Thursday, July 25

THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019

 

 

“At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.  Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen?  Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand.  For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.  You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” (2 Chronicles 16:7-9)

 

 

The passage from 2 Chronicles reviews the history of Asa’s reign.  During his time as Judah’s leader, he provided godly leadership, sparked by a prophetic visit from Azariah son of Oded.  To Asa’s credit, he responded to Azariah’s counsel to “seek the Lord” and brought forth important reforms, turning the hearts of Israel back to their First Love.  God subsequently blessed Judah with peace for the first 35 years of Asa’s reign.

 

In the waning days of his life, however, Asa faced the threat of invasion from Baasha, king of Israel.  From Hanani’s words above, it appears that Asa abandoned his trust in God’s provision and instead turned towards reliance on Ben-Hadad, king of Aram.  This change interrupted the peace that Judah had previously enjoyed and instead sent them into war.

 

For his part, Asa reacted to the prophet’s words in the following manner:  “Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison.  At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.”  It appears that he allowed pride and complacency to stand in the way of seeking God wholeheartedly.

 

The Scriptures include relatively few examples of kings or other characters who finished well.  The writer of Hebrews encourages us to stay focused on the finish line:  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

 

By looking to Jesus’s example of perseverance, we may stay the course through challenging moments.  Whatever the circumstances, trusting God is the right decision.

 

 

Lord God, thank You for teaching us through the examples of biblical characters like Asa.  Help us to understand our vulnerabilities and to remain steadfast in our pursuit of You.  Encourage us today to follow Jesus’s example, and give us strength through Your Holy Spirit to honor You.  In Jesus’s mighty Name, amen.

 

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