The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him

2 Chronicles 17:1-19

Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel

The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel.

His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.

In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. ... They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.

The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat. Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats.

Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem.

Why?

Jehoshaphat followed the way of Asa and David so the Lord blessed him and Judah. He removed the high places and the Asherah pole from Judah. This is the action to show his heart following the Lord.

Because his heart is devoted to the Lord's ways, there was no war in his country.

How?

Can I remove any idea or though that the Lord doesn't like it. I need the reminder from the Lord and follow the way of the Lord.

Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God

2 Chronicles 16:1-14

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors. 

Why?

Asa had experienced the power and strength of the Lord to save him from war, but now he did not rely on the Lord but asked for help from Ben-Hadad, a foreigner.

A man could forget what he experienced in the grace of the Lord, so he died of disease.

How?

Trust in the Lord and honor the Holy Name of the Lord are the commands of the Lord in our whole life. I will rely on my God forever!

They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul

2 Chronicles 15:1-19

The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

Large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. All who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. They took an oath to the Lord with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.

King Asa also deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down, broke it up and burned it in the Kidron Valley. Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.

Why?

The Lord blesses the kingdom of Asa for he led Judah and his people made a covenant to seek the Lord.

Even some Israelites came over to Judah when they saw that the Lord his God was with them. Who is going with the Lord people can identify it.

Same as now, there are not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress.

How?

This world is full of every kind of distress, I have to be aware keep walling with the Lord and obey God's commands.

Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty

2 Chronicles 14:1-25

 Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his days the country was at peace for ten years. Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands. He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him. He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the Lord gave him rest.

Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.”

The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed before the Lord and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder.

Why?

Asa is a very good king in Israelite. He honored the name of the Lord and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, remove the incense altars, and obey the laws and commands of the Lord.

When Enemies came, Asa relied on the Lord and called to the Lord, so the lord helped Asa defeat the Cushites.

Our Lord helps the powerless against the mighty. No one like you can help us! Our Lord is almighty beyond anyone in the world.

How?

Obey the commands of the Lord is the beginning of blessing. Do not rely on myself or others, only the Lord is my shield and my stronghold.

The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands

2 Chronicles 13:1-22

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah, a daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me! 5 Don’t you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt? Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, an official of Solomon son of David, rebelled against his master. 

“And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are indeed a vast army and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods. But didn’t you drive out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods.

Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush was behind them. Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out to the Lord. The priests blew their trumpets and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands.

Why?

Abijah is a good king who honors the Name of the Lord and defeats Jeroboam, but he reigned in Jerusalem for three years.

How?

Victory and to be a king depends on the hands of the Lord!

They may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands

2 Chronicles 12:1-16

After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the Lord. Because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. With twelve hundred chariots sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites that came with him from Egypt, he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.’

The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is just.”

When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.”

When Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, he carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields Solomon had made. So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.

Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah.

Why?

Because Rehoboam and all leaders had been unfaithful to the Lord, the Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem.

The Prophet Shemiah came to Rehoboam and warned the king and the leaders of Judah, they humbled themselves, so the wrath of the Lord did not pour on Jerusalem, but they became subject to him.

Serving the Lord and serving the kings of other lands are quite different.

How?

Serve the Lord is better than serve any others.

Do not go up to fight against your fellow Israelites. Go home

2 Chronicles 11:1-23

But this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God: “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your fellow Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the words of the Lord and turned back from marching against Jeroboam.

The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the Lord.

Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maakah as crown prince among his brothers, in order to make him king. He acted wisely, dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and took many wives for them.

Why?

Israelites are divided into two parts, which is a sign of downfall. The Lord stopped Jeroboam from fighting against their fellow brothers Israelites.

The beginning of the division came from Jeroboam, who did not love the people of Israel.

Rehoboam did not put much effort into his nation but married many wives and women.

How?

Love makes people come together, hate and arrogance make people separate.