WEBVTT 00:00:00.919 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:09.259 in a year. Today's reading is from 2 Chronicles 00:00:09.259 --> 00:00:14.800 12 -16. Chapter 12 Now it came to pass when Raboam 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:16.920 had established a kingdom and had strengthened 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:19.320 himself, that he forsook the law of the Lord 00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:21.839 and all Israel along with him. And it happened 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:24.820 in the fifth year of King Raboam that Shishak 00:00:24.820 --> 00:00:27.640 king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem because 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:29.920 they had transgressed against the Lord. with 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:32.700 twelve hundred chariots, sixty thousand horsemen, 00:00:32.780 --> 00:00:35.259 and people without number who came with him out 00:00:35.259 --> 00:00:39.000 of Egypt, the Lubim and the Sukim and the Ethiopians. 00:00:39.479 --> 00:00:42.000 And he took the fortified cities of Judah and 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:44.259 came to Jerusalem. Then Shemaiah the prophet 00:00:44.259 --> 00:00:46.780 came to Raboam and the leaders of Judah, who 00:00:46.780 --> 00:00:48.799 were gathered together in Jerusalem because of 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:51.000 Shishak, and said to them, Thus says the Lord, 00:00:51.179 --> 00:00:53.840 You have forsaken me, and therefore I also have 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:57.700 left you in the hand of Shishak. So the leaders 00:00:57.700 --> 00:00:59.920 of Israel and the king humbled themselves and 00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:02.359 they said, The Lord is righteous. Now when the 00:01:02.359 --> 00:01:04.599 Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word 00:01:04.599 --> 00:01:06.620 of the Lord came to Shemaiah saying, They have 00:01:06.620 --> 00:01:08.719 humbled themselves, therefore I will not destroy 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:11.159 them, but I will grant them some deliverance. 00:01:11.219 --> 00:01:13.420 My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem 00:01:13.420 --> 00:01:16.120 by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless, they will 00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:18.579 be his servants, that they may distinguish my 00:01:18.579 --> 00:01:20.879 service from the service of the kingdoms of the 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:24.180 nations. So Shishak king of Egypt came up against 00:01:24.180 --> 00:01:26.280 Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:28.159 house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:30.739 house. He took everything. He also carried away 00:01:30.739 --> 00:01:33.319 the gold shields which Solomon had made. Then 00:01:33.319 --> 00:01:35.840 king Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:38.280 and committed them to the hands of the captains 00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:40.640 of the guard who guarded the doorway of the king's 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:42.700 house. And whenever the king entered the house 00:01:42.700 --> 00:01:45.079 of the Lord, the guard would go and bring them 00:01:45.079 --> 00:01:47.540 out. Then they would take them back into the 00:01:47.540 --> 00:01:49.829 guard room. When he humbled himself, the wrath 00:01:49.829 --> 00:01:52.310 of the Lord turned from him, so as not to destroy 00:01:52.310 --> 00:01:54.969 him completely, and things also went well in 00:01:54.969 --> 00:01:57.810 Judah. Thus King Rehoboam strengthened himself 00:01:57.810 --> 00:02:00.629 in Jerusalem and reigned. Now Rehoboam was 41 00:02:00.629 --> 00:02:03.290 years old when he became king, and he reigned 00:02:03.290 --> 00:02:05.909 17 years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord 00:02:05.909 --> 00:02:08.330 had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to 00:02:08.330 --> 00:02:11.169 put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah 00:02:11.169 --> 00:02:14.569 and Ammonitess. And he did evil because he did 00:02:14.569 --> 00:02:17.729 not prepare his heart to seek the Lord. The acts 00:02:17.729 --> 00:02:20.150 of Raboam, first and last, are they not written 00:02:20.150 --> 00:02:22.729 in the book of Shemaiah the prophet and of Edo 00:02:22.729 --> 00:02:25.550 the seer concerning genealogies? And there were 00:02:25.550 --> 00:02:28.389 wars between Raboam and Jeroboam all their days. 00:02:28.550 --> 00:02:31.289 So Raboam rested with his fathers and was buried 00:02:31.289 --> 00:02:34.289 in the city of David. Then Abijah his son reigned 00:02:34.289 --> 00:02:38.889 in his place. Chapter 13 In the eighteenth year 00:02:38.889 --> 00:02:41.750 of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. 