2 Chronicles 16 - In
Asa’s 36th year, King Baasha of Israel comes against him, building
Ramah (just north of Jerusalem) to prevent anyone from going in or coming out
of Judah.
Asa sends treasure to
Ben-had of Damascus (Aram) so he will break his alliance with Baasha and
help him. This works—the Aramaeans attack cities in Israel and Baasha stops
building Ramah. Asa takes the lumber Baasha was using there to build Geba and
Mizpah (north of Ramah).
Hanani, a seer, comes to Asa to complain, saying he should
not have relied on Aram but on God. He reminds him of the victory he had over
the Ethiopians. Hanani’s
reproof of Asa is not in Kings—this text is more sharply prophetic. The “eyes of the Lord range throughout the entire
earth, to strengthen those whose heart is true to him” (16:9). This lack of
faith will bring him more war. Asa gets angry and puts the seer in prison, in
the stocks, and he inflicts cruelties on others as well. He becomes diseased in
his feet. Again he seeks help from physicians, not God. He dies and is buried.
2 Chronicles 17 – Asa’s
son Jehoshaphat succeeds him. He puts forces in all the fortified cities. The
Lord is with him “because he walked in the earlier ways of his father; he did
not seek the Baals, . . .” (17:3). “His heart was courageous in the ways of the
Lord; and furthermore he removed the high places and the sacred poles from
Judah” (17:6). 1
Kings 43 disagrees here.
He sends out a group of officials “to teach” the people the
Law. “The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands around Judah,
and they did not make war against Jehosphaphat” (17:10).
He got tribute from Philistines and Arabs; he built
fortresses, storage cities and carried out great works (17:12-13). His
commanders are listed: Adnah, Hehohanan, Amasiah; Eliada, Jehozabad.
Augustine’s Treatise
on the Profit of Believing
20 - Having then
laid down these principles, which, as I think, are so just that I ought to win
this cause before you, let who will be my adversary, I will set forth to you, as I am able, what way I followed, when I was
searching after true religion in that spirit, in which I have now set forth
that it ought to be sought. For upon leaving you and crossing the sea, now
delaying and hesitating, what I ought to hold, what to let go; which delay rose
upon me every day the more, from the time that I was a hearer of that man,
whose coming was promised to us, as you know, as if from heaven, to explain all
things which moved us, and found him, with the exception of a certain
eloquence, such as the rest; being now settled in Italy, I reasoned and
deliberated greatly with myself, not whether I should continue in that sect,
into which I was sorry that I had fallen, but in what way I was to find the truth, my sighs through love of which are
known to no one better than to yourself. Often it seemed to me that it could not be found, and huge waves of my
thoughts would roll toward deciding in favor of the Academics. Often again,
with what power I had, looking into the human soul, with so much life, with so
much intelligence, with so much clearness, I thought that the truth lay not hid, save that in it the way of search lay hid, and
that this same way must be taken from some divine authority.
It remained to enquire what was that authority, wherein so
great dissensions each promised that he would deliver it. Thus there met me a wood, out of which there was no way, which I was
very loath to be involved in: and amid these things, without any rest, my mind
was agitated through desire of finding the truth. However, I continued to
unsew myself more and more from those whom now I had proposed to leave. But
there remained nothing else, in so great dangers, than with words full of tears
and sorrow to entreat the Divine
Providence to help me. And this I was content to do: and now certain
disputations of the Bishop of Milan had almost moved me to desire, not without
some hope, to enquire into many things
concerning the Old Testament itself, which, as you know, we used to view as
accursed, having been ill commended to us. And I had decided to be a
Catechumen in the Church, unto which I
had been delivered by my parents, until such time as I should either find what
I wished, or should persuade myself
that it needed not to be sought.
Therefore had there been one who could teach me, he would
find me at a very critical moment most fervently disposed and very apt to
learn. If you see that you too have been long affected in this way, therefore,
and with a like care for your soul, and if
now you seem to yourself to have been tossed to and fro enough, and wish to
put an end to labors of this kind, follow the pathway of Catholic teaching, which has flowed down from Christ Himself
through the Apostles even unto us, and will hereafter flow down to posterity.
I find this an interesting section
because in some ways it seems so modern. Augustine is trying to explain to his
friend why when it comes to divine truth, you cannot simply go your own way.
You have to rely on authority in some way and trust that others, whose lives
are being lived in ways you see as worthy, may have a wisdom that you too can
accept. It is especially interesting to see that Augustine’s parents were so
“modern-like” in the way they placed him in the church and were ready to accept
that he himself should either find what he needed there or ultimately decide
that he didn’t need what was taught there.
Because I have had difficulty
understanding exactly what Augustine is saying sometimes, I sought out help on
the internet – a great blessing! And I found a very clever UTube posted by a
philosophy professor (teacher). It is very helpful if you want to check it out:
It doesn’t go into the trust
Augustine finally placed in the “Catholic” Church – a term not used then as we
use it today but as the more universal teaching and authority structure
Christians had in those days. His use of the term definitely lead to the church
that is called that today though.
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