Seek the Lord. 2 Chronicles 2:14. A Godly Example – King Asa of Judah. 14th August 2016. Introduction. The action here takes place in the early days of the divided monarchy. After Solomon died the 10 northern tribes revolted against the harsh rule of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam and broke away. They became the kingdom of Israel and the two remaining tribes became Judah. Both were now smaller, weaker and more vulnerable. In the days of David and Solomon Israel controlled the central part of the Fertile Crescent and all the trade routes between Egypt and Mesopotamia, modern Iraq. This brought great wealth and power to Israel and they enjoyed a golden age of about 80 years. Asa became king in 910 BC, twenty one years after the death of Solomon. The glory days were gone. The empire was lost. Both Israel and Judah had become pawns in the power struggles that went on between Egypt and Assyria, who wanted to control the trade routes and expand their empires. In addition, Israel and Judah fought against each other almost continually. The glory days were gone forever. However, Judah still had the temple in Jerusalem and her kings continued the line of David. Asa became king at a time of weakness and vulnerability. His response was to seek the Lord which we find him doing in 2 Chronicles 14 and 15. For some 36 years he ruled wisely under God so he is a good example for us. Sadly, towards the end of his life he turned away from seeking the Lord so chapter 16 presents a different picture and a warning. Seeking the Lord is mentioned seven times in the story of Asa’s life. It is one of the key messages the Chronicler wants to communicate with us. Verses 1 – 8. Preparations. V 2. Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of his Lord. We see him seeking the Lord in spiritual and practical ways. 1. Seeking personal relationship with God. V 2. The Lord his God. This speaks of Asa making the Lord his personal God. The great influence he had as king was through his relationship with God. He sought God. The Hebrew word used here, darash, mean to seek, ask, enquire or investigate. Asa was clearly wanting to do what was right and good in the eyes of God so he spent time finding out what this was. Whatever influence we have as people comes from our relationship with the Lord. Thomas has gone down in history as the man who said to Jesus “My Lord and my God.” John 20:28. He is remembered as “Doubting Thomas” but he should be remembered as a man of faith with a deep personal relationship with the Lord. 2. Seeking God can mean removing things. V 3. As Asa sought the Lord he was shown that the spiritual health of the nation was at stake. God told him to remove all hindrances to worship of the true and living God. Four things are mentioned – foreign altars, high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles. These were all associated with Canaanite religion and they drew people away from the Lord and encouraged mixed religion – a bit of this and a bit of that. Our society is very open to this and very resistant to the idea that Jesus is the only way to the Father. As we seek the Lord there may be things that he calls us to remove from our lives or to destroy. 3. Asa called for obedience to the Lord. V 4. King Asa commanded his people to seek the Lord and to obey his laws and commands. This was a corporate seeking of God. To obey the Lord we need to know his commands, we need to know what his word says. Deuteronomy 6:4-8. Asa gave clear leadership to his people. Jesus linked love and obedience. John 15:10. If you obey my commandments you will remain in my love just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. Obedience is part of seeking the Lord. 4. Seeking God means removing false altars. V 5. King Asa removed the incense altars where worship to false gods took place. Is there anything in my life which takes too great a place? Is there anything that I worship? You can tell what you worship by what you give your time to and what you spend your money on. 5. Seeking the Lord can mean strengthening defences. V 6-7. Asa used the time of peace to strengthen Judah’s defences. Jerusalem was only 10 miles to the south of the border with Israel so he fortified the border towns with walls, bars and gates. The rebuilding and strengthening of these towns was seen as a reward from the Lord for seeking him. Asa remembered that there is a real enemy and he used the years of peace to prepare for future conflict. The fruit of this seeking of the Lord was ten years of peace. (v 1,5, and 6.) The Lord gave them rest. Sometimes the reason we are not at peace is because our defences are down. Our enemy waits to attack us at an opportune time. We need to keep our guard up. 6. Seeking the Lord can mean getting armed for battle. V 8. Asa strengthened his army. He used the 10 years of peace to build up the army and equip them well. We need to be well armed. Ephesians 6:10-18. In summary: King Asa’s preparations were both personal and corporate and both practical and spiritual. V 9-15. Conflict. All of these preparations were eventually put to the test. The breathing time of peace lasted 10 years. V 9-10. The Cushites (Egyptians) attacked Judah with a huge army and the latest technology – chariots, 300 chariots are mentioned. This must have been a significant threat to be mentioned. Asa went out to meet them outnumbered two to one. V 11 is Asa’s cry of faith. This is a great prayer made up of four sentences. 1. Lord, there is no-one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Asa called on God’s power and his mercy towards the weak. This is a humble prayer. Asa acknowledged his weakness and need. He expressed his trust in God. 2. He prayed Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you. He called to God for help using relational, covenant language: Our God. He asked for help on the basis of relationship. We rely on you. This is a corporate prayer. He spoke for all the people. Help us. Rely means to lean on for support, to depend on. We rest on thee and in thy name we go. King James. 3. In your name we have come against this vast army. Again Asa identified Judah with the Lord their God in this conflict. The enemy is huge but he looks to God. They came before their enemy in the name of the Lord. He was making his gt gt grandfather David his model. This is the same approach that David used against Goliath. I Samuel 17:45. 4. O Lord, you are our God, do not let man prevail against you. Again Asa claims covenant relationship with the Lord. Our God. You would expect him to say let not man prevail against us but he says you. Asa was enabled by faith to see this battle as the Lord’s battle. In his seeking of the Lord he identifies himself completely with the Lord and his covenant promises. Victory. V 12-15. The Lord responded to King Asa’s faith by identifying himself with Asa and with Judah. Their enemies were defeated and crushed before the Lord and his forces. As Asa claimed the Lord as his own, now the Lord claimed the armies of Judah as his own. All this started with one man who decided to seek the Lord and to do what was good and right in his eyes. .