We have been addressing the current COVID-19 crisis during the last three messages, and we will continue with that theme today.i
I begin with the question: what if the current disruption is a preparation for the greatest revival this world has ever seen? What if God is inviting you to participate in that earth-shaking historical event?
On a Tuesday morning in 1986 journalist and international evangelist Mike Evans met with David Wilkerson for breakfast at the Embassy Suites near the Dallas Fort-Worth Airport. In that meeting Wilkerson showed Evans a letter addressed to Richard Dortch, President of PTL. It said, “Rev. Dortch, within 12 months from the date of this letter, the judgment of God will fall on PTL. You are fornicating with brick and stone. Flee now and repent. Bats will fly through the empty building.” A month later, Evans was with Dortch, and watched him mock Wilkerson’s letter. He said to Evans, “if I fornicate, it will not be with brick and stone. These attacks aren’t against me or Jim Bakker, they are against God.” It was exactly 12 months to the day that The Charlotte Observer broke the PTL scandal. Twelve months to the day of Dave Wilkerson’s letter.
In the breakfast meeting at the Embassy David Wilkerson not only read his letter written to Richard Dortch, but he also opened his Bible to Isaiah 24. Among other verses in that chapter Wilkerson read verses 10-12: “The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.” Let that verse soak in as I read it again. Consider what is going on in New York City as we speak. “The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in. There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction” (KJV).ii Verse 12 in the New Living Translation says, “The city is left in ruins, with its gates battered down.”
Who would have thought a few months ago that our bars and restaurants would be shut down? Major sports and entertainment events would be closed, and even our churches? Who would have thought we would be hunkering down in our homes, and I would be bringing the message to you this way instead of gathering at the church? It has all happened so quickly.
In that 1986 breakfast meeting David Wilkerson shared a word that Mike Evans wrote down. Here is the prophesy. Pay close attention to what Wilkerson saw. David said,
“I see a plague coming on the world and the bars, church, and government shut down. The plague will hit New York City and shake it like it has never been shaken. The plague is going to force prayerless believers into radical prayer, into their Bibles and repentance will be the cry from true men of God in the pulpit. And out of it will come a third Great Awakening that will sweep America and the world.”iii
What must we know in order to cooperate with God’s agenda at this time? To address that question, I want to explore some principles from 2 Chronicles 15. We will read through the whole chapter for a general sense of what is going on. Then we will address a few principles that apply to our current situation. Follow as I read from the New King James Version.
“Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. 2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: "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. 3 For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; 4 but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. 5 And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity. 7 But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!" 8 And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; and he restored the altar of the Lord that was before the vestibule of the Lord. 9 Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who dwelt with them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for they came over to him in great numbers from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. 10 So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 And they offered to the Lord at that time seven hundred bulls and seven thousand sheep from the spoil they had brought. 12 Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; 13 and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 14 Then they took an oath before the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams' horns. 15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around. 16 Also he removed Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah; and Asa cut down her obscene image, then crushed and burned it by the Brook Kidron. 17 But the high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days. 18 He also brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated: silver and gold and utensils. 19 And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.”
From that passage consider with me (1) the CIRCUMSTANCES of God’s people at that time (2) the CALL issued to God’s people through the prophet, Azariah and (3) the CHOICE made by God’s people in answer to that call.
I. The CIRCUMSTANCES of God’s people at that time were difficult.
Verses 5-6 describes their situation as very troublesome. “And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands.” It was dangerous to travel. In their times the danger was due to the conflicts going on at various levels in the society. Nations were in conflict with other nations. The Northern kingdom of Israel was in conflict with the Southern kingdom of Judah and Benjamin. Even cities within those kingdoms were in conflict with one another. As I read that, I thought about the turf wars that go on between gangs in our metropolitan areas. A member of one gang dares not to venture alone into the neighborhood of another gang. He could be attacked simply because of his gang affiliation. I’m sure in Asa’s day there were robbers who would mug travelers. It was dangerous to travel because of all that. We face a different danger. Our travel restrictions are due to the dreaded Coronavirus. But we have this in common with the text. It was then, and it is now dangerous to travel.
Verse 6 says that “God troubled them with every adversity.” God caused the trouble! It came as a consequence of their decisions, but God does not blame it all on the devil. I’m sure Satan was behind some of the violence and injustice. But God can stop the devil anytime He wants to. What Satan is doing is always secondary. The most important consideration is what God is doing. God may have us rebuke the devil. We may need to oppose Satan’s operations. But first things first! First, we report to our Commander-in-Chief and get our orders from Him. What is His plan? What are His strategies? What objective is He pursuing?
In our text “God troubled them with every adversity.” This was God’s people. They were in covenant with God. But for some reason God was sending them some serious trouble. In fact, the trouble was coming from various directions. “God troubled them with EVERY adversity.” We are currently being troubled with a variety of adversities. The virus is a catalyst for what’s happening. We are being troubled with health issues. But we’re also being troubled with financial issues. Not only do we have a stock market in steep decline, but we have a national debt that is blooming out of control. The long-term consequences of that are hard to measure. The political division in the land is so bad that Congress spends most of its time fighting with one another, instead of solving important problems. City may not be fighting against city, but Democrats are certainly fighting against Republicans and vice versa.
