In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa took silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the Lord and the king's house and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, 3 “There is a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 4 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and let his work cease. 6 Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.
7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you.8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and from throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time.
11 The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians. 13 And Asa slept with his fathers, dying in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 They buried him in the tomb that he had cut for himself in the city of David. They laid him on a bier that had been filled with various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumer's art, and they made a very great fire in his honor.
 
Meditation
God’s steadfast love is seeking to give strong support to the saints. Grace is God’s gaze toward the horizon, looking to lavish love on children who return home to relationship with Him.
 
Asa had sought the Lord but now the focus changes to God who is seeking to strongly support those saved by grace. The narrative of Asa’s leadership details the inevitable for any human leader, eyes wandering the world looking for things only the Lord can give. Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, could not give the security Asa desired (1-6), punishing the prophet could not give the peace he longed for (7-9), and physicians could not give king Asa the healing he really needed (10-12). Sinful hearts look to the world for things only God can give.
 
There is more grace. While we are looking to the world for life, the eyes of God are wandering the earth looking to give “strong support” to those whose hearts are blameless toward Him (9). Truly, the eyes of the Lord are on those in relationship with Him (Psalm 34:15). Asa should have continued to seek the Lord but did not. God continues to seek to strengthen those whose security is in Him. God’s relentless love is unstoppable!
 
Jesus is the ultimate picture of God seeking to support His people. Jesus came to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10), amazing grace in a world where “no one seeks God, no not one” (Romans 3:10-11). Jesus invites you to look to Him for the strong support for which your heart hopes.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about the contrast of Asa seeking power and peace from the world and God seeking to strongly support those who trust in Him?
 
-Where do you seek things of this world that only God can give? For instance, security, love, hope, status, strength…
 
-How does God’s grace give you strength to turn from your idolatrous ways and turn your eyes upon Jesus, trusting Him to give you all your heart is hoping for?
 
Key Verse
9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and from throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” 

Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
    who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
    and bless the Lord!
3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
    he who made heaven and earth!
 
 
Meditation
The greatest blessing a person receives is a soul satisfied in celebrating God and His grace. This is why humanities’ chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. John Piper says it this way when teaching on Christian Hedonism: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”
 
The first step for a pilgrim to find blessing is to bless the Lord, a counter cultural trajectory in a hedonistic and materialistic world. True blessings do not begin with a focus on ourselves or our circumstances.
 
Today’s Psalm of ascent invites pilgrims on the path of life to find blessing through blessing the Lord. “Come, bless the Lord” is God’s graceful invitation (1). Servants of God, who stand for God, are invited into the presence of God, to surrender by lifting up hands and celebrate by lifting up their hearts (1-2).
 
Blessing flow from God’s throne. The One who made heaven and earth is He who freely offers true blessing, His very self. God’s presence is the power of worship for the pilgrim and the promise of the Gospel. Jesus is the word made flesh, the agent of Creation who is our redemption. Jesus is God made flesh, glory dwelling among us (John 1:1-14). Jesus is the king who will not with hold any good thing from those who surrender to His grace and love.
 
Come, bless the Lord. Come, surrender yourself before Him, finding soul satisfaction in Him. Come, bless the Lord and discover how enjoying Him and His presence is all you need.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about the blessing exchanged in this Psalm?
 
-Why is it difficult to comprehend the reality that true blessing is found in total satisfaction with God’s presence?
 
-Take a moment to bless the Lord. Surrender your heart before Him and seek to have your soul satisfied in Him. Come, bless the Lord.
 
Key Verse
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord! 3 May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!

In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord. 2 Thus the Lord said to me: “Make yourself straps and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck. 3 Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Give them this charge for their masters: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: This is what you shall say to your masters: 5 “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. 6 Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. 7 All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave.
8 “‘“But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the Lord, until I have consumed it by his hand. 9 So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’10 For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will perish. 11 But any nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave on its own land, to work it and dwell there, declares the Lord.”’”
12 To Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke in like manner: “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live. 13 Why will you and your people die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as the Lord has spoken concerning any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. 15 I have not sent them, declares the Lord, but they are prophesying falsely in my name, with the result that I will drive you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.”
16 Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the Lord's house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon,’ for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. 17 Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a desolation? 18 If they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, then let them intercede with the Lord of hosts, that the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon. 19 For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, the sea, the stands, and the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away, when he took into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— 21 thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: 22 They shall be carried to Babylon and remain there until the day when I visit them, declares the Lord. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.”
 
