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The land was at peace… (2 Chronicles 14:6).
King Asa started out so well. The beginning of his reign could best be described by the word “peace”:
- The land was at peace
- No one was at war with him
- The Lord gave him rest
- “[God] has given us rest on every side”
- The Lord his God was with him
When Cush attempted to attack the nation of Judah, Asa called on God: “Lord, there is no one like You to help the powerless against the mighty. … Do not let mere mortals prevail against You” (14:11). God gave Asa a great victory over Cush, and other God-fearing people from Israel began flocking to Judah “when they saw that the Lord his God was with [Asa]” (15:9).
This peace lasted for 35 years!
And then came one poor decision from which Asa never recovered.
The king of Israel began to make preparations for war against Judah. Instead of calling on God as he did when Cush was preparing to attack, Asa reverted to political maneuvering. He sent a bribe to a rival nation, enticing them to attack Israel.
The prophet Hanani told Asa, “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war” (16:9).
From “the land was at peace” to “from now on you will be at war” came about because Asa…
- …trusted his own ingenuity instead of relying on God
- …calculated his odds instead of calling on his God
- …forgot about God’s past provision
- …refused to confess his sin and repent from it, even when the prophet called him out
- …utterly abandoned his God (16:2-12)
Starting well is good, but finishing well is far better!
A mark of a godless leader is one who refuses to confess and repent from his sin.
Asa’s refusal to admit his sin resulted in the end of his life being spent afflicted with disease and his country being surrounded and oppressed by enemies.
This is part 54 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here.
Craig T. Owens 