A Surprise in Chronicles

I was reading in 2nd Chronicles this morning. In the past, I've groaned over all those stories of kings and battles that seemed to be fought by someone that was either named Rehoboam or Jeroboam. It seemed like Israel and Judah were always fighting, someone was always cutting down the Asherim while another was sacrificing to idols. I've never approached the Chronicles with much enthusiasm, but that doesn't mean that God can't speak through them.

While I was reading in chapter 14, I was pleasantly surprised to be completely intrigued by the story that was being told. Abijah has just died, leaving his son, Asa, to rule in Judah. Judah follows the Lord and because of this, the Lord gives rest and peace to his kingdom while Asa fortifies the cities. For ten years, Asa has perfect peace and an army of some 300,000 mighty men of valor.

Zerah, the Ethiopian, decides he's going to go up against Asa. From first glance, this is just another battle. However, what I read struck me by surprise: Zerah has an army of a million men...oh, and 300 chariots as well.

Wow.

I'd never caught that one before. Seriously, how often do you find armies of one million men marching around? Clearly Zerah has this battle in the bag. Or does he?

Asa, seeing the realities of defeat as these million men come marching towards him, doesn't freak out or puff himself up and falsely encourage his puny 300,000 saying that they can handle it. No, Asa knows what he needs to do.

Verse 11: "And Asa cried to the Lord his God,"

He cried out to God because he knew he would be defeated--he knew there was no way of victory on his own strength. What does he cry out to God? Let's see:

“O Lord, there is none like You to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; let not man prevail against You."

Asa does a few things there, he distinguishes God as the only One who can help them, states his reliance on God at that very moment, and trusts God because "in Your name we have come against this multitude." Because this is in God's name, Asa knows that God will bless it. Asa is following God's commands and is being obedient to His Word. 

By now I'm on the edge of my seat...an army of a million against 300,000; and God. Do they flee? How many are defeated? A quarter of them, half of them, three-fourths? 

Nope. 

"So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.  Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive, for they were broken before the Lord and His army. The men of Judah carried away very much spoil. And they attacked all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord was upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.  And they struck down the tents of those who had livestock and carried away sheep in abundance and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem." 

Not only do the Ethiopians flee, not only are they destroyed till none remain, but Asa also plunders all the cities and carries away "sheep in abundance". 

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking that a battle that results in a defeated enemy and an abundance of sheep, and camels, well, that's quite a victory, is it not? I mean, who doesn't love camels? ;-)

I thought it was a very exciting story--not only the history of it, but the application of it. That God, the God that defeated the gargantuan army, is also the God that is available for you to call on. He's always there and when we admit our inability and humble ourselves...when we're up against our own army of a million men (whether it's a rough day, lots of schoolwork, or a frustrating situation), God will hear you and answer. 

Isn't God wonderful? So today, or tomorrow, or anytime in the future, when you find that you're coming against an army of millions, or maybe just two, well, nothing's too big or too small for our God. 

There is none like Him to help.