2 Chronicles 16:1-14

Unbelief and pride are very dangerous sins that often walk hand in hand.  When we begin to doubt the ability or goodness of God we start to trust in our own abilities or fabricate our own solutions.  Asa had a long history of following the Lord and trusting Him to fight his battles.  He had seen God work on his behalf over and over again, yet in his old age he seems to have forgotten all that God had done and took matters into his own hands.  This begins to repeat a common theme that we have seen repeatedly in the kings; they start well, but do not finish well.  We must not allow the provisions of God in our lives to make us proud but rather to help us see how much we depend upon Him.  Humility and faith lead to God’s provisions in our lives; while pride and unbelief bring punishment at His hands.

ASA PAYS A PAGAN KING FOR PROTECTION FROM ISRAEL: The king of Israel decides to invade Judah and fortifies a city in the land.  This fills Asa’s heart with fear and motivates him to take money from the temple as well as from the king’s treasure to pay the king of Syria to come and defend him.  Syria accepts to money and comes to Judah’s aid.  Israel withdraws and Judah reclaims the land and uses the materials from the city to build two other cities.  Everything seems to have gone according to plan and Asa looks like he has been very wise in his dealings.  It is important to remember that things are not always as they seem.  Just because Asa has achieved his goal does not mean that God is pleased with what he has done.  Just because our plans prosper does not indicate that the Lord has been honored by our actions.

ASA PUNISHES A PROPHET FOR PROCLAIMING HIS GUILT: The prophet of God comes and confronts Asa for having trusted in his own wisdom and the king of Syria instead of trusting in the Lord.  The prophet reminds Asa of how God had defeated and even stronger foe in the past and yet now Asa has completely forgotten about looking to the Lord for help.  God’s eyes are actively seeking people who’s hearts are humbled before Him so that He can bless them.  Asa could have taken his fears to the Lord and kept the money and the Lord would have directed and defended him just like He had done in the past.  Instead he forgets the past provisions of God and goes forward in his own strength.  Worse yet, when the prophet confronts him he refuses to repent and decides to imprison the prophet who has confronted him.  We must seek to protect our hearts from pride as it erodes our relationship with God and can blind our eyes from being able to see our own failures.


ASA PAYS A PRICE FOR HIS PRIDE BEFORE THE LORD: Because Asa trusted in his own wisdom without seeking the Lord and because he refused to repent of his sin; God punishes Asa.  The last years of his reign in Judah were marked by war and he was struck with a painful disease on his feet.  Even in this condition he stubbornly refused to repent and continues to defy the Lord.  He dies in pain and at war because of his pride.  We need to be so careful not to allow the victories of the past to breed pride in our hearts from which we cannot turn in the future.  When we do fail and are confronted by the Lord through His Word, Spirit or others; we must be open to hearing His instruction and humbly repent before the Lord.  It is a wonderful blessing to have the Lord working on our behalf.  It is a terrible plight to find ourselves stubbornly disobeying under the hand of His chastisement. 

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