Warnings Get Results - Asa

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In far too many churches, pulpits, media sources, videos, sermons and especially in far too many of the hearts of professing Christians, stern WARNINGS are considered inappropriate, old-fashioned and unnecessary. Many professing Christians believe that stern warnings only turn people off and therefore get no results. These same professing Christians believe that it is only the positive messages of love and mercy that touch and change people. Asa disagrees.

Asa’s history began in 1 Kings 15, where he became Judah’s third King in the divided kingdom era. For Asa’s obedience, God blessed him with 10 years of peace, in direct contrast to the 20 years of war under his predecessors, Rehoboam and Abijah. The details of his obedience are recorded in 1 Kgs. 15:11 and 2 Chron. 14:2-5. “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands. He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him.” 

King Asa’s faith and obedience were further blessed by the LORD when he was forced to go to war against Zerah, the Cushite king. “Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, ‘LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. LORD, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.’ The LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah.” Nothing could possibly have gone better for Asa up to this point.

So what followed all of this apparently flawless obedience of Asa? 2 Chron. 15:1-7 states it was a STERN WARNING from God through his prophet Azariah; not a party, not a celebration, not a rally, not an award, not a heavenly pat on the back. Of the 130 words from the prophet, 98 of them were WARNING, 32 encouraging; that translates into 75% WARNING, 25% encouraging. (so out of sync with our modern Christian expectations about God)

So how did those words of stern warning impact Asa? Did they discourage him? Did they diminish his obedience? NO! In fact, if you will check out 1 Kgs. 15:12-14; 2 Chron. 15:8-18, you will discover that he: 1- substantially increased his war against idolatry, 2-assembled not only Judah and Benjamin to renew the covenant with the LORD, but also Manassehites, Ephraimites and Simeonites who had settled in the southern Kingdom, 3-put to death every man and woman who would not seek the LORD, 4-ousted his own grandmother from her position as Queen Mother because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. 

The result? All Judah “sought God eagerly, and He was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.” Stern warnings had a positive effect on King Asa and on “all Judah”.

God’s stern words of warning are always appropriate, always timely, always necessary, never old-fashioned. And if heaven’s stern warnings effect a professing Christian negatively, then the problem is with the professing Christian, NOT GOD’S STERN WARNINGS. 

If you will check out Jesus’ parables, you will discover that 50% of the words are stern warnings. Stern warnings were appropriate in the Old Testament and the New Testament and are appropriate and necessary today as well.

Are words of love and mercy important too? Of course! There cannot be a Gospel of truly “good news” without them. But words of love and mercy are not under attack in today’s Christendom. It is words of stern warning that many professing Christians choose to reject. Never forget: both are needed by every follower of Christ.