Today’s passage: 2 Chronicles 16:1-14
Helpful thoughts:
- When trouble finally came Asa’s way again, he did not rely on the Lord as he had before. Instead, he put his hope in a foreign king.
- God could have given the King Asa victory over the king he relied on for help. The Syrians would be trouble to Judah in the future.
- God delights in declaring His glory through caring for those who trust in and are loyal to Him.
- In this event and in the few years that followed before his death, Asa was a different king.
- Asa grew bitter and lashed out at the wrong people. His bitterness produced a barrier between him and the Lord.
Questions to consider:
- What could Asa have done when Israel and King Baasha first came to attack? What could Asa have done even after he was rebuked for his wrongdoing (1 John 1:9)?
- What is the sad irony of Asa’s decision to imprison the prophet who spoke God’s word to him? What had he stood for in the many years prior to this time?
- What characteristics and fruits of bitterness can you see in Asa’s final years? How did Asa treat others because he was bitter toward God? What would Asa’s repentance have looked like? No one wants to be bitter, but what does a person want more than to avoid bitterness when they have become bitter?