Episode Transcript
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:09.070
You may be seated. Let's turn
to second chronicles, Chapter Sixteen. Second
2
00:00:09.070 --> 00:00:17.309
Chronicles Chapter Sixteen, this is part
three of the narrative, the story concerning
3
00:00:17.390 --> 00:00:25.140
King Asa. You remember that the
first two chapters were very positive. We
4
00:00:25.260 --> 00:00:31.859
saw Ace's great faithfulness to the Lord
and to the obligations and duties that were
5
00:00:31.899 --> 00:00:35.420
put on him, his great confidence
in God and all the blessings that brought
6
00:00:35.460 --> 00:00:41.049
to Israel. I'm here we see
the contrast of that. It's a sad
7
00:00:41.289 --> 00:00:46.289
ending to what otherwise seems to have
been a very wonderful life and rule.
8
00:00:47.570 --> 00:00:53.200
As we consider it, let us
consider it in contrast to the rule,
9
00:00:53.719 --> 00:00:59.200
the rule and reign of the Lord
Jesus. So, second chronicles, Chapter
10
00:00:59.960 --> 00:01:07.670
Sixteen. In the thirty Sixth Year
of the reign of ASA bashaw King of
11
00:01:07.829 --> 00:01:14.150
Israel, went up against Judah and
built Ramah that he might permit no one
12
00:01:14.310 --> 00:01:18.819
to go out or come into.
Asa King of Judah. Then Asa took
13
00:01:18.900 --> 00:01:22.579
silver and gold from the treasures of
the House of the Lord and the King's
14
00:01:22.659 --> 00:01:26.939
House and sent them to Ben Hadad, King of Syria, who lived in
15
00:01:26.980 --> 00:01:30.700
Damascus, saying there is a covenant
between me and you, as there was
16
00:01:30.819 --> 00:01:36.849
between my father and your father.
Behold, I am sending to you silver
17
00:01:37.049 --> 00:01:41.810
and gold. Go Break Your Covenant
with Bashaw, King of Israel, that
18
00:01:41.969 --> 00:01:47.799
he may withdraw from me. Then
Ben Hadad listened to King Asa and sent
19
00:01:47.879 --> 00:01:52.359
the commanders of his armies against the
cities of Israel, and they conquered you,
20
00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:57.760
John, Dan Abel, mayhem and
the store cities of Naphtali. When
21
00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:01.230
bashaw heard of it, he stopped
Building Rama and let his work cease.
22
00:02:02.390 --> 00:02:07.870
Then King Asa took all Judah and
they carried away the stones of Urma and
23
00:02:07.030 --> 00:02:13.669
it's timber with which bashaw had been
building, and with them he built Ghiba
24
00:02:13.949 --> 00:02:17.939
and Mispah. At that time,
Nanni in the seer, came to ASA,
25
00:02:19.060 --> 00:02:23.139
King of Judah, and said to
him because you relied on the king
26
00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:28.340
of Syria and did not rely on
the Lord your God, the Army of
27
00:02:28.379 --> 00:02:32.169
the King of Syria has escaped you. We're not the Ethiopians and the Libyans,
28
00:02:32.210 --> 00:02:38.009
a huge army with very many chariots
and horsemen. Yet because you relied
29
00:02:38.090 --> 00:02:42.169
on the yet, because you relied
on the Lord, he gave them into
30
00:02:42.169 --> 00:02:46.360
your hand, for the eyes of
the Lord run to and fro throughout the
31
00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:52.280
whole earth. To give strong support
to those whose heart is blameless toward him.
32
00:02:53.639 --> 00:02:59.069
You have done foolishly in this,
for from now on you will have
33
00:02:59.310 --> 00:03:04.669
wars. Then, asa was angry
with the seer and put him in the
34
00:03:04.789 --> 00:03:07.430
stocks in prison, for he was
in a rage with him because of this,
35
00:03:07.949 --> 00:03:14.740
and asa inflicted cruelties upon some of
the people at that time. The
36
00:03:14.860 --> 00:03:17.379
acts of Asa, from first to
last, are written in the books of
37
00:03:17.460 --> 00:03:22.580
the Kings of Judah and Israel.
