Taking the
Spoil. II Chronicles 14:1-15 (specific focus
13-15)
note: this is not complete and in draft
form
"So Abijah slept
with his fathers, and they buried him in
the city of David: and Asa his son reigned
in his stead. In his days the land was quiet
ten years" (II Chronicles 14:1). God
gave Asa ten years of peace from outside
invasion.
"And
Asa did that which was good and right in
the eyes of the LORD his God:" (II
Chronicles 14:2). When Asa became the king
of Judah, he did what was right in the eyes
of God. "For he took away the altars
of the strange gods, and the high places,
and brake down the images, and cut down
the groves" (II Chronicles 14:3). Have
you torn down the idols in your life?
Have you renounced the evil things in which
you were once involved?
"And commanded Judah
to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and
to do the law and the commandment"
(II Chronicles 14:4). Have you made it a
priority to seek the LORD God? Have you
make it a priority to keep God's law and
commandments? Asa did it in his life and
in the country.
"Also he took away
out of all the cities of Judah the high
places and the images: and the kingdom was
quiet before him" (II Chronicles 14:5).
When he took away all of the places of idol
worship and the statues, he experienced
peace within his country. We can also experience
peace on the inside when all the idols and
statues (that may be heroes or concepts)
are cast down.
During this time of peace, he didn't just
become a couch potato. "And he built
fenced cities in Judah: for the land had
rest, and he had no war in those years;
because the LORD had given him rest"
(II Chronicles 14:6). We should not only
tear down the strongholds (II Corinthians
10:4) in our lives but also fortify ourselves
with the Word of God.
"Therefore he said
unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and
make about them walls, and towers, gates,
and bars, while the land is yet before us;
because we have sought the LORD our God,
we have sought him, and he hath given us
rest on every side. So they built and prospered"
(II Chronicles 14:7). God had given Asa
ten years of peace and he recognized that
God was the source of his peace. However,
he also recognized that it was a time to
build and prosper during the time of peace
and not just sit around and do nothing.
It was a time to become productive.
"And Asa had an army
of men that bare targets and spears, out
of Judah three hundred thousand; and out
of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew
bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand:
all these were mighty men of valour"
(II Chronicles 14:8). During the ten years
of peace from external invasion, Asa built
up his army. Why?
It was because, sooner or
later there was be an invasion from the
outside! Even after Jesus, the Son of God,
was tempted, the devil only left him only
for a time. "And when the devil had
ended all the temptation, he departed from
him for a season" (Luke 4:13). This
means that he RETURNED again. Are you ready
to pursue the enemy WHEN (not if) he returns?
Sure enough, an enemy much
greater in size and strength than Asa came
to attack him. "And there came out
against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an
host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred
chariots; and came unto Mareshah" (II
Chronicles 14:9). I know of no human being
in the natural is a match for the devil!
However, look at Asa's response.
He didn't run as a coward. He didn't hide.
"Then Asa went out against him, and
they set the battle in array in the valley
of Zephathah at Mareshah" (II Chronicles
14:10). He set himself to fight against
the enemy.
Look at what he did before
he entered into battle. "And Asa cried
unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it
is nothing with thee to help, whether with
many, or with them that have no power: help
us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee,
and in thy name we go against this multitude.
O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail
against thee" (II Chronicles 14:11).
1. Asa cried unto the LORD (Yahweh, the
creator and ruler of all creation). The
word "cried" implies a cry like
that of a child calling to his dad for help.
2. Asa acknowledged that
God was well able to help and it doesn't
matter how strong or weak the individual
is.
3. He petitioned God specifically
to help. "Help us, O LORD our God."
a. This is based upon his
personal relation to God, "our God".
b. It is based upon the
fact that the people were trusting totally
in God.
c. Then they go out into
battle in the NAME of God.
4. He declared that the
battle is God's battle, not his own battle.
What were the results? "So the LORD
smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before
Judah; and the Ethiopians fled" (II
Chronicles 14:12). Note that it was God
who defeated the Ethiopians.
"And Asa and the people
that were with him pursued them unto Gerar:
and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that
they could not recover themselves; for they
were destroyed before the LORD, and before
his host; and they carried away very much
spoil. And they smote all the cities round
about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came
upon them: and they spoiled all the cities;
for there was exceeding much spoil in them.
They smote also the tents of cattle, and
carried away sheep and camels in abundance,
and returned to Jerusalem" (II Chronicles
14:13-15).
Asa not only defended his
land, but also pursued after the enemy to
gain a great spoil. We are to be more than
conquerors. "Nay, in all these things
we are more than conquerors through him
that loved us" (Romans 8:37).
II. Losing your life. II Chronicles 15 and
16.
