Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
2 Chronicles 14:9

Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 Chronicles 14:9. Zerah the Ethiopian — Probably of that Ethiopia which lay on the south of Egypt, near to Libya, and therefore the Libyans are joined with them, 2 Chronicles 16:8.

A thousand thousand — If this people had come from any great distance, they could not have had forage for such an immense army.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Reformation under Asa (14:1-16:14)

God’s blessings on Asa showed his pleasure with those who removed Canaanite customs and restored the Levitical order of worship. God rewarded Asa by giving him a remarkable victory over a large and powerful army that invaded from the south. This sign of God’s pleasure encouraged Asa to continue his reforms with greater boldness (14:1-15:19; see notes on 1 Kings 15:9-15).

When, however, Asa trusted in outside help instead of trusting in God, he displeased God and was rebuked by one of God’s prophets. Not willing to listen to advice, he treated cruelly any of his people who opposed his policies (16:1-14; see notes on 1 Kings 15:16-24).

Towards the end of Asa’s reign, Ahab came to power in the north. Under the influence of his foreign wife Jezebel, Ahab introduced a new form of Baal worship in Israel. This Baalism was far more powerful and far more evil than that practised by the common people at the local Baal shrines (1 Kings 15:25-29). But since these matters concerned the northern kingdom, the Chronicler, in keeping with his usual practice, does not record them.

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

ASA AND JUDAH OVERCOME ZERAH'S MIGHTY FORCE

"And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and he came unto Mareshah. Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. And Asa cried unto his God, and said, Jehovah, there is none beside thee to help, between the mighty and him that hath no strength; help us, O Jehovah our God; for we rely on thee, and in thy name are we come against this multitude, O Jehovah, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. So Jehovah smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and there fell of the Ethiopians so many that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before Jehovah, and before his host; and they carried away very much booty. And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of Jehovah came upon them: and they despoiled all the cities; for there was much spoil in them. They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Jerusalem."

"They set the battle in array… at Mareshah" "This place was in the valley that marks the entrance into the hills, half way between Gaza and Jerusalem. This was one of the cities that Rehoboam had fortified in anticipation of just such an attack."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 402.

Some scholars have tried to make it out that this was an invasion of Arabians, but Payne is doubtless correct. He identified Zerah as, "Osorkon I, the second Pharaoh of the Twenty-second Dynasty in Egypt, who attempted to duplicate the invasion and pillage of his predecessor Sheshonk (Shishak)."Ibid. The truth of this identification is corroborated by the historical truth that, "It was Egypt (not Arabia) that never recovered from this blow for more than three centuries; not until 609 B.C., did Egypt again venture into Palestine with hostile intentions."Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 390.

Also when Judah defeated the enemy, they fled to Gerar, "A town to the south of Gaza,"Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 402. which was in the direction of Egypt, not Arabia.

"They smote also the tents of the cattle" "These were the tents associated with cattle, wherein the owners of the cattle lived."Broadman Bible Commentary, Vol. 3, p. 382. The RSV makes it more understandable, "They smote the tents of those who had cattle."

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Zerah the Ethiopian is probably Usarken (Osorkon) II, the third king of Egypt after Shishak, according to the Egyptian monuments. Osorkon II may have been by birth an Ethiopian, for he was the son-in-law, not the son, of the preceding monarch, and reigned in right of his wife. The object of the expedition would be to bring Judaea once more under the Egyptian yoke.

An host of a thousand thousand - This is the largest collected army of which we hear in Scripture; but it does not exceed the known numbers of other Oriental armies in ancient times. Darius Codomannus brought into the field at Arbela a force of 1,040, 000; Xerxes crossed into Greece with certainly above a million of combatants.

Smith's Bible Commentary

By Chuck Smith

In chapter 14 we find the death of Abijah listed and the son Asa coming to the throne.

and Asa his son reigned in his stead. The land was quiet for ten years. Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: he took away the altars of the strange gods, the high places, he broke down the images, and cut down the groves: and he commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment ( 2 Chronicles 14:1-4 ).

Now you remember under the reign of Rehoboam they began to...he turned away from God and the people turned away from God also. He began to worship these other gods. Began to plant these groves as places to worship God. Built the altars unto these false gods and so forth. And so now Abijah allowed these things to exist and there was a co-mingling during his reign. God was still worshipped in Jerusalem, but yet there were people who were allowed to worship these other gods in these other ways.