00:02:41.930 --> 00:02:44.610 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's 00:02:44.610 --> 00:02:47.590 name was Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. 00:02:47.650 --> 00:02:50.129 And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 00:02:50.330 --> 00:02:52.610 Abijah set the battle in order with an army of 00:02:52.610 --> 00:02:56.129 valiant warriors, 400 ,000 choice men. Jeroboam 00:02:56.129 --> 00:02:58.469 also drew up in battle formation against him 00:02:58.469 --> 00:03:01.849 with 800 ,000 choice men, mighty men of valor. 00:03:02.009 --> 00:03:05.090 Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemarim, which is 00:03:05.090 --> 00:03:07.530 in the mountains of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, 00:03:07.569 --> 00:03:09.930 Jeroboam and all Israel. Should you not know 00:03:09.930 --> 00:03:12.349 that the Lord God of Israel gave the dominion 00:03:12.349 --> 00:03:14.830 over Israel to David forever, to him and his 00:03:14.830 --> 00:03:18.009 sons, by a covenant of salt? Yet Jeroboam the 00:03:18.009 --> 00:03:20.090 son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon, the son 00:03:20.090 --> 00:03:22.810 of David, rose up and rebelled against his Lord. 00:03:23.050 --> 00:03:26.110 Then worthless rogues gathered to him and strengthened 00:03:26.110 --> 00:03:28.569 themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, 00:03:28.689 --> 00:03:31.530 when Rehoboam was young and inexperienced and 00:03:31.530 --> 00:03:33.870 could not withstand them. And now you think to 00:03:33.870 --> 00:03:36.090 withstand the kingdom of the Lord, which is in 00:03:36.090 --> 00:03:38.490 the hand of the sons of David, and you are a 00:03:38.490 --> 00:03:41.150 great multitude, and with you are the gold calves, 00:03:41.289 --> 00:03:43.990 which Jeroboam made for you as gods. Have you 00:03:43.990 --> 00:03:46.250 not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons 00:03:46.250 --> 00:03:48.669 of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves 00:03:48.669 --> 00:03:51.789 priests, like the peoples of other lands, so 00:03:51.789 --> 00:03:53.969 that whoever comes to consecrate himself with 00:03:53.969 --> 00:03:56.949 a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of 00:03:56.949 --> 00:04:00.129 things that are not gods? But as for us, the 00:04:00.129 --> 00:04:02.689 Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. 00:04:02.789 --> 00:04:05.090 And the priests who minister to the Lord are 00:04:05.090 --> 00:04:07.550 the sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to 00:04:07.550 --> 00:04:09.990 their duties. And they burn to the Lord every 00:04:09.990 --> 00:04:12.330 morning and every evening, burnt sacrifices and 00:04:12.330 --> 00:04:14.669 sweet incense. They also set the showbread in 00:04:14.669 --> 00:04:17.110 order on a pure gold table, and the lampstand 00:04:17.110 --> 00:04:20.209 of gold with its lamps to burn every evening. 00:04:20.410 --> 00:04:22.290 For we keep the command of the Lord our God, 00:04:22.509 --> 00:04:25.490 but you have forsaken him. Now look, God himself 00:04:25.490 --> 00:04:28.939 is with us as our head. and his priests with 00:04:28.939 --> 00:04:31.379 sounding trumpets to sound alarm against you. 00:04:31.420 --> 00:04:33.759 O children of Israel, do not fight against the 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:36.379 Lord God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper. 00:04:36.579 --> 00:04:39.160 But Jeroboam caused an ambush to go around behind 00:04:39.160 --> 00:04:41.860 them. So they were in front of Judah, and the 00:04:41.860 --> 00:04:44.120 ambush was behind them. And when Judah looked 00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:46.459 around, to their surprise the battle line was 00:04:46.459 --> 00:04:48.920 at both front and rear, and they cried out to 00:04:48.920 --> 00:04:51.379 the Lord, and the priests sounded the trumpets. 