“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.” — 2 Chronicles 16:9
In today’s text, the prophet Hanani rebuked King Asa for failing to rely upon God in a time of need. However, in the midst of that reproof, he gave a beautiful promise of divine protection for those who do put their trust in God. That promise is part of today’s focus verse, and it brings to mind an incident in my father’s life.
Dad and a couple of others had flown in a private four-seater plane from Portland, Oregon, to Port Angeles, Washington, to work on a church project. However, when the task was completed and the group was ready to start for home, a storm was brewing. They postponed their departure for one day, and by late afternoon on the following day, the storm appeared to be headed east and the pilot thought it would be safe to fly.
The first part of their return flight was uneventful, but then their small plane caught up with the storm. The pilot took the plane around and up over the top of the clouds but my dad could tell that he was becoming concerned. Twice he asked the three people with him for prayer that he would find a hole in the clouds. Dad became concerned too, when he looked over the pilot’s shoulder at the plane’s gauges: there was not much fuel left.
The pilot kept in radio contact with air control, and after many tense minutes, their little plane neared Portland. However, by then the fuel situation was urgent and the pilot reported this to the Portland aviation tower. The air traffic controllers asked him, “How much time do you have?” When he responded perhaps fifteen minutes, they asked, “Do you wish to declare an emergency?” He responded yes.
After a few more tense minutes, the air controllers pinpointed the plane on their radar and began to issue instructions for an immediate descent to a small airport outside of Portland, as it was the nearest airstrip. However, the pilot continued to look for a hole in the clouds and did not start into the downward approach. Then the left engine of the plane sputtered and died—it was out of fuel. They had only one engine left! My dad was acutely aware that each moment they remained at their current altitude made the situation more critical. He said later, “I knew from my experience with planes in military service that a ‘dead-stick landing’—without fuel and without a motor—is a most dangerous situation to be in.”
Dad prayed that enough fuel remained in the right tank to get them down safely, and no doubt the others in the plane were praying as well. He told God, “You see us and You care. You understand the spot we are in.” Then he heard a quiet Voice say to him, “I note the sparrow’s fall.” That simple statement gave him courage. He knew that whatever happened, the challenge they were facing was not out of God’s knowledge and control.
A few minutes later, a break in the clouds appeared and the pilot began to nose the plane down. When their wheels touched the runway, an ambulance and a fire truck were there waiting for them. Thankfully, their help was not needed. When the pilot taxied the aircraft over to a place where he could refuel, the mechanic shined his flashlight into the right tank—the one that supposedly still had fuel—and said, “There is no gas in this tank. It is empty.” God had worked a miracle!
How grateful my dad was that day that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” Many times in the years that followed, Dad recounted this story and gave praise to God for His divine protection.
In our text today, Asa’s perception that God could not be relied upon to defend Israel was both foolish and wrong. The prophet Hanani’s message was clear: God comes to the aid of those who are committed to Him. God wanted to show His strength on behalf of His trusting people, but Asa sought the help of man instead. The issue was not a question of the ability of God to help, nor of His willingness to use that strength on behalf of His people. The issue was the loyalty of Asa and the people of Judah.
Where do we turn in a crisis? When challenges come our way, we want to be careful not to forget God and look only for human solutions. How heartwarming the promise is that the eyes of the Lord are upon us! He takes in our situations at a glance. No crisis, sorrow, or temptation comes our way without His notice. And He is standing by to give the help we need—if only we will turn to Him!
Chapter 16 relates the sad failure of King Asa of Judah, who drifted from God after a good beginning. Verses 1-6 describe the treaty he made with Syria to strengthen himself against Israel’s King Baasha in the continuing struggle for dominance between the two nations. God’s rebuke of Asa through the prophet Hanani and Asa’s response are covered in verses 7-10. The final part of the chapter, verses 11-14, tells of the closing months of Asa’s life, and his death.
Ramah, mentioned in verse 1, was positioned on the border between Israel and Judah, about five miles north of Jerusalem. Baasha gained the upper hand by fortifying Ramah because he effectively blocked a main trade route into Judah. He no doubt hoped the resulting economic pressure on Judah would force Asa into significant concessions.
In response, Asa hired Ben-hadad, king of Syria, to thwart Baasha’s plans by withdrawing support from Israel. Asa used the “treasures of the house of the Lord” (verse 2) as part of the payment. God had covenanted to protect the nation, so the fact that Asa put his trust in a pagan king was evidence of spiritual decline. However, God allowed “success” of this venture; because of the intervention of Ben-Hadad, Israel stopped the work on Ramah (verse 5).
Verses 7-10 record that when Hanani the seer rebuked Asa for relying on Ben-Hadad instead of God, Asa was enraged and had Hanani imprisoned. This is the only time in Scripture that Hanani is mentioned, other than noting that he was the father of Jehu, a prophet who spoke to Baasha the king of Israel (1 Kings 16:1,7) and to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah (2 Chronicles 19:2). Asa not only retaliated against Hanani, but verse 10 reveals he also oppressed others in his kingdom—perhaps those who were concerned about breaking their recent covenant (see 2 Chronicles 15:12-14).
The last years of Asa’s life were marred by ignoring and resisting God, oppression against his people, and disease. According to verse 12, when Asa contracted a disease in his feet in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, he did not seek the Lord, but consulted physicians instead. This was not an indictment of medicine in general; Asa’s problem was that he failed to look to God for help. The medicine practiced at this time was a mixture of superstition and folk remedies, and it did not provide a remedy for Asa. Verse 13 indicates that he died in the forty-first year of his reign, and was buried in Jerusalem.
“A very great burning” mentioned in verse 14 refers to a kindling of fragrant spices in honor of the dead king. Aromatic fires of this nature were customary for royal funerals (see Jeremiah 34:5). They were not done to cremate the body, but as a sign of honor.
III. The history of the kings of Judah
C. The reign of Asa
4. The failure of Asa (16:1-14)
a. Asa’s foreign alliance against Baasha (16:1-6)
b. Asa’s oppression (16:7-10)
c. Asa’s death (16:11-14)
We do not have to face the challenges that come our way alone. God sees every detail of our lives, and He cares! As we look to Him for help in every situation, He will not fail us.
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