Now when Asa came to the throne, he established a spiritual reform. He got rid of all of the idols and the images. He got rid of the altars that had been erected to these other gods. He cut down the groves. However, he did not destroy all of the high places where also they gathered to worship.

He took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him ( 2 Chronicles 14:5 ).

But it was not a complete thing. He had allowed some of them to remain, as we will read.

And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, there was no war ( 2 Chronicles 14:6 )

And there came up against him, verse 2 Chronicles 14:7 ,

He had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah; plus eighty thousand from Benjamin ( 2 Chronicles 14:8 ).

Or five hundred and eighty thousand men all total.

There came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with a host of a thousand thousand ( 2 Chronicles 14:9 ),

Or a million men.

three hundred chariots; and they came to Mareshah. Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. And Asa cried unto the LORD his God ( 2 Chronicles 14:9-11 ),

Now here you're faced with... you've got a strong army. You've got six hundred eighty thousand men, but you're facing an army of one million plus the advantage that the enemy has of three hundred chariots. So having placed the men in their battle positions, then he does what is the wisest thing you can do, is just cry unto God and say, "O God, we need You. Odds are against us." Whenever the odds are against you, it's good to have the Lord on your side. It's good to cry unto the Lord. Whenever you know that you don't have the strength for the battle, it's good to cry unto the Lord. And he cried unto the Lord his God.

and he said, LORD, it is nothing for you to help, whether with many, or those that have no power ( 2 Chronicles 14:11 ):

Recognizing that God doesn't need a big army. Recognizing that it's really nothing for God to help. It doesn't take away from God at all to help. No matter what your problem may be, God's able to handle it. It's nothing for God to help. We say, "Oh, this is a big problem. Oh, this is difficult. Oh, this is so hard." Not for God. We only look at it from our own human limitations. You can't really talk about difficulty when God is involved. "O Lord, it is nothing for Thee to help, whether with many, or those who have no power."

Just as easy for God to heal a cancer as it is an earache. The only difficulty lies in our own concepts of God, because we carry over to God our own human limitations. So many times we do think of God in an anthropomorphic way. He becomes a projection of ourselves and we carry our limitations over to God. Now this is true of all of us. I don't care how spiritual you are. You have each one placed the limitations on what you believe God does.

If a fellow should come up without an arm, and say, "I was in Vietnam, grenade exploded, blew up my arm. Would you please pray that God will give me another arm and hand? It's inconvenient not having my right arm. And I want the elders to gather and pray for me that God will give me a new arm." We'd say, "Now brother, we know that God is able to do anything." But we would start rationalizing why God wouldn't give you a new arm, because I have limitations on God in my own mind. Perhaps because I've never seen God put a new arm on somebody. It doesn't mean that God can't. It doesn't mean that God wouldn't if someone would really believe and trust Him to do it. It's not impossible for God to do.

Break off a crab's leg; it will grow a new one. So we would always just break off a leg and toss them back so they'd grow new legs so we'd catch them again. An octopus will grow a new tentacle if it's cut off. Even an earthworm will grow a new end if it's cut off. But God loves earthworms more than He loves man. Because God will do that for an earthworm, but He won't do it for man. He loves starfish more than He loves you. They can grow a new extension if it's been cut off.

We've got in our minds, and I confess, I do in my mind. I'm not going around praying God put a new leg or a new arm on people. And I will frankly confess I could not pray that God would in real faith. If someone came and asked me to do that, I would oblige and I would pray, but I really wouldn't believe that God was going to do it. I'd rather explain to them why God wasn't going to do it. And yet, the bottom line is that it would be just as easy for God to do that as it would for Him to heal that person of a sore toe. If God is going to put into operation His supernatural power in taking away your headache, that same power of God that could remove your headache could also give you a new leg, a new arm or whatever else. Just as easily. The difficulty doesn't lie with God or on God's part. The difficulty lies on our part, because we carry over to God the limitations of our own selves.

"Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or those who have no power."

help us, O LORD ( 2 Chronicles 14:11 )

His petition. Now it is interesting this is in the whole prayer. There is only one petition, and this is it. "Help us." The rest is just the acknowledgment of God, the greatness of His power, the glory of God, and so forth. And he does all of that acknowledgment of God, but he has one petition: help.

for [he said] we rest on thee ( 2 Chronicles 14:11 ),

That's a hard position to come to, but yet it is a position that many times we are forced to because there is nothing else you can do. "God, if You don't do it, it's not going to be done." Now, I don't always come to this place of beyond myself. And thus, I don't always rest on God. It seems that as long as there is a chance to do it another way, I'll try. If another possibility turns up, another idea, "Oh, that's sounds good, let's try it." And I usually don't rest on God until there is nothing else that can be done, I'm convinced that there is no way out, and then I rest on God. And I always don't rest too comfortably. Sometimes I'm still worried. Sometimes I'm still fretting.

