READING FOR OCTOBER 17, 2025: 2 CHRONICLES 16 , HEBREWS 2, PSALM 108 2 CHRONICLES 16 Upon first reading in 1 King 15 of King Asa’s response to King Baasha of Israel blocking Judah by fortifying Ramah, this writer was full of admiration for Asa’s cleverness. But here we find out it wasn’t good. Why might we have been too quick to praise Asa? Perhaps we are too used to thinking as humankind thinks in this culture of secularism. Our ways are not God’s ways. Here is quick review of what happened:
- King Baasha for Israel fortifies Ramah, making it impossible for anyone to get in and out of Judah,
- King Asa sends treasures from the Temple and palace to Ben-hadad of Aram, asking him to break his treaty with Baasha and Israel.
- King Ben-hadad agrees and attacks Israel, conquering several cities.
- Baasha, thus distracted by Aram’s attacks, stops work on fortifying Ramah.
- King Asa seizes the moment and attacks Ramah, taking away materials to fortify cities in Judah.
Doesn’t this all sound like a stroke of genius on King Asa’s part? The seer Hanani, however, told Asa he acted foolishly “because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God” (vs. 7). He went on to remind Asa of how God delivered Judah from the huge Ethio- pian army because they totally trusted in God. Then he made this profound statement about the nature of God: “For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (vs. 9).
Is He still looking? Jesus thinks so: “ For such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers” (John 4:23). God is currently scanning the entire world looking for worshipers to strongly support whose hearts are totally given to Him. Could Yorktown Methodist Church be those people God finds to strongly support or are we too worried about seeming extreme or out of step with what our culture deems proper? Even though Asa achieved a win humanly speaking in the short-run, God calls it foolish and shortsighted.
Throughout the Proverbs we learn that those called wise are those with the humility to receive God’s correction. How did Asa respond to this correction after likely thinking he did well to thwart King Baasha? “Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this” (vs. 10). Not surprisingly, the next event described in Asa’s life is his final illness. True to the form of his last years, he did not seek God at all for healing but only sought help from the doctors. King Asa, like King Solomon before him, did not maintain the level of total devotion to God he had in his younger days. Let’s trust God in our latter years and finish strong.
Hebrews 2 The author makes the first of five warnings in the book of Hebrews. The warning here is that a return to Jewish sacrificial practices is a denial of Christ’ atoning work on the cross. To deny the price that Jesus paid for our sins would have dire consequences.
READINGS FOR OCTOBER 17, 2025 CONTINUED: HEBREWS 2, PSALM 108
The author explains why Jesus came to earth. He uses a similar train of thought as found in Philippians 2:6-11. Jesus came down from Heaven and became human for us. It was necessary for a human being to pay the price for the sin of humanity. And, yet if Jesus was only human, it would not have been enough. The author uses the Old Testament to emphasize his point as he quotes from Psalm 8:4-6, Psalm 22:22, and Isaiah 8:17-18. Because of Jesus humanity, he can call us his sisters and brothers. Through his humanness, Jesus can understand what we are going through.
Verse 18 states “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (NIV) It is because Jesus experienced the highs and lows of
being human that he is able to help us in times of trouble. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness (see Matthew 4:1-11). He understands what the human condition is. Jesus has felt the pull to cave into the sins of the devil. Jesus can and does walk with us in our times of trial and temptation (if we will allow him to journey with us).
The author uses the image of Jesus as the high priest. In the Jewish faith, the high priest was head of the descendants of Aaron. He was the only one who could enter the presence of God in the Most Holy Place in the temple. The high priest was the one who made the sacrifice of atonement for the people (see Leviticus 16 for an in depth look at the steps the high priest had to take to enter the Most Holy Place/the Holy of Holies). As the high priest, it is Jesus who makes the sacrifice on our behalf. But instead of a bull being sacrificed on the altar, Jesus was nailed to a cross. The Son of God became the atoning sacrifice for our sins. The price is paid.
Psalm 108 Psalm 108 is both a hymn of praise and a prayer for God’s help against the enemy. This psalm is a combination of Psalm 57:7-11 (Verses 1-5) and 60:5-12 (Verses 6-13). If you look at the psalms side by side you will see that they are almost exactly word for word. It was common to use portions of different hymns to create a new one for a worship setting. Think of Chris Tomlin’s version of “Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)”. And I can think of two or three songs from Christian artists that are attributed to Psalm 57.
The first five verses are a hymn of praise. David is praising God for his love. He wants to use his voice, his instruments, his whole being to praise God for the overwhelming love he has received. The last eight verses are pleas for God’s help against their perpetual enemies: Moab, Edom, and Philistia:
- Moab – washbasin – reduced to something used to wash your face, hands, and feet – a disgrace.
- Edom – toss my sandal – may refer to the symbolic act where a person claimed ownership of land.
- Philistia – shout in triumph – asking God for victory.
Another interesting fact is the symbolism of Ephraim and Judah:
- Ephraim – helmet – a leading tribe of Israel (one of Rachel’s children) from the Northern tribes (head).
- Judah – scepter – A leading tribe of Israel (one of Leah’s children). King David was from the tribe of Judah. The scepter represents that leadership.