In the thirty Ninth Year of his reign,
38
00:03:22.620 --> 00:03:28.530
ASA was diseased in his feet and
his disease became severe. Yet even
39
00:03:28.569 --> 00:03:31.330
in his disease, he did not
seek the Lord, but he sought help
40
00:03:31.449 --> 00:03:37.330
from physicians, and asa slept with
his father's dying in the forty first year
41
00:03:37.370 --> 00:03:40.560
of his reign. They buried him
in the tomb that he had cut for
42
00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:46.479
himself in the city of David.
They laid him on a bier that had
43
00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:53.759
been filled with various kinds of spices
prepared by the Perfrem perfumer's art, and
44
00:03:53.919 --> 00:04:00.669
they made a very great fire in
his honor. May God bless his word
45
00:04:00.789 --> 00:04:13.699
to us so to understand any of
the kings, these these narratives of these
46
00:04:13.740 --> 00:04:16.939
kings reigns, these chronicles of the
Kings, you have to understand the covenant
47
00:04:17.019 --> 00:04:21.699
that is underlying them all, just
like if you want to understand the relationship
48
00:04:21.699 --> 00:04:26.730
between a husband and a wife,
you have to understand the covenant that binds
49
00:04:26.769 --> 00:04:30.769
them together. Well, the same
is true for this, these kings and
50
00:04:30.850 --> 00:04:35.970
their relationship with God's people here,
particularly in Judah. You remember that God
51
00:04:36.089 --> 00:04:42.600
established a covenant with David. I'm
saying that from you. I will build
52
00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:46.279
a house from your son's. I
will establish a kingdom that will be a
53
00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:50.879
forever and ever. But if you
turn back to first chronicles, Chapter Twenty
54
00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:58.269
eight, you realize that there was
a sort of caveat to this. God
55
00:04:58.430 --> 00:05:01.189
indeed would do this and he had
promised he would do it, but there
56
00:05:01.269 --> 00:05:04.629
was a promise that they had.
The kings had to be godly, they
57
00:05:04.629 --> 00:05:10.100
had to follow after the Lord.
David, to whom the Covenant was originally
58
00:05:10.139 --> 00:05:15.740
made, says this to Solomon,
his son, right before the kingship passes
59
00:05:15.819 --> 00:05:19.019
over to Solomon. David says,
and in Verse Twenty of First Chronicles Twenty
60
00:05:19.060 --> 00:05:25.129
eight, be strong and courageous and
do it. Do not be afraid and
61
00:05:25.209 --> 00:05:29.889
do not be dismayed for the Lord. For the Lord God, even my
62
00:05:30.089 --> 00:05:32.529
God, is with you. He
will not leave you or forsake you until
63
00:05:32.529 --> 00:05:36.199
all the work for the service of
the House of the Lord is finished.
64
00:05:38.680 --> 00:05:42.920
This is the rule that he had
given to to David, or, I'm
65
00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:46.360
sorry, this is the rule that
David gave to Solomon in the honest he
66
00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:49.389
made. But if you go back
to chapter nine, he realized that we're
67
00:05:49.670 --> 00:05:55.509
something else that he says, I'm
sorry, verse nine. And you,
68
00:05:55.750 --> 00:05:59.550
solemn and my son, know the
god of your father and serve him with
69
00:05:59.629 --> 00:06:02.990
a whole heart and with a willing
mind, for the Lord searches all hearts
70
00:06:03.540 --> 00:06:09.139
and understands every plan and thought.
We pause there for just a moment.
71
00:06:09.220 --> 00:06:13.740
That's very similar to the language that
we just read. And second chronicles about
72
00:06:13.819 --> 00:06:17.569
the Lord going to and fro all
over all the earth, searching the blameless
73
00:06:17.569 --> 00:06:23.649
and heart to support. David says
that the Lord searches all hearts and understands
74
00:06:23.769 --> 00:06:27.569
every plan and thought. If you
seek him, he will be found by
75
00:06:27.649 --> 00:06:30.089
you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off. Be
76
00:06:30.290 --> 00:06:34.360
careful now, for the Lord has
chosen to build a house for the sanctuary.
