Judah Rejoicing In Its Covenant Engagements To God.

Adapted From A Sermon By

Philip Doddridge

And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around.

(2 Chronicles 15:15)

To hear of an entire nation uniting to seek the Lord with its whole desire, and to enter into a covenant with him with its whole heart, is surely as joyful a piece of news as the history of most ages can provide. We may truly say of whomever it is spoken, happy are the people that are in such a case. Yes, happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Would that it might be the happiness of our own country and of our own age! Then our peace would soon be as a river, and our salvation as the waves of the sea.

This remarkable event, to which the words of the text refer,{2 Chronicles 15:9-14} happened in the reign of Asa. He, in the beginning and at the height of his reign, was one of the bravest and most religious, as well as most successful princes who ever sat upon the throne of David and succeeded him in the government of Judah. God blessed him with ten years of peace at the start of his reign. He used those years to reform the many abuses that had entered Judah and Jerusalem itself during the reign of the earlier princes.

Those abuses were the sad result of Solomon's revolt. His immediate successors, Rehoboam the grandfather of Asa, and Abijah his father, lacked the spirit and resolve to suppress and control it. After this, God allowed them to face extreme danger. Zerah the Ethiopian invaded them with a million foot soldiers, in addition to a large force of chariots and horsemen. Yet God used his almighty power to defend his suffering people. The sacred historian notes that the Ethiopians were destroyed before the Lord.

After that, the army of Judah attacked the Philistines, who appear to have aided the invader. God struck the Philistines with panic, described by the notable phrase that the fear of the Lord fell upon them. As a result, those enemy cities became easy prey.

It is natural to suppose that the hearts of Judah's people were deeply affected by this sudden change from extreme danger. In that danger, they had acknowledged before the Lord that they had no power of their own and rested entirely on his almighty arm. To this joy of complete victory, with which they were then rewarded, was added a great amount of spoil. They were returning to Jerusalem with it. At that moment, Azariah the son of Oded went out to meet them under the inspiration of the Divine Spirit. He solemnly warned them of the need for further reform, not only in Judah and Jerusalem, but also in those cities of the ten tribes that had recently joined Asa. In those places, it might have seemed more important to allow the new subjects their own ways if worldly politics had guided the decision. The warning succeeded.

They solemnly gathered in the house of the Lord and offered from the spoil seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep. We cannot know for certain whether all these were sacrificed on one day or on later days. They added another sacrifice far more valuable in God's sight. Moved by God's mercies, they offered their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is their reasonable service.{Romans 12:1}

It is said that they entered into a covenant to seek Jehovah the God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul. They swore to the Lord with a loud voice, with shouts and trumpets. The words of our text follow next, and in this setting you will hear them with growing respect. [And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.] A wide range of details suggested by these words could be explored. They could provide material for a long sermon if we had time to explore them all. We could explore in particular,

1. How the prophet awakened them to seek the Lord with humble and earnest prayer. They begged and pleaded for his favor with all their desire. That means they did so with the greatest urgency. They clearly saw that his favor was the most desirable thing in all of nature. They deeply felt in their hearts that in his favor is life, and that his lovingkindness is better than life. Indeed, this is the source of all true religion. It means seeking the Lord not in the cold and indifferent way that people often pretend to do, but with all our desire. Would that such desires after the Lord, after God in Christ as our covenant God and Father, be stirred in our own hearts this day! Then he will be found by us, just as he was found by Israel. He still says, if you seek me, you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart. We might also consider,

2. That part of the story where they had found God. This may refer to the great victory they had won, clearly by divine help, when they had so solemnly cried to the Lord and said, "Lord, there is none like you to help, between 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 not man prevail against you!"{2 Chronicles 14:11} Or perhaps this refers to the state of mind they experienced in the solemn event that has just been described. It may mean how acceptable their prayers were to God. Blessed be his name that such prayers, through the intercession of the great Redeemer, will always be acceptable. You may seek other things in vain. But if you seek God with all your desire, you will not be disappointed. This will remain true as long as his Son retains his influence with him or remembers that he once said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."{Matthew 7:7}

3. Their solemn oath, by which they had bound their souls to the Lord, would also provide material for very useful discussion. Consider how proper it is that such treacherous and changeable hearts as ours should sometimes be bound with special solemnity to the divine service. Also that it was the act of the nation and people. We could also examine how far public associations may sometimes be added to private commitments in the service of religion. However, this would take us farther from the main intent of this sermon. The greater part of what we will consider will focus,

