In 2 Chronicles 14, King Asa had enjoyed 10 years of unbroken peace, and this encouraged him to begin a process of construction and fortification of his kingdom's defences. Shortly after this he was attacked by a million strong army.
King Asa called on the Lord when he saw he was grossly outnumbered and outgunned, and God came to his rescue.
On Asa's return from the battle, he was warned by a prophet (Azariah) never to forsake trusting in God. In fact Asa's entire Kingdom consisting Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, Ephraim and Manasseh, swore a solemn covenant to always serve God.
Fast forward another twenty five years in 2 Chronicles 16, and Asa had forgotten how to trust in God. He was so prosperous and 'enlightened' that he 'knew' how to solve his problems himself.
Faced with a battle against a superior Israelite army, he sought the help of the Aramean King, Ben-Hadad.
Though the treaty led to Judah's rescue, God sent a message to Asa calling him a fool. God had planned to give the Aramean Kingdom to Asa in defeat! Instead, Judah was now Aram's vassal state.
Interestingly, Asa never recovered that close relationship of trust in God till his death, and he led the entire Kingdom of Judah in the same foolish path.
The entire point of religion and it's various rituals and practices should be complete trust in the Almighty God. Humans have limited knowledge and capabilities, but the ability to trust in God, lifts him far above his capacity.
Perhaps God puts some of us through trials and tribulations in order that the bond we have with Him should never fray or get severed.
For an idea of what happens when man becomes extremely successful, we only have to look West at its rejection of the Almighty!
No comments:
Post a Comment