77
00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:41.319
Be Strong and do it. So
when the Kings are godly, when
78
00:06:41.480 --> 00:06:45.720
the sons of David are godly and
righteous, the Lord supports them and gives
79
00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:48.790
them support. And we've seen that
with King Asa. When the Lord US
80
00:06:48.910 --> 00:06:54.269
took idolatry out of Israel, when, I'm sorry, when asa took idolatry
81
00:06:54.310 --> 00:06:58.709
out of Israel, the Lord supported
him in it. When asa wanted to
82
00:06:58.870 --> 00:07:01.379
support against his enemies, he did
so in the strength of the Lord,
83
00:07:01.420 --> 00:07:05.300
and the Lord supported him in it. But here, in second chronicles,
84
00:07:05.339 --> 00:07:10.620
we see something else. We see
the flip side of that coin. What
85
00:07:10.819 --> 00:07:18.209
happens when the Fort saking comes?
What happened? Well, the King of
86
00:07:18.329 --> 00:07:25.649
Israel was coming and and threatening Judah. But instead of going to the Lord,
87
00:07:26.490 --> 00:07:29.209
instead of going to the one who
had promised to be with him,
88
00:07:29.569 --> 00:07:32.639
instead of being strong and courageous and
he is king, the God of his
89
00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:36.720
father's instead of going to God,
the God of all the world, the
90
00:07:36.759 --> 00:07:42.519
king of kings and the Lord of
Lords, asa goes to the king of
91
00:07:42.680 --> 00:07:47.310
Syria and he brings him gold and
treasures from the house of the Lord.
92
00:07:48.110 --> 00:07:54.470
How Ironic, and says here,
let's make a covenant, let's re establish
93
00:07:54.670 --> 00:07:59.860
the Covenant that has been in the
past and protect me. I'm scared.
94
00:07:59.980 --> 00:08:05.899
I'm afraid. Withdraw your armies.
The King of Syria, who was formerly
95
00:08:05.019 --> 00:08:09.740
on the other side, does withdraws
armies, and for a moment that seems
96
00:08:09.860 --> 00:08:18.170
like a good thing. Asa has
been victorious, he has established his strength
97
00:08:18.370 --> 00:08:22.250
once again over his people and over
his borders. But then what happens?
98
00:08:24.569 --> 00:08:30.720
Hanani, this seer, this prophet, comes and says to him, because
99
00:08:30.920 --> 00:08:33.240
you relied, this is a verse
seven, because you relied on the king
100
00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:37.200
of Syria and did not rely on
the Lord, your God. The King
101
00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:39.639
of Syria is a escaped you.
And then he reminds him. He says,
102
00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:45.029
look, you've gone through this before. The Libyans had a huge army,
103
00:08:45.149 --> 00:08:48.549
that Ethiopians had a huge army,
and what happened? You relied to
104
00:08:48.629 --> 00:08:52.750
the Lord and you won the day, but you have not done here,
105
00:08:52.909 --> 00:08:58.460
and so you will suffer wars.
The Lord turns away from him the peace
106
00:08:58.940 --> 00:09:03.299
and security that he was hoping for, but when about the wrong way,
107
00:09:03.299 --> 00:09:11.970
he lost. And then, they
say, does a second thing. Instead
108
00:09:13.009 --> 00:09:18.889
of hearing the words of Hanani,
instead of turning and repentance or even enduring
109
00:09:20.090 --> 00:09:24.519
the discipline that he has, he
he puts him in stocks, he takes
110
00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:31.799
the Messenger of the Lord and throws
him in prison. You remember Stephen,
111
00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:37.960
in his big speech and acts right
before he's persecuted, says to the people
112
00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:41.230
of Israel, every time the Lord
sends you a Prophet, you kill him.
113
00:09:43.269 --> 00:09:46.950
Every time the Lord sends someone you
to you to wake you up and
114
00:09:46.110 --> 00:09:50.149
to call you back and to call
you to repentance, what do you do?
115
00:09:50.389 --> 00:09:56.059
You persecute them. This is one
of those things that Stephen has in
116
00:09:56.259 --> 00:10:01.139
mind. This prophet, the seer, comes to him and says this is
117
00:10:01.460 --> 00:10:05.700
why this is going to happen.
And what is a SA do? He
118
00:10:05.860 --> 00:10:09.529
was angry. Puts him in stocks, in the stocks, in prison.
119
00:10:09.769 --> 00:10:13.250
This is verse ten. He was
in a rage with him because of this,
120
00:10:13.409 --> 00:10:18.330
and this rage doesn't only get directed
at this prophet, it gets inflicted
121
00:10:18.490 --> 00:10:24.000
out cruelties upon some of the people
at that same time. This is,
122
00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:28.840
all of a sudden, not the
reign of a godly, dividic king,
123
00:10:28.039 --> 00:10:33.480
but the reign of a tyrant.