The pastor of our Bakersfield church called me the other day. He was going to a school board meeting. The church in Bakersfield has been growing very beautifully. They have now about a thousand members and they've outgrown their facility in the downtown part of Bakersfield, so they're looking at a school to purchase, $850,000. And when you purchase schools, they want all cash. And they had the $85,000 non-refundable down payment to submit their offer, but he was concerned that if they took their offer, what was he going to do to get the rest of the money on a ninety-day escrow? "Well, just trust the Lord, brother. You know, it's nothing for God to help whether with many or with those who have no power, and God can provide. Did he give you the $85,000? Did He provide that?" "Yes." "Well then, you know, what's the difference with God? It makes no difference, eight hundred fifty or eighty-five." "I hate to think about losing all this money, God's people's money and all." I know exactly what he was going through. I know exactly what he was going through, having difficulty resting on God. I mean, after all, $85,000 is a lot of bucks to put out, especially if you can't come through with the whole thing and then you lose it. How are you going to tell the people, "Well, the Lord led us to buy this school and then the Lord let us down. We didn't get the rest of the financing and we lost it now. And with our eighty-five thousand." Tough position for a young pastor to be in. A tough position for an old pastor to be in.

But why is it so tough to trust in God? Why is it so tough to rest on God? When we were going through our growing pains and we had entered into escrow on the first ten acres here, because the lady had accepted our offer of $350,000 cash and we had $67,000 and we were in escrow on this place, as I would drive up from our other chapel and park over here waiting for the green arrow to turn left to go home, I would look over at these ten acres and I would panic within. I would talk to myself and say, "Chuck, what are you doing to these people? Things are going so great. The bills are all paid. You're in triple services. There's enough money to cover all of the needs. You got your building-up funds in the bank. But look what you're doing. You're obligating them to that ten acres. And that's just the beginning. Once you get the property, then you've got over a million dollars worth of buildings to put up, plus over a hundred thousand in street improvements and all. What are you doing? What if the whole thing flops? What if it fails?" And I would sit there and start to sweat, looking at this bare acreage over here, as Satan would start to hassle my mind. And believe me, he would.

And then the Lord would speak to me. And He would say, "Whose church is it?" I'd say, "It's Your church, Lord." He said, "Then what are you worried about?" I said, "I don't know." And I'd have victory. Man, I'd cruise over the San Diego freeway. Just, praise the Lord, "It's Your church. If the whole thing goes down the tube, Lord, Your church down the tube." I mean, I just dumped the burden off of my own shoulders, because I couldn't handle it. He'd say, "Who created the problem?" "You created the problem." "All right then, it's My responsibility." Yes, Lord.

So I said to the young pastor the other day who was so desperate, I said, "Whose church is it?" He said, "Well, it's the Lord's church." I said, "Who created the problem? Are you that fantastic a preacher that they're all coming to hear you?" "No." "Well then, who created the problem, the overcrowding conditions?" "Well, the Lord did." "Well," I said, "It's His responsibility, His church, why are you worried?"

"Lord, we rest on Thee." That's not always easy to do. But it's always so comforting when we do. Oh, how I love it when I get to that place of resting on the Lord. When I quit fretting about it, when I quit worrying about it, when I dump it off on Him and say, "Well, sink or swim, Lord. It's Your business. And I'm just going to rest on You." Now God often brings us to that place of the end of our own resources that we might learn to trust in God. And that we might learn to just rest on the Lord where it doesn't matter now what happens. If we go under, it's the Lord's church. Doesn't make any difference. Like Esther, "If I perish, I perish" ( Esther 4:16 ). So, that's the worst that can happen, I guess. But it's His business, His church. And I'm just going to rest, Lord, on You.

You know, God had in mind things that I never dreamed. God had methods and ways that I never thought about. I was consoling myself into the fact that it was a good buy and the property, we could spin off five acres maybe, because we would never need more than five acres. And so we could spin off five acres and then we would be able to build our church on the other five. But we could recover over half of what we paid by spinning off the five acres. The board members had more faith than I did. "No, we're going to need the whole thing." I said, "No, no, we'll never need ten acres. After all..."

