The Forgetful King 2 Chronicles 16:1-14

-People who have experienced God’s faithfulness are in danger of forgetting the Lord

Stefan Thomas, a programmer in San Francisco, has two guesses left to figure out a password that is worth about $870 million. The password will let him unlock a small hard drive, known as an IronKey, which contains the private keys to a digital wallet that holds 7,002 Bitcoin.

The problem is that years ago Mr. Thomas lost the paper where he wrote down the password for his IronKey, which gives users 10 guesses before it seizes up and encrypts its contents forever. He has since tried eight of his most commonly used password formulations—to no avail. Thomas said, “I would just lay in bed and think about it. Then I would go to the computer with some new strategy, and it wouldn’t work, and I would be desperate again.”

Bitcoin has made a lot of its holders very rich in a short time. But the cryptocurrency’s unusual nature has also meant that many people are locked out of their Bitcoin fortunes as a result of lost or forgotten keys. They have been forced to watch, helpless, as the price has risen and fallen sharply, unable to cash in on their digital wealth.

I. Asa Faces a Fresh Challenge with Self-Reliance vv. 1-6

In our passage tonight, we meet another king of Judah, Asa.

There is so much good that can be said about this king

He was instrumental in leading the people away from idolatry

In a battle against a vastly greater Ethiopian force, he cried to the Lord for help and received it

For 35 years, he reigned in peace

Now, the time comes and there is a fresh matter: Baasha, King of Israel builds a city to block access to Jerusalem

This has an economic implication, as it would block the flow of trade

It also has a theological implication, as it would block Israelites from going to the Jerusalem Temple for worship

Asa does something unexpected:

He takes matters into his own hands

I’m not sure that his problem is a lack of faith in God; his problem is an abundance of trust in himself

Instead of going to the Lord, he goes to the king of Syria and buys his allegiance with a bribe

Not only does he fail to seek the Lord’s help in the matter, he does it with the money dedicated to the Lord’s service

In a very real way, Asa’s self-reliance turns into a form of idolatry, and here’s the worst of it; it works!

This is the danger that each one of us is facing:

We become self-reliant first

Our self-reliance transitions into a rejection of the Lord

When we reject the Lord, we eventually seek our security somewhere else

We must understand that “success” may be a poor indicator of faithfulness!

Matthew 23:27–28

[27] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. [28] So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (ESV)

II. Asa Rejects the Word of the Lord with Anger vv. 7-10

The Lord loves Asa too much to leave him in his sin, so He raises up a prophet with a message for Asa

Interestingly, the Lord has spoken by prophets to Asa in the past and it moved him to repentance!

Now, however, Hanani’s message is going to fall on deaf ears

What does Hanani have to say?

Asa has missed the greater enemy

He received a victory over Israel, but he will never have the victory over Syria

God didn’t have a small victory in mind, but a much greater one that the king had anticipated

Asa has forgotten the Lord’s faithfulness in the days gone by

The Lord looks for ways to bless and protect His people who are loyal to Him

This is not something that accidentally happens

God is searching for ways to bless His people and Asa missed it!

As a result, Asa will not avoid wars; He has assured that his life will be marked by greater wars than he ever imagined

The key though, is to look at Asa’s response

The rebuke is clear as is the guilt

Asa will not humble himself and repent

Instead, he attacks the messenger and he attacks some of the people; when you find yourself in sin, it will separate from you people who are committed to the Lord

He just multiplies the wickedness in his life!

C.S. Lewis, as an atheist, rejected the fact of God. After his conversion he said the real reason for his atheism was a hidden corner of his heart with a fence around it, with the sign, “Hands Off”. He said, “I didn’t want anyone, God included to interrupt my plans.”

III. Asa Forgets the Lord in His Final Days vv. 11-14

Asa only has a few more years of life and they end tragically

The Lord afflicts him with a sickness in his feet

Is this God just taking it out on Asa?

I don’t think so. I think this is His way of trying to get Asa’s attention

However, Asa chooses anything but the way of the Lord

He did not call on the Lord, just his physicians

Again, Asa puts his trust in a place that can never satisfy

The final lines of Asa’s life are shocking

He started so well

However, he finished poorly

Are we like the king who forgot the Lord?

The Greeks had a race in their Olympic games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. I want to run all the way with the flame of my torch still lit for Him.