You know … there are so many familiar characters in the Bible. There’s God, of course … and Jesus. There’s Adam and Eve … Noah … Moses ... Samson … David … Solomon … Peter … John … Paul. But there are many, many others in the Bible we never hear of who have a lot to teach us … people like Asa.
I know … who? Asa. As you are about to discover, we can lean a lot from Asa. Honestly, any study of Biblical biographies can help us in our spiritual walk by giving us examples that we can emulate … or serve as a warning or a cautionary tale. Many times, people like Asa can serve as both example and warning.
I had a pastor friend who had been trying to get a church member’s husband to come to church for over a year. After one invitation, the husband said, “Listen, Preacher … I appreciate all your effort and what you’re trying to do but you wouldn’t want someone like me going to your church.” My friend came back: “Why not? We can always use another bad example.” The man went to church that Sunday.
What can we learn this morning from a king who reigned in the Middle East over 3,000 years ago? A lot more than you think. King Asa is going to teach us a thing or two about God and about ourselves this morning.
Now … this is another one of those sermons where you’re going to have to participate. This morning you are going to rate Asa’s performance as a king and as a subject of God … and the rating system that I’ve come up with is quite simple. Your assignment this morning is to decide if Asa was on fire [hold up picture of a burning match] or did he fizzle out [hold up picture of a burnt-out match]. Okay?
Now, before we begin, let me give you a little background on Asa. The land of “Israel” was named after a man whom God named “Israel.” His name used to be Jacob. Israel had 12 sons whose descendants became the 12 tribes of Israel. When the Israelites settled down in the Promised Land, each tribe got their own region or area.
The first kings … Saul, David, and Solomon … ruled over what was called the “United Kingdom” … called that because the 12 tribes were united under one king. After King Solomon’s death, the United Kingdom split into two kingdoms … the “Northern Kingdom” … made up of 10 tribes … which kept the name of “Israel.” The “Southern Kingdom” … made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin … became known as “Judah.”
The first king of the Southern Kingdom was Rehoboam. When he died, his son Abijah ruled … but only for three years. And then his son, Asa, became king and ruled the Southern Kingdom for 41 years.
So … if you had to guess, would you say that Asa started out on “fire” [burning match]? Let’s find out.
His great-great-grandfather, King Solomon, had fizzed out, which led to the split of the United Kingdom into north and south. According to 2nd Chronicles 14:2, Asa started out his reign as king on fire for the lord … “Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord his God.”
Asa’s primary concern in the beginning of his reign was to be fully consecrated to God because he was conscious of the fact that the Lord’s eyes were on him. He not only wanted to be consecrated to the Lord himself but he wanted all the people and the land of Judah to be consecrated to God as well. “Consecrated” means to be set aside … to be designated to one purpose only – serving God. Verse 3 tells us that Asa “removed the foreign altars, and the high places, smashed the sacred stones, and cut down the Asherah poles.”
What do you think so far? On fire [burn match]? How about you, hum? To what degree are you completely consecrated to the Lord? Anything you need to smash … remove … cut down? Anything you need to stop doing? Anything you need to start doing?
Asa not only stopped the negative things they had been doing but started doing positive things. He not only removed the foreign altars, smash the sacred stones, and cut down the Asherah poles … he also urged his people to renew their relationship with God. Verse 4 tells us that King Asa “commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and obey [God’s] laws and commands.” When you give your life to Christ, the Apostle Paul says that you are not only to “put off” your old fallen nature but to “put on” Christ (Ephesians 4:22-24).
As a result of seeking the Lord, God gave them rest from all their enemies. For 10 years there was no war. “When we please the Lord,” says Proverb 16, “He makes even our enemies be at peace with us” (v. 20).
So … what do you think? On fire [burning match]? … or fizzled out [burnt match]?
You see, the thing about fire is once you start it you have to tend it, right? You have to do things to keep it going, amen? Rather than kick back and relax, Asa took advantage of this time of peace to improve his kingdom. We see in verse 7 that Asa ordered the people to build up the cities, surround them with walls and towers, gates, and bars.
That’s a good thing for us to do as well. When we experience a time of prosperity, it’s not a time for us to kick back and relax. It is a time for preparation. Good times are not a time to stagnate but a time to get closer to God … the source of our prosperity. Prosperity is not a time for excess but a time for preparation and improvement. A person who is “fired up” [burning match] recognizes their opportunities to gain ground with God.
Besides building up and fortifying the towns, Asa also built up his army. Verse 8 reports that “Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, equipped with large shields and with spears and 280,000 from [the tribe of] Benjamin, armed with small shields and with bows. All these were brave fighting men” who were about to be put to the test.
Zerah, the King of the Cushites, decided to invade Judah. “Cush” was located in Africa in the area we now know as Ethiopia. King Zerah had an army of a million men. Not only did they have large shields, spears, and bows, they also had something that the Judean army didn’t have – chariots. Three hundred of them to be exact. Chariots were the equivalent of armored tanks in those days.
So … faced with a larger and better equipped army with superior technology, what did Asa do? Instead of resorting to military strategy, political alliances, or fleeing from the fight, King Asa turned to the Lord.
