To do what is GOOD and RIGHT in the EYES of YAHWEH - 25 May 2020
2 Chron. 14:7 "Therefore he (Asa) said to Judah .... BECAUSE WE SOUGHT Yahweh our Yah; we have SOUGHT Him - YEARNING for Him with ALL OUR DESIRE - and He has GIVEN us REST AND PEACE on EVERY SIDE. SO they BUILT and PROSPERED."
Acts 17:27-28 "So that they should SEEK YAH, in the HOPE that they MIGHT FEEL AFTER Him and FIND Him although He is not far from each one of us, For IN Him we LIVE AND MOVE and HAVE OUR BEING ..."
We can learn so much from the lives of the people of Yahweh. Through the pages of the Bible, we get a clear picture of what is right and what is wrong in the eyes of our heavenly Father. Through the lives of His people ... those belonging to Him, His OWN ... we are encouraged ... to walk the walk ... and talk the talk ... of the kingdom of heaven.
TWICE during his reign - ASA CLEANSED the KINGDOM of JUDAH:
King Asa of Judah reigned for 41 years in Judah. Asa was a good king who CLEANSED the kingdom of Judah - of the pagan Canaanite worshipping and gods - destroyed the pagan altars and heights ... the images of the Baalim (Baal [Nimrod/Tammuz] - sun-god and 'father of heaven' ... fertility god ... fire god ... etc. and his cohorts (despotisms in high places - Eph. 6:12 ) and the Asherim (Ashtoreth/Asherah and her cohorts) [Semiramis - Asherah - Ishtar/Easter ... mother god ... fertility goddess ... moon goddess ... water goddess ...and her cohorts - master spirits in the heavenly sphere - Eph. 6:12) ... TWICE.
First CLEANSING in Judah (2 Chron 14:1-3)
a) King Asa DESTROYED the OTHER GODS WORSHIPING PLACES in Judah - the ALTARS - OBELISKS - IDOL PILLARS - CUTTING DOWN of all SYMBOLS (Asherim) regarding the GODDESS Asherah:
22 Chron. 14:1-3 "So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David; and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days, the land was at rest for ten years. And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of Yahweh his Elohim. He TOOK AWAY the FOREIGN altars and HIGH PLACES and BROKE DOWN the IDOL PILLARS or OBELISKS and CUT DOWN the ASHERIM [symbols of the goddess Asherah.]
b) King Asa COMMANDED Judah: (2 Chron. 14:4)
1. To SEEK YAHWEH;
2. To CRAVE (hunger, yearn after, pray, long for) Him as a VITAL (most important, of the essence) NECESSITY (absolute necessary need);
3. To OBEY Yahweh's LAW AND COMMANDMENTS.
WE NEED TO OBEY:
Today it is still the same message of the Old and the New Testament. To SEEK Yahweh, to CRAVE AND HUNGER for HIM as our MOST IMPORTANT NEED (necessity) - to OBEY His WORD - OBEY HIS LAW - OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS. There is no SLIPROAD TAKING us besides Father's COMMANDS. WE NEED to OBEY.
People today do not read their Bibles anymore. They rely on visual pieces of information or voice messages to hear what Yahweh wants to tell them without going to the Source Himself ... SEEKING Him to GIVE THEM their SPIRITUAL FOOD.
Others read the Bible but DO NOT HEAR ... NOR DO THEY UNDERSTAND ...
Some others are struggling right now, for their 'weekly' Sunday socializing had been taken away ... they crave it and hunger for it ... instead of craving and hunger for the Fountain of Life Himself. He is there ...waiting ... waiting for them to take the bread and the cup ... to come sit at His feet ... and DINE with Him ... letting Him FILL them up ...
c. Asa went through all the cities of Judah and destroyed the IDOLATROUS HIGH PLACES and the INCENSE ALTARS (2 Chron. 14:5).
We are collectors of so many things ... also spiritual collectors of words ... and feelings and emotions ... maybe bitterness or un-forgiveness ... things we need to let go completely ... doing a thorough CLEANING UP ... also of our spiritual "home" ...
