Elephant Rescues Her Baby
All deliverance begins with humility. For deliverance one must realize he needs help, acknowledge God can help, and then ask for His help.
Proverbs 28:25 and 26:
He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
Asa, the King of Judah, exemplifies this scripture. In the beginning of his reign he did that which “was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.” He removed the idols and took action to eliminate the spiritual fornication in Judah, and consequently his kingdom was peaceful and blessed.
When Zerah, the Ethiopian, attacked Judah with one million soldiers, Asa humbled himself before God and asked for His help.
II Chronicles 14:11:
And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.
Because Asa humbled himself before God, the Ethiopians were overthrown and destroyed. Judah carried away very much spoil. God defeated Asa’s adversaries and brought deliverance.
Today, after Christ has come, we understand our adversary is spirit, and our fight is a spiritual one.
Ephesians 6:12:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
To see God’s deliverance, we must be humble just as Asa was.
I Peter 5:5-8:
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
As we clothe ourselves with humility, He will give grace. As we humble ourselves, He will exalt. As we cast our cares upon Him, He will deliver us and conquer our adversary.
When Asa remained faithful to God Judah had no war. However humility is something that must be maintained each day. In his thirty-sixth year of reigning, Asa let humility slip away from him and consequently brought destruction to himself.
II Chronicles 16:1-3:
In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king’s house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
Rather than having gone humbly to the Lord as he had done with the Ethiopians, he went to Benhadad for help. He took the treasures which belonged to God and paid mercenaries to fight for him. He lost his humility and tried to work out his problems on his own.
II Chronicles 16:7-9:
And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
When Asa relied on God, all was well. When he relied on another, he became a fool; deliverance evaded him, and bondage encased him. Asa could have turned back to the Lord when Hanani confronted him, and God once again would have delivered. But he was lifted up with pride.
II Chronicles 16:12 and 13:
And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians. And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.