Asa clears up one of the most important questions of his life and his reign as king: “Who’s in charge?” And we hear Asa’s answer loud and clear in his prayer in verse 11: O Lord … there is no difference for You between helping the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; let no mortal prevail against you.”
What a beautiful prayer … the prayer of a man on fire for God. Asa didn’t mention himself at all in his prayer. He mentioned the people … he mentioned God … he professed his trust in the character of God … and he affirmed that God was in complete and total control. He doesn’t tell God what to do. He leaves that up to God. God answered Asa’s prayer and Asa not only defeated the enemy but drove them all the way back to Africa.
What’d ya say so far? Is Asa still a man on fire for God [burning match]? How about you? Is there anything in your life that seems too big to handle on your own? Something threatening to snuff out your fire? Missionary George Muller once said: “Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s powers end.”
When we pray, like Asa we must recognize God’s ability and our inability. God is God and we are not. Asa clearly stated that he was going to totally rely on the Lord to do his work. How about you? It doesn’t really matter how big our battles are because God is always bigger, amen?
Is there something you’re facing right now that is way too big to handle on your own? Then pray Asa’s prayer with me right now: “Lord, there is no one like You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help me, O Lord my God, for I am powerless but I rely on You and in your name I come against this huge impossibility. O Lord, You are my God and You are in control. Help me, O Lord, and do not let this problem prevail against me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
King Asa’s story continues on into chapter 15 of 2nd Chronicles, where God sends His prophet Azariah to challenge Asa and the people of the Southern Kingdom to take the next step in their faith journey … one that will deepen their commitment and their relationship with Yahweh.
“The Lord is with you, while you are with Him,” says Azariah. Their victory over the vastly superior Ethiopian army was a powerful demonstration of that truth … but as I said before, a fire must be tended or it will “fizzle out,” amen [burnt match]? And God wants to help them stay on fire for Him [burning match]. “If you seek Him,” says Azariah, “He will be found by you, but if you abandon Him, He will abandon 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 it was not safe for anyone to go or come, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the land. They were broken in pieces, nation against nation and city against city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress” (2nd Chronicles 15:2-6). Gee … sounds a lot like what we’re going through today, doesn’t it? God’s solution? “But you, take courage! Do hot let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded” (2nd Chronicles 15:7).
How does Asa respond? The same way we should respond … with obedience. By taking God’s word to heart. Verse 8 says that when Asa heard God’s word spoken through His prophet Azariah, Asa “took courage.” How did the people respond? They were obedient. They took God’s word to heart and there was a revival.
Even though Asa had ordered the idols and high places be removed from the land, guess what? Asa had to order it to be done again because idols have a way of creeping back in, don’t they? Their size and shape and names may change, but their power remains. That’s why we need to repeatedly recommit ourselves to Christ.
Asa responded to God’s altar call and gathered up the people to renew their covenant with God. They sacrificed thousands of cattle, sheep, and goats to seal their covenant to “seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their hearts and souls” (2nd Chronicles 15:12). “All of Judah rejoiced over the oath; for they had sworn with all their hearts, and had sought [God] with their whole desire, and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest” … meaning peace … “all around them” (2nd Chronicles 15:15).
What happens when you’re on fire [burning match]? People are drawn to the flame, aren’t they? People from the Northern Kingdom began moving to Judah and putting down roots.
It’s right at this point that a strange thing happens. It’s usually when we’re riding high that Satan slips in through the back door, amen? Asa was so on fire that he removed his own grandmother, Maakah, from her position as queen mother because she had made a repulsive idol to the Assyrian love goddess, Asherah. Asa cut down Granny’s idol … broke it into little pieces … burned it … and threw the ashes in the Kidron Valley … the place where the sewage from the Temple ran. Now that sounds like the actions of a man on fire for God, doesn’t it? Not only cleaning up the sin in Judah but in his own home as well. But …
Look at verse 17. Even though Asa’s heart is on fire for God, he doesn’t remove the high places … the altars to other gods … from Judah. Asa was on fire. The Bible says that he was true to God all his days … but perhaps not burning quite as bright now? What do you think [fire … no fire]?
See … here’s the thing about sin. Sometimes it destroys quickly and sometimes it is slow and patient.
Judah enjoyed 35 years of peace … and then, in Chapter 16, it says that Baasha, the King of Israel, started to cast a jealous and concerned eye towards his southern neighbor, Judah. You see … King Baasha wasn’t too happy that so many of his subjects were moving south and setting in down there … so he built “Ramah.”
Ramah was a fortified city … more of a military outpost, really … on the southern border between Israel and Judah. Its sole purpose was to garrison Israeli troops to secure the border so that Israelites could not leave Israel and move into Judah. This prevented the flow of both people and trade between the two kingdoms.
Now … remember what Asa did when King Zerah of Ethiopia brought a million soldiers and 300 chariots against Judah? He prayed and trusted God, remember? He doesn’t do that this time … and the Bible doesn’t tell us why. Asa either panicked and forgot to pray … hum … or maybe, during all those years of peace, Asa and Judah failed to tend the fire and their faith was beginning to sputter and fizzle [burnt match]. They didn’t take advantage of the situation to draw closer to God … and, as happens in such cases, they turned to their own resources and not God’s.
