Relying on God Alone
The Lord keeps close watch over the whole world, to give strength to those whose hearts are loyal to him. You have acted foolishly, and so from now on you will always be at war
2 Chronicles 16:9 GNT
As I munched through the book of 2 Chronicles, the account of King Asa hit differently. Asa’s story is recorded in 1 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 14 -16. I’ll highlight a few facts about him, then usher in a lingering question.
Asa’s Reforms and Victories
Asa was the third king of the southern kingdom of Judah. Unlike his father Abijah and grandfather Rehoboam, Asa did what was pleasing in the sight of God. Asa abolished idolatry, tearing down pagan places of worship and foreign alters. He led the people of Judah to make a covenant in which they agreed to worship the God of their ancestors with all their heart. Anyone who didn’t oblige was to be put to death.
All the people of Judah were happy because they had made this covenant with all their heart. They took delight in worshiping the Lord , and he accepted them and gave them peace on every side
2 Chronicles 15:15 GNT
His quest against idolatry went as far as displacing his grandmother from the office of queen mother because she had made idols of the fertility goddess Asherah.
Scripture records that an Ethiopian army of a million men evaded Judah. The Judean army with strength about half that number knew they stood no chance. Understanding Judah’s weakness, this noble king looked to God in prayer:
Asa prayed to the Lord his God, “O Lord , you can help a weak army as easily as a powerful one. Help us now, O Lord our God, because we are relying on you, and in your name we have come out to fight against this huge army. Lord , you are our God; no one can hope to defeat you
2 Chronicles 14:11 GNT
So it goes that God came through and Judah recorded a great victory over the Ethiopians.
Asa’s Folly
In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel laid siege on Ramah, fortifying it to cut supplies to Judah. Asa reached out to Benhadad; the King of Syria, sending him some silver and gold from the Temple treasury in the solicitation for military aid. In agreement, Baasha sent forces to attack the cities of Israel forcing Benhadad to abandon Ramah and return to resist the Syrian forces.
Asa’s plot was effective in stopping Baasha but God was unhappy with the alliance with Benhadad. Prophet Hanani chastised Asa, reminding him of the deliverance from the Ethiopians resulting from absolute dependence on God. A frightening statement follows:
The Lord keeps close watch over the whole world, to give strength to those whose hearts are loyal to him. You have acted foolishly, and so from now on you will always be at war
2 Chronicles 16:9 GNT
Rather than repent, Asa became angry and put the prophet in prison. He also began to oppress some of his subjects.
In the thirty-ninth year that Asa was king, he was crippled by a severe foot disease; but even then he did not turn to the Lord for help, but to doctors
2 Chronicles 16:12 GNT
Drawing the line
All knowledge ultimately flows from God. The pursuit of knowledge is like groping through an unfamiliar dark room. Though the items we seek may be within arms reach, without illumination we may never find those items. The illumination of this room is God’s gift to men.
God has gifted men with the cognitive ability to produce highly effective drugs and top-level medical expertise. In fact, Luke, the author of Acts and the Gospel of Luke was a doctor.
Various verses from scripture make reference to medical treatments. One example is found in Ezekiel 47:12, which speaks of a tree whose leaves will be used for healing people.
At the same time, God requires that we rely on Him.
So I ask:
Where do we draw the line between relying on doctors and neglecting God?
Come what may, God must form a backdrop in our minds. Like the one who gropes through the dark, we must acknowledge the need for illumination and glorify the Father for lighting up the room.