My motto is think small. So they talked us into not spinning off five acres. But instead, the Lord sold the corner for half of what we paid for the whole thing. It didn't take five acres, just a little part out of the corner as Shell Oil called and offered us $150,000 for the corner. Paid off one of the notes. And God continued to supply, and each week He'd provide enough to buy enough materials to keep the crews going. And we just kept going. So that by the time the church was completed, the whole thing was paid for.

It's exciting to see God work, but it's even more exciting to learn to rest on God. I think that that was the greatest thing that came out of that experience in my life. I did learn at that point to rest on God, because I knew that it was much bigger than I could ever handle. And it's still much bigger than I can handle. But don't panic, folks, I haven't handled this thing for a long, long time. I wouldn't dare to try to handle it. It's His church, His business. I'm just a servant. I would hate to try to manage or handle this thing. I don't think... I know I couldn't. But I'm just resting on Him, because He's doing such a fabulous job of building His church. And it's just exciting to watch God work.

"O Lord, nothing for you to help, with many or those who have no power. Help us, O Lord, for we rest on Thee."

and in thy name we're going out against this host ( 2 Chronicles 14:11 ).

"Lord, we're on Your side." How opposite this is of so many programs today, where we devise our whole program and then we say, "Okay God, get on our side now and bless this program that we have all worked out." How many times we find ourselves in that position of trying to get God on my side. "I choose God. You're on my side, God. Now You get behind me, God, and You support every idea and program that I have. And You follow my instructions carefully, Lord, so that we don't get this thing botched up. Now, Lord, I want You to do this. I want You to do that. And Lord, if You'll run over here and do this for me, and then when You get through with that, if You come back and run over here, Lord." And we think of prayer as ordering God around the place in order that He might do my will. But that's a totally wrong concept of prayer, because God never ever intended prayer as a medium whereby you might accomplish your will on the earth. And that's a mistake that people make concerning prayer. They think that prayer is something whereby they can get everything they wish if they would only believe strong enough and hard enough. That my will can be done.

"Oh, but doesn't Jesus say, 'And whatsoever you ask in my name, that will I do, that my Father may be glorified in the Son' ( John 14:13 )? Again He said, 'Henceforth you've asked nothing in my name: ask, please ask, that you may receive, that your joy may be full' ( John 16:24 ). And again He said, 'And if you shall anything in faith, believing, it shall be done unto you' ( Matthew 21:22 ). Aren't those the words of Jesus? Aren't those His promises to us?" Yes. Who did He make the promises to? Who was He talking to when He said, "Ask and you shall receive"? Who was He talking to when He said, "And whatsoever you ask in faith believing ye shall receive"? Who was He talking to when He said this? Was He talking to the multitudes? No. Who then was He talking to? He was talking to His own disciples when He made these glorious promises concerning prayer.

Now what does it take to be His disciple? "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me" ( Matthew 16:24 ). To whom is Jesus saying, "Ask, and if ye shall ask anything"? He is saying that to the man who, first of all, has denied himself. Thus, he's not thinking about himself or looking out for himself or really even asking for himself, because he has denied himself. He's talking to the man who has submitted himself totally to the will of God, even as Jesus said concerning the cross, "Not my will, Thy will be done" ( Luke 22:42 ). He's talking to the man who is fully following Him. And for that man who has denied himself and submitted himself totally to the will of God and is interested only in seeing God's will accomplished. He said, "Just ask, please ask, that you might receive that your joy may be full."

But it doesn't mean that I can ask for every little whim and fancy that I may desire, every little luxury that I might be able to live a very lavish and lustful life. It means that I am so committed to God I'm really not looking or caring about things for myself. I'm only caring now for the work of the kingdom, and thus, my asking is involved with the things of the kingdom, the lost souls that are around me and that work of God to be wrought in these hearts and lives in this community in which I live. And it's glorious to wield that kind of power for God's sake in this needy world. But we've got the wrong concept of prayer in thinking that God is going to yield Himself to my will, to answer my demand that I may make upon Him in prayer. That is not the case.