I'm mad at you, so I'm mad
124
00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:41.590
at everybody. Everybody's going to be
punished for this. Then, continuing in
125
00:10:41.750 --> 00:10:48.110
his obstinence, he gains a disease
in his feet which becomes severe, and
126
00:10:48.950 --> 00:10:54.580
he doesn't seek the Lord. He
goes only to humans, to physicians,
127
00:10:58.340 --> 00:11:05.289
and you know what happens. He
dies and in a strange way. I'm
128
00:11:05.330 --> 00:11:09.370
not entirely sure if this is what
this means, but verse fourteen, when
129
00:11:09.409 --> 00:11:11.690
it says they buried him in the
tomb that he had cut for himself in
130
00:11:11.809 --> 00:11:16.529
the city of David, I wonder
if that has the same sense that we
131
00:11:16.610 --> 00:11:20.840
mean in English when we say he's
digging his own grave. That's what he
132
00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:26.240
does literally, but it seems that
figuratively, that's how exactly what ace is
133
00:11:26.360 --> 00:11:31.200
doing. Instead of ruling and reigning
before the Lord, he's digging his own
134
00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:37.750
grave, he's punishing himself, he's
going further and further and further down and
135
00:11:37.909 --> 00:11:45.590
eventually he finds himself in it.
Instead of reigning and ending his life with
136
00:11:46.190 --> 00:11:52.899
peace and security and sleeping with his
father's we read that he was diseased and
137
00:11:54.820 --> 00:12:01.419
left by God. So this is
the story that we have in second chronicles
138
00:12:01.490 --> 00:12:09.409
sixteen. I want you to consider
it in contrast to Jesus, to Jesus
139
00:12:09.450 --> 00:12:18.200
is kingly rule. Consider first Jesus
is complete and entire allegiance with his father,
140
00:12:20.279 --> 00:12:26.480
before all creation, before the world
was made, the father and son
141
00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:31.830
and spirit covenanted with one another to
do a great work in the world,
142
00:12:33.070 --> 00:12:37.230
to save people from their sins,
to bring them from death to life,
143
00:12:37.309 --> 00:12:43.269
and to do so by the sun, becoming man and suffering on across.
144
00:12:45.620 --> 00:12:48.379
It was not an easy mission.
It was a humbling mission. It was
145
00:12:48.419 --> 00:12:54.340
a mission that would would would require
Jesus to leave the glories of Heaven to
146
00:12:54.419 --> 00:13:01.690
dwell on Earth in human body,
to suffer all kinds of indignities and shame,
147
00:13:03.049 --> 00:13:11.610
oppression and persecution, betrayal and more. But at every point in his
148
00:13:11.809 --> 00:13:18.480
life Jesus was perfectly loyal to the
father. Instead of going to other people
149
00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:24.320
and saying this is tough, I'm
tired of these Pharisees and saddutes. Maybe
150
00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:28.870
I can find a sort of end
run game around them, to work something
151
00:13:28.990 --> 00:13:31.990
out, to get over this problem, to get them out of my hair.
152
00:13:31.909 --> 00:13:35.350
I can see what you're doing,
Judas he goes and talks to the
153
00:13:35.470 --> 00:13:39.909
other disciples. Work something out to
get rid of him early. There could
154
00:13:39.909 --> 00:13:43.299
be all kinds of things that Jesus
would have done, all kinds of things
155
00:13:43.340 --> 00:13:48.460
that you and I would have done
to overcome the problems, to not face
156
00:13:48.620 --> 00:13:52.899
the things, to not complete the
mission. But every single point in his
157
00:13:54.139 --> 00:14:00.049
life Jesus trusted in his father over
and over again throughout the book of John
158
00:14:00.049 --> 00:14:03.690
and in the other gospels. What
do we read? That he came to
159
00:14:03.850 --> 00:14:07.769
do the will of the one who
sent him. That's what his rule was
160
00:14:07.809 --> 00:14:11.840
about. That's what his kingdom is
about, and he never he never strayed
161
00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:16.639
from that. The second thing he
never did is he never turned away from
162
00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:22.600
God's word, unlike Asa, who
who, in hearing God's were a will,
163
00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:26.350
first in turning away from it at
the beginning, then and being reminded
164
00:14:26.429 --> 00:14:30.429
of it, and then even in
the last years of his life, he
165
00:14:30.549 --> 00:14:33.710
was always, in these final years, turning away from the word of the
166
00:14:33.830 --> 00:14:39.580
Lord. Jesus never did that.
