2 Chronicles 14 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

2 Chronicles 14 Short Summary:

In 2 Chronicles 14, Asa became king over Judah after his father’s death. He reigned for 41 years and did righteously in the eyes of God. God gave him victory over Zerah, an Ethiopian who brought 1 million men and 300 chariots to fight against Judah.

2 Chronicles 14 Extended Summary

WHEN:

• Asa reigned over Judah for 41 years. His reign fits within the window of 960-910 B.C.

CHARACTERS:

• Abijah – Rehoboam’s son. He took the throne of Judah after his father’s death.

• Asa – The son of Abijah who took over his father’s throne in Judah.

• Zerah – An Ethiopian who attacked Judah with a huge army.

WHERE:

• Judah fought the army of Ethiopia in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

OUTLINE:

• ASA BECOMES KING IN JUDAH (14:1-7):

  • After Abijah’s death, Asa became king of Judah.

  • He “did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord.”

  • He tore down the foreign altars and the places for idol worship.

  • He commanded Judah to serve the Lord and keep His commandments.

  • Under the leadership of Asa, the people of Judah enjoyed 10 years of peace and prosperity.

• THE ETHIOPIANS ATTACK JUDAH (14:8-15):

  • After a decade of peace, Zerah of Ethiopia brought an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots against Judah.

  • Asa had a significant army himself, 580,000 men, but it was nowhere near the size of his adversary’s military.

  • The battle lines were drawn in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.  

  • Asa cried out to the Lord for help and God answered his prayer.

  • Judah defeated Zerah’s army “until none remained alive” (14:13).

  • The army of Judah carried a significant amount of plunder back to Jerusalem.
    

APPLICATION:

• Probabilities, odds, strategies, and proportions are meaningless when God’s power is at play in a situation.

• Have you noticed from the Bible stories that God likes to give victories to His servants when the battles they fight have odds heavily stacked against them?

• Abijah was out-manned and out-maneuvered, but his plea to God was enough to negate all those factors.

• Can God not work in these same ways today? Can He not still tip the balances of power and secure victories for His saints over seemingly insurmountable forces of evil?

• This should give us confidence to undertake great and ambitious tasks. Our strength may be insufficient to achieve them, but a plea to God may be all it takes to rally the forces of heaven behind our cause.