Immerse: Chronicles Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 81
2C
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C hronicles – E Z R A – N E H E M I A H
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among them. For many from Israel had moved to Judah during Asa’s reign
when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. The people gathered
at Jerusalem in late spring, during the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.
On that day they sacrificed to the Lord 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep and
goats from the plunder they had taken in the battle. Then they entered
into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their
heart and soul. They agreed that anyone who refused to seek the Lord,
the God of Israel, would be put to death—whether young or old, man or
woman. They shouted out their oath of loyalty to the Lord with trumpets blaring and rams’ horns sounding. All in Judah were happy about this
covenant, for they had entered into it with all their heart. They earnestly
sought after God, and they found him. And the Lord gave them rest from
their enemies on every side.
King Asa even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as
queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut
down her obscene pole, broke it up, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
Although the pagan shrines were not removed from Israel, Asa’s heart
remained completely faithful throughout his life. He brought into the
Temple of God the silver and gold and the various items that he and his
father had dedicated.
So there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.
In the t hirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah
and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving
King Asa’s territory in Judah.
Asa responded by removing the silver and gold from the treasuries of
the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace. He sent it to King Ben-hadad
of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message:
“Let there be a treaty between you and me like the one between your
father and my father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Break your
treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone.”
Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa’s request and sent the commanders of his
army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan,
Abel-beth-maacah, and all the store cities in Naphtali. As soon as Baasha
of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying
Ramah and stopped all work on it. Then King Asa called out all the men
of Judah to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baasha had
been using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the towns
of Geba and Mizpah.
At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, “Because
you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your
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