4. On the circumstance of their reflecting upon this solemn engagement. Far from regretting it, they rejoiced over the oath. They entered into it with signs of great celebration. They swore with a loud voice, with shouting and with trumpets. When their godly king proposed it, they did not merely bow their heads in approval or raise their hands to the Lord, though they probably did those things as well. They broke out into loud shouts of joy. They probably asked those who directed the temple music, and perhaps the military music was joined on this occasion, to play some special music. This would add new gladness to their hearts and new strength to their resolve. It would declare their joyful agreement so loudly that not only the mountains around Jerusalem, but even the heavens themselves would echo. The angelic hosts would, in a sense, be invited to join in this great chorus. They would rejoice over Judah and rejoice with them. And then follows,

5. That pleasing circumstance with which our text ends. The Lord gave them rest all around. He defended them from the troubles of future invasion. Neither the Ethiopians, nor the Philistines, nor any of the neighboring nations, who might have taken offense at their recent success, gave them any trouble. For God secretly influenced their hearts, either on principles of friendship or of fear, to remain still and be quiet.

And thus Judah had space to perform its vow. Judah accomplished the reformation which it had undertaken. It enjoyed the happy consequences of its right conduct. Every one sat under his own vine and fig-tree. No one made them afraid. At the return of their solemn feasts, they went up to the house of the Lord. There they renewed their vows and their joy.

And, if only the faithful devotion shown in this moment had persisted throughout their history, all the subsequent tragedies could have been avoided. Then had we never heard the sad story of the Assyrian, the Chaldean, and the Roman triumphs. All who had confederated themselves together had been broken to pieces, for God had still been with them: {Isaiah 33:21} and when the Lord, whom they sought, had come into his temple, even the messenger of that better covenant, he had been owned and received. The gracious Lord had ever been unto them as a place of broad rivers and streams. Nor would the most distant generations have heard of the overspreading of abominations leading to the overwhelming destruction of the city and sanctuary.

But, blessed be God! Though the scene be so sadly changed, though this covenant was broken, and God made them to know the breach of it; though the flames kindled by Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city and the temple, now the scene of so holy and joyful a solemnity; though Judah was carried captive to Babylon; and, when restored again, sinned more grievously than before, until wrath came upon them to the uttermost, when they had rejected and cut off their own Messiah; yet he confirmed the covenant with many, not only of the Jews, but of the Gentile nations.

For God gave him to be a covenant to the people, a leader and commander to the people. This covenant is still proclaimed among us. To this day we hear him saying, Incline your ears and come unto me. Nor have we all heard it in vain. There are those who have joined in it. Their cause of rejoicing is not inferior to that of Judah here spoken of. Indeed, it is rather infinitely superior to it. This is the agreeable part of the subject which is what we now turn to.

And they who have sought the Lord with all their heart, and have found him, have reason to rejoice in the oath with which they have bound their souls to him. They have reason to reflect upon former engagements with pleasure, and to renew them with delight.

A proposition, indeed, so obvious that, were nothing needed but the conviction of the understanding, it might almost be left to speak for itself, as a self-evident truth. For what can be more evident to all those who know what we mean by that important word God.

Let us now consider some illustrations of this matter to show you what cause for joy those have who have sworn to the Lord with all their heart.

Consider how they are freed from the misery of those who neglect religion, and the perplexity of those who are undetermined about it. They may look back upon it with pleasure as the gracious interposition of God. They may be encouraged to hope that they will be kept in a faithful adherence to him, notwithstanding all the opposition which may lie in their way. They may comfort themselves with the thoughts of a friend and a helper in every future circumstance of life. They may extend their prospect wide into eternity, and find nothing to fear, but everything to hope.

And truly, if these things do not bring joy, then nothing that can ever enter the human heart truly will.

1. It is matter of joy that we are freed from the misery of those who neglect religion, and from the perplexity of those who are undetermined about it. Those who remain far from God shall perish. Those who continue at a distance from him can seldom avoid some agony of heart. They feel the proof of his existence, which surrounds them everywhere. They feel the sad warnings of his displeasure, which the gospel so clearly announces.

While the soul halts between two opinions, as Scripture describes it, and remains undecided between God and idols, it is painfully pulled in different directions at once. It cannot enjoy the pleasures of religion, to which it has not fully agreed. Nor can it enjoy the delights of the senses, to which it dares not fully give itself.

Perhaps the impressions from one sermon fade away before the middle of the week. Lively company and a variety of short-lived amusements carry the mind into a pleasing illusion. But Sunday returns. The alarm begins again. The voice of God and of conscience will be heard. It will make the soul tremble once more. In this divided state, it fears either to reject or to obey the call.