In verse 3 we’re given insight as to how they got into this mess. “For a long time [This is not a condition that happened overnight. Slowly but surely, they had drifted in this direction.] Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law.” That verse describes three interrelated problems that led to these troublesome times. Let me address the second one first.
(1) They were without a teaching priest. I’m sure there were people teaching something. But there was an absence of the faithful teaching of the word of God. When people lose that, they lose a lot of other things. Listen to the instruction God gave Aaron concerning this responsibility to teach the word of God. Leviticus 10:8-11: “Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: 9 ‘Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, [It is tempting to stop here and talk to all the sipping saints who quickly claim to be priests of God, but don’t want all the responsibilities that go along with that. Let’s read verse 10.] that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, 11 and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.’”
A teaching priest will teach the difference “between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean.” It is the spiritual leader’s responsibility to do that. It is his responsibility to teach God’s people “all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them.” Could I suggest that a 20-minute sermonette once a week on Sunday mornings will not accomplish that. Churches as a whole have drifted away from Bible teaching and have replaced it with entertainment. Churches have time to show movies, but they don’t have time for an hour’s teaching in the word of God. We are told the people won’t endure it. Why can they endure two or three hours at a ball game, but not one hour in the word of God? Does that not say something about their spiritual condition? “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6). Not everyone gets filled. But those who nurture a hunger for the things of God will get filled.
Bible study is not only declining at church, but also at home. A study conducted by the Barna Group found a 13% drop from 2009 to 2016. The percentage of American adults who reported reading their Bibles once a week or more dropped from 46% to 33%.iv When the teaching priests don’t do their job, the people follow. And when people are uninformed by Scripture, they tend to make poor choices. So, one problem pointed out in our text is that they were without a teaching priest.
(2) Because they did not have a teaching priest, they were “without law.” They had forsaken the commandments of God. The first and second commandments prohibit idolatry. But we learn from the latter part of this chapter that they were heavily into idolatry. A teaching priest from God will teach obedience to the Lord. False prophets lead people away from that obedience. They teach a false liberty, yet Peter says all the while they are in bondage themselves (2 Pet. 2:19). When people ignore the commandments of God, trouble is on the way.
(3) “For a long time Israel has been without the true God.” They had their substitute gods. They had their rituals and religion. But they did not have relationship with the Lord. All of that resulted in the trouble they found themselves in.
II. The CALL issued to God’s people through the prophet, Azariah was designed to bring them out of that trouble.
Azariah introduced his message in this way (verse 2): “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.” It is incredibly gracious of God that He would meet with us, protect us, and bless us if we would simply seek Him. We should not take that for granted. If we will draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). But the other side of that is also given in this text: “but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” I have found God incredibly slow about that side of the formula. He is longsuffering, not willing that any would perish.v But when people chose to rebel and push Him out of their lives, He’s not obligated to protect those people. They have rejected His protection. The same is true of a nation. If we don’t want God in our schools, that decision has consequences. Compare the school shootings prior to the Supreme Court ruling in 1962 to recent tragedies.vi “But if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” He will simply step back and let you deal with problems on your own. We’re not very effective at doing that.
That caution is followed by an amazing word of encouragement in verse 7: “But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!” Our current crisis is not a time to lose heart. It’s not a time question the wisdom or goodness of God. It is not a time to draw back in passivity. There may be restrictions right now on our physical interaction with others. But we have other means for ministering to people. We can call them on the phone. We can Facetime or Skype them. We can use Zoom for a family gathering. Many churches are using Zoom for their small group meetings. “Be strong and do not let your hands be weak.” If you have extra time on your hands, ask the Lord what He wants you to do with it. We all should increase our prayer time and Bible study during this season.
And don’t forget the promise attached to that exhortation: “for your work shall be rewarded!” Even if you just give a cup of water to one of the least of God’s people, you will not lose your reward according to Jesus (Matt. 10:47). One of Satan’s tactics is to minimize the consequences of sin and minimize the rewards of obedience. The choices you are making right now matter! God is calling backsliders back to Himself. He is calling sinners into His kingdom. He is calling lukewarm Christian back to their first love. We are in a time of great opportunity.
Today’s events are preparatory. Today’s events are about the harvest. The outcome God is looking for is a Bride without spot or wrinkle.vii God is preparing a Church focused and equipped for an end-time revival—not just feel good meetings, but a mighty army going forth throughout the world proclaiming the gospel. Do you want to be part of that end-time church empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring in the greatest harvest this world has ever seen? Now is the time to volunteer for that. Now is the time to get your garments clean. Now is the time to get focused on what God wants to do through you. God has a part for you to play in this end-time drama.
