law of the Lord God. God brought peace both in Asa’s time (except for the last 5 years) and in Jehoshaphat’s time.
• Although the king continued to keep armed forces in reserve, there’s a hint of the “forever peaceful kingdom” spoken of by the prophets Isaiah and Micah, when swords are re-made into plowshares.

 
QUESTION
Are we, in our land, eagerly seeking God? Are we of one mind when we turn towards the Lord God? Sadly, we have to say no. We have bent over backwards to accommodate those who oppose the ways of the Lord God. We seem to be searching for a non-existent peace that will accommodate all religions and all political views. When will we learn that peace is only found in the one Holy God who has revealed himself through Jesus Christ, God’s Son and our Saviour.
 
APPLICATION
The peaceful years during Asa and Jehoshaphat’s reigns is a glimpse of what God wants to do for all the people of Israel and Judah, and indeed, the whole world. What if our whole Country were to follow the one true God?
 
 
PRAYER
Dear Lord God, we want to seek you and learn to know you, the one true God. Continue to extend your mercy towards us. We accept your forgiveness, and we eagerly wait for your joy to fill us, and to spill over into the world around us.
 
SONG.
I can imagine a great crowd of people singing this song and dancing – sort of like the Jesus March – remember those days?
 
Lead on Lord – Bruce Moore, Jennifer Manhas