The purpose of prayer is always to get the will of God done, not my will. And thus, if you shall ask anything according to His will, He hears you. And if He hears, then you know that you'll receive the petitions that you made of Him. But God's will is definitely involved in your prayer and your prayers cannot change the will of God. And it would be horrible if they could, because God's will for your life is the very best that could happen to you. God's will in this situation is the very best thing that can happen in this situation. God's will in the life of your child is the very best thing that could happen to your child. And because He loves you so much, He isn't capricious and will just change His will in order to answer your little whim. Because you don't know what the whole story is and what the full issue is, and you're just looking with this narrow shortsightedness, and you don't see the long-term thing that God is working out. And that's why you don't understand God. That's why sometimes you get upset with God. That's sometimes why you feel like you're just almost destroyed. "God doesn't answer my prayer. I fully believed and trusted Him to work, but He didn't work. Why? After all, I had fulfilled my part." Because it isn't the purpose of God to accomplish your will. Or it isn't the purpose of prayer. The purpose of prayer is to get God's will done.

"O Lord, in Thy name we go out against this enemy."

don't let man prevail against you ( 2 Chronicles 14:11 ).

That's exactly the place I came to. "And the church, Lord, it's Your church and I'm going to rest on You. It's Your church, Lord. Don't let anything happen to Your church, Lord. Don't let Your church go bankrupt, Lord. Don't let Your church go under, Lord." "In Thy name, Lord, don't let man prevail against You." Hey, far from going bankrupt, God has provided, because we've acknowledged the lordship of Christ. We acknowledged the fact that it's His church and we acknowledged that when He sends the funds, the surplus funds in, that we have the obligation before Him to spend those funds just like He wants them spent for whatever purpose and plan He has. And really, the greatest burden upon the board is the proper expenditure of the funds that God has so lavishly bestowed upon us here.

And that's why we went into the radio ministry. In order that we might have. We felt that this was an excellent way to, more or less, multiply across the United States what God has done here. Because what God has done here has been the result of the teaching of His Word and the people becoming strong in the Word. Knowing God and becoming strong in the Word, God has expanded and blessed the work here, because people got turned on through the Word of God. As they really begin to know God, they could relate to God and have these meaningful relationships where God has begun to work and change their lives. And we see the fruit of the Word of God, and so we felt the best way to multiply this across the country is to go on the radio teaching across the country.

And the interesting thing, every time we take a step and appropriate a little more money for the radio and we expand the radio ministry, God sends in more. We can't keep up with Him. We can't spend it all. So we're in the process of expanding the radio ministry again. We're looking into television. Outreach in television. We're looking into several different interesting outreaches to sort of invest that which God has given to reach the lives of people across the country. We're thinking in terms of financing a huge Bob Dylan concert at Anaheim Stadium just to reach the people. It will cost us some bucks, but we'll be able to reach thousands of people and have an impact on young people all over this area.

And so we are looking for ways to wisely invest those funds that God has placed in our hands in order that we might expand the work of God throughout the world. And when God guides, God provides. And when God provides, God guides in where it should be used to expand the kingdom.

"Lord, in Thy name we're going out against this host. Let not man prevail against You."

And so the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa ( 2 Chronicles 14:12 ),

That's interesting. The Lord smote them before Asa.

and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away [that is, Asa carried away] very much spoil. They smote the cities of Gerar; and the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them. And they smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem ( 2 Chronicles 14:12-15 ).

Chapter 17

At his death his son Jehoshaphat took over the throne. Jehoshaphat was a very good king and God strengthened him.

The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim [the false god]; But he sought to the LORD God of his fathers, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of the northern tribe of Israel. Therefore the LORD stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honor in abundance ( 2 Chronicles 17:3-5 ).

"Seek first the kingdom of God, all these things will be added unto you" ( Matthew 6:33 ).

And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and the groves out of Judah. And in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, even to Benhail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. And he sent with them the Levites [in order that they might also instruct the people]. And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the LORD with them, and they went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people ( 2 Chronicles 17:6-9 ).

So he sent out evangelistic teams to go to the cities of Judah that they might teach the people the ways of God, the laws of the Lord. And he really, again, is bringing the people back to God as the center of their national life.

And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they dared not to make war against Jehoshaphat. And even the Philistines began to pay tribute to him. And he waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles, and cities for their store [houses]. And he had much business in the cities of Judah: and the men of war, mighty men of valor, were in Jerusalem ( 2 Chronicles 17:10-13 ).

And the number of the army was close to a million now that he had amassed. And they waited on the king.

Chapter 18

Now Jehoshaphat had these riches and honor in abundance, and [for some reason,] he joined affinity with Ahab ( 2 Chronicles 18:1 ).