Meditation
If God’s sovereignty does not make you uncomfortable then you are living with blinders on. Truly, God is “working ALL THINGS according to the council of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). God uses suffering in His service, kings and presidents as pawns, and international diplomacy as the stage to display His plan for redemptive history.
 
Jeremiah makes everyone with king Zedekiah uncomfortable when he busts into their gathering wearing a yoke and bars around his neck. Jeremiah’s message made people more uncomfortable. Repeated multiple times (11, 12, 17), Jeremiah communicated God’s message for Jerusalem to submit to the yoke of their enemy, Babylon, to such an extent that to rebel against king Nebuchadnezzar would be to rebel against God Himself. The Lord of creation (5-6) is the Lord of history (7-8) and He is using even our enemies for His sovereign plan.
 
To put this in perspective, this is as if God told Americans to welcome the rule of Russia, China, or Iran. If I preached this in our pulpit I would be run out before I prayed the prayer of commitment! For Jeremiah, the focus is on God and His sovereign rule and reign over history.
 
Truly, God will redeem all He allows. After 70 years of exile the remnant would return (22). But until then, God’s people had to trust God’s plan. Likewise, today we must embrace God’s sovereign rule and reign over the unstable headlines of our lives. Jesus is King (Colossians 1:15-17) and He is on the throne making all things new (Revelation 21:6).
 
Richly Dwelling
-Does God’s total sovereignty over all of life, death, and the rise and fall of empires make you uncomfortable? Why or why not?
 
-Where do you reject the reality of God’s sovereignty, finding strength and security in powers of this world?
 
-Jesus is the king over everything. How can you submit your fears and hopes to Him, trusting His character and covenant faithfulness?
 
Key Verse
12 To Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke in like manner: “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live. 

The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, 2 and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, 4 but when in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 5 In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress. 7 But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”
8 As soon as Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the Lord. 9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. 10 They were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 They sacrificed to the Lord on that day from the spoil that they had brought 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep. 12 And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul, 13 but that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman. 14 They swore an oath to the Lordwith a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns. 15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.
16 Even Maacah, his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother because she had made a detestable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron. 17 But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true all his days. 18 And he brought into the house of God the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. 19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

Meditation
God’s covenant faithfulness feeds Christian courage. God’s word and work gives strength for God’s people to stand for truth in a world drowning in lies. When Jesus walked on water during the storm, He offered courage to the anxious disciples (Mark 6:50). Today God’s grace offers you courage by trusting the power of Christ’s word and work to sustain boldness through the storms of life.
 
King Asa had sought the Lord (14:7; 15:2) but he needed courage to continue his reforms. The Spirit of God used the word of God through the prophet Azariah to king Asa, “But you, take courage! Do not let your hands grow weak, for your work shall be rewarded” (1-7). Courage flows through God’s Spirit by way of God’s word. Courage is capture by hearts with confidence in God’s promises.
 
Asa took courage and his leadership led to practical reforms (8). Asa removed idolatrous strongholds, restored right worship, revived the people’s faithfulness, and renewed the covenant (8-15). Courageous faith is contagious! And it revives the people of God “in their heart and soul” (12, 15).
 
The gospel gives courage to Christians who abide in Christ, God’s word made flesh. Peter was broken after he denied Christ three times. During breakfast with Jesus on the beach , Peter was restored by grace and moved from cowardice to courage. Peter preached the first sermon of the Church before standing against intense opposition for his faith (Acts 2-5). Peter found courage from being with Jesus (Acts 4:13) and grace offers you the same opportunity today.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Are you marked by cowardice or courage in your faith? Why?
 
-What stands out to you about how God’s word and spirit gave courage to Asa for reform? Do you see how courage is contagious?
 
-Peter was courageous because he had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). Take a moment to identify where you need courage and find refuge in Christ. How do you see His word doing the work of helping your heart take courage?
 
Key Verse
8 As soon as Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the Lord. 

