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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
1 Kings 15:1-24
Abijam, like his father before him, was not wholeheartedly devoted to God. Though he didn’t fully abandon God, his heart was divided. “But for the sake of David, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up his son after him and by preserving Jerusalem. For David did what was right in the LORD’s sight” (1 Kings 15:4-5a). Yet another picture of Jesus and His redeeming work for us! God did not deal with Abijam according to his unfaithfulness. Instead, he dealt with him according to David’s faithfulness. In the same way, God deals with us according to the righteousness of Christ. That is how we know that our salvation cannot fail.
Interestingly, the “lamp” God gave him in the form of a son to continue his line turned out to be a righteous and faithful man. I believe this adds to the picture here. I think this shows us that when God deals with us according to Jesus’ righteousness rather than our own failures, our old, faithless self passes away. He transforms us into something new, making us faithful to Him. Thus, we become a lamp, shining the light of God’s promise into the world.
2 Chron. 13
This chapter confirms that Abijah did not completely abandon God. At the start of his reign he depended on God and God delivered him. So I suspect that he really did fall into the very same trap that got his father. His enemy, Jeroboam, lost his power while Abijah grew strong. No doubt the victory and power God granted him went to his head, causing that false sense of security and the complacency that comes with it. I think that’s why mountain top moments so often lead straight to time in the valley. Those valleys are humble reminders that we aren’t the ones who conquer mountains.
2 Chron. 14
I’m never sure of the timing of events in the Bible. However it seems as though Asa and his kingdom experienced peace for ten years and then a massive army came against them. Unlike his father and grandfather, though, Asa had not become complacent. Thus, when faced with adversity, he went straight to God. His prayer is telling. He said, “LORD, there is no one besides you to help the mighty and those without strength. Help us, LORD our God, for we depend on you” (2 Chron. 14:11b). It seems Asa recognized that might meant nothing. It is a false sense of security and cannot save. Only God can do that. So whether we are strong or weak is irrelevant. Either way, we still need God.
2 Chron. 15
Again Asa bucked the trend. After his mountaintop moment with the Chushite defeat, God sent Asa the simple message that He reveals Himself to those who seek Him but is far from those who abandon Him. As a result, Asa “took courage” and became even more devoted to God than before. No troubled valley time for Asa! He started a nation-wide revival that kept the land in peace for another 25 years. All of Judah took God’s message to Asa to heart. Thus, “They had sought Him with all sincerity, and He was found by them.” (2 Chron. 15:15b). I love the wording there, too. It isn’t on us to find God. All we need to do is sincerely seek Him and let Him take care of the rest.
2 Chron. 16
The ten years of peace at the beginning of Asa’s reign did not diminish his dependence on God. When God tested him after the next twenty years of peace, however, we see a different story. Somewhere along the way Asa forgot that God was the answer to his every need. I doubt there was any one thing that turned him away. It was likely just the complacency that grows over time, especially a time of peace. It makes me think of the words of Agur in Proverbs 30. “Give me neither poverty nor wealth” (Prov. 30:8b). I would add, “Give me neither an abundance of peace or of turmoil.” Extremes seem to have a way of making us forget God.
It’s kind of scary to know that someone with the enthusiastic faith of Asa can still end up a victim of his own pride. We see it in his response to Hanani, who called him to task regarding his failure to depend on God. That moment of confrontation is always where the rubber meets the road and your true heart comes out. Unlike David, who always responded with humility, Asa hardened his heart and continued in his deviant way. Even after God gave him a foot disease, Asa’s heart did not turn back.
We have no way of knowing Asa’s eternal fate for a life of faith that sadly ended with a hardened heart. His story does, however, stress the importance to me of Paul’s words in his letter to the Philippians. “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7). It is through consistent prayer that God protects our hearts from the hardening power of pride.