What is the preparation required? You may weary of hearing the biblical answer, but I will give it to you once again. 2 Chronicles 7:14. But let me set the context by reading what God says in verse 13. “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people [how much clearer could that be: “or send a plague among my people”]. Verse 14: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (NIV).
Lift your eyes up above all the turmoil and chaos and see the salvation of the Lord! Get caught up in what God is doing. Many are trying to get God to do something. My declaration to you is that He is already doing something—something more profound than you can imagine. I’m not asking God to get us back to the old normal. I am asking Him to bring us into a new normal—a normal that looks more like the book of Acts—a normal full of Holy Spirit power and evangelism—a normal higher than anything we have ever experienced in the past. Isaiah 43:18-19: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (NIV).
Hear the call to higher ground. Step into the future. “Be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
III. The CHOICE made by God’s people in answer to that call resulted in a time of communion with God and blessing.
Let’s examine Asa’s response to this message in verse 8: “And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; and he restored the altar of the Lord that was before the vestibule of the Lord.” That’s talking about the altar of burnt offerings. Asa does three things here.
(1) “he took courage.” Before we can do any great work, we must draw courage and strength from the Lord. The word Asa heard from the prophet was power packed. It wasn’t just information. It was spirit and life. Asa received that word and took it to heart. He believed what God told him. It strengthened him in his spirit.
Doing a work great work invariably involves challenges and hardships. That’s why it is important to count the cost.viii It is important to draw close to the Lord so He can guide you and encourage you along the way. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16:9, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” The two go hand in hand. I’m not here to pump you up with unrealistic expectations. I am here to call you into the Lord’s service. I am here to tell you a great door of opportunity is opening up. Although there will be opposition, God’s grace is always sufficient. “No weapon formed against you shall prosper. . . .” (Isa. 54:17).
(2) He “removed the abominable idols from all the land. . . .” The fact that he had to do that tells us something about what had been happening with God’s people. When Asa became king ten years earlier 2 Chronicles 14:3 tells us he “removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images.” So why is he needing to do that now. After Israel put away their idols in chapter 14, they experienced ten years of peace and prosperity. Apparently during that time, they fell back into idolatry. Consecration is something that has to be maintained. The commitment you made 20 years ago may have set you on the right course. But have you continued in that course? Have you sought God on a daily basis? Are there compromises that have crept in? Perhaps this is a time to identify those compromises and reassert your commitment to the Lord.
Verse 16 adds this comment about the removal of idolatry by Asa: “Also he removed Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah; and Asa cut down her obscene image, then crushed and burned it by the Brook Kidron.” Maachah was actually his grandmother according to 2 Chronicles 13:2. She became queen mother during Asa’s father’s reign. She was a respected, influential person. She was on her throne before Asa became king. Grandchildren tend to have warm affection toward their grandmothers. I suspect Asa loved his Nana. But he did not allow those natural affection to interfere with his obedience to the Lord. That is what is being commended in this verse. Levi was also commended for this in Deut. 33:9.
One response that was required of Asa was to remove the idols. This is something we have to do as well. An idol is anything that gets in the way of your all-out love and service for the Lord. It can be a hobby. It can be an addiction. It can be a career, a ministry, or even a person. The Lord will point out the things in our lives that are interfering with our relationship with Him if we ask Him to do that. Asa took radical action to root out the idols in his life.
(3) On the more positive side, Asa “restored the altar of the Lord,” Altars generally speak of our consecration to the Lord: worship, prayer, giving, and service to God. The altars need to be restored in our churches as preparation for what God wants to do next. God said His house was to be a house of prayer (Isa. 56:7). There is always the danger that it becomes something else. In Jesus’s day they had made it a house of merchandise (Matt. 21:13). It had become a money-making enterprise—a business. In some cases today, we have made it a house of entertainment. Prayer is peripheral. Everything is geared toward keeping the crowd happy. That has not taken us in a good direction. Perhaps it is time to restore the altar of the Lord. Perhaps it is time to come back to the basics of prayer and Bible study. Some basics are set forth in Acts 2:42: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
A good summary of all this can be found in verse 4 of 2 Chronicles 15: “but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.” In its simplicity, that is what we need to do during this Coronavirus Pandemic. As it was in Asa’s day, it will be for us as well. If we will seek Him with all our heart, we will find Him. And we might enter into a move of God that will turn this world right-side-up.
END NOTES
i This message was streamed from my home office since we are under a stay-at-home order.
ii All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
iii Mike Evans, “A Great Awakening Is Coming.” Accessed 4/4/19 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H4EwymqPiE. For the transcript see Dr. Mike Evans Message and Dr. Wilkerson Prophecy.pdf.
iv Barna Research Group, “The Bible in America: 6-Year Trends,” Research Release June 15, 2016. Accessed 4-4-20 at https://www.barna.com/research/the-bible-in-america-6-year-trends/.
v Exodus 34:6-7; 2 Peter 3:9.
vi Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962). Accessed 4-4-20 at https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/370/421/.
vii Eph. 5:27; Rev. 19:7-8.
viii Luke 14:27-33.
