2 Chronicles 16:1-14
16:1-3 At some point in his life, Asa abandoned his faith in God. Likely it happened incrementally, small choices steadily diminished his adherence to His relationship with God and his obedience to God's philosophy. It is important for our relationship with God to be alive each day; for when we remain near to God, we remember in our moments of distress and uncertainty that He will provide.
The northern kingdom of Israel, led by king Baasha, cut Judah off from their main route. The northern king was greedy for the southern lands and planned to corner and starve Judah into submission. Asa panicked and hastily made an agreement with the king of Syria, a man who did not have Judah's best interests at heart. Ben-Hadad saw an alliance with a weakened Judah as an opportunity to gain easy control over the nation.
16:4-5 Judah's unfaithfulness left them vulnerable to such vultures as king Baasha and Ben-Hadad. The alliance worked in-part, because Israel withdrew from Judah. But Ben-Hadad had his foot in the door of the kingdom.
It is so imperative that we build a habit of naturally consulting God on the matters of our lives. The fact that Asa even felt such extreme fear and anxiety was proof that he had removed himself from the comforting presence of God. It was no longer his natural response to look to God.
Asa, and thus the kingdom of Judah, had paid for an alliance with a frequent-enemy. He paid for the arrangement with treasures that had been dedicated to God. The hyperbole here is that when we sell ourselves to others, to fear and to desire, we rob God of a relationship with us. We rob God of what belongs to Him and of what He cherishes most.
God loves us as His children. We do not have to pay for or earn His love or allegiance. Our covenant with Him therefore is so much stronger than any deal we could make with anyone else. The only reason Asa did not have God's protection is because he never asked for it, James 4:2.
God tells us in Luke 12:32 that He loves to provide us the protection of the kingdom! So we have to wonder, why didn't Asa just ask Him and trust Him to deliver? Well, why don't we? Asa did not trust that God would or could provide it. Perhaps he had become so far removed from God that he did not even consider it. Time spent away from God, life lived away from His principles, removes us from remembrance and trust in His great promises.
16:7 To his consternation, Asa's faithlessness is pointed out by a man named Hanani. Hanani revealed that Asa made the mistake of believing that Israel was his greatest enemy when it was Ben-Hadad of Syria all along. He had made a deal with his enemy. He had helped the true enemy become stronger and more equipped.
In 1 Peter 5:8 it is explained that evil is lurking, waiting, hoping to catch us; our enemies prowl outside the impenetrable borders of God's protection. Asa walked right out to meet them! Every time we leave the protection of God, so do we.
16:8 Hanani reminded Asa that God had rescued him from an impossible situation before - a situation worse than his predicament with Israel. When an enemy, doubt, fear or anything else tries to cut us off, will we still trust that God is able to provide? Eager to provide? It is a great wonder of life to witness God break through impossible situations with abundant blessing. It is a miracle to experience Him build a door in a wall; He turns dead-ends into beginnings. Hopeless situations into havens of restoration and provision.
Sometimes we need to be standing in front of that door-less wall to see Him work. To learn to trust in His work and ability. Asa saw a wall paid an enemy to get him through it, but the enemy's door does not lead to a haven. What is an enemy? An enemy is self-doubt that is buoyed by arrogance, anger that is hungry for revenge. We think that only worldly outcomes will make us happy or assuage our fear or anger or need. We think that only power, position, wealth or desire fulfilled will rescue us from unsatisfactory circumstances. That thought is an enemy. The worldly way leads only to desolation of character and life.
16:9 Asa's neglect of God's wisdom rendered him vulnerable to a cunning enemy. God offers us His wisdom and adept instruction, utilize it! God is vigilant across the entire earth because He wants us to know that we can trust Him with our lives. He is watchful of every detail. God wants those loyal to Him to be confident in His ability; indeed God could see the tricky motives of the king of Syria and would have never instructed Asa to walk into his trap.
God pays attention so that we can feel safe. But we cannot possibly feel safe if we forsake Him and walk out of that sphere of protection.
16:10 Asa's fatal mistake: he was unwilling to acknowledge his failure. If we do not acknowledge our failure, we can never grow from it. Asa remained stagnant because he was too prideful to admit his carelessness. God impresses the quality of humility for a reason! Through it we learn and grow into stronger, wiser, better individuals.
16:11-14 Asa became ill and still refused to restore his relationship with God. Asa sought anyone's help except for God's, the one actual physician that could heal him. Asa died and was buried but faithlessness killed his spirit long before his body's death. Remember that Asa had begun so well! His relationship with God was alive and precious. Do not let your own relationship with Him wither, say close. Cling to God, Psalm 63:8. There is no shortage of things and people and evils and desires and doubts that are vying to steal your attention away from God. Do not let them.
