“Often those who rise like a rocket, plummet like a rock.”
Introduction: Previously in the story of King Asa we have seen him humbled before God as he took over the kingdom, crediting God’s goodness with the people’s ability to keep the Kingdom (14:2-7). We watched as he fully surrendered himself to God when tested by a huge invading army (14:8-11). God was faithful to Asa, and filled his coffers with the spoils of the war that should have devastated Him (14:12-15). After that war, we saw as Asa listened to God’s prophets and carefully rid his Kingdom of influences of idolatry (15:1-15). He stood up to the tests, removing the positions of even those close to him when they violated God’s standard (15:16-17). He delighted in putting priority into the Temple, and rested in peace from foreign enemies (15:18-19).
Slowly, King Asa became a competent ruler. He became a well-known “good King”. He read the clippings in the Jerusalem Post, and began to believe his own press secretary. He began to trust his own judgment in matters of state, rather than need God as much as he once did. His surrender slipped into self-control. His competence became his greatest enemy. Truth gave way to deception. Power gave way slowly, almost imperceptibly, to defensiveness outbreaks and military vulnerability. The once powerful king was reduced to a sick, embittered, closed-hearted old man.
How did this happen to a man who once truly followed God?
I. The Problem for King Asa:
King Baasha put up fortifications to stop the flow of people and trade between them (16:1).
The Testing Principle: God will often send tests periodically to help us identify the growing weaknesses in our life. He wants us to drop into “strong reliance” mode, and get back to our commitment to Him!
II. The Response of King Asa:
- King Asa robbed the Temple treasury of its valued articles to buy an alliance with the Syrian King Ben-Hadad (16:2).
The Justification Principle: When self-reliant, we will justify robbing God of the time, treasure and talents He invested in our lives to fulfill objectives we believe will advance us.
- He sent an emissary with the valuables and an appeal to reopen the alliance their fathers had before (16:3) and bought Ben-Hadad away from King Baasha’s treaty to a new treaty, forcing King Baasha to withdraw his troops from the border posts (16:4).
The Precedence Principle: When we make bad decisions, we affect the generations behind us by setting a precedent. The sting of the first generation’s sin becomes the common practice of the next. (King Ahaz would later rely on Assyria and set up the downfall of the nation based on this!)
III. The Help of King Ben-Hadad:
1. Ben-Hadad accepted the bribe and agreed to aid King Asa (16:4), so he ordered raids against the cities belonging to King Baasha (16:4), forcing him to pull the troops from the south and reinforce his northern cities under attack (16:5).
Unequal Yoke Principle: When you ally yourself with evil men, they will use your intent to justify their own ends, tarring you with the same brush. The deal was to simply break his treaty, not attack. In the aid provided by Ben-Hadad, he used the situation
to justify offensive destruction against people who HAD NOT ATTACKED anyone – neither Judah nor Syria.
- King Asa brought his army to pillage all of the work done on the fortifications and steal the stones and timber to build his own defenses (16:6).
Success Deception Principle (Immediate Gratification Principle): We can easily be deceived into thinking that we have “won” something, but in fact the success is short-lived and higher in price than we understand.
IV. The Message from God:
- Hanani the prophet came and told King Asa, “Because you made this treaty with Ben-Hadad, you lost the blessing I was going to give you – putting his riches and kingdom into your hands!” (16:7).
Lost Blessing Principle: God desires to bless us with great things we haven’t even dreamed of, if we walk faithfully with Him. We lose things we don’t even know when we rely on ourselves and don’t trust in the Lord with our whole heart.
- He continued, “You trusted Me against the vast army of the Cushites and I gave you their spoils (16:8). For the Lord is scanning the globe looking for people who really trust Him with all their lives! (16:9). You have been foolish, and now will fight for what you have
(16:9).
Securing Principle: When we fight to get our own blessings, we will have to fight to keep them. When we trust God to get blessed, He is our defender!
V. The Reaction of King Asa:
The king became angry (16:10a). He locked the messenger in prison (16:10b), and oppressed others who sided with the prophet (16:10b).
Self Distraction Principle: When I am busy justifying my own actions, I will become more and more consumed with my own opinions and ideas, to the exclusion of all those around me!
VI. The Tragic End of King Asa:
1. His deeds were recorded and remembered for centuries (16:11). Within a few years he struggled with diseased feet that grew very severe (16:12). Bitter and self-reliant, King Asa refused to turn to God and sought only human guidance (16:12b).
“Rut” Principle: It is hard to break a cycle, even when it isn’t working. We get into a self-destructive behavior pattern and can see it playing out in front of us, but seem powerless to stop it. It is a deception! Every moment is another opportunity for change!
- He made preparation for his own death without turning back to God (16:13-14). People remembered him respectfully, but God remembered him as a missed opportunity for the nation to walk with Him whole-heartedly.
Hardness Principle: People have an almost unlimited capacity for thick-headedness. Even when death is imminent, they will plan for the temporal, and leave the eternal “on-hold” as if it were not coming!
Is your heart soft and yielded? Are you ready to meet God today, should He call upon you?
