“King Asa’s Demise”


BIBLE READING: 2 Chronicles 12-16

                As King Asa takes over the throne in 2 Chronicles 14, the Bible tells us that he “did what was right in the eyes of God” (2 Chronicles 14.2).  Although his rule began on the right track, it didn’t quite end up that way.  2 Chronicles 16 reveals to us that in the last years of his reign, the king turns to the King of Syria for help instead of relying of the LORD.  When Asa is confronted with his error by Hanani the prophet, about his foolish actions, instead of heeding his warnings, he had him placed in chains and put in prison.  However, this wasn’t the first time he had been warned by a prophet of the Lord.  As his rule begins on the right foot by doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord, the prophet Azariah comes to him with a very important message. "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, but when in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress. But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded." (2 Chronicles 15:2-7).  This time Asa heeded the word of the prophet and began the religious reform needed in the land of Judah.  Yet, now in the later part of his reign he had departed from the way of the Lord; what changed?   How can a man who started off so well, have ended so poorly?  The answer lies in Azariah’s prophecy “The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you...”.  Asa had ceased to be reliant on God and became more reliant on his own abilities, which ultimately became the cause of his fall.  The lesson to be gained by this story is a very important one. How well you start in your walk with God is important, but not as important as how you finish your walk with God.  As long as we are with God, He is with us!  If we fail to seek His face, we relay a message of selfishness, which will ultimately lead to our demise as well.


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