The Bible tells us that after the kingdom of Judah was THOROUGHLY CLEANSED of all the other gods worshiping places ... the people commanded to SEEK Yahweh with a hunger wholehearted heart - obeying Yahweh's LAW and COMMANDMENTS ... the kingdom had REST AND PEACE ON EVERY SIDE. So they BUILT and PROSPERED ...
2 Chron. 14:7 "Therefore he (Asa) said to Judah .... the land is still ours, BECAUSE WE SOUGHT Yahweh our Yah; we have SOUGHT Him - YEARNING for Him with ALL OUR DESIRE - and He has GIVEN us REST AND PEACE on EVERY SIDE. SO they BUILT and PROSPERED."
Some years later in Judah (and in Israel and all nations) came a time of great vexing and trouble and Yahweh sent Azariah, son of Oded to warn Asa ... "If you seek Yahweh, He will be found by you, but if you FORSAKE Yahweh, He will forsake you. Be STRONG THEREFORE, and let not your hands be weak and slack, for YOUR WORK SHALL BE REWARDED." (2 Chron. 15:1-7)
SECOND CLEANSING of the KINGDOM of JUDAH:
1. ASA DESTROYED the ABOMINABLE IDOLS FROM ALL JUDAH:
All over the land of the kingdom of Judah the other gods worhshipping had taken head again ... in every city in the land and on every hill the people were sinning again ...
And when Asa heard these words of the messenger of Yahweh ... (2 Chron. 15:8) "... he (Asa) took courage and PUT AWAY the ABOMINABLE IDOLS from ALL the LAND OF JUDAH and BENJAMIN and from the cities which he had taken in the HILL COUNTRY of Ephraim ..."
2. ASA REPAIRED the ALTAR of BURNT OFFERING:
Even the altar of burnt offering to Yahweh had to be repaired ... this was in the front of the 'house' of Yahweh ...
2 Chron 15:8b " ... and he (Asa) REPAIRED the ALTAR of BURNT OFFERING of Yahweh which was in front of the porch ... of the tabernacle of Yahweh."
Strangers had infiltrated into the lives of the Judeans ... unnoticed they had managed to replace Yahweh with the gods of the nations (world) ... bringing sin into Judah ...
STRANGERS with THEM:
King ASA GATHERED ALL JUDAH AND BENJAMIN AND the STRANGERS WITH THEM:
Fifteen years had passed (2 Chron. 15:10) ... from the first cleansing when Asa began his reign up to the point of the second cleansing.
People of Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon from the kingdom of Israel joined the kingdom of Judah:
It happened that when Israelites of the kingdom of Israel saw that Yahweh was with Judah and Benjamin ... many people of Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon from the kingdom of Israel ... CAME OVER to the kingdom of Judah. These people came from another "foundation" ... for the kings who reigned in Israel were all evil. They were worshiping the gods of the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Phoenicians ... etc ... and brought this into Judah again.
3. King ASA GATHERED the PEOPLE:
2 Chron 15:10 "So they gathered at Jerusalem in their third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
4. THEY SACRIFICED:
:11 And they SACRIFICED to Yahweh on that day from the spoil which they had brought - 700 OXEN and 7,000 SHEEP.
5. THEY ENTERED INTO A COVENANT with YAHWEH:
:12 And they ENTERED INTO A COVENANT to SEEK YAHWEH, the YAH OF THEIR FATHERS, and to YEARN for Him with ALL THIER HEART'S DESIRE and WITH ALL THEIR SOUL;
6. IT WAS A SERIOUS MATTER - DEATH to THOSE WHO WOULD NOT SEEK YAHWEH - young - old - man or woman:
:13 And WHOEVER WOULD NOT SEEK Yahweh, the YAH OF ISRAEL, SHOULD BE PUT TO DEATH, whether young or old, man or woman.
