How the Mighty Fall

Fallen Heroes of the Old TestamentAsa

Saul

DavidAdonjah

Solomon

Absolom

Rehoboam Maacah (Wife)

Abijah

ASA

Jehosephat

JehoramAthalish

Ahaziah/JehoahazJeoash

AmaziahUzziahJotham

AhazHezekiahManasseh

AmonJosiahJoahazJehoiakim

Jehoiachin

Zedekiah

The Kings of Judah

Kings and Chronicles

2nd Samuel and Kings• Focus: Kings of Israel• Political history of Israel• Prophetic and Moral

Perspective• Gives us the facts

Chronicles• Focus: David’s Dynasty in Judah• Religious History• Priestly and Spiritual

Perspective• Adds the feelings

Israel and Judah

Israel – The Northern Kingdom

• 10 Tribes

• Nine Dynasties – 250 Years• 19 Kings – None Godly

Judah – The Southern Kingdom

• Two Tribes (Judah and Benjamin)

• Davidic Dynasty – 350 Years• 20 Kings – Eight Were Godly

• Asa• Jehosophat• Joash• Hezekiah• Josiah

1 Kings 15"And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.“ (1 Kings 15:11)

“…the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the Lord all his days.” (1 Kings 15:14)

1 Kings 15 – No Mention of…

• The fact that Asa’s strategy against Baasha may not have been a good plan in God’s eyes

• No mention of the great Ethiopian victory • No mention of Asa’s poor finish in life

God’s Tests

• Often “Pop Quizzes”• Always, Open Book

TEST #1 : “How well you handle power and leadership responsibility with God’s people”

– Removed foreign altars, high places, and sacred pillars (2 Chronicles 14:3)

– Commanded Judah to seek God and follow His commandments

– Taking advantage of a sustained period of peace the God provided, he built fortified cities throughout Judah

Test Grade…

“A”

Zerah, the Ethiopian Arrives Unannounced

Very Uneven Odds

The Ethiopians • 300 War Chariots• 1,000,000 Soldiers

Judah• 300,000 Spearmen• 280,000 Bowmen

2 Chronicles 14:11“Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O Lord, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you."

• (Praise) --“Lord, there is no one like You”• (Petition) -- “Help us, O Lord our God”• (Faith) -- “We rely on You”• (Relationship) -- “You are our God”

The Laws of WarfareDeuteronomy 20:1-4

1 "When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.

2 "When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people.

3 "He shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them,

4 for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.'

Isaiah 41:10

'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

Pop Quiz Grade…

“A”

A Powerful Admonition2nd Chronicles 15:2

"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.”

TEST #2 : “Responding to God’s Instruction -- Obedience”

• Removed all of the abominable idols from the land

• Restored the altar of the Lord• Motivated the people to covenant to seek the

Lord with all of their heart and soul• Removed Maacah, his grandmother and

queen mother because of a particularly horrid image she had made of Asterath (the Canaanite goddess of fertility, love, and war)

The High Places Were Not Removed2nd Chronicles 15:17

“Nevertheless Asa’s heart was blameless all his days…”

Test Grade…

“B+”

2nd Chronicles 15:9

“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.”

TEST #4 : “How Do You Do When You Can Do It?”

2 Chronicles 16:1

In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

The Berlin Wall

Ramah

Galatians 3:3

”Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

A Few Problems with His Strategy

1. Stole Treasure from the temple

2. Made an Alliance with a pagan king

"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me!”Malachi 3:8

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?”

2 Corinthians 6:14

Goose Gossage

“I came into situations that God couldn’t get out of, and I got out of them. I’m not blowing my own horn, but this is just fact. Nobody did it like me.”

Pop Quiz Grade…

“F”

TEST #5 : “Handling Feedback”

2 Chronicles 16:7-9

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, "Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. "Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. "For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars."

“Both Barrels”• Indictment: “You didn’t rely on God”

• Consequences: “The army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand”

• Precedent: “He saved you from the Ethiopians”

• God’s intentions: “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”

• Judgment: “From now on you will surely have wars”

“You Got to Be Kidding… I Got This Right…”

Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.

(2 Chron 16:10)

Spurning Feedback…Bad Idea

• Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid. (Prov 12:1)

• A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding Than a hundred blows into a fool. (Prov 17:10)

• He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. (Prov 15:32)

Test Grade…

“F”

Make-Up Exam2 Chron 16:12-13

12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.

13 So Asa slept with his fathers, having died in the forty-first year of his reign.

Spiritual Stubbornness…

• “For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’ (Jer 18:12)

• “…because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself…” (Rom 2:5)

Hezekiah 2 Kings 20:5

“I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you.”

Make-up Test Grade…

“F”

As an Example and Instruction for Us 1 Corinthians 10:11-13

11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

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