2 Chronicles 15:2
In 2 Chronicles 15:1–2 we read:
1 The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. 2 He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. 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. (2 Chronicles 15:1–2)
This happened after a great victory of Israel over Zerah the Cushite, who had an enormous army of a million soldiers (2 Chronicles 14:9). At that time King Asa had an army of five hundred and eighty thousand men — that is, almost half the size of his opponent’s (2 Chronicles 14:8). But in that difficult moment for the people of God, King Asa prayed to God and asked him to give him the victory (2 Chronicles 14:10).
11 Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.” (2 Chronicles 14:11)
This prayer is grounded in God’s character, it expresses faith, it is spoken in God’s name, and it is motivated by God’s glory. Such should be all our prayers. The Lord heard this prayer and performed the miracle.
12 The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, 13 and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed before the Lord and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder. 14 They destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for the terror of the Lord had fallen on them. They looted all these villages, since there was much plunder there. 15 They also attacked the camps of the herders and carried off droves of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 14:12–15)
So this was an enormous victory for Israel. And now they are returning from the battle, and a triumphal parade awaits them, a welcome fit for conquerors. But in the middle of this incredible celebration the prophet Azariah warns them that God is with them now, yet he will remain with them only on one condition — if they keep on seeking him and staying with him (2 Chronicles 15:2).
1 The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. 2 He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. 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. (2 Chronicles 15:1–2)
These closing words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, apply not only to King Asa and to all Israel; they are a universal principle that applies to all times and cultures — including us. The Lord is with us while we are with him, and if we seek him he will be found by us, but if we forsake him he will forsake us.
What is being spoken of here? Our fellowship and union with God — the presence of God in our lives. For him to be “found by us” and to remain with us, we must seek him and keep on being one with him. And conversely, if he has left us, if our fellowship with him is broken and he is no longer with us, then the reason for this lies in ourselves — he has left us because we first left him.
In other words, whether or not we have God’s presence in our lives depends entirely on us. God is always ready to respond to our initiative, whatever it may be. Of course, he wants us to find him and for him to be with us. Is that not why he created us — so that he could have fellowship with us? But he wants that fellowship to be freely given. So if we do not desire him, he withdraws and leaves us on our own. Yet such a state of loneliness — without God — is dreadful. Separation from the source of life is equivalent to spiritual death.
To understand this verse better, we need to know what the presence of God really is. What does it mean for “the Lord to be with us and for us to be with him”? Because only if we can grasp what God’s presence is will we be able to realize how dreadful it would be to lose it.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE LORD TO BE WITH US?
In 2 Chronicles 15:8–9 we read that King Asa listened to the words of the prophet Oded and turned to the Lord with all his heart.
8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord’s temple. 9 Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. (2 Chronicles 15:8–9)
Notice what verse 9 says — the people “saw” that the Lord was with King Asa. This shows us that God’s presence in our lives is something tangible, something that can be seen by others. The Lord his God was with King Asa. This makes us stop and ask what it means for the Lord to be with us.
- Answered prayers
First of all, for the Lord to be with us means that God hears our prayers and helps us. Already at the beginning we mentioned how God heard King Asa’s prayer and answered him (2 Chronicles 14:9–13). If the Lord is with us, then we too will have answered prayers. As it says in Psalm 91:14–15:
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. (Psalm 91:14–15)
The matter of prayer is inseparably bound up with God’s guidance. For one of the things we most often pray for is wisdom. If the Lord is with us, he will lead us and give us wisdom for how to act in the most fitting way in every situation.
- More than conquerors
Secondly, for the Lord to be with us means total victory in every battle of our lives. Can anyone defeat the Lord? His presence in our lives makes us undefeatable. In Romans 8:31, 37 we read:
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:31–37)
Regardless of the accusations, regardless of the sorrow, the problems, the hardships, the distress, the crisis and the poverty — even in death — we are more than conquerors through God! To have God’s presence in our lives means to be undefeatable!
Battle and struggle also make us think of God’s protection in our lives. For in battle we not only attack the enemy, but are also subjected to his attacks. But if God is with us, then he will be our “shield and rampart” (Psalm 91:4).
- Peace
Thirdly, for the Lord to be with us means to have peace and rest. In 2 Chronicles 14:1–7 we read the following about King Asa:
1 And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his days the country was at peace for ten years. 2 Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. 4 He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands. 5 He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him. 6 He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the Lord gave him rest. 7 “Let us build up these towns,” he said to Judah, “and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered. (2 Chronicles 14:1–7)
In 2 Chronicles 15:8–15 we read what Asa did after he heard the prophecy of the prophet Oded:
8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord’s temple. 9 Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. 10 They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11 At that time they sacrificed to the Lord seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder they had brought back. 12 They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. 13 All who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14 They took an oath to the Lord with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. 15 All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side. (2 Chronicles 15:8–15)
- Prospering in spite of crisis
For the Lord to be with us means to thrive and prosper in everything we do. In 2 Chronicles 26:5 we read this observation about King Uzziah:
5 He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success. (2 Chronicles 26:5)
This holds true for King Uzziah, for King Asa, and for all of us. As long as we seek him, God gives us success!