7. ALL JUDAH TOOK AN OATH and REJOICED with TRUMPETS and CORNETS:
:14 They TOOK the OATH with a LOUD VOICE, with SHOUTING, WITH TRUMPETS and with CORNETS.
:15 And ALL JUDAH REJOICED at the OATH, for they had SWORN with ALL THEIR HEART and SOUGHT Him - YEARNING for Him, with their WHOLE DESIRE ...
And BECAUSE THEY SOUGHT Yahweh WHOLEHEARTEDLY - MADE A COVENANT with HIM - HE WAS FOUND by them - HE REWARDED them WITH REST AND PEACE:
... and HE WAS FOUND BY THEM. And Yahweh GAVE THEM REST and PEACE ROUND ABOUT."
The EVIL KINGS OF (the DIVIDED kingdom of) ISRAEL - their reign and deaths:
ALL of them in the times of king ASA of JUDAH:
1. King JEROBOAM of Israel:
Jeroboam (a servant of king Solomon) reigned in Israel 22 years - died of natural causes; When Asa became king of Judah, it was approximately in the 13th or 14th year of Jeroboam of Israel.
2. King NADAB of Israel:
Then Nadab ... (son of Jeroboam) - king of Israel for 2 years - killed by Baasha - along with his whole family;
3. King BAASHA of Israel:
Then Baasha (from the tribe of Issachar - a murderer - reigned in Israel for 24 years - died of natural causes; (It was in the 36th year of Asa's (king of Judah's) reign that Baasha (king of Israel) came up against him ... 2 Chron. 16:1 - AFTER the SECOND CLEANSING)
4. King ELAH of Israel:
Then Baasha's son Elah - reigned 2 years over Israel - was killed by one of Zimri's (captain of the army of Israel's) officials;
5. King ZIMRI of Israel:
Then Zimri (captain of the army of Israel) - reigned for 7 DAYS ... He died by setting his palace on fire when Omri and all the Israelites with him laid seige to Tizrah.
6. King OMRI of Israel:
Then came "The house of Omri" ... also a captain of the army of Israel (the father of AHAB) ... Omri reigned in Israel 12 years. He died of natural causes. In a political agreement Omri made with the Phoenicians - a marriage agreement was included of Ahab his son to the evil wicked Jezebel ... the Phoenician princess - daughter of Et-Baal - a high priest of Baal. Ahab and Jezebel would eventually reign for 22 years in Israel. He was shot by an archer during the battle at Ramoth Gilead and died upon his arrival in Samaria.
The EYES of YAHWEH RUN TO AND FRO throughout the WHOLE EARTH - 26 May 2020
In the 36th year of king Asa of Judah's reign, he turned away from Yahweh ... to handle the matter of war between Judah and Israel (himself as king and king Baasha of Israel) himself. Asa asked Ben-Hadad to break his agreement with the king of Israel (Baasha) who draw up against him ... and partnered with him instead so that Baasha would withdraw. (2 Chron. 16:1-3)
Ben-Hadad ... the king of Syria agreed and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel ... smiting Ijoh, DAN, Abel-maim, and all the STORE CITIES of Naphtali and because of the attack, Baasha withdraw from Judah and returned home. (2 Chron. 16:4-6).
Yahweh then sent HANANI the seer to Asa and he told Asa ..."Because you relied on the king of Syria and NOT on Yahweh your Elohim, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you" (2 Chron. 16:7).
The EYES of YAHWEH RUN TO AND FRO throughout the WHOLE EARTH:
Looking to HELP THOSE WHOSE HEARTS are BLAMELESS TOWARD Him:
Years before, Yahweh gave the Ethiopian and the Libyan armies into the hands of Asa for Asa relied on Yahweh wholeheartedly ... has cleansed the land of Judah from all the other gods worshiping and shrines ... twice ...had commanded the people to SEEK Yahweh as their most important NEED ... had made a covenant with Yahweh ... had removed his own mother from being queen mother (2 Chron. 15:16) because of her idol worshiping of the goddess Asherah (Ishtar/Easter) ... but this time ... Asa relied on himself to fix the problem with Baasha and turned to the king of Syria in Damascus. He did the same thing his father (king Abijah) did ... so Hanani told Asa ... (2 Chron. 16:9) "For the EYES of YAHWEH RUN TO AND FRO throughout the WHOLE EARTH to SHOW Himself STRONG in BEHALF of THOSE WHOSE HEARTS are BLAMELESS TOWARD Him. YOU HAVE DONE FOOLISHLY in this; therefore from now on you shall HAVE WARS."