Who was one of the most wicked of all the kings of the northern tribes. Why? I don't know. But he went up to visit Ahab in Samaria. And while he was there visiting, Ahab said, "Look, I'm going to go out and fight against the Syrians at Ramothgilead. You want to go with me?" Jehoshaphat said, "Why not? You know, I'm with you as one. We're one together. We're both kings over the nation. So sure, I'll go with you." And so they went up against Syria there at Ramothgilead. But Jehoshaphat, before they went said, "Hey, is there a prophet of God that we can inquire of to see if God's in this thing?" And so he called the prophets in, four hundred of them. And they all said, "Go up, the Lord be with you and prosper you and give you victory over your enemy."

Now Jehoshaphat said, "Isn't there any other prophet?" Now here were four hundred guys agreeing together. But Jehoshaphat somehow felt something a little funny about it. He said, "Isn't there any other prophet that we might inquire?" "There's one guy, his name is Micaiah. But that man, he never has anything good to say to me. I don't like to call him because always bad news for me from this guy." He said, "Don't say that. Maybe this will be good. Just call him in and see what he say to say." So they sent his servant to get this one prophet Micaiah and he said, "Now look fellow, you've got a reputation of giving bad news to the king all the time. So hey, say a good word. Don't give him bad news."

So the king, when Micaiah came in, said, "Shall I go up against Syria at Ramothgilead?" And old Micaiah said, "Yes, go, prosper, defeat your enemies. Sure, go ahead." And the king said, "Look, man. How many times have I told you not to lie to me in the name of the LORD?" And he said, "All right, if you want to know the truth, I'll lay it on you, King. I saw a vision and the men of Israel were all scattered, and they were like sheep without a shepherd." Declaring that the king was going to fall in the battle. And he said, "Didn't I tell you this guy never has anything good to say about me?"

And so the prophet went on to tell him.

I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all of the host of heaven were standing on his right hand and his left ( 2 Chronicles 18:18 ).

What an awesome vision the prophet had. God's throne and all of the host of heaven.

And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying, I can do this, and another said, I can do this. But there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said, How? And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee ( 2 Chronicles 18:19-22 ).

So Zedekiah, one of the prophets that was there who had made some iron horns and went running around like a nut with these iron horns and saying, "Thus you're going to push the king of Syria all over the place." He slapped this guy in the face. He said, "Tell me, what direction did the spirit go that told me to slap you?"

And Micaiah said to him, Behold, you shall see the day when you are going to go to the inner chamber to hide yourself ( 2 Chronicles 18:24 ).

So the king of Israel ordered him to be taken and put in jail until I come back in peace. He said, "Hey, if you come back in peace, I'm a false prophet."

Now the difficulty lies in how God worked in this circumstance. Why would God allow a lying spirit to fill the four hundred prophets to entice the king to go to battle at Ramothgilead? I don't want to get too involved in it. We don't have time tonight. But God has created all things for His purposes. And even Satan is fulfilling the purposes of God. God has placed the limitations on what Satan can do. He can only do what God allows him to do. Satan complained against certain limitations and restrictions that God had placed upon him concerning Job. But God does use Satan for His purposes.

When God created man a free moral agent, gave to man the capacity of self-determination, gave to man the power of choice, it was necessary in order that man's choice be valid that there be something to choose. If you didn't have any choice, then what value is it to have the capacity of choice? It doesn't really make sense that God has endowed me with this glorious capacity of choice. "I'm going to create man after My own image, a self-determinate being. He will be able to choose," but then there's nothing to choose. All there is is good in the whole universe. There's nothing, there's no alternatives to choose. So take your choice. But there isn't any choice.

So God had to create the choice. He had to allow Satan to rebel in order to create the alternate choice in order that He might know that man truly loves Him and serves Him from a heart of love. Because God was looking for love and fellowship from man. God could never know if that love was genuine unless the capacity of choice was there. And thus, God allowed the rebellion of Satan. God placed the tree in the garden. He allowed Satan to exploit the tree in order that man might have the opportunity to exercise that choice, in order that God might receive true fulfillment from the love that man offered unto God.

