By Roy E. Ciampa, Ph.D.,
S. Louis and Ann W. Armstrong Professor of Religion, Samford University
Depend on God
2 Chronicles 14:9–15
Last week we learned about King Asa’s faithful obedience to the Lord and his godly wisdom in preparing the nation for times of trouble and conflict when blessed with times of peace and rest. This week we see how he and his kingdom responded once those times of trouble and conflict inevitably arrived.
Call on God when problems arise. (9–11)
Asa had done his best to prepare for possible future attacks (vv. 6–8) but still he found himself confronted by an opposing force armed with overwhelming numbers and power.
It is not known if Zerah the Cushite (or Ethiopian) was leading an army on behalf of an Egyptian pharaoh, for an otherwise unknown Arab coalition or for some other power. But he came with an overwhelmingly powerful force up to Mareshah, located about 30 miles southwest of Jerusalem.
Asa knew that despite all his prudent preparations, humanly speaking he was facing an unbeatable foe. But Asa had seen his father Abijah trust in the Lord when he had faced a much more powerful force (see 2 Chron. 13:3–18). And he must have understood that his father and his army “succeeded because they depended on the Lord” (2 Chron. 13:18).
Asa followed that example of godly leadership and called on the Lord recognizing his total dependence on Him.
Both Asa and his father followed the model laid out in Solomon’s temple dedication prayer (2 Chron. 6:34–35). And he understood this to be a case of holy war, one between the Lord God and His enemies (v. 11).
He used all the resources he had prepared over the years, but he relied on the Lord and counted on His intervention to see the people victorious over their enemies. We also need to learn from Asa’s example of great faith here just as he learned from the example of his father Abijah.
The lesson applies whether we are facing a seemingly insurmountable problem or one we are tempted to think we can handle on our own. Whether our problem is great or small, godly wisdom reminds us to trust God for guidance and provision in every situation.
Trust in God as you face your problems. (12–15)
The battle was the Lord’s and so the result is not understood to be Judah’s victory but God’s.
It is the Lord God who strikes, crushes and fills His people’s enemies with terror.
Asa and his men reaped the benefits of the Lord’s intervention on their behalf. Presumably the villages that were destroyed and plundered were guilty of supporting and resourcing the defeated army and thus suffered the consequences of their defeat.
Two elements of the narrative combine to suggest that in a situation where Judah was threatened with a devastating loss, by God’s intervention they experienced only blessing instead.
First, there is no mention of any losses on the part of Asa and his men.
Second, in the end they were able to carry off tremendous plunder and thus were materially better off than when they began.
God does not promise us that things will always turn out as we hope. But He does promise us He will be with us to the end (Matt. 28:20).
Romans 8:31–39 similarly reminds us nothing in all of creation (see the lists in Rom. 8:35, 38–39) can ever separate us from God and His love for us in Christ.
As the book of Revelation also emphasizes (see Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21) our victory is not found in our success in every endeavor but in our commitment to trust in and be faithful to God in every circumstance and to leave in His hands all that is beyond our power.
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