Instead of repenting, asking forgiveness ... Asa was angry with the messenger of Yahweh and put him in prison. At this stage, Asa was also oppressing some people. Three years later ... in his thirty-ninth year of reign he was diseased in his feet ... "UNTIL his disease became very severe." (2 Chron. 16:10-12).
Isn't this just like we are today ... becoming so stuck in our ways ... our religiousness ... our traditions ... in bondage to the things we belief to be true ... that when we hear that we may be on the wrong way ... we get angry at the messenger ... standing UP AGAINST the messenger and in the process wander even further away from the truth of the Word of Yahweh our God.
Asa wandered away from Yahweh, the Yah with Whom he and all the people of Judah had made a COVENANT ... he BROKE the COVENANT ... and Scripture tells us that even in his sickness ... he did NOT SEEK YAHWEH for healing. Again ... just like before in his thirty sixth year of reign ... when Baasha came against him ... he turned to man RELYING on the PHYSICIANS to heal his disease and less than two years after he became diseased ...he DIED in the FORTY FIRST YEAR of his reign. (2 Chron. 16:12-14). Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.
King JEHOSHAPHAT:
Jehoshaphat became king at the age of THIRTY FIVE. He, and his father Asa lived in the same time as the evil King Ahab and Jezebel of the kingdom of Israel.
Scripture tells us that king Jehoshaphat PLACED FORCES IN ALL the FORTIFIED CITIES of Judah and GARRISONS STRENGTHENING Judah against Israel (2 Chron. 17:1-2).
Jehoshaphat WALKED IN THE WAYS of YAHWEH:
Jehoshaphat - did not SEEK the BAALS:
2 Chron. 17:3 "Yahweh was WITH Jehoshaphat because he WALKED in the WAYS of his forefather David. He DID NOT SEEK the BAALS."
Jehoshaphat YEARNED with ALL his DESIRE for YAHWEH:
Jehoshaphat WALKED in Yahweh's COMMANDMENTS:
Jehoshaphat sought and yearned with ALL HIS DESIRE for Yahweh, the Yah of his forefather David, and WALKED in in HIS COMMANDMENTS and NOT after the WAYS of Israel. (2 Chron. 17:4).
Yahweh ESTABLISHED Jehoshaphat in the kingdom of Judah:
2 Chron. 17:5 "Therefore, Yahweh ESTABLISHED the kingdom in his hand; and ALL Judah brought TRIBUTE to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor."
Jehoshaphat's HEART was full of PRAISES (CHEERED)for Yahweh:
Jehoshaphat's had GUTS (COURAGE) WALKING in YAHWEH'S WAYS:
Jehoshaphat was praising Yahweh in his heart, he had guts ... he had willpower ... strength of character, was brave ... had backbone ... his spirit ... his INNER SELF centered around Yahweh ... 2 Chron. 17:6 "His HEART was CHEERED and his COURAGE was HIGH in the WAYS of YAHWEH ..."
Moreover ... Jehoshaphat DESTROYED the BAALIM (high places of the sun-god ... 'father-god' ... 'god of heaven' ... fire-god ... fertility god ... Baal ... the same old sun-god and sun-son-god (Tammuz - the Catholic Jesus) ... at work in Catholic Christianity ... the age-old ancient Babylonian god) ... and the ASHERIM ... the moon-goddess ... Asherah (Ishtar/Easter) ... mother-goddess (virgin Mary) ... fish goddess ... water goddess ... fertility goddess ... the same old goddess at work in the Catholic Christianity)... 2 Chron. 17:6b ... "moreover, he (Jehoshaphat) took AWAY the HIGH PLACES and the ASHERIM OUT of Judah.
