April 14, 2003
LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for April 27
Seek the Lord for sound advice in all matters
___ 1 Kings 15:9-21
___By Jim Perkins
___Madison Hills Baptist Church, San Antonio
___Sound advice instead of bad solutions--we all need a reliable source for good counsel in the face of life's challenges. This week's text from 1 Kings 15 chronicles the challenges Asa faced when seeking wise, godly counsel.
___Strong commitment
___In this passage, we meet Asa, king of Judah from 910-869 B.C. Asa, the great grandson of Solomon, is described as committed to doing "what was right in the eyes of the Lord" (15:11). Because of that commitment, Asa can be included in the list of great reforming kings, which includes faithful men such as Hezekiah (2 Kings 18) and Josiah (2 Kings 22).
___Asa's strong commitment to the Lord became apparent as he instituted a bold initiative designed to rid Judah of pagan idol worship. The king's determination to implement that plan became even more obvious as he prohibited idolatrous worship practices and destroyed those worship sites. In addition, Asa also was forced to depose the queen mother (his grandmoth
er, Maacah) when she evidently defied Asa's reforms and erected an idolatrous Asherah pole (15:12-14).
___In this portion of his life, Asa served as a wonderful role model of one who claims a strong faith commitment to the Lord. Remember, as it was then and must be now, that commitment not only was a matter of the heart's decision, it also surfaced in a determined obedience to the known will and commands of the Lord.
___Significant problem
___Commitment to the Lord does not bring immunity to the real challenges and problems that develop in life. There had been an ongoing state or attitude of hostility--but not open warfare--between Judah and Israel throughout the reigns of Asa and Baasha, king of Israel. To obtain a more complete understanding of the situation, the reader can supplement the text and expand on the explanation of 1 Kings 15:16 by referring also to 2 Chronicles 14:6-7, 16:1-14.
___The text indicates Asa faced a new challenge with the growth of more aggressive behavior on the part of Baasha. That Baasha "fortified Ramah" had extreme significance for Asa and all Judah. Ramah was located about five miles north of Jerusalem, indicating Baasha had entered Judah to retake Benjaminite territory previously added to Judah during the campaigns of Abijah ( 2 Chronicles 13:19, 15:9-10). An added feature of this territorial expansion was that trade and travel to the north was interrupted as Baasha instituted his plan "to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah" (15:17).
___Shifting focus
___In an overview of Asa's reign, it becomes apparent his focus changed over the years. During the early years of his reign, Asa evidenced a reliance on the Lord that surfaced in obedient action.
___When "Zerah the Cushite" (perhaps an Egyptian general; we can't be certain) invaded Judah from the south, Asa was obedient to call to "the Lord his God" for guidance and strength (2 Chronicles 14:11). Afterward, God sent his prophet Azariah to encourage Asa and spur him on to faithful worship and obedience: "Be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded" (2 Chronicles 15:7).
___All evidence from the early period of Asa's life and reign pointed to a growing commitment to the sovereign and sustaining God of Israel. 2 Chronicles 15:8-19 details the renewal of the covenant of Sinai and King Asa's actions to implement that renewed allegiance to the Lord. As had been promised before, "They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side" (2 Chronicles 15:15).
___A tremendous and disappointing shift in focus, however, can be seen in the latter years of Asa's reign. The military and political crisis initiated by Baasha's foray into Judah necessitated a decisive response. Instead of turning to the Lord for guidance and help, Asa pursued an alliance with Israel's neighbor to the north, Ben-Hadad of Damascus (in Aram, or Syria). Asa paid Ben-Hadad to abandon an existing alliance with Baasha and Israel (2 Chronicles 16:3) and enter into this new political alliance that would provide military assistance in the face of this new threat from Israel. In order to fund this new treaty, Asa had to empty the temple treasury of what "silver and gold that was left" after Shishak of Egypt plundered Jerusalem (14:25).
___The final chapter in this tragic saga of Asa's change of focus is recorded in 2 Chronicles 16:7-14. The seer Hanani served as God's spokesman and brought a simple, yet powerful message to Asa: "You relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, ... You have done a foolish thing" (2 Chronicles 16:7, 9). Note the same verb, "rely on," is used in 2 Chronicles 14:11 and 16:7. The only change has been Asa's object of trust--from God to mere men.
___Now Asa was destined to spend the last years of his life suffering from a debilitating disease in his feet. Even then, however, he apparently refused to rise to the level of faith and commitment representative of his early years, for he refused to "seek help from the Lord" (2 Chronicles 16:12). What a price he was willing to pay for his own inappropriate solutions.
___Questions for discussion
___ Make this personal: What situations have you faced that demanded you decide whether to rely on the Lord or a "mere man"?
___ What positive steps could you take to stay focused on the Lord when you seek solutions to life's challenges?
The Baptist Standard
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook
|