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Gospel Baptist Tabernacle781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741

Where the Love of God abounds, everyone is

welcome.

Children’s Church taught by Paul and Marsha

Davis during preaching.

www.rossvillechurch.com

November 2, 2014

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1 Kings 15 1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam, (he reigned 22 years) the son of Nebat, reigned Abijam over Judah. 2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom (Absalom).

Solomon and Absalom were both sons of David.

Rehoboam and Maachah were cousins.

Abijam was their son and became king upon Rehoboam’s death, for three years.

He loved sin.

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3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. 4 Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem: 5 Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from anything that He Commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

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6 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his (Abijam’s) life. 7 Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.

The war which started between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continued throughout Abijam’s lifetime.

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9 And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah. 10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his grandmother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

Asa is Abijam’s son, and the third king of Judah in twenty years.

Jeroboam is still king in Israel, the northern kingdom.

Asa reigned 41 years in Jerusalem.

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11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father. 12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

Finally, a righteous king; the first one since King David.

He got rid of the idols and the sodomites.

We must not only cease to do evil, but learn to do well;

Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary

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2 Chronicles 14 1 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. 2 And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: 3 For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:

Right in the eyes of the Lord God is all that matters.

The culture may think it’s wrong; your family may think you are wrong.

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4 And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the Command-ment. 5 Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him. 6 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.

John 14 27 Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Peace comes from the Lord.

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How do you seek the Lord God?

Willingly live your life according to God’s

Word, the Bible.

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7 Therefore Asa 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.

They sought the Lord through obedience; He gave them rest.

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Asa aimed at pleasing God, and studied to approve himself to him. Happy those that walk by this rule, not to do that which is right in their own eyes, or in the eye of the world, but which is so in God's sight. We find by experience that it is good to seek the Lord; it gives us rest; while we pursue the world, we meet with nothing but vexation.

Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary

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8 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 valor.

Out of Judah300,000 Out of Benjamin

280,000

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9 And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand (one million), and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah. 10

Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

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Asa had 580, 000 men against Zerah’s one million men.

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2 Chronicles 14:11 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.

Simple prayerEffective!

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12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. 13 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 (the army of Judah) carried away very much spoil.

God gave the wealth back to Judah, which they had lost under Rehoboam’s leadership.

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14 And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came upon them (the people of the area): and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them. 15

They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

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What sin has taken away, God can restore.

We just do as Asa did: Turn from evil unto righteousness in the sight of God.

What I think is right, may well be wrong.

What God says is right, is always right.