00:04:51.899 --> 00:04:54.100 Then the men of Judah gave a shout, and as the 00:04:54.100 --> 00:04:56.420 men of Judah shouted, it happened that God struck 00:04:56.420 --> 00:04:59.560 Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 00:04:59.740 --> 00:05:02.000 And the children of Israel fled before Judah, 00:05:02.139 --> 00:05:04.620 and God delivered them into their hand. Then 00:05:04.620 --> 00:05:06.939 Abijah and his people struck them with a great 00:05:06.939 --> 00:05:09.160 slaughter, so five hundred thousand choice men 00:05:09.160 --> 00:05:12.300 of Israel fell slain. Thus the children of Israel 00:05:12.300 --> 00:05:14.600 were subdued at that time, and the children of 00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:16.959 Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:20.120 God of their fathers. And Abijah pursued Jeroboam 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:22.649 and took cities from him. Bethel with its villages, 00:05:22.870 --> 00:05:25.990 Jishana with its villages, and Ephraim with its 00:05:25.990 --> 00:05:28.490 villages. So Jeroboam did not recover strength 00:05:28.490 --> 00:05:30.990 again in the days of Abijah, and the Lord struck 00:05:30.990 --> 00:05:34.009 him, and he died. But Abijah grew mighty, married 00:05:34.009 --> 00:05:36.910 fourteen wives, and begot twenty -two sons and 00:05:36.910 --> 00:05:39.389 sixteen daughters. Now the rest of the acts of 00:05:39.389 --> 00:05:42.009 Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written 00:05:42.009 --> 00:05:46.689 in the annals of the prophet Edo. Chapter 14 00:05:46.689 --> 00:05:49.490 So Abijah rested with his fathers, and they buried 00:05:49.490 --> 00:05:52.160 him in the city of David. Then Asa his son reigned 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:54.800 in his place. In his days the land was quiet 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:57.899 for ten years. Asa did what was good and right 00:05:57.899 --> 00:06:00.019 in the eyes of the Lord his God. For he removed 00:06:00.019 --> 00:06:02.319 the altars of the foreign gods and the high places 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:04.819 and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down 00:06:04.819 --> 00:06:07.420 the wooden images. He commanded Judah to seek 00:06:07.420 --> 00:06:09.339 the Lord God of their fathers and to observe 00:06:09.339 --> 00:06:11.459 the law and the commandment. He also removed 00:06:11.459 --> 00:06:14.040 the high places and incense altars from all the 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:16.660 cities of Judah. And the kingdom was quiet under 00:06:16.660 --> 00:06:19.379 him. And he built fortified cities in Judah for 00:06:19.379 --> 00:06:21.970 the land had rest. He had no war in those years, 00:06:22.050 --> 00:06:24.750 because the Lord had given him rest. Therefore 00:06:24.750 --> 00:06:27.189 he said to Judah, Let us build these cities and 00:06:27.189 --> 00:06:29.589 make walls around them, and towers, gates, and 00:06:29.589 --> 00:06:32.170 bars, while the land is yet before us, because 00:06:32.170 --> 00:06:34.750 we have sought the Lord our God. We have sought 00:06:34.750 --> 00:06:37.009 him, and he has given us rest on every side. 00:06:37.290 --> 00:06:39.850 So they built and prospered, and Asa had an army 00:06:39.850 --> 00:06:41.889 of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried 00:06:41.889 --> 00:06:44.389 shields and spears, and from Benjamin two hundred 00:06:44.389 --> 00:06:46.370 and eighty thousand men who carried shields and 00:06:46.370 --> 00:06:48.990 drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor. 00:06:49.420 --> 00:06:51.879 Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them 00:06:51.879 --> 00:06:54.120 with an army of a million men and three hundred 00:06:54.120 --> 00:06:57.439 chariots, and he came to Marasha. So Asa went 00:06:57.439 --> 00:06:59.639 out against them, and they set the troops in 00:06:59.639 --> 00:07:02.259 battle array in the valley of Zephata at Marasha. 00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:04.759 And Asa cried out to the Lord his God and said, 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:07.279 Lord, it is nothing for you to help, whether 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:09.980 with many or with those who have no power. Help 00:07:09.980 --> 00:07:12.939 us, O Lord our God, for we rest on you, and in 00:07:12.939 --> 00:07:15.600 your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, 00:07:15.779 --> 00:07:18.439 you are our God, do not let man prevail against 00:07:18.439 --> 00:07:20.829 you. So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before 00:07:20.829 --> 00:07:24.050 Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa 00:07:24.050 --> 00:07:26.290 and the people who were