Stay Faithful To The End

2 Chronicles 16: 1 – 14

Stay Faithful to the end

16 In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa brought silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying, 3 “Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold; come, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.” 4 So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali. 5 Now it happened, when Baasha heard it, that he stopped building Ramah and ceased his work. 6 Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah, which Baasha had used for building; and with them he built Geba and Mizpah. 7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. 8 Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time. 11 Note that the acts of Asa, first and last, are indeed written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12 And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians. 13 So Asa rested with his fathers; he died in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 They buried him in his own tomb, which he had made for himself in the City of David; and they laid him in the bed which was filled with spices and various ingredients prepared in a mixture of ointments. They made a very great burning for him.

It is of great comfort to come to know One Who Is ever faithful, God Himself. Faithfulness is one element in God’s attribute of truth (Isaiah. 65:16), for the Lord Himself declared that He Is One Who abounds in faithfulness (Exodus 34:6).

The Lord is not only a God of faithfulness, truthfulness, and trustworthiness, but also acts in accordance with his basic character. As Moses declared in Psalm 100:5; “The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without wrongdoing, He Is righteous and upright.” (Deuteronomy 32:4).

One of the outstanding examples of God’s faithfulness is in his covenant relation to Israel. Accordingly, Psalm 98:2-3 declares, “The Lord demonstrates His power to deliver; in the sight of the nations He reveals His justice. He remains loyal and faithful to the family of Israel. All the ends of the earth see our God deliver us.

How blessed, then, is Israel to be God’s covenant people who as his faithful follower’s experience God’s justice and know him as their king, “the Holy One of Israel”. But there is more, God’s faithfulness is ever to be channeled through his servant David. “For the Lord declared, I will always extend my loyal love to him, and my covenant with him is secure.”

This covenant is an everlasting one and will remain in effect for his heirs. Even though some of David’s heirs may prove to be unfaithful, with the result that God must punish them for their sins, the Lord reinforced his promise about His covenant with David that,

“Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel forever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, there shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.” (1 Kings 9: 5)

Faithfulness to the Lord and His standards is a prime necessity for believers. Therefore, David admonishes his hearers, “Trust in the Lord and do what is right!” Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! (Psalm 37:3).