Jehoshaphat sent out TEACHERS of the WORD OF YAHWEH:
PRINCES of JUDAH - LEVITES and PRIESTS:
Scripture tells us that Jehoshaphat sent out his PRINCES with LEVITES and PRIESTS to travel Judah and TEACH the LAW and the COMMANDMENTS of Yahweh to the people of the kingdom of Judah. And they TRAVELED Judah EXTENSIVELY and the TERROR of YAHWEH FELL upon all the KINGDOMS of the LANDS that were ROUND ABOUT Judah, so that they DID NOT MADE ANY WAR with Judah. Some Philistines even brought GIFTS to Jehoshaphat ... Arabs brought him FLOCKS ... and Jehoshaphat became great with fortresses in Judah and STORE CITIES ... and he HAD MANY SOLDIERS ... MIGHTY MEN of GREAT COURAGE that he placed in the fortified cities AND MIGHTY MEN of VALOR in his own service in Jerusalem. (2 Chron. 17:7-19)
2 Chron. 17:7 "Also in his THIRD YEAR of his REIGN, he sent his PRINCES BEN-HAIL, OBADIAH, ZECHARIAH, NETHANEL, and MICAIAH to TEACH in the CITIES of Judah."
With the PRINCES were LEVITES and PRIESTS:
2 Chron. 17:8 "And WITH THEM were the LEVITES - Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Ashahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; ...
... and with THESE LEVITES were the PRIESTS Elishama and Jehoram.
:9 And they TAUGHT in Judah and HAD THE BOOK of the LAW of YAHWEH with them; they went about THROUGHOUT ALL the CITIES Of Judah and TAUGHT among the people."
The KINGDOM of JUDAH'S SOLDIERS, MIGHTY MEN of COURAGE:
2 Chron. 17:13 "And Jehoshaphat had many works in the cities of Judah, and SOLDIERS, MIGHTY MEN of COURAGE, in Jerusalem.
:14 This was the number of them by their fathers' houses:
OF JUDAH:
Of JUDAH, the CAPTAINS of THOUSANDS: Adnah the chief, with 300,000 MIGHTY MEN of VALOR;
:15 Next to him was Jehohanan the CAPTAIN, with 280,000;
:16 And next to him Amasiah son of Zichri, who WILLINGLY OFFERED himself to YAHWEH, with 200,000 MIGHTY MEN of VALOR;
OF BENJAMIN:
:17 Of BENJAMIN; Eliada, a MIGHTY MAN of VALOR, with 200,000 men ARMED with BOW and SHIELD;
:18 Next to him was Jehozabad with 180,000 ARMED FOR WAR/
:19 THESE were in the KING'S SERVICE, BESIDES THOSE he had PLACED in FORTIFIED CITIES THROUGHOUT ALL Judah.
Abba, please help us to FOLLOW YOU with ALL OUR HEART and ALL OUR SOUL and WITH EVERYTHING INSIDE of us. You are our YAH whose EYES RUN to and FRO throughout the WHOLE EARTH, LOOKING to FIND and to HELP THOSE WHOLEHEARTEDLY TRUSTING You ... RELYING on You ... ADHERING to You ... those who LOVE You wholeheartedly and walk 100% in Your WAYS. Help us Abba to be OBEDIENT to YOUR WORD ... to RUN to YOUR WORD the MOMENT we DOUBT .... to RUN to YOU with our NEEDS ... our FEARS ... our ANXIETIES ... TRUSTING YOU with our EVERY NEED. Thank You Father in Yahshua's name that we can LEAN ON YOU with EVERYTHING ... also OUR HEALTH ... NEVER to be the masters of our own destiny. We SURRENDER today ... YIELD COMPLETELY to You ... HANDING ALL OVER to You ... our heavenly Father ... in Yahshua Messiah's name. Amen.