Daily Manna 15 May
KEY VERSE: “And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.” – (2 Chronicles 16:7)
READ: 2 Chronicles 16:1-14 (KJV)
In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa brought silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying, 3 “Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold; come, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”
4 So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali. 5 Now it happened, when Baasha heard it, that he stopped building Ramah and ceased his work. 6 Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah, which Baasha had used for building; and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.
7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. 8 Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.
11 Note that the acts of Asa, first and last, are indeed written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12 And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.
13 So Asa rested with his fathers; he died in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 They buried him in his own tomb, which he had made for himself in the City of David; and they laid him in the bed which was filled with spices and various ingredients prepared in a mixture of ointments. They made a very great burning for him.
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
After World War I, France built a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations named Maginot Line between itself and Germany. This was done to forestall German invasion as World War II approached. The line was thought to be a work of genius and regarded as impregnable. But when the chips were down, the so-called military might of the Maginot Line became useless because Hitler’s men employed a different strategy that enabled them penetrate France from another source.
Asa started as one of the most remarkable reformers that restored the true worship of God in Judah. He purified Jerusalem by sacking those who indulged in idolatry and perversion and did not spare his own idolatrous mother. The Lord, in turn, gave him and his land rest and prosperity.
Unfortunately in his later years, his reliance on and commitment to God waned. This showed in his rash decision to engage the heathen king Benhadad of Syria against Baasha, king of Israel who was building Ramah to prevent his subjects from any dealings with the Jews. This eventually became his undoing. He was rebuked by Hanani, the seer, and instead of repenting of this unholy alliance, he committed the seer into prison. He got “diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians”. He died in that state.
If your commitment to the Lord is weak or fickle, understand that this is a dangerous position because He is the source of our strength. If you are enjoying a buoyant relationship with God at the moment, strengthen your grip on your commitment to Him and do not get carried away by attainments or achievements.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The path of self-sufficiency is a downhill road.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Corinthians 5-9
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – Failure of the Arm of Flesh – by Pastor Enoch A.
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Daily Manna 15 May 2021
