2 Chronicles 16

2 Chronicles 16:1

ASA’S LAPSE OF FAITHWe have read in several verses that people from the northern kingdom would move to Judah because they saw that there was a revival going on under Asa. Baasha wanted to keep his people in his own kingdom and didn’t want them to be moving south to Judah.

2 Chronicles 16:2

Israel became a formidable enemy to Asa and Judah. So what does Asa do? He turns to a former ally that he had, King Ben-hadad of Syria. And what did that indicate? It indicated a lack of faith in God.

2 Chronicles 16:4

The king of Syria responded and sent in his troops.

2 Chronicles 16:5

The maneuver was successful, but now the Lord has something to say to Asa.

2 Chronicles 16:7

Why did God send a prophet to Asa to rebuke him? Why does God judge Asa? It is for his lack of faith. The third bridge we must cross for revival is faith in Godnot faith in methods, nor in man, nor in a church, nor in a system, nor in an organization. Revival requires faith in God. When Baasha came against Asa in civil war, Asa turned to Ben-hadad of Syria, the ancient enemy. Hanani reminded him that he had every evidence that God would deliver him. God had delivered into his hand the army of the Ethiopians and the Lubims. Yet at this crisis point Asa demonstrated a lack of faith. We need to clearly understand that although there is one act of faith which saves usthat is justification is by faith; the moment we put our trust in Jesus Christ, we are savedlife does not end when we are saved. My friend, we are to live by faith. Paul wrote to the Roman believers, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Then he uses one of the strangest expressions imaginable: “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Rom_1:16-17). What does it mean that therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith? It means we are saved by faith, and we are to live by faith. Hanani said to Asa, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” This means that God is looking for a man or a woman who will believe in Him. By the way, would you like to be that person who believes God? I don’t mean you are to become a fanatic, but you can believe God on the good solid testimony of His Word. Do you know that you cannot possibly please God unless you believe Him? “But without faith it is impossible to please him …” (Heb_11:6). The writer to the Hebrews also tells us that we are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses. Because of this, “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us….” What is the sin?

Unbelief. “…and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Heb_12:1). Let’s not only be saved by faith, my friend, let’s live by faith. Many folk claim to be Christians, yet they live like agnostics.

2 Chronicles 16:10

This is amazing! Asa will not accept the rebuke. Why? Because he didn’t believe it. Neither did he have real faith and dependence on God. Living without God means spiritual death for us. There could be no way in the world for us to be used of God. Now we will see that God struck him with a disease.

2 Chronicles 16:12

God struck him with a disease which was serious and then became critical. He turned to the physicians. There is nothing wrong in that. The point is that he didn’t turn to God in all of this. It is just as important for a believer to go to God when he gets sick as it is to call the doctor. Not only do I believe that, but I am a walking proof that God is faithful.

When it was discovered that I had cancer, I not only went to the doctor, I went to God in prayer. I didn’t go to a so-called faith healer. I went to the Great Physician. When you get sick, there are two things you ought to do: you should call the doctor and you should call upon God. Probably the most practical writer in the New Testament said, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (Jas_5:14). He said two things should be done.

The first was prayer, turning to God, calling on the name of the Lord. The second was anointing the sick one with oil. Now that was not a ceremonial act, not a religious act; it was medicinal. He was saying they should call on the Lord and call the doctor. That is practical. The difficulty with Asa was that he called the doctor, but he didn’t call on the Lord. It is amazing and very sobering to see a man who had experienced revival but now is not walking with God and is not living by faith. My friend, to live by faith is to have faith in God. It means we take our problems and our difficulties to the Lord and turn them over to Him. It is a faith that accepts whatever answer He gives us because He hears and answers our prayers in His own way. He may not answer in our way, but He will answer according to His will. You can be sure of one thing: if you turn things over to Him, you will be in His will. If you are in His will, that is the very best answer you can getlots better than what you may have asked for.

2 Chronicles 16:13

They burned a lot of candles for him. During Asa’s reign Judah experienced a touch of revival. He went only part way with God, and yet God used him.