Daily Thought

Asa, the third king of Judah, was ten years old when his father Abijah died. During his minority he would have been tutored by the priests, and this had consequences when he came to the throne. During his reign he removed idols and shrines and did not allow family relationships to stand in his way: his grand mother, who had taken on the role of ‘queen mother’, during his minority, suffered under these reforms, 1 Kgs. 15. 13.

Asa also fortified frontier cities and raised an army of some 580, 000 men. His reign was, generally, peaceful and scripture records that he ‘did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God’, 2 Chr. 14. 2. How important were those early years of tutelage!

At one stage, Asa’s reign was threatened by a massive Ethiopian army of about a million led by Zerah, 2 Chr. 14. 9. The armies confronted each other in the valley of Zephathah (a strategic point in the defences of Judah) where the strength and size of the Ethiopian army could be clearly seen. Humanly speaking the position was hopeless and victory an impossibility. Asa and the people of Judah did not shirk the battle but prayed, out of their extremity, for God’s help in the battle, ‘Help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude’, v. 11. The Lord heard their cry and brought about a notable victory.

It is only when we come to an end of ourselves and are cast entirely on the Lord that He is able to do His greatest work. We, in our day, need to learn this important lesson as also did Abraham and Gideon, as well as Asa, in their day.

When the blessing came, Asa recognized it as coming from the Lord, ‘the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled’, v. 12. Asa and the people were immediate beneficiaries, but the victory was so great that it had consequences well beyond the reign of Asa.

We must not turn from the battle whatever it may be, but it is only when we cast ourselves completely upon the Lord that He is ‘able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think’, Eph. 3. 20.