Instead of turning toward God, Asa turned to another king … King Benhadad of Aram … what is today modern Syria. In order to pay for King Benhadad’s services and support, Asa used money from the Temple treasury … you know, God’s money. Rut-Row! Asa used God’s money to hire an enemy of God to attack his Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel. Asa hired Benhadad’s soldiers to terrorize and to plunder and kill Israelites all across the Northern Kingdom.
At first, it seemed as if Asa’s plan worked. But here’s the thing … once King Benhadad had finished terrorizing and plundering the Northern Kingdom of Israel, he decided to terrorize and plunder the Southern Kingdom of Judah. And when he was done terrorizing and plundering both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Juda, King Benhadad sent all their plunder to his capital in Damascus … including many Jewish slaves.
There were three factors that contributed to Asa’s decision. First … it looked feasible. He had access to all the money he needed ... albeit some of it God’s money. Second … there was plenty of precedent. His father … along with many other kings … had done the same thing. And third … it was pragmatic. It had worked in the past for other kings and it appeared to be working for King Asa … at least for a while.
It’s easy to think that if something we do is successful then it must be right … that God is blessing it. That applies to churches as well as kingdoms, amen? We must be cautious about doing what appears to be feasible or pragmatic or natural because feasible, pragmatic, or natural doesn’t necessarily mean that we are doing God’s will. Proverbs 16:25 warns us that “there is a way that seems right to a man but in the end leads to death.” Sin will always take you further than you planned to go … make you stay longer than you want to stay … and pay more than you want to pay.
Let me repeat that! Sin will always take you further than you planned to go … make you stay longer than you want to stay … and pay more than you want to pay.
What Asa did might have made good political sense or seemed like a good military strategy at the time but his compromise would have fatal consequences down the road.
Asa goes from leaning on God’s Spirit to trusting in his own resources and his own skills and abilities. If the Apostle Paul were there, he would probably get in King Asa’s face and demand: “What? Are you foolish?! After being in the Spirit, you are now trying to attain your goals by human effort?” (Galatians 3:3).
Goose Gorsage was a relief pitcher in the major leagues for 22 years. Goose Gorsage … yes, that’s his real name In an ESPN interview, he made a statement that could have come right out of King Asa’s own mouth. “I came into situations,” he boasted to the interviewer, “that God couldn’t get out of and I got out of them. I’m not blowing my own horn, but this is just fact. Nobody did it like me.”
Do you feel that way about your own skills and abilities and smarts? Can you think of an area in your life where you are running the show all by yourself? Are there areas or parts of your life where you trust your own abilities more than you trust God’s. If there is some part that you are controlling and you say that you trust God more than your own abilities, here’s a dumb question? Why isn’t God running that part of your life if you trust that His abilities and skills and power and smarts are greater than your own? Doesn’t make sense, does it?
So … is Asa still on fire [burning match]? Or is he beginning to fizzle [burnt match]? Fortunately, our God is the God of second, third, fourth, and fifth chances, amen? And God was about to give King Asa another chance by sending a prophet by the name of Hanani in an attempt to get Asa to repent … to “turn around.” “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God,” Hanani said, “the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand” (2nd Chronicles 15:7). What God is telling Asa is that if he had trusted in Him, Asa would not only have defeated Israel but Syria as well. “Remember,” God tells Asa through His prophet, “remember when you relied on me and I delivered the Ethiopians into your hands? Remember that?” (v.8). And then one of the most prophetic verses in the Old Testament is spoken to King Asa through Hanani: “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him” (v. 9).
Do you know who God is looking for when His eyes range throughout the earth? He’s not looking for the smartest or the strongest or the most wealthy. If He’s not looking for the smartest or the strongest or the wealthiest, then who is He searching for? He’s searching for those who are sold out to Him … and that could be the smartest, the strongest, the wealthiest … or it could be someone like me who is none of these things. What He is looking for are followers who are fully devoted to Him so that He can strengthen them by pouring His power in to them. I love this quote from D.L. Moody: “The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in and by any person who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. I will try my utmost to be that person.” Will you? [Burning match] What can God do with a person who is on fire for Him?
The wheels really come off for Asa at this point. Instead of responding to God’s correction, as he had done in the past, he blows up in a rage. Verse 10 says: “Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the stocks, in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this.” And, as if that were not bad enough, “Asa inflicted cruelties on some of the people at the same time.”
Asa does not want to be corrected by anyone … not even God … so he takes his anger and his rage out on God’s prophet and the people around him. Lest we be quick to judge him … have you ever been there … done that? Become filled with rage or anger, felt conflict or bitterness when God has tried to correct you? Have you ever taken your anger out on the messenger? The people around you? Your loved ones maybe? If I’m going to be honest, I have found myself on both sides of this. I’ve gotten my head bit off clean at the shoulders when I’ve tried to share some Godly correction and I’ve done similar things when people have tried to do the same for me.
