Meditate

14. Asa King of Judah

Asa Reigns

14

So Abijah slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David. His son Asa succeeded him. In his days the land had rest for ten years.²Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord his God.³He took away the foreign altars and the high places, broke down the pillars, hewed down the sacred poles,⁴and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to keep the law and the commandment.⁵He also removed from all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him.⁶He built fortified cities in Judah while the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace.⁷He said to Judah, “Let us build these cities, and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars; the land is still ours because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and prospered.⁸Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and two hundred eighty thousand troops from Benjamin who carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty warriors.

Ethiopian Invasion Repulsed

⁹ Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah.¹⁰Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.¹¹Asa cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord, there is no difference for you between helping the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let no mortal prevail against you.”¹²So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.¹³Asa and the army with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until no one remained alive; for they were broken before the Lord and his army. The people of Judah carried away a great quantity of booty.¹⁴They defeated all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord was on them. They plundered all the cities; for there was much plunder in them.¹⁵They also attacked the tents of those who had livestock, and carried away sheep and goats in abundance, and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

2. Warning to Pay Attention

Exaltation through Abasement

⁵ Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels.⁶But someone has testified somewhere,

“What are human beings that you are mindful of them,

or mortals, that you care for them?

7

You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;

you have crowned them with glory and honor,

8

subjecting all things under their feet.”

Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them,⁹but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

31. Psalm 31

Psalm 31

Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies

To the leader. A Psalm of David.

1

In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;

do not let me ever be put to shame;

in your righteousness deliver me.

2

Incline your ear to me;

rescue me speedily.

Be a rock of refuge for me,

a strong fortress to save me.

3

You are indeed my rock and my fortress;

for your name’s sake lead me and guide me,

4

take me out of the net that is hidden for me,

for you are my refuge.

5

Into your hand I commit my spirit;

you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

6

You hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,

but I trust in the Lord.

7

I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love,

because you have seen my affliction;

you have taken heed of my adversities,

8

and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;

you have set my feet in a broad place.

9

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;

my eye wastes away from grief,

my soul and body also.

10

For my life is spent with sorrow,

and my years with sighing;

my strength fails because of my misery,

and my bones waste away.

11

I am the scorn of all my adversaries,

a horror to my neighbors,

an object of dread to my acquaintances;

those who see me in the street flee from me.

12

I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;

I have become like a broken vessel.

13

For I hear the whispering of many—

terror all around!—

as they scheme together against me,

as they plot to take my life.

14

But I trust in you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

15

My times are in your hand;

deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.

16

Let your face shine upon your servant;

save me in your steadfast love.

17

Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord,

for I call on you;

let the wicked be put to shame;

let them go dumbfounded to Sheol.

18

Let the lying lips be stilled

that speak insolently against the righteous

with pride and contempt.

19

O how abundant is your goodness

that you have laid up for those who fear you,

and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,

in the sight of everyone!

20

In the shelter of your presence you hide them

from human plots;

you hold them safe under your shelter

from contentious tongues.

21

Blessed be the Lord,

for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me

when I was beset as a city under siege.

22

I had said in my alarm,

“I am driven far from your sight.”

But you heard my supplications

when I cried out to you for help.

23

Love the Lord, all you his saints.

The Lord preserves the faithful,

but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.

24

Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the Lord.