Finishing Well

 January 15, 2021

2 Chronicles 14-16 tell the story of Asa, considered one of the “good” kings of Judah because he did his best to follow the LORD, commanding his subjects to seek the LORD and observe the Law. The text says that because of his faithfulness, “the kingdom was quiet under him.” Instead of the ceaseless wars and conflicts of his predecessors, God gave him and the land rest. In spite of the general peace, he still strengthened his borders.

There is a connection between purity and peace. Following the Lord gives personal peace, and if a nation’s leadership does so, God gives national peace. It’s not a quid pro quo; many factors play into the matter, but the Bible assures us that behind all the political and economic factors that drive nations, there are unseen but very real spiritual matters that weigh heavily in a nation’s fortunes.

None of it is ever guaranteed. Asa did well, at one time facing down an army twice the size of his own. But he apparently started believing his own press and trusting in his own diplomatic and military skills. When the northern kingdom of Israel closed down the border, blockading the normal trade routes upon which Judah depended, Asa paid big bucks to hire the Syrians who occupied Israel’s northern border to put pressure on Israel by invading. It worked, but one of Asa’s advisors reamed him out for abandoning the God who had before delivered him from a greater foe than Israel. Asa’s reaction was to have this prophet thrown in prison. What’s worse, he began a purge of suspected opposition. 

When towards the end of his life he contracted some sort of disease in his feet (was it diabetic neuropathy?), instead of returning to the Lord, he merely consulted physicians, dying painfully two years later.

There are many lessons here; some good, as when he was blessed for his faithfulness. But ultimately this is a story of someone who started well, but finished poorly, a timely lesson for me at this stage of my life. I’m 71. I’ve been far from perfect; made some dumb mistakes and have had my share of repenting to do. I believe I can say I’ve tried to follow the Lord faithfully for most of my life. Nevertheless, there is still time to screw it all up. It is tempting to fall back on past successes as proof of invincibility, but faithfulness is a day-by-day matter. There are plenty of examples of athletes who celebrated a bit too soon and lost the contest due to their cockiness. There are even more pastors who started well, but began thinking they were beyond temptation, believing that woman who told them they were everything their husbands were not.  And there are too many who, when the pressures of life were eased in retirement, found that it was the pressure, not the Lord, who was holding them together. The external pressure off, they blew apart from the buildup of stuff that should have been dealt with years before.

The Bible is an interesting study in human nature. Its stories don’t hold up various people and encourage us to say, “I want to be just like him (or her).” It holes up various people, lets us look at them and say, “God help me; I’m just like him!” Asa is me, if I forget God. Tonight, I remember, pray for grace and mercy, and thank God for his strengthening and at times, chastising presence. It is as John Newton said, “grace [that] has led me safe thus far; and grace will bring me home.”