READING FOR OCTOBER 16, 2025: 2 CHRONICLES 15, HEBREWS 1, PSALM 107:33-43 2 CHRONICLES 15 After the great victory over Ethiopia, God sent the prophet Azariah with a message for Asa. Let it sink in: “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you.” This was the deal (covenant is the more theologically correct term) God had with Israel and now with the Southern Kingdom of Judah and Benjamin. Several questions could be asked at this point to explore this arrangement:
- How is seeking the Lord operationally defined? How is abandoning the Lord defined?
- Is there any New Testament statement suggesting this applies to Christians today?
- If so, what might seeking and abandoning the Lord look like for us here in Yorktown?
As we study the rest of this chapter, we will gain insight on the first bullet point. Azariah says in effect God did abandon Israel/Judah for many years. What were the abandoning actions by Judah/Israel that triggered this? Verse 3 says they had no God; they had no priest teaching them about God; and they had no law or scripture from God. I think the context suggests not only did they not have these essential aspects, but they were not seeking them at all. Then in verse 4 we hear what the prophet means by seeking the Lord: “But in their distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him.” A term that describes this moving from abandoning God to seeking God is repentance—changing directions in life. Often it is a crisis in life, what the prophet here calls “distress,” that is the occasion for this change.
Do we need to seek God today and how does the New Testament express it? The writer to the Hebrews is particularly skilled at relating Old Testament concepts to the New Covenant brought about by Jesus’s death and resurrection. He says this in Hebrews 11:6: “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.” The words “faith, comes to God, believes, and seeks” all carry the same idea of our actively moving to God that the prophet Azariah expressed to Asa.
But if we abandon God after being saved, will he abandon us—as the prophet told Asa? Back to Hebrews: “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace” (Heb. 6:4-6). Don’t Abandon the Lord.
In response to prophet Azariah’s warning, King Asa instituted the following serious reforms:
- He removed all the idols from Judah and Benjamin.
- He restored the altar in front of the Porch of the Lord.
- He gathered all the people to offer sacrifices to the Lord.
- He led the people in making a covenant with God to seek Him or be put to death.
- He fired his mother from the position of Queen Mother.
READINGS FOR OCTOBER 16, 202 CONTINUED: HEBREWS 1, PSALM 107:33-43
Hebrews 1 A brief introduction to the book of Hebrews. The author is unknown. Tradition suggests three possible authors.
Paul – From 400 – 1600 AD, Paul was the attributed author. However, this is doubtful. The writing style in the original Greek and the emphases in the letter do not match Paul’s style in the other letters we know are from him.
Barnabus – In 200 AD, Tertullian gives credit to Barnabus. Barnabus fits the requirements. He was an educated Jewish Christian that travelled with Paul.
Apollos – Martin Luther first suggests Apollos and many scholars believe he may be the writer. Apollos was an educated Jewish Christian well known in the early church.
The dating of Hebrews is difficult. It is probably somewhere 54 and 70 AD (and most likely before 64 AD. It was written to Jewish believers in Rome. Its main focus is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as the one who revealed and mediates God’s grace.
The letter to the Hebrews begins by the author stating that Jesus is superior to the prophets and the angels. The author lists seven qualifications of Jesus in verses 1-3:
- God appointed Jesus as heir of all things
- God made the universe through Jesus (The Divine Word)
- Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory
- Jesus is the exact representation of God’s being
- Jesus sustains all things by his powerful word
- Jesus provided purification for sins
- Jesus sat down at the right hand of God in heaven.
Next, the author quotes several Old Testament scriptures to emphasize his point that Jeus is superior to the angels. (Psalm 2:7 (verse 5), 2 Samuel 7:14; 1 Chronicles 17:13 (verse 5), Deuteronomy 32:43 (verse 6), Psalm 104:4 (verse 7), Psalm 45:6-7 (Verse 9), Psalm 102:25-27 (verse 12), Psalm 110:1 (verse 13). The key here is that Jesus, the Son of God reigns over the earth and the angels minister as those sent to serve.
Psalm 107:33-43 Verses 42-43 sum up the emphasis of this psalm: “The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths. Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord” (NIV). Those who have faith in God can see God’s hand at work in many ways. We see God’s unfailing love given to all who are open to receiving it. Those who do not believe in God do not see it. The psalm ends with a call to the wise. We are to take time to ponder the love of God. When call reaches into your life and shares love with you, take a moment to praise God. Ponder what it means that God loves you so much that, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Luke 12:7, NIV)”