So God has given to you the capacity of choice tonight. You don't have to love God. You don't have to serve God. You don't have to express your love to God. But you have the choice. You can do it if you want. But if you choose to do it, then God knows that you've done it by choice, that it is really in your heart to do so. "Oh God, I love You." I don't have to say that. I could choose to hate God if I desired. I could choose to rebel against God. I could choose to live a life totally after my own flesh in complete rebellion against God. I have that choice. But by the very virtue of the fact that I have chosen to love God, to serve God, to commit myself to God, He knows that it's a genuine love, a genuine commitment, because I don't have to. And thus, He receives from it that warmth of fellowship that He was desiring from man.

So God here is allowing this spirit, a lying spirit to come into the mouths of the prophets in order that He might fulfill His purpose to get this guy up to Ramothgilead. You say, "Well, couldn't God have used something else?" Of course He could. But He chose and He has that capacity and power to, and I can't really argue with the choices that God makes. I don't know why God has chosen me. I'm glad He did. I don't argue with it. And I made a point not to argue with the choices of God, because I know that He is wiser than I am, much smarter than I am. So I just say, "Lord, if that's what You chose. You know what's best."

Now it worked. Ahab went up against Benhadad or the forces of Syria. Now Benhadad the king had said to his captains, he said, "Look, there is only one guy we really want, that's Ahab the king. So concentrate on getting him. Let that be the concentration of the battle is to get the king. I'm not worried about the rest of the army. If we can get the king, they'll fold." So as they were going into battle, these two fellows, Jehoshaphat and Ahab, Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Hey, I like to sort of get into the thick of things. Let me just put on the robes of one of my soldiers. Here, you put on my robe and all and you ride in my chariot. I want to get another chariot. I want to get into the battle here."

So Jehoshaphat got in the king's chariot and there he was with the king's robe on. And of course, the captains of Syria were all looking for the king's chariot. When they saw him, they began to encircle him. And he got on the horse and really got going and crying out, you know, and really trying to get out of there because they were all concentrating on him. And when they saw that it wasn't Ahab, then they turned from pursuing him. And one guy just pulled back, you know, bunch of people over there. Just pulled back and let fly with his arrow. Had a venture. Wasn't really shooting at anybody, just shooting in the direction of the enemy. And God directed that arrow and it came right through, pierced through Ahab the king. And he propped himself up in the chariot to continue the battle. But by the end of the day, Ahab had died. And the prophecies of God were fulfilled. The purposes of God were fulfilled. And Jehoshaphat, of course, returned back to Jerusalem. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. Asa’s Wisdom 14:2-15

Asa inherited a kingdom at peace. He wisely used the peace to purge the idolatry that had crept into Judah (2 Chronicles 14:3-5). The term "Asherim" (pl. of ’asherah) refers to the various representations of Baal’s goddess consort Asherah. The Canaanites believed this goddess resided in a carved wooden pole that they erected beside a carved stone pillar in which they believed Baal abode. Both the wooden poles and the stone pillars served as incense stands, and both were idols. [Note: William F. Albright, Archaeology and the Religion of Israel, pp. 215-16.]

Asa also fortified his defenses against future attacks from the North. Because of his trust in Yahweh, God gave him deliverance from his attackers (2 Chronicles 14:9-15).

"They [the Cushites, 2 Chronicles 14:9] have been identified with Ethiopians (cf. 2 Chronicles 16:8). This is rejected by recent commentators. The reference in 2 Chronicles 14:15 to a Bedouin group with sheep, goats, and camels that Asa drove off has led several recent writers to suggest that Cush may have been an ethnic group living in the vicinity of Judah (cf. Habakkuk 3:7)." [Note: Thompson, p. 267. Cf. Williamson, 1 and 2 . . ., pp. 263-65. J. Daniel Hays, "The Cushites: A Black Nation in the Bible," Bibliotheca Sacra 153:612 (October-December 1996):401-3, argued for their being from Cush (modern Ethiopia).]