with him pursued them 00:07:26.290 --> 00:07:29.189 to Gerar. For fear of the Lord came upon them, 00:07:29.230 --> 00:07:31.350 and they plundered all the cities, for there 00:07:31.350 --> 00:07:33.589 was exceedingly much spoil in them. They also 00:07:33.589 --> 00:07:35.670 attacked the livestock enclosures, and carried 00:07:35.670 --> 00:07:38.189 off sheep and camels in abundance, and returned 00:07:38.189 --> 00:07:42.910 to Jerusalem. Chapter 15 Now the Spirit of God 00:07:42.910 --> 00:07:45.990 came upon Azariah the son of Oded. And he went 00:07:45.990 --> 00:07:48.550 out to meet Asa and said to him, Hear me, Asa, 00:07:48.550 --> 00:07:50.790 and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with 00:07:50.790 --> 00:07:52.970 you while you are with him. If you seek him, 00:07:53.029 --> 00:07:55.470 he will be found by you. But if you forsake him, 00:07:55.529 --> 00:07:58.129 he will forsake you. For a long time Israel has 00:07:58.129 --> 00:08:00.310 been without the true God, without a teaching 00:08:00.310 --> 00:08:03.129 priest, and without law. But when in their trouble 00:08:03.129 --> 00:08:05.329 they turned to the Lord God of Israel and sought 00:08:05.329 --> 00:08:07.660 him, he was found by them. And in those times 00:08:07.660 --> 00:08:10.339 there was no peace to the one who went out, nor 00:08:10.339 --> 00:08:13.079 to the one who came in, but great turmoil was 00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:15.720 on all the inhabitants of the lands. So nation 00:08:15.720 --> 00:08:18.459 was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for 00:08:18.459 --> 00:08:21.259 God troubled them with every adversity. But you, 00:08:21.379 --> 00:08:23.660 be strong, and do not let your hands be weak, 00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:26.639 for your work shall be rewarded. And when Asa 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:28.600 heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:31.439 prophet, he took courage and removed the abominable 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:33.679 idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin, 00:08:33.860 --> 00:08:36.080 and from the cities which he had taken in the 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:38.220 mountains of Ephraim. And he restored the altar 00:08:38.220 --> 00:08:40.600 of the Lord that was before the vestibule of 00:08:40.600 --> 00:08:43.159 the Lord. Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, 00:08:43.340 --> 00:08:46.259 and those who dwelt with them from Ephraim, Manasseh, 00:08:46.259 --> 00:08:48.679 and Simeon. For they came over to him in great 00:08:48.679 --> 00:08:50.980 numbers from Israel when they saw that the Lord 00:08:50.980 --> 00:08:53.750 his God was with him. So they gathered together 00:08:53.750 --> 00:08:55.929 at Jerusalem in the third month in the fifteenth 00:08:55.929 --> 00:08:58.529 year of the reign of Asa. And they offered to 00:08:58.529 --> 00:09:00.710 the Lord at that time seven hundred bulls and 00:09:00.710 --> 00:09:02.769 seven thousand sheep from the spoil they had 00:09:02.769 --> 00:09:05.289 brought. Then they entered into a covenant to 00:09:05.289 --> 00:09:07.590 seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their 00:09:07.590 --> 00:09:10.049 heart and with all their soul. And whoever would 00:09:10.049 --> 00:09:12.350 not seek the Lord God of Israel was to be put 00:09:12.350 --> 00:09:14.830 to death, whether small or great, whether man 00:09:14.830 --> 00:09:17.529 or woman. Then they took an oath before the Lord 00:09:17.529 --> 00:09:19.870 with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets 00:09:19.870 --> 00:09:22.700 and ram's horns. And all Judah rejoiced at the 00:09:22.700 --> 00:09:24.919 oath, for they had sworn with all their heart 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:27.159 and sought him with all their soul. And he was 00:09:27.159 --> 00:09:29.399 found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:32.179 around. Also he removed Macca, the mother of 00:09:32.179 --> 00:09:34.679 Asa the king, from being queen mother, because 00:09:34.679 --> 00:09:37.299 she had made an obscene image of Asherah. And 00:09:37.299 --> 00:09:39.620 Asa cut down her obscene image, then crushed 00:09:39.620 --> 00:09:42.159 and burnt it by the brook Kidron. But the high 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:44.600 places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless, 00:09:44.919 --> 00:09:48.039 the heart of Asa was loyal all his days. He also 00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:50.379 brought into the house of God the things that 00:09:50.379 --> 00:09:53.039 his father had dedicated and that he himself 00:09:53.039 --> 00:09:56.120 had dedicated, silver and gold and utensils. 