One of the greatest mistakes we often make is to look to man for what only God can and should do for us. If you desire to experience a peaceful, joyful and prosperous life, you must look to the LORD and his strength and seek His face always (Ps 105:4 NIV). Only God has the infinite capacity to meet all our needs. This is why the Bible says, “… with God all things are possible.”” (Matt 19:26). If we misplace our faith in man, we are bound to be disappointed: “Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited.” (Jer 17:5-6).
Flesh here refers to human ability without the help of the Holy Spirit. It is exactly what Isaiah 30:1-2 refers to when it says, ““Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin; Who walk to go down to Egypt, And have not asked My advice, To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt!”
King Asa proved the danger of making flesh your strength. Shortly after assuming kingship over Judah, he faced a humanly impossible situation: “Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah” (2Chro 14:9). Asa’s response to Zerah’s threats was a demonstration of his faith in God: “So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!”” (2Chro 14:10-11). Asa was acutely aware of the inadequacy of his resources to handle the situation that confronted him, therefore, he turned his attention to God in a moment of desperation, and earnestly sought His help.
God’s response was swift: “So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army. And they carried away very much spoil.” (2Chro 14:9-11). In spite of the staggering numerical difference between his army and the Syrian army, Asa won the war because he had relied on God. Whenever we trust in God, we give Him the opportunity to show Himself strong on our behalf (2Chro 16:9).
However, the next time King Asa had a similar challenge, his response was different: “In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. Then Asa brought silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying, “Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold; come, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.” So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali. Now it happened, when Baasha heard it, that he stopped building Ramah and ceased his work” (2Chro 16:1-5).
Asa may seem to have achieved his objective, when he “…took all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah, which Baasha had used for building; and with them he built Geba and Mitzvah” (2Chro 16:6). However, he failed to realize the toll his approach would take on his kingdom in future. Prophet Hanani’s confrontation of King Asa shortly after reveals the disastrous effect of making flesh your strength. “And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars”” (2Ch 16:7-9). By having chosen to rely on the king of Syria, Asa lost the opportunity to enjoy military victories over Syria in the future. Asa paid a heavy price, because he forgot that the God on the mountain is the God in the Valley. Therefore, trust in God and never make flesh your strength. Shalom.
