When Israel split into two nations during the reign of Rehoboam, Solomon's son, ungodliness took control. For the ten-tribe nation of Israel, there would never be a Godly king upon the throne. Rather, each king would lead the people deeper into idolatry until finally God let them be overrun by their enemies and scattered.
The tiny kingdom of Judah, made up of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, fared a little better. There were actually some kings who tried to bring the people back to God and succeeded in some measure. Sadly, however, when an ungodly king came to the throne most of the people willingly followed him away from God.
One Godly king was Asa, known as good King Asa, who followed the path of his father, Jehoida. Though he only reigned three years, Jehoida was a Godly man and tried to lead the people into righteousness. When Asa came to the throne, a prophet told him, "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 Chron. 15:2 NIV)
The words of the man of God encouraged Asa and he began destroying the idols from the land and from the cities he had captured in war. He even had his grandmother removed from her position as Queen Mother because she set up an Asherah pole.
The people were thrilled. "They sought God eagerly and He was found by them." (2 Chron. 15:15) And God gave them peace.
As an interesting side note, the Scripture tells us many people from Israel came to Judah because they "saw the Lord God was with him [Asa]." People who are hungry for God are attracted to those who walk in the presence of the Lord.
Sadly, Asa did not finish as he began. After 35 years as king, an enemy of Judah came to attack. Asa sent money to the king of Damascus and asked his help. Though they won the battle, you might say Asa lost the war. God was displeased because he looked to man for help and he sent a prophet to chastise him and call him to repentance.
But Asa's pride got the best of him. He refused to repent, choosing instead to imprison the man of God and went further to "brutally oppress some of the people."
As far as we know, Asa never repented and in his 39th year as king, God afflicted him with a disease in his feet. Again, he refused to repent and sought the help of physicians, who of course, were not able to help him. Two years later he died and though he received a splendid burial, who knows what awaited him at judgment.
Asa was not the only king to fall to pride. King Uzziah also started out to follow God but after God blessed him in allowing him to defeat his enemies, he decided he was so great he should be able to burn incense in the temple of God. The priests of the Lord withstood him (risking their lives) but while he was raging in anger at them, God struck him with leprosy and so another man who started out so great, died in shame.
For the rest of his life he lived apart from the palace and at his death, was buried, not with the kings, but in a field that belonged to them. When we contrast this with King David, who also had a bout with pride, we immediately see the difference.
In 2 Samuel 24,we read how David determined to number the fighting men of his kingdom. Even his army commander, Joab, tried to change his mind. He told David, "No matter how many men you have, they all follow you - that's what matters." But David would not be satisfied and ordered Joab to complete the census. God was displeased with David and sent a prophet to him with three choices of punishment. But before the prophet even arrived, David was already repenting. God shortened the punishment because of David's repentant heart.
And we are all familiar with his sin with Bathsheba. Though David ordered a man's death in his effort to cover his sin, he repented when the prophet said, "You are the man." He could have been lifted up in pride and said, "I'm the king. I can have any woman I want." But instead, he earnestly sought God for forgiveness and the life of his newborn son.
Though God did not spare the life of the child, he did grant David's prayer as recorded in Psalm 51, where he writes, "Have mercy on me on God . . . Wash away all my iniquity. . . Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. . . Then will I teach transgressors your ways . . ." David recognized only God could give him the forgiveness he sought and only after accepting that forgiveness could he be of real value to the Lord. He knew all the burnt offerings in the world (works) would not take away his sin. Unlike Asa and Uzziah, who walked in pride and refused to humble themselves before God, David's humility would earn him the title, "A man after God's own heart."
Be we king or beggar, there is nothing more important in our walk before God than humility and a willingness to repent when the Holy Spirit says, "You are the guilty one."
God has no use for our pride - He knows it will only bring destruction. But rather He says, "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my Word." (Isaiah 66:2 NIV) `
Want to be called a "man of God?" Walk in humility and be quick to repent.
The tiny kingdom of Judah, made up of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, fared a little better. There were actually some kings who tried to bring the people back to God and succeeded in some measure. Sadly, however, when an ungodly king came to the throne most of the people willingly followed him away from God.
One Godly king was Asa, known as good King Asa, who followed the path of his father, Jehoida. Though he only reigned three years, Jehoida was a Godly man and tried to lead the people into righteousness. When Asa came to the throne, a prophet told him, "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 Chron. 15:2 NIV)
The words of the man of God encouraged Asa and he began destroying the idols from the land and from the cities he had captured in war. He even had his grandmother removed from her position as Queen Mother because she set up an Asherah pole.
The people were thrilled. "They sought God eagerly and He was found by them." (2 Chron. 15:15) And God gave them peace.
As an interesting side note, the Scripture tells us many people from Israel came to Judah because they "saw the Lord God was with him [Asa]." People who are hungry for God are attracted to those who walk in the presence of the Lord.
Sadly, Asa did not finish as he began. After 35 years as king, an enemy of Judah came to attack. Asa sent money to the king of Damascus and asked his help. Though they won the battle, you might say Asa lost the war. God was displeased because he looked to man for help and he sent a prophet to chastise him and call him to repentance.
But Asa's pride got the best of him. He refused to repent, choosing instead to imprison the man of God and went further to "brutally oppress some of the people."
As far as we know, Asa never repented and in his 39th year as king, God afflicted him with a disease in his feet. Again, he refused to repent and sought the help of physicians, who of course, were not able to help him. Two years later he died and though he received a splendid burial, who knows what awaited him at judgment.
Asa was not the only king to fall to pride. King Uzziah also started out to follow God but after God blessed him in allowing him to defeat his enemies, he decided he was so great he should be able to burn incense in the temple of God. The priests of the Lord withstood him (risking their lives) but while he was raging in anger at them, God struck him with leprosy and so another man who started out so great, died in shame.
For the rest of his life he lived apart from the palace and at his death, was buried, not with the kings, but in a field that belonged to them. When we contrast this with King David, who also had a bout with pride, we immediately see the difference.
In 2 Samuel 24,we read how David determined to number the fighting men of his kingdom. Even his army commander, Joab, tried to change his mind. He told David, "No matter how many men you have, they all follow you - that's what matters." But David would not be satisfied and ordered Joab to complete the census. God was displeased with David and sent a prophet to him with three choices of punishment. But before the prophet even arrived, David was already repenting. God shortened the punishment because of David's repentant heart.
And we are all familiar with his sin with Bathsheba. Though David ordered a man's death in his effort to cover his sin, he repented when the prophet said, "You are the man." He could have been lifted up in pride and said, "I'm the king. I can have any woman I want." But instead, he earnestly sought God for forgiveness and the life of his newborn son.
Though God did not spare the life of the child, he did grant David's prayer as recorded in Psalm 51, where he writes, "Have mercy on me on God . . . Wash away all my iniquity. . . Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. . . Then will I teach transgressors your ways . . ." David recognized only God could give him the forgiveness he sought and only after accepting that forgiveness could he be of real value to the Lord. He knew all the burnt offerings in the world (works) would not take away his sin. Unlike Asa and Uzziah, who walked in pride and refused to humble themselves before God, David's humility would earn him the title, "A man after God's own heart."
Be we king or beggar, there is nothing more important in our walk before God than humility and a willingness to repent when the Holy Spirit says, "You are the guilty one."
God has no use for our pride - He knows it will only bring destruction. But rather He says, "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my Word." (Isaiah 66:2 NIV) `
Want to be called a "man of God?" Walk in humility and be quick to repent.