But when this struggle ends and the choice is made, a secret peace spreads over the soul. A calm and serenity fills it. Only experience can make this known."Lord! I yield. You have overcome me. You have overcome me not by your power alone, but by your love. I will, by your grace, be entirely yours. I will give to you all my heart. It is too little, indeed, and too unworthy to receive such a guest. But you will condescend to enter into it. I hope that you will make it more fit for yourself. At least, on this I am determined. I will continue to seek you with my humble prayers that you will take up your residence in my soul, and will strengthen my decision to be entirely and eternally yours."

2. The soul, having bound itself with this oath to the Lord, may look back with pleasure on God's gracious interposition, as David did. The Lord is my portion. I will bless the Lord, who has given me counsel."Lord! I do now feel this happy resolution rising up in my mind. I feel the power of that conviction which I have concerning your infinite perfections and excellences.

It leads my soul to choose you above everything else. And why is this except that you, the God of glory, have appeared to me? You have turned my eyes away from beholding emptiness. You have called, and I have obeyed. You have caused me to feel and to confess the energy of your own Divine voice. Otherwise, the most eloquent of your servants would have pleaded in vain.

And how happy it is, how delightful to reflect that God should make, as it were, a deliberate effort. He should plan a scheme. He should take a long series of gracious and humble steps to conquer this heart of mine. He should call me away from emptiness, and sin, and ruin, to himself.

"My soul! who and what are you that you should be the care of heaven? God should follow me with one gracious call and gentle rebuke after another. When my foolishness and stubbornness rose so high, he never rested until he had won the cause, almost in spite of myself.

Rejoice, O my soul, in this humble goodness. At the same time, grieve and humble yourself in the dust because you have tested it so long and abused it so much." And consider the pleasure which the godly soul, in these circumstances, may have in looking inward upon particular acts of Providence that have served such blessed purposes. The place in which we were born. The friends among whom we were placed. The ordinances which we have attended. Perhaps the severe afflictions which we have endured. By these our hearts were indeed wounded and broken. Yet by these they were opened, like the furrows of a field, to receive the seeds of eternal life and joy.

3. The soul, when it thus binds itself to the Lord, may reflect with pleasure on its encouragement to hope that it will be kept faithful to him, despite all the obstacles that may lie in its way. Being confident, says the apostle, of this very thing, "that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."{Philippians 1:6}

"O my God!" the Christian will sometimes say in such a circumstance as this. "If I were to limit all my views to my difficulties and my enemies, in comparison with my own weakness, I would soon despair. I should wish that I had never known this bond, pleasant as the engagement has been. It would surely be better never to have known the way of truth than, having known it, to turn aside from the holy commandment. But your grace is sufficient for me. You have not surely, O my God! you have not brought me this far to leave me finally to perish. Nor would you have shown me such things, had you been determined to destroy me. O my God! you have brought me near by the blood of your Son, even me who was once so far off. And will you lose the purchase of that blood? Have you not pointed him out as the Shepherd of my soul, and given it in charge to him to say, and he has said it, I will give my sheep eternal life?

Blessed Jesus! which way should I be in your hand if not in that which I have taken? You know that I have solemnly consigned my soul over to you. I have done it again and again. I am doing it daily. My Lord! you know that it is in my heart to die rather than deny you. I would die rather than let go my hold on you. You know that your love, your word, is sacred to my soul, and that I long to bear your image. You know that there is not a blessing in your covenant which I would not embrace, not a bond of it into which I would not joyfully enter my soul. Yes, I have done it.

You have then surely taken the care of me, and in that care I am secure. Your grace will keep my soul fixed on you as its center, so that I will not wander to my destruction. I will not so stray from you as to lose sight of you entirely and to abandon you. And, oh! that I might never wander from you! Your grace will perform what it has begun. You will strengthen me for duties and difficulties. And, if any temptations arise which seem beyond human strength, you will make a way for my escape, that I may be able to bear them. Yes, may I not presume to hope that you will give me more of your light and of your truth? May I not presume to hope that you will make my path like the shining light, which shines more and more to the perfect day?"

4. The soul may rejoice as it comforts itself in the thoughts of a friend and a helper in every imaginable circumstance of life. The bonds of human friendship are very uncertain. Absence may loosen them. Distastes, sometimes taken without reason, may completely untie them. Or the stroke of death may cut them apart at once. Growing years may teach what inexperienced youth is so unwilling to believe, with regard to the emptiness of those dearest enjoyments of earth, and of all our other earthly expectations.