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SEEK GOD?
First of all, to seek the Lord means to live according to his Word. In the Law, in the Bible, God has revealed his will to us. From there we can understand what is good and what is evil — what pleases God and what does not. To seek the Lord means to live according to his will, or in other words to have works of faith and obedience. In 2 Chronicles 14:2–4 we read:
2 Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. 4 He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands. (2 Chronicles 14:2–4)
And if we do not seek God in the right way, the way he has expressly revealed, if we do not comply with his conditions, he will not be found by us.
And here I would like to draw your attention to something that may be called “destructive godliness.” It is said of King Asa that he “smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles.” This is a godliness that tears down, that hacks apart, that shatters and destroys.
- This is the godliness with which Moses burned the golden calf in the fire, ground it to fine powder, scattered the powder on the water, and made the Israelites drink it (Exodus 32:19–20);
- This is the godliness with which Gideon tore down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it (Judges 6:28);
- This is the godliness with which Hezekiah broke the bronze snake into pieces and called it “Nehushtan,” which means “a piece of bronze” (2 Kings 18:4);
- This is the godliness with which the Christians in Ephesus burned their magic books, despite their high value of fifteen thousand pieces of silver (Acts 19:19);
How does such godliness express itself for us in practice?
- In fighting against crime and defending the cause of sobriety and the struggle against the various kinds of addictions and vices — such as alcoholism, drugs, pornography, the internet, and so on.
- In not allowing occult literature, occult objects, and idolatrous practices into our homes, and in not admitting into our homes false teachers and other such servants of Satan;
- In controlling our tongue and not allowing ourselves to utter profanity, obscenity, or gossip and slander;
- In removing from our lives things and practices that endanger our spiritual purity. In not “thinking about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Romans 13:14) and being ready to apply to ourselves Christ’s words from Matthew 5:29–30:
29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. (Matthew 5:29–30)
Secondly, to seek the Lord means to long for him. This includes both seeking God with all our will and entering into a personal covenant between us and God. In practice, a large part of all this takes place in prayer. In 2 Chronicles 15:12–15 we read about the personal covenant that King Asa and his people made with God:
12 They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. 13 All who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14 They took an oath to the Lord with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. 15 All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side. (2 Chronicles 15:12–15)
Thirdly, to seek the Lord means that our heart should be fully committed to him — pure and believing. In 2 Chronicles 16:9 we read:
9 For 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.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)
In 2 Chronicles 15:17 it is said of King Asa that his heart was fully committed to God all the days of his life.
17 Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. (2 Chronicles 15:17)
And yet we see that at the end of his life Asa chose to rely on his financial might, on men, and on diplomatic alliances rather than on the Lord, and for this he was rebuked by God. In fact, this wonderful verse about the eyes of the Lord that search for hearts fully committed to God is part of God’s rebuke of King Asa.
1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. 2 Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 3 “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.” (2 Chronicles 16:1–3)
4 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. 6 Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah. (2 Chronicles 16:4–6)
Notice that, humanly speaking, up to this point King Asa’s plan was a success. He had concluded a peace treaty with the northern neighbors of the Northern Kingdom, and this led to the breaking of the siege against Judah. And yet God was offended with King Asa. Why? Because Asa did not seek him, but the Syrian king Ben-Hadad.
7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8 Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. 9 For 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.” (2 Chronicles 16:7–9)
10 Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people. 11 The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. (2 Chronicles 16:10–11)
12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. 13 Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors. 14 They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honor. (2 Chronicles 16:12–14)
The problem of King Asa, and of a number of other kings of the Judean dynasty, was that they began their reign well; in the early days of their rule they were successful. But then, at a certain point, they lost their connection with God, their unwavering faith in him, and their pure hearts, and so their hearts ceased to be fully committed to God. For example, at the beginning of his reign, while he was relying on God, King Asa built his most ambitious projects and won the most strategic battles of his life. But at the end of his life, even though he was not handed over to his enemies, King Asa preferred diplomacy over prayer and the physicians over divine healing. And so, in the end, for a certain moment he found himself in the position of a persecutor of God’s people, becoming angry with the prophet of God who warned him about the change in his spiritual condition, and even throwing him into prison for daring to rebuke him publicly.
These are symptoms of pride, hardening, and unbelief toward God. So let us humble ourselves! Let us learn from God’s Word. If King Asa, who was such an example of godliness and faith, managed at the end of his life to harden his heart and lose his faith in God, then there is such a danger for us too! Therefore, let us be awake and watchful, and let us give ourselves to prayer and to seeking God! Let us abide in God and be disciplined and steadfast. For growing cold does not happen all at once. It happens gradually. The difference in time between the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of 2 Chronicles is twenty-six years. This means that you may have been a young person zealous for God, but that is no guarantee that you will also be a grown-up Christian zealous for God. The fire for God must be kept burning every day! For,
The Lord is with us while we are with him; and if we seek him, he will be found by us, but if we forsake him, he will forsake us. (2 Chronicles 15:2)