00:09:56.220 --> 00:09:59.500 And there was no war until the 35th year of the 00:09:59.500 --> 00:10:04.700 reign of Asa. Chapter 16 In the 36th year of 00:10:04.700 --> 00:10:07.500 the reign of Asa, Basha king of Israel came up 00:10:07.500 --> 00:10:09.980 against Judah and built Ramah, that he might 00:10:09.980 --> 00:10:13.019 let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 00:10:13.340 --> 00:10:15.860 Then Asa brought silver and gold from the treasuries 00:10:15.860 --> 00:10:18.059 of the house of the Lord and of the king's house 00:10:18.059 --> 00:10:21.340 and sent to Ben -Hadad, king of Syria, who dwelt 00:10:21.340 --> 00:10:24.000 in Damascus, saying, Let there be a treaty between 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:26.759 you and me, as there was between my father and 00:10:26.759 --> 00:10:29.220 your father. See, I have sent you silver and 00:10:29.220 --> 00:10:32.120 gold. Come, break your treaty with Basha, king 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:34.899 of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me. 00:10:35.379 --> 00:10:38.480 So Ben -Hadad heeded king Asa and sent the captains 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:40.840 of his armies against the cities of Israel. They 00:10:40.840 --> 00:10:44.879 attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel, Maim, and all the storage 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:47.539 cities of Naphtali. Now it happened when Basha 00:10:47.539 --> 00:10:49.879 heard it that he stopped building Ramah and ceased 00:10:49.879 --> 00:10:52.899 his work. Then King Asa took all Judah and they 00:10:52.899 --> 00:10:55.639 carried away the stones and timber of Ramah which 00:10:55.639 --> 00:10:58.059 Basha had used for building. And with them he 00:10:58.059 --> 00:11:01.399 built Geba and Misbah. And at that time Hanani 00:11:01.399 --> 00:11:03.919 the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:06.159 him, Because you have relied on the king of Syria 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:08.799 and have not relied on the Lord your God, Therefore 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:11.460 the army of the king of Syria has escaped from 00:11:11.460 --> 00:11:14.100 your hand. Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim 00:11:14.100 --> 00:11:17.340 not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? 00:11:17.460 --> 00:11:19.940 Yet because you relied on the Lord, he delivered 00:11:19.940 --> 00:11:22.399 them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:25.179 run to and fro throughout the whole earth to 00:11:25.179 --> 00:11:27.539 show himself strong on behalf of those whose 00:11:27.539 --> 00:11:30.299 heart is loyal to him. In this you have done 00:11:30.299 --> 00:11:32.970 foolishly. Therefore from now on you shall have 00:11:32.970 --> 00:11:35.929 wars. Then Asa was angry with the seer and put 00:11:35.929 --> 00:11:38.509 him in prison, for he was enraged at him because 00:11:38.509 --> 00:11:40.889 of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people 00:11:40.889 --> 00:11:44.610 at that time. Note that the acts of Asa, first 00:11:44.610 --> 00:11:46.789 and last, are indeed written in the book of the 00:11:46.789 --> 00:11:49.690 kings of Judah and Israel. And in the 39th year 00:11:49.690 --> 00:11:52.210 of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet 00:11:52.210 --> 00:11:54.769 and his malady was severe. Yet in his disease 00:11:54.769 --> 00:11:56.990 he did not seek the Lord. but the physicians. 00:11:57.250 --> 00:11:59.990 So Asa rested with his fathers. He died in the 00:11:59.990 --> 00:12:02.610 forty -first year of his reign. They buried him 00:12:02.610 --> 00:12:05.169 in his own tomb, which he had made for himself 00:12:05.169 --> 00:12:07.730 in the city of David. And they laid him in the 00:12:07.730 --> 00:12:10.110 bed, which was filled with spices and various 00:12:10.110 --> 00:12:12.730 ingredients, prepared in a mixture of ointments. 00:12:12.929 --> 00:12:21.409 They made a very great burning for him. I hope 00:12:21.409 --> 00:12:23.269 you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did. 00:12:23.710 --> 00:12:25.330 And I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow 00:12:25.330 --> 00:12:27.870 to continue on our journey. God bless you and 00:12:27.870 --> 00:12:28.549 have a great day.