"What a pleasure then to think that though father and mother may forsake me, friends may be put far from me, and my acquaintance may be thrown into darkness; or may stand afar off, by an unkindness, perhaps, worse than their death, or than my own; but you, my God, will never be far off. In every unknown event of life your counsel will guide me, your smiles will cheer me, your hand will support me.

In trouble you will be near. In worldly disappointments your generous hand will provide me with all necessary good. In sickness you will hold my fainting head, and whisper sweet peace and consolation to my soul. You will cheer me even by the death of my dearest friends, while you let more of your own sweetness into my heart through the wound made in it by rooting them out.

Oh! how do I rejoice that nothing can separate me from you! In all my moves from place to place, in all my uncertainties; in hours of solitude, and in hours of distress, varied as that distress may be, what can you do, yes, what can you not do, for my soul? To you none can misrepresent me. From you none can divide me. You will visit my soul. You will say to it, I am your salvation. Were all the world set upon stripping me, how little could they take away! Were all the world set upon afflicting and tormenting me, how powerless would the attempt be! How little time could its effects last! Yes, amidst all its seeming triumph, how little could it do if you, O my Father and my God! were determined to support me, determined to delight me."

5. Those who have committed themselves fully to the Lord can look forward to eternity with confidence. They have nothing to fear and everything to hope for.

This is the greatest comfort of all. With God is the fountain of life. In His light, we see true light. As the soul approaches death, it knows it will live forever. It cries out for support in death and for a happiness that matches its immortal nature—a happiness that lasts through endless ages and always feels fresh.

My soul, that happiness is already here. You are not merely holding it. You are safely held in God's everlasting arms, with the eternal God Himself as your refuge. You know the promise: "I will be a God to them, and they shall be my people." This is the covenant you have entered. God says, "I will be your God," meaning He will be your eternal portion forever. He is not the God of the dead who perish, but of the living.

He is your God. Death may take everything else, but it cannot take Him away. He will be just as near in that moment as He is now. Death is simply God carrying you from this empty world into His own presence, because His love can no longer bear even the appearance of distance. The one who has the Lord of angels as His God and Father will never lack guidance through the unseen world. Do not worry, my soul. He will show you the path of life in His own way and bring you to His presence, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.

Judgment Day is coming. It will be a day of unspeakable terror for many. People will cry out to the mountains and hills to hide them. But it will not terrify me. God will say, "Gather my saints to me—those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." He will remember the solemn commitment I make today with the great and eternal Judge. He will remember how I fled to His cross today, placed myself under the protection of Christ's blood, and entered the bonds of His covenant.

Welcome, you precious signs of this everlasting covenant! O Lord, I have sought You with my whole heart. You have let Yourself be found by me. I rejoice that I can swear full allegiance to You.

Now, let us apply this truth.

Everything we have just heard should be enough to move us to seek the Lord and enter His covenant. You who forget God, consider this. Look at the secret workings of a heart made holy, as we have just heard them described. Your own conscience will tell you that they bring divine pleasure.

How much better it is to have this sure and steadfast anchor for the soul than to be tossed about by the empty things that disturb you day after day. Let the word of God say it plainly, and may the Spirit of God drive it home: Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. I pray that each of us today might commit to humble obedience, just as all Judah once swore their oath.

To all who seek the Lord, enter His covenant solemnly. Submit to Him with all your heart and lay the foundation for the joys laid out before us today. May we, each one of us, personally experience this satisfaction. May we know this joy on days like today, on every ordinary day, and especially on our deathbed. May we know the sweet support of reflecting: "I will go to hear sermons no more, but I have taken to heart what I have heard. My vows are recorded in heaven and written on my heart. Now, O my God, You will remember Your covenant and the soul I solemnly placed in Your hands as the purchase of Jesus' blood."

In the meantime, as we gather to hear the Word and lift our voices in song, let us solemnly consider the gospel invitations proclaimed among us.

God alone knows whether this may be the last time it is offered to us. But whatever the case, as you desire true joy and happiness, make your choice of God as clear and firm as possible. At the first opportunity God gives you, seal your vows before him—when you truly feel in your heart that you seek Him with all your desire and are ready to swear full allegiance to Him.

Let us set aside every gloomy thought and every anxious care. As we rest our souls in Him, let us praise God. As we pour out our hearts in joyful thanksgiving, may He fill us with holy affection, rejoicing over us as our souls rejoice in Him.