Each and every point of his life he
167
00:14:39.779 --> 00:14:43.259
followed the word of his father.
He followed the will of his father.
168
00:14:46.059 --> 00:14:48.659
I want you to look at Matthew, Chapter Four. There's so many examples
169
00:14:48.700 --> 00:14:54.610
of this, but this is a
really great one. Want you to see
170
00:14:54.649 --> 00:15:00.929
the way in which Jesus is establishing
his kingship, the way in which Jesus
171
00:15:01.009 --> 00:15:05.850
does not do the things that asa
does and making covenant with other people,
172
00:15:07.129 --> 00:15:20.080
in in working, in in turning
away from the Lord. So, Matthew
173
00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:24.429
Chapter Four, this is the great
temptation of Jesus right at the beginning of
174
00:15:24.549 --> 00:15:30.549
his ministry. And that's important because
here the gospel writers are establishing for us
175
00:15:30.950 --> 00:15:35.590
the kind of kingdom that Jesus will
bring about, the kind of kingdom that
176
00:15:35.669 --> 00:15:39.139
he will rule. So, Matthew
Chapter Four, verse one. Then Jesus
177
00:15:39.220 --> 00:15:43.740
was led up by the spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
178
00:15:43.820 --> 00:15:48.860
After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry and the tempter
179
00:15:50.090 --> 00:15:52.570
came and said to him, if
you are the son of God, command
180
00:15:52.649 --> 00:15:58.370
these stones to be loaves of bread. But he answered it is written man
181
00:15:58.570 --> 00:16:03.450
shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the
182
00:16:03.490 --> 00:16:08.279
mouth of God. You See,
here is say Jesus Receives The opposite of
183
00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:12.799
a Prophet Right he receives Satan,
the tempter trying to tempt him away from
184
00:16:12.840 --> 00:16:18.230
God's word. And what does he
do? He stands strong, first by
185
00:16:18.429 --> 00:16:23.429
turning to God's Word and quoting it
and second by the very content of the
186
00:16:23.470 --> 00:16:27.909
word that he says man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every
187
00:16:27.990 --> 00:16:36.659
word that comes from the mouth of
God. Jesus refused to give in to
188
00:16:36.740 --> 00:16:41.340
the temptation, and he did so
by turning to the word of the Lord.
189
00:16:42.100 --> 00:16:45.580
Next Verse Five, then the devil
took him to the holy city and
190
00:16:45.740 --> 00:16:49.289
set him on the pinnacle of the
Temple and said to him, if you
191
00:16:49.409 --> 00:16:52.529
are the son of God, throw
yourself down, for it is written he
192
00:16:52.649 --> 00:16:57.769
will command his angels concerning you and
on their hands they will bear you up
193
00:16:57.769 --> 00:17:03.519
lest you strike your foot against a
stone. Jesus said to him again,
194
00:17:03.680 --> 00:17:07.599
it is written, you shall not
put the Lord your God to test.
195
00:17:10.119 --> 00:17:15.359
See again what Jesus is doing.
He establishes his he establishes his rule and
196
00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:18.869
his kingdom, he establishes his mission
on the word of God and the proper
197
00:17:18.990 --> 00:17:23.589
interpretations of it. And then,
thirdly, in verse eight, again the
198
00:17:23.750 --> 00:17:27.390
Devil takes him up to a very
high mountain, shows him all the kingdoms
199
00:17:27.430 --> 00:17:30.819
of their world and their glory,
and he said to him, all these
200
00:17:30.859 --> 00:17:36.819
I will give you if you will
fall down and worship me. Then Jesus
201
00:17:36.859 --> 00:17:40.579
said to him, begone, Satan, for it is written you shall worship
202
00:17:40.619 --> 00:17:44.849
the Lord your God, and you
and him alone, you shall serve that.
203
00:17:45.089 --> 00:17:48.890
Then then the devil left him and
behold, angels came and were ministering
204
00:17:48.970 --> 00:17:56.730
to him. Jesus is offered something
more than asa could have ever dreamed.