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: 2 “Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word. 3 It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. 4 You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, 5 and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.’”
7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. 8 And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
10 When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of the Lord and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the Lord. 11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. 13 Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. 14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. 15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
Jeremiah Spared from Death16 Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” 17 And certain of the elders of the land arose and spoke to all the assembled people, saying, 18 “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“‘Zion shall be plowed as a field;
    Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,
    and the mountain of the house a wooded height.’
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord, and did not the Lord relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.”
20 There was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like those of Jeremiah. 21 And when King Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and all the officials, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent to Egypt certain men, Elnathan the son of Achbor and others with him,23 and they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and dumped his dead body into the burial place of the common people.
24 But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death.
 
Meditation
Western Christians have lost sight of the cost of standing for truth. Paul writes that in every church he teaches his “ways in Christ,” the inevitable suffering for servants of Jesus (1 Corinthians 4:10-17). Standing for truth in a world of lies will cost disciples everything, possibly their own lives.
 
Standing for truth was nearly a death sentence for Jeremiah. Revealing the worst response possible to a sermon, Jeremiah records the religious establishment’s reaction to his words: “The priests and the prophets and all the people took hold of him saying, ‘You shall die!’” (8). Jeremiah did not run or respond with venom. The servant of the Lord trusted God’s sovereign grace. “I am in your hands. Do with me what seems right to you” (14).
 
Ironically, Jeremiah’s sermon was a death sentence for the people if they did not repent. God’s wrath and judgement against sin will not relent unless the people repent and return to the Lord (1-7).  “Mend your ways… obey the Lord… and the Lord will relent…” (13) was Jeremiah’s simple sermon. The angry response reveals the blindness of Judah’s heart.
 
Christians will grow in endurance when we look to the greater prophet, Jesus Christ. Jesus willingly took the death sentence we deserve so we can receive grace, return to Him, and joyfully embrace the cost of discipleship. Paul’s ways in Christ are as Jeremiah’s, costly to the point of perishing. We must not be surprised. But to grow in endurance, we must look to the cross of Christ.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Is your discipleship costly? Are you willing to pay the cost in our culture of standing for truth?
 
-Why do you think the religious establishment responded this way? How can you identify?
 
-Jesus experienced a death sentence so you can live, finding abundant life in Him! How can His grace give you ground to stand for truth. Be specific in at least one place of personal application.
 
Key Verse
8 And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! 

Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years. 2 And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim 4 and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment. 5 He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him. 6 He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace. 7 And he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God. We have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and prospered. 8 And Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin that carried shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor.
9 Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. 10 And Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 And Asa cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.” 12 So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13 Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive, for they were broken before the Lord and his army. The men of Judah carried away very much spoil. 14 And they attacked all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord was upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.15 And they struck down the tents of those who had livestock and carried away sheep in abundance and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.
 
Meditation
God promises to reward those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6) and that those who seek Him will experience HIS goodness (Lamentations 3:25). The temptation is to seek things around us rather than our Redeemer, created things or gifts rather than seeking our Creator and Giver Himself! Grace offers a fresh invitation- Seek God and everything else will be added.
 
King Asa proactively sought God by doing what was good in the eyes of the Lord (2). The beginning of Asa’s reforms (4-6) were the fruit of seeking the Lord and fuel for experiencing His goodness. People seeking the Lord should expect to experience the goodness of the Lord.
 
God gave Asa peace and victory. “Because we have sought the Lord, He has given us peace on every side,” proclaimed the king (7). In peace people prosper. Likewise, God gave Asa victory over attacking enemies. When surrounded by a multitude Asa sought God by crying out, “Oh Lord, there is none like you to help… we rely on You” (11). Asa sought the Lord so “the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa…” (12). God shows His faithfulness to people who seek Him.
 
God’s gracious invitation is for all who seek Him, even former enemies. Later in Scripture we read of an Ethiopian coming to Jerusalem to seek God. The eunuch was blessed with salvation and eternal life (Acts 8:26-40). We could say the same for the Roman Cornelius (Acts 10) or the Jew Lydia (Acts 16). When people seek God, we experience the promises of God (Mathew 7:7). And God promises to show His goodness to those who seek Him!
 
Richly Dwelling
-Do you seek God or the “good” life? What is the difference for you?
 
-God promises that those who seek Him will lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10). Do you believe this? Why or why not? How does this belief fuel your focus?
 
-Grace invites us to begin again, to seek first our King and His Kingdom and trust His promise- that everything else will be provided (Matthew 6:33). Where can you focus your faith on seeking first the King and His Kingdom? Be specific.
 
Key Verse
7 And he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God. We have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.”