NOTES:
The prophet, Azariah, came to both encourage
and warn Asa. "And the Spirit of God
came upon Azariah the son of Oded: And he
went out to meet Asa, and said unto him,
Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin;
The LORD is with you, while ye be with him;
and if ye seek him, he will be found of
you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake
you" (II Chronicles 15:1-2).
God gave Asa PEACE for thirty-five years
this time. Asa continued to put away much
of the idol worship, but allowed some idol
worship to remain in the land. This time
another enemy came against Asa. "In
the six and thirtieth year of the reign
of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against
Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that
he might let none go out or come in to Asa
king of Judah" (II Chronicles 16:1).
This time Asa tried to hire Benhadad king
of Syria to fight for him using the money
that was collected for the LORD in the temple.
BAD NEWS! Many people today use their tithes
and offerings to pay secular counselors
and physicians to get them out of their
problems.
Benhadad went out to fight against Baasha
for Asa and he was defeated and backed off;
therefore, this seemed to bring a temporal
end to Asa's problems. However, God sent
a prophet to Asa. "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" (II Chronicles 16:7). This time
Asa let the enemy escape and didn't get
a spoil.
This time instead of receiving the blessings
of God, he got a scolding from the prophet.
"Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims
a huge host, with very many chariots and
horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on
the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand.
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro
throughout the whole earth, to shew himself
strong in the behalf of them whose heart
is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast
done foolishly: therefore from henceforth
thou shalt have wars" (II Chronicles
16:8-9).
However, instead of repenting and turning
to God, Asa becomes furious at God's messenger
and puts him in jail. "Then Asa was
wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison
house; for he was in a rage with him because
of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of
the people the same time" (II Chronicles
16:10). His anger also spread to the people
as well. Furthermore, the anger opened the
door for the enemy to work even more in
his life. "And Asa in the thirty and
ninth year of his reign was diseased in
his feet, until his disease was exceeding
great: yet in his disease he sought not
to the LORD, but to the physicians"
(II Chronicles 16:12). Again, instead of
seeking God, he sought "professional"
help.
The sad result ... "And Asa slept with
his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth
year of his reign. And they buried him in
his own sepulchres, which he had made for
himself in the city of David, and laid him
in the bed which was filled with sweet odours
and divers kinds of spices prepared by the
apothecaries' art: and they made a very
great burning for him" (II Chronicles
16:13-14).
III. Other Scriptural examples of taking
the spoil.
A. When the people repented and turned to
God in the midst of being slaves God gave
them the spoil of the Egyptians. "And
the LORD gave the people favour in the sight
of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto
them such things as they required. And they
spoiled the Egyptians" (Exodus 12:36).
"He brought them forth also with silver
and gold: and there was not one feeble person
among their tribes" (Psalm 105:37).
B. Goliath and the army of the Philistines
came against the army of Saul, but David
acted in faith and Israel took the spoil
"And the children of Israel returned
from chasing after the Philistines, and
they spoiled their tents" (I Samuel
17:53).
C. Jehoshaphat was surrounded and outnumbered
by his enemies, but when he turned to the
LORD, the LORD gave him a great spoil. "And
when Jehoshaphat and his people came to
take away the spoil of them, they found
among them in abundance both riches with
the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which
they stripped off for themselves, more than
they could carry away: and they were three
days in gathering of the spoil, it was so
much" (II Chronicles 20:25). It took
THREE whole days to gather the spoil.
D. The enemy had Paul and Silas put in prison,
but they took the spoil of the salvation
of the jailer and his family. "And
he took them the same hour of the night,
and washed their stripes; and was baptized,
he and all his, straightway" (Acts
16:16-33).
E. The devil sought to kill and destroy
Jesus, but Jesus took the spoil. "Therefore
will I divide him a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because he hath poured out his soul unto
death: and he was numbered with the transgressors;
and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession
for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12).
"And having spoiled principalities
and powers, he made a shew of them openly,
triumphing over them in it" (Colossians
2:15). "Looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of our faith; who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at
the right hand of the throne of God"
(Hebrews 12:12).
IV. You as a Believer may also take a spoil
when the enemy comes.
A. You are to overcome the world. "For
whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world: and this is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith. Who is he that
overcometh the world, but he that believeth
that Jesus is the Son of God?" (I John
5:4-5).
B. You are to overcome the powers of darkness.
"Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:
Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And
every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is not of God:
and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof
ye have heard that it should come; and even
now already is it in the world. Ye are of
God, little children, and have overcome
them: because greater is he that is in you,
than he that is in the world" (I John
4:2-4).
C. You are to be MORE than a conqueror.
"Nay, in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him that loved us"
(Roman 8:37). A conqueror may defeat the
enemy, but you are to be MORE than a conqueror.
You are to take a SPOIL!
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SHOCKING
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KUNDALINI WARNING Andrew Strom
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