2 Chronicles 15:7 “But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”
In the ancient chronicles of kings and prophets there are reminders of God’s continued faithfulness.
The book of 2 Chronicles was a period that covered the beginning of Solomon’s reign in 971 B.C. to the end of the Exile around 538 B.C. However, the specific background of 1 and 2 Chronicles was the period after the Exile of the jews. During that time the world was under the control of the powerful Persian empire. All that remained of the glorious kingdom of David and Solomon was the tiny province of Judah….
Sounds like quite the saga doesn’t it? The Bible holds a storehouse of reminders of how the people of old learned difficult lessons we can apply today.
King Asa
During the period of King Asa’s reign there had been a pattern of national trial. Judah was experiencing a period of instability and decline. The people were suffering under dominion of a foreign kingdom and previous kings had allowed the slide from honoring the Lord to practicing idolatry. The Lord would raise up a prophet who would speak to the king and give him a choice to either turn and repent or suffer greater tragedy.
The Spirit of the Lord came upon the prophet Azariah and gave a message that was specific to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
2 Chronicles 15:2 “The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”
1. Often when God speaks during a time of crisis it is because the patience of God is ending or the people are ready to listen. (Vs. 1-2)
How did the tiny nation of Judah forget the One who had delivered them from slavery in Egypt? All of the majesty and power that God displayed should have been echoing through their nation for centuries. Because they had stopped listening and started following after idols, the Lord raised up Azariah to bring His Word.
We still see elements of God’s revelation today.
- The Lord directs the affairs of His people and speaks to those who hear His voice.
- The message is always clear, and the mandate is often both a promise and a warning.
2 Chronicles 15:3-4 “For many years Israel has been without the true God, without a priest to instruct them, and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them.”
Can you see why Israel had strayed so far off?
They lacked the one true God who would save them. They had cast aside all godly counsel and they lacked the moral standard of God’s law to govern them. Israel had positioned themselves to fall but God in His mercy and grace continued to draw them.
—The Lord guides those who trust in Him.
—For those who seek Him, He reveals His purposes to them.
—For those who forsake God, the Lord forsakes them. In other words, He allows them to fall into the hands of another.
Seeking God
2 Chronicles 15:7 “But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”
The encouragement the Lord gives Asa was to strengthen him to press on in faithfulness.
*God’s will should take precedence over everything else in life. He knows all things and is sovereign over all the Earth, there is no reason not to trust.
*He will guide His people if they follow His lead.
*Seeking God’s will is like finding a hidden gem, He reveals it to those who seek Him. For those who reject God’s counsel, they soon discover wrath.
Romans 1:18-25 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”
Are you listening when God sends a Word? Are you seeking Him?
You can either place yourself into the hands of God or into the hand of satan. The Lord will lead you, protect you, and shape you into His image if you place your trust in Him, while all the time satan seeks to destroy you.
History teaches us that forsaking God leads to Chaos (vs. 3-6)
*Israel had been without the true God (Idolatry) and their nation was fractured and weak. That last remnants of the nation were about to fall when God brought the Word to Asa.
The world has been in chaos since sin entered. Does the conditions of Israel at the time sound familiar today?
*No safety for travelers, conflicts within and without, nation against nation, city against city…should there be any doubt as to why there was so much trouble?
God had afflicted them with all kinds of adversity. vs 6
Isaiah 45:6-7 “That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting, that there is none besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other;
I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity;
I, the Lord, do all these things.’
When your life is marked by continuous adversity, it’s possible the Lord is bringing trouble upon you. People can look for a demon under every bush but there are times when the Lord is the one bringing the trouble.
Have you seen these patterns unfolding in your region? They aren’t new, men have always struggled to remain faithful and sin pulls the heart toward rebellion.
Be strong-Do what is right. (Vs7-8)
“But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded”
We witness what Asa’s initial response to God’s command entailed.
*He began to remove the idols from the land and he restored the altar of the Lord (restored true worship to God).
It’s easy to become discouraged when trouble keeps coming your way. When you begin to walk in faithfulness, your patient, and trust in the Lord, then your work will be rewarded.
Diligent people are blessed because God’s promises remain true.
Proverbs 13:4 “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.”
Revival requires wholehearted commitment (vs. 9-15)
*The people were drawn to Asa because they could see the Lord was with him. First came obedience, then came the sacrifice.
2 Chronicles 15:8 “When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD’s temple.”
*As the people entered back into a covenant relationship with God, they pledged their faithfulness. There became an alliance of God’s ordained plan they chose to now uphold.
A Covenant Relationship
When the people chose to return to the Lord they chose to enter into a covenant relationship with God.
*Marriage is a covenant relationship. It declares a promise to remain faithful til death.
*Jesus is now the mediator of a new covenant (Heb. 9:15)
*It required a whole hearted commitment from all the people.
They weren’t just sorrowful for their calamity…their hearts were turned toward God.
“They had sought Him earnestly and He was found by them.” (vs 15)
Do you seek God with all your heart, mind, and soul? Do you truly want to know Him?
Because the people turned to God, the Lord blessed them.
They had rest on every side. (vs. 15)
True peace with God leads to peace with others.
As Asa began to purge the nation of all that defiled, the Lord showed favor to him and to the people.
We too must remove any compromise (vs. 16). Asa removed His grandmother Makkah from being Queen mother because she had acted unfaithfully. He also removed all his families idols and destroyed them.
When you desire your house to be made clean, you have to follow through with your promise towards holiness. This isn’t a process that is easy but Jesus will strengthen those whose hearts are faithful.
Hebrews 9:14 “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
Only Jesus cleanses makes us holy before Him.
God rewards faithful effort (vs. 17-19)
Even though certain unfaithful people were still practicing a form of idolatry, Asa’s heart was completely turned to God. (Sacrifices may have been offered in places that were not considered worthy, only in places of ordained worship was there to be sacrifices made)
Asa restored the temple and resumed proper worship and sacrifice. (Vs. 18) and because of this the nation was without war for 35 years of his reign.
The same God who honored faithfulness then, is the same God who honors faithfulness today.
The work you’re doing (growing in knowledge, striving to be found faithful, turning from sin) will be rewarded if you’re strong and don’t give up.
Will you respond like Asa? Seeking God whole heartedly. Tearing down idols., Leading others into true worship?
This word is a call to action: What idols need to come down in your life? Are you ready to turn to the Lord with all your heart?
If so…..your revival is about to begin. Be patient. The Lord is always leads in faithfulness.
U.T. 