The Chronicler now shows Asa as an example of unfaithfulness and backsliding. Although the Lord had demonstrated His power before, towards the end of his reign Asa chose to ignore the Lord’s counsel. He did not consult the Lord about dealing with Israel or about allying Judah with Aram. Though Asa achieved his goals, the Lord was angry with him. He was rebuked by the Lord’s prophet. He refused to repent and compounded his disobedience by abusing the prophet as well as those people who were under his rule. The Lord sent war and sickness upon him but these too did not turn him back to God.
The Chronicler desires to teach his audience of the importance of always relying on God for help, no matter what the situation. Asa’s sin was using human means and wisdom in dealing with Israel and later on in his illness. While human means can be helpful, those who do not rely on the Lord will find no relief.
In America today most people no longer seek help from God in prayer. When people become sick they expect the medical profession to provide them with sure cures and therapies. When they fall into financial need they expect the government to bail them out and provide them with all they need and want. People today rarely see the need for confession of sin or repentance. Instead, prompted by the media and the government, most seek help from psychologists, sociologists and educators in dealing with problems such as mass murders, drug addiction, suicide, drunk driving and illegitimacy. The example of Asa teaches us that as long as these sources deny the existence of sin and of a righteous God, their efforts will be in vain.
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