Powerful Ways God Responds to Four Obedient Kings
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During the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam, the Kingdom of Israel split into two parts: Israel and Judah. Fierce conflict was typical between the two Kingdoms for centuries, but also within the Kingdoms and from nations bordering them.
The nations were especially weak because their people did not obey God’s covenant with them and worshiped other gods. Yet obedience changed their experience for the better. How did God respond to the faithfulness of certain kings of Judah? Here are four examples.
1. Asa: God Honors Repentance
Although he lost his way towards the end, Asa began his reign as King of Judah by choosing to follow God, in spite of his parents’ disobedience. Previous kings of Judah had permitted their people to erect Asherah poles and pillars of worship. “An Asherah pole was a sacred tree or pole that stood near Canaanite religious locations to honor the pagan goddess Asherah, also known as Astarte. [...] Ancient Israelites, after entering the land of Canaan, were influenced by the pagan religion it represented.”
Worshiping false gods was a rejection of the first commandment. Asa took this seriously and trusted the Lord.
One of Asa’s great victories was defeating an enormous Cushite army. Before leading his men into battle, Asa “cried out to the Lord his God,” declaring his faith that the Lord would “not let a mere mortal hinder you” (2 Chronicles 14:11). God heard his cry and honored it with victory.
Spurgeon describes the situation this way: “an army of a million footmen and three hundred thousand chariots! All the host that Asa could muster — and he did his best — was but small compared to this mighty band; and it appeared as if the whole land would be eaten up, for the people seemed sufficient to carry away Judea by handfuls.” But they did not, because “Asa believed in God, and therefore when he had mustered his little band he committed the battle to the Lord his God.”
Asa was not a perfect king; he failed to destroy the relics of idol worship around his kingdom. But when the prophet Azariah shared counsel from the Lord, Asa humbled himself. God would be with Asa if Asa sought God; but “if you abandon him, he will abandon you” (2 Chronicles 15:2). Azariah reminded Asa that the people of God had always found relief from their enemies when they turned to him, but “for many years Israel has been without the true God” (v. 3). This was why the Lord had “troubled them” for so long with “every possible distress” (v. 6).
Asa destroyed the idols and restored the altar of the temple of God. He gathered together “all Judah and Benjamin, as well as those from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who [...] had defected from Israel in great numbers when they saw that the Lord God was with them” (v. 9).
He rededicated the nation of Judah to the worship of God alone, so the Lord “gave them rest on every side” (v. 15). Asa’s example is for every follower of Jesus today: God is merciful to those who repent. Turn back to the ways of God as exemplified by the life of Christ. He will equip the faithful with his power to succeed in the battles he puts before them or within them. Asa did not win battles because his army was huge; he won them because his God was with him, and he is immeasurably powerful.
2. Jehoshaphat: Integrity, Intelligence, and Rest
“Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every side” (2 Chronicles 20:30).
Jehosaphat “again removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah” (v. 6). His father, King Asa, had done the same thing, but Judah drifted away from God quickly and the influence of paganism was prolific. Jehosaphat enacted a wise plan to “teach the cities” about the Lord (v. 7). The priests shared Scripture with the people to strengthen their faith and fear of the Lord. In response, God strengthened Judah: surrounding nations were terrified (v. 10). During his reign, fortresses and “storage cities” were built (v. 12). His military was formidable.
Later, Jehosaphat drifted, forgetting to consult the Lord. After Jehu, “son of the seer Hanani,” rebuked him (19:2), Jehosaphat made reforms. “He appointed judges in all the fortified cities [...]. Then he said to the judges “[...] you do not judge for a mere mortal, but for the Lord, who is with you in the matter of judgment” (v. 6).
Moreover, he warned them that the Lord would not stand for injustice, could not be bribed, and would not play favorites (v. 7) suggesting that bribery and corruption had infiltrated Judah’s legal system. His reforms continued: Levites and priests would be in charge of “settling disputes” and would warn parties in those disputes to “not incur guilt before the Lord” which would bring down his wrath on them (2 Chronicles 19:10).
A good teacher of the Lord is also a humble student. Jehosaphat and Asa both submitted to God’s rebuke through the teaching of a prophet appointed by God. Their integrity was an example to their own students and observers. Jehosaphat did not expect the people of Judah to submit blindly to Jewish worship either: his approach was to marry heart and mind in a holistic pursuit of the Lord.
