It was with a heavy heart that I came to the Scriptures this morning. I woke up and flipped on Facebook only to see a post from a ministry co-worker who has a lot of influence. The post was disturbing as it was buying into a rhetoric based on misleading information about the people of God.
It made me wonder, will Christians be the ones fighting against other Christians because of the times we are in? I prayed that God deal with the media. All media. Everywhere. It is no longer a purveyor of truth and because of it, the masses are swaying to whatever the respective song is being played.
Lord, show me the truth. Point out falsehood even in my own life. Let truth triumph.
So with that I came to 2 Chr 16 and I see history repeated. Israel had divided and it was a season that brother was fighting against brother. In this case the northern split called Israel went to war with the southern split called Judah. So tragic whenever brothers fight brothers and cousins fight cousins and fathers fight children and children fight fathers. It’s the deepest wound a nation can endure. But here it was happening in Israel.
The southern king Asa had been more righteous and had instituted great revival. But when this bitter battle came, instead of seeking the Lord like he had always done, he paid the Aram nation and its king to fight for them. To actually incite them to break Aram’s treaty with Israel and instead, fight for Judah. With enough money, Aram was happy to comply. And it wasn’t just any money, it was the objects out of the Lord’s temple. Which was a total desecration and was thought to give Aram spiritual power.
Well Aram went in and beat the northern kingdom back. Where the northern kingdom had started to build a city to attack the Southern Kingdom, King Asa now was able to send his people to dismantle every stone and timber used to build that city and build a few cities for himself.
But victory in the visible is not always victory with God.
King Asa had not sought the Lord and instead sought the Arameans.
“Because you depending on the king of Aram and have not depended on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand” (2 Chr 16:7).
Perhaps king Asa thought he could hire Aram out to do the dirty work, and then take on Aram. But it didn’t work that way. Aram escaped from their hand because the Lord made that happen.
And then there is the iconic verse that is so inspiring, but said in the context of rebuke as Asa missed this blessing:
“For the eyes of Yahweh roam throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His” (2 Chr 16:9).
It’s such a beautiful picture. God is looking actively throughout the earth for those who trust him in dire circumstances. Not turning to other means but looking to Him.
It’s a good word for the moment. The earth is in turmoil.
But how we fight these spiritual battles matter. Not in the ways of man but in the ways of God. Who we trust in these times matters. Not in man’s strength and weapons of this world but in Him. Who will we depend on in times of great distress?
Test day has come.
