Read: 2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14; Romans 9:1-21; Psalm 19:1-14; Proverbs 20:1
Abidjan must have raised his son to fear God because Asa feared the Lord and was a good king. He did things than no king had done. He smashed the sacred stones, cut down the Ashram poles and removed the foreign altars and the high places. He took responsibility for the people. When a leader turns with all his heart toward the Lord, the nation changes. I pray that this is where we are in America. When a nation turns, prosperity returns and building begins. There is peace with other nations and God fights for you. God fought the Cushiness for Asa and they received much booty and spoils.
In Chapter 15:17 it says that the heart of Asa was perfect all his days and he gave much of his own wealth to the house of God. He enjoyed 35 years of peace and in the next year Baasha the king of Israel started building Ramah which was a gateway from Israel to Judah. So many people were defecting through it to Judah because they saw how the Lord was with Judah that Baasha wanted to stop them. It was his way of fortifying his boundaries. Baasha means to stink or to be offensive.
Instead of going to the Lord for help, Asa took money from the temple and hired Ben-hadad’s army from Syria to fight Israel. They did stop the building of Ramah but God was not pleased that Asa went to the king Syria for help instead of him. He sent Asa a seer to tell him of his displeasure and Asa took his remorse out on the seer. He put him in prison. Asa’s feet got diseased…his walk had been tainted by the offense in his heart. He eventually died. How sad that he began so well and ended not so well.
In Romans, Paul goes to great expense to explain to us that just because you are a Jew doesn’t mean you are chosen by God. To us that would mean that just because you grew up in church or were born in a Christian family doesn’t mean that you are automatically a Christian. God has mercy on who he wants to have mercy on and compassion on who he wants to have compassion on.
I do understand about God’s mercy. This past week-end our 20 month old grandson, Ezra was found face down floating in the baby pool. His parents were feet away. When their son pointed to him they ran and scooped him up - blue and not breathing. Needless to say, they panicked. It ended well. He was taken to the hospital and is home and well now but it was traumatic and exhausting. Dave and I drove there and spent the night to love on everyone and just be together. We are so grateful that Ezra was saved. The same week-end we heard of another 2 year old who wandered away and was found drown in the lake. How do you come to grips with that? I don’t have an answer. I greatly grieve for those parents.
Paul ends his teaching with the fact that God’s purposes are good and though we might not understand at the time…they are always best.
Lord, I pray for all of us who are going through things we do not understand. May we rest in your love and know that your purposes are for our good.
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