205
00:17:56.690 --> 00:18:00.960
Es is trying to protect the southern
Kingdom of Judah. The Satan offers to
206
00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:06.000
Jesus the entire kingdoms of the world
and all their glory. You know what
207
00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:11.599
he offers him? He offers him
the DIVIDIC Covenant Promise, the very thing
208
00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:15.430
that God had promised to give David
and his sons. He offers to Jesus.
209
00:18:17.670 --> 00:18:23.789
And what does Jesus do? He
Says No. He Says No to
210
00:18:23.910 --> 00:18:27.660
Satan, not because he won't obtain
these things, but he won't do it
211
00:18:29.259 --> 00:18:33.619
against the will of the Lord.
Instead of being given them as this way,
212
00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:37.619
in this way that Satan suggests,
Jesus will go to the cross,
213
00:18:37.779 --> 00:18:45.569
Jesus will suffer and die. Jesus
will give his very life and he will
214
00:18:45.609 --> 00:18:51.049
have these things. The Lord will
keep his promises. The angels will come
215
00:18:51.210 --> 00:18:53.369
and minister to him and to serve
him, but they do so in the
216
00:18:53.490 --> 00:19:02.759
way that he desires. Jesus,
you might think, sounds like no one
217
00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:07.440
you've ever met. Everyone else,
including you, and including me, goes
218
00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:12.309
after the things of this world and
even the good things that God has promised
219
00:19:12.349 --> 00:19:18.109
us, often in the wrong ways. We try to get around the way
220
00:19:18.190 --> 00:19:21.549
of the cross, we try to
get around the suffering and the persecution,
221
00:19:21.670 --> 00:19:26.700
we try to get around the uncomfortable
difficulties and the loving one another and the
222
00:19:26.779 --> 00:19:30.700
forgiving one another and the dealing and
the reconciliation and all that stuff. We
223
00:19:30.779 --> 00:19:33.740
don't want to do that. We
just want the glory of the Kingdoms of
224
00:19:33.819 --> 00:19:37.769
this world and we don't want to
do it by taking up our cross and
225
00:19:37.930 --> 00:19:42.930
following him. And we know that
we're so familiar with that way of life,
226
00:19:42.930 --> 00:19:47.730
were so familiar with the way of
King Asa that to hear of Jesus
227
00:19:48.289 --> 00:19:52.690
perfectly and in every single moment,
going after the mission that he was set
228
00:19:52.730 --> 00:19:56.759
out to do, according to the
will of God and for and according to
229
00:19:56.920 --> 00:20:03.319
the will of his father. We
say this sounds like no one I've ever
230
00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:08.750
met, but that's because Jesus is
like no one you've ever met. Jesus
231
00:20:08.950 --> 00:20:12.750
entirely dive frint. Yes, he's
the son of David, but we have
232
00:20:12.869 --> 00:20:18.950
to remember that unlike Asa, unlike
you, unlike me, Jesus was also
233
00:20:18.950 --> 00:20:26.019
the son of God. And in
sending his son, God sent someone for
234
00:20:26.140 --> 00:20:32.420
whom it would be impossible to sin, one who would it be able to
235
00:20:32.500 --> 00:20:44.009
endure even the greatest temptations of Satan
himself and would always say no. You
236
00:20:44.329 --> 00:20:48.329
and I and the kings of this
world, all of us. It's hard
237
00:20:48.369 --> 00:20:53.079
to endure temptation. It's hard to
say no when we want to say yes.