Alexander MacLaren asserts that implementing change by force will lead to “violent rebounds to the old order.” Instead of forcing people to follow Jehovah, Jehosaphat wisely sought “to diffuse the knowledge of the true worship, by sending out a body of influential commissioners to teach in Judah.” It is stunning to note the emphasis on teaching which further highlights how little the people knew about God.
“God’s way of influencing actions is to reveal Himself to the understanding and the heart [...]. Wise men will imitate God’s way.” Jehoshaphat enabled the people of Judah to hear from God through his Word. The foundation for their obedience was rational awe, not fearful submission. This led to rest in God (shalom) and rest from war.
3. Uzziah: Wondrously Helped
“He sought God throughout the lifetime of Zechariah, the teacher of the fear of God. During the time that he sought the Lord, God gave him success” (2 Chronicles 26:5).
We see with the lengthy reign of Uzziah (52 years) that those who follow the Lord will be successful, but only as long as they continue to follow. After burning incense in the sanctuary and becoming angry with the priests who rebuked him, Uzziah was struck with a skin disease “which excluded him from the Lord’s temple” (2 Chronicles 26:21). Yet, his reign is still notable for his previous humility and the Lord’s favor. “His fame spread even to distant places, for he was wondrously helped until he became strong” (v. 15).
Kings will go astray, even when they have seen the hand of God over their lives or have sat under sound teaching. Like his predecessors, Uzziah received a rebuke; yet this king of Judah rejected it. The Lord allowed him to experience the chaos of sin. When kings return to him, the Lord is merciful.
Isaiah lived at the time of Uzziah and saw the downfall of God’s people – their idolatry and pride. Isaiah sees an image of God’s holiness and the “first glimpse doesn’t make him comfortable but makes him fear. He is in terror. He cries out ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’” (Isaiah 6:5). This would have been a right and humble response to God.
Humility typified Uzziah’s early years, during which time God gave him success. As long as leaders keep their eyes on the Lord and view themselves correctly as his subjects – loved and obedient – he allows them to win battles and enjoy great fame. But they have to give glory to God for their victories and seek success by the Lord’s terms, not their own. Glory does not belong to them.
4. Jothan: Personally Strengthened
“So Jotham strengthened his position because he did not waver in obeying the Lord his God” (2 Chronicles 27:6).
Jotham took his father’s obedience to a higher level. “He ordered the building of the Upper Gate of the Lord’s Temple and additions to the wall of Ophel” (2 Chronicles 27:3) plus more building work to strengthen Jerusalem. But he also demonstrated his commitment to his people’s spiritual and physical integrity.
Jotham’s weakness, an oft-seen weakness of God’s people, was not following through. Whether in destroying relics of idolatry or entire cities of Baal worshipers, many Old Testament leaders lacked the stomach and faith to do all that God had commanded. As one writer reminds us of the Israelites entering Canaan, they “did not fully obey God's command to drive out all the inhabitants. Instead, they made covenants with some of the Canaanite peoples, such as the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:14-15), and allowed others to remain in the land, often subjecting them to forced labor (Judges 1:28).”
Full obedience reaps rich rewards; disobedience sows the seeds of turmoil. This is a recurring theme in the Old Testament. Tolerance of evil impacts the next generation.
Jotham’s son was evil – he worshiped false gods. David C. Grabbe asserts: “The histories of Israel's kings and judges show that successful spiritual revivals typically begin with tearing down the idols first, which sets the stage for the people to turn back to God. The same dual action appears throughout Scripture: Getting rid of something bad is combined with replacing it with something good. When we are converted, we have to remove the false and take in the truth.” Isaiah prophesied that our Savior would "know to refuse the evil and choose the good" (Isaiah 7:15-16).
But overall, we see that peace and success typified Jotham’s rule. Grabbe highlights the word “his.” Jotham worshiped his God. “God was not simply a Being about whom Jotham had heard stories. No, he was dedicated to God and remained committed throughout his life.” We see this same wording in 2 Chronicles 14:11, where Asa “cried out to the Lord his God.” This little possessive pronoun distinguishes Almighty God from false gods while emphasizing the relational nature of Jotham’s faith which motivated and strengthened his obedience to God’s will.
Humble Yourself and Repent
There were no perfect kings depicted in 2 Chronicles or in any other part of the Bible – not until King Jesus came to pay for the sins of the world and defeat death entirely. He worshiped and submitted to God, and he did not tolerate evil.
However, when the kings of Judah forgot God, the Lord was gracious to pursue these fallen men. In their example we see this beautiful reality: we try to usurp God’s throne and chaos ensues. However, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Humble confession is the route to God’s gracious forgiveness and the peace that comes with it.
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