In all these events, Asa followed the good examples of David and Solomon.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian, with an host of thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots,.... According to Josephus b, this army consisted of 900,000 foot, and 100,000 horsemen, and certain it is there were horsemen among them, 2 Chronicles 16:8 some say these were not the Ethiopians in Africa, beyond Egypt, being, as is said, too far off for such an army to travel, and it would be hard to say what should induce them to it; and besides it is urged, the king of Egypt would never have suffered them to pass through his dominions, as they must to come to Judea; but that they were the Cushite Arabs, that inhabited Midian, part of Arabia Petraea, and Arabia Felix, near Judaea, 2 Chronicles 16:8- :, but since this great host consisted of Lubim or Libyans, inhabitants of Africa, as well as of Ethiopians, 2 Chronicles 16:8, these Ethiopians seem to be rather those in Africa, who were masters of Egypt and Libya, as well as Ethiopia, quickly after the death of Shishak, or Sesostris, see 2 Chronicles 12:2, which accounts for the size of this army, and their passage through Egypt: that there were two sorts of Ethiopians, the western and eastern ones, the one that dwelt in Africa, the other in Asia, appears clearly from Homer c, Herodotus d, and Heliodorus e, the former of which seem here meant; nor need this army be thought incredible, especially since they were joined by the Lubim or Libyans, and assisted by the Philistines, as appears by what follows; besides, the two armies of Israel and Judah we read of in the preceding chapter, when put together, exceed this; see also 2 Chronicles 17:14, so the armies of Tamerlane and Bajazet, that of the former being 1,600,000, and that of the latter 1,400,000 f:

and came unto Mareshah; a city in the tribe of Judah, on the borders of it, 2 Chronicles 11:8.

b Antiqu. l. 8. c. 12. sect. 1. c Odyss. 1. ver. 23, 24. d Polymnia, sive, l. 7. c. 69, 70. e Ethiopic. l. 9. c. 6. f Laonic. Chalcocond. de rebus Turc. l. 3. p. 98, 102.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      9 And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.   10 Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.   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.   12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.   13 And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.   14 And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.   15 They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

      Here is, I. Disturbance given to the peace of Asa's kingdom by a formidable army of Ethiopians that invaded them, 2 Chronicles 14:9; 2 Chronicles 14:10. Though still they sought God, yet this fear came upon them, that their faith in God might be tried, and that God might have an opportunity of doing great things for them. It was a vast number that the Ethiopians brought against him: 1,000,000 men; and now he found the benefit of having an army ready raised against such a time of need. That provision which we thought needless may soon appear to be of great advantage.

      II. The application Asa made to God on occasion of the threatening cloud which now hung over his head, 2 Chronicles 14:11; 2 Chronicles 14:11. He that sought God in the day of his peace and prosperity could with holy boldness cry to God in the day of his trouble, and call him his God. His prayer is short, but has much in it. 1. He gives to God the glory of his infinite power and sovereignty: It is nothing with thee to help and save by many or few, by those that are mighty or by those that have no power. See 1 Samuel 14:6. God works in his own strength, not in the strength of instruments (Psalms 21:13), nay, it is his glory to help the weakest and to perfect strength out of the mouth of babes and sucklings. "We do not say, Lord, take our part, for we have a good army for thee to work by; but, take our part, for without thee we have no power." 2. He takes hold of their covenant-relation to God as theirs. O Lord, our God! and again, "Thou art our God, whom we have chosen and cleave to as ours, and who hast promised to be ours." 3. He pleads their dependence upon God, and the eye they had to him in this expedition. He was well prepared for it, yet trusted not to his preparations; but, "Lord, we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude, by warrant from thee, aiming at thy glory, and trusting to thy strength." 4. He interests God in their cause: "Let not man" (mortal man, so the word is) "prevail against thee. If he prevail against us, it will be said that he prevails against thee, because thou art our God, and we rest on thee and go forth in thy name, which thou hast encouraged us to do. The enemy is a mortal man; make it to appear what an unequal match he is for an immortal God. Lord, maintain thy own honour; hallowed by thy name."

      III. The glorious victory God gave him over his enemies. 1. God defeated the enemy, and put their forces into disorder (2 Chronicles 14:12; 2 Chronicles 14:12): The Lord smote the Ethiopians, smote them with terror, and an unaccountable consternation, so that they fled, and knew neither why nor whither. 2. Asa and his soldiers took the advantage God gave them against the enemy. (1.) They destroyed them. They fell before the Lord (for who can stand before him?) and before his host, either an invisible host of angels that were employed to destroy them or the host of Israel, called God's host because owned by him. (2.) They took the plunder of their camp, carried away very much spoil from the slain and from the baggage. (3.) They smote the cities that were in league with them, to which they fled for shelter, and carried off the spoil of them (2 Chronicles 14:14; 2 Chronicles 14:14); and they were not able to make any resistance, for the fear of the Lord came upon them, that is, a fear which God struck them with to such a degree that they had no heart to withstand the conquerors. (4.) They fetched away the cattle out of the enemy's country, in vast numbers, 2 Chronicles 14:15; 2 Chronicles 14:15. Thus the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.