238
00:20:53.160 --> 00:20:59.160
It's hard to follow after the Lord
when there's dangers facing us, when
239
00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:07.190
we're scared and afraid. But for
Jesus, even though he felt these things,
240
00:21:07.670 --> 00:21:18.430
never strayed because he was God himself. When God sent the final divided
241
00:21:18.470 --> 00:21:22.380
King, when he sent Jesus,
he didn't just send another king, another
242
00:21:22.420 --> 00:21:29.460
one in the line, he sent
the final answer to the problem we see
243
00:21:29.539 --> 00:21:34.769
with Asa, to the problems we
see with ourselves. Ace's problem is that
244
00:21:34.890 --> 00:21:41.009
he was not entirely loyal to God. He was not entire his allegiance was
245
00:21:41.210 --> 00:21:45.369
not entirely with him. His problem
is that when he at the mury moment
246
00:21:45.450 --> 00:21:49.119
when he should have been repenting,
he was becoming calloused and refuse the word
247
00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:55.359
of the Lord. We follow in
Asas Sins, whenever we rely on men
248
00:21:55.440 --> 00:22:00.400
rather than God whenever we callous ourselves
to his word. But because of this,
249
00:22:02.630 --> 00:22:07.390
we should all be very, very
glad for Jesus, because it means
250
00:22:07.470 --> 00:22:15.259
that we're not left with our hard
hearts, with our obstinate attitudes, with
251
00:22:15.380 --> 00:22:22.859
our tricky ways. Because of Jesus
we are given a great substitution. We
252
00:22:22.900 --> 00:22:29.180
are given a great king who swoops
us up and grabs us and pulls us
253
00:22:29.220 --> 00:22:34.890
in. And Colossians it says that
God has sent his son who has delivered
254
00:22:34.970 --> 00:22:41.210
us, rescued us from the dominion
of darkness. He's brought us into the
255
00:22:41.250 --> 00:22:52.400
Kingdom of his beloved son. We
don't live our lives under King Asa,
256
00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:59.309
we live our lives under King Jesus, and this should give us great confidence.
257
00:22:59.390 --> 00:23:03.869
It means that if we are in
him and under him, we're no
258
00:23:04.029 --> 00:23:10.549
longer digging our own graves with one
evil work after another, but we count
259
00:23:10.589 --> 00:23:15.500
ourselves as those who have been resurrected
from the dead, who have been brought
260
00:23:15.579 --> 00:23:22.660
from death to life, who know
that the grave no longer holds threat over
261
00:23:22.779 --> 00:23:32.049
us. How can you be sure
that you are under Christ and not under
262
00:23:32.049 --> 00:23:37.410
your own power and authority or under
someone else's? How can you be sure
263
00:23:37.609 --> 00:23:45.119
that Christ is your king. Well, Christ becomes our king not by just
264
00:23:45.279 --> 00:23:52.759
doing more obedient things. Christ becomes
our king by a turning to him as
265
00:23:52.839 --> 00:24:02.029
the obedient one for rescue. Christ
becomes our king when we recognize asa in
266
00:24:02.109 --> 00:24:07.069
ourselves and when we turn away from
ourselves and from the other people that promise
267
00:24:07.109 --> 00:24:11.700
us power and glory and honor and
all the rest, and we turn to
268
00:24:11.779 --> 00:24:18.380
Jesus and say, in your work
I will find all things in the will
269
00:24:18.539 --> 00:24:25.930
of the father that you have done. I can have true righteousness. When
270
00:24:25.970 --> 00:24:30.529
we turn to Jesus, we no
longer are seeking help elsewhere, but we
271
00:24:30.650 --> 00:24:37.730
find it all in him. If
we try to live our lives as King
272
00:24:37.849 --> 00:24:42.079
Asas we will end up like King
Asa, will end up in our graves
273
00:24:42.279 --> 00:24:48.039
of our own making. But if
we find art, but if we if
274
00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:52.359
we put ourselves in Christ, if
we put our faith in Christ and know
275
00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:57.349
his kingly rule and authority of in
over us, we will come to be
276
00:24:57.630 --> 00:25:03.430
like him, people who desire to
do the father's will, people who desire
277
00:25:03.509 --> 00:25:08.220
to turn after him. And when
we face life's challenges and trials, when
278
00:25:08.299 --> 00:25:15.019
we find ourselves afraid and wondering what's
going to happen next, we turn in
279
00:25:15.259 --> 00:25:19.740
Jesus and he is strength and his
power and his spirit, knowing that he's
280
00:25:19.819 --> 00:25:25.450
ruling over us, defending us in
loving us. We turn to him,
281
00:25:26.849 --> 00:25:32.250
we turn to his covenant promises and
know that God will work all things for
282
00:25:32.450 --> 00:25:41.799
good, according to his purpose.
It's that wonderful, doesn't it bring us
283
00:25:41.880 --> 00:25:47.599
peace and security, knowing who our
king is. I hope it does for
284
00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:52.470
you. It does for me.
Let's pray that's that God would help us
285
00:25:52.470 --> 00:25:56.349
to put all of our rest and
confidence in him
