Principles of Faith: Asa

1. Principles of Faith: Asa 2 Chronicles 14-16

2. God’s View of Faith “And without faith it is impossible to please Him...” Hebrews 11:6 “Whatever is not from faith is sin.”Romans 14:23

3. What is Faith? • 2 Chronicles 14:1-7

4. 2 Chronicles 14:2-7 Asa did what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God. He removed the pagan altars and the shrines. He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. He commanded the people of Judah to seek the Lord…

5. Faith The Result of Defiant Faith: … So Asa's kingdom enjoyed a period of peace… No one tried to make war against him at this time, for the Lord was giving him rest from his enemies. 2Chron.14:5-6 Hebrews 11:32-34 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.

6. Then…REAL Trouble!2 Chron. 14:9 Once an Ethiopian named Zerah attacked Judah with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots. They advanced to the city of Mareshah…

7. Asa’s Reaction… 2 Chron. 14:11 Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God, "O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!"

8. Faith

9. Faith

10. God’s Reaction to Asa’s Prayer… [12] So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians in the presence of Asa and the army of Judah, and the enemy fled. [13] Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar, and so many Ethiopians fell that they were unable to rally. They were destroyed by the Lord and his army, and the army of Judah carried off vast quantities of plunder.

11. Faith But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14

12. A Change… And the Lord gave them rest from their enemies on every side. – 2 Chron. 15:15 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign. – 2 Chron. 15:19

13. A Spiritual Denseness…2 Chron. 16:1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa's territory in Judah.

14. A Spiritual Denseness…2 Chron. 16:2-3 Asa responded by taking the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Lord's Temple and from the royal palace. He sent it to King Ben-hadad of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message: “Let us renew the treaty that existed between your father and my father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone.”

15. A Spiritual Denseness…2 Chron. 16:4-5 Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa's request and sent his armies to attack Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all the store cities in Naphtali. As soon as Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah.

16. A Spiritual Denseness…2 Chron. 16:6 Then King Asa called out all the men of Judah to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baasha had been using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the towns of Geba and Mizpah.

17. The Plan Backfired …2 Chron. 16:7-9 At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, "Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram…What a fool you have been! From now on, you will be at war."

18. Human Wisdom Asa Syndrome

19. Human Wisdom

20. Human Wisdom • “For God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

21. Human Wisdom

22. A Sad Ending…

23. Human Wisdom “Even when the disease became life threatening, he did not seek the Lord's help but sought help only from his physicians.” – 2 Chron. 16:12 These [trials] have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. – 1 Peter 1:7

24. Two Approaches Faith in God Human Wisdom

25. Two Approaches Faith in God Human Wisdom

26. Implications to consider:

27. Implications to consider: • “Don't you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and horsemen? At that time you relied on the Lord, and he handed them all over to you.” – 2 Chron. 16:8 “Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.” – Isaiah 44:8 (NASB-U)

28. Implications to consider: “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to support those whose hearts are committed to him.” – 2 Chron. 16:9 • "Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram… – 2 Chron. 16:8

29. Two Approaches Faith in God Human Wisdom