Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
2 Chronicles
Book: 2 Chronicles
Chapter: 16
Overview:
Asa seeks the aid of the Syrians, His
Death.
- A
Plain and
Faithful reproof was given to
Asa By a
Prophet of
the
Lord, for making a
League with
Syria.
God is displeased when
he is distrusted, and when an
Arm of
Flesh is relied
On, more
than his power and
Goodness. It is foolish to lean
On a broken
Reed, when we have the
Rock of ages to rely upon. To convince
Asa of his folly, the
Prophet shows that he, of all men, had
No
reason to distrust
God, who had found him such a powerful
Helper. The many experiences we have had of the
Goodness of God
to us, aggravate our distrust of him. But see how deceitful our
hearts are! we trust in
God when we have nothing else to trust
to, when need drives us to him; but when we have other things to
stay
On, we are apt to depend too much
On them. Observe
Asa's
displeasure at this reproof. What is
Man, when
God leaves him to
himself! He that abused his power for persecuting
God's
Prophet,
was left to himself, to abuse it further for crushing his own
subjects. Two years before he died,
Asa was diseased in his
feet. Making use of physicians was his duty; but trusting to
them, and expecting that from them which was to be had from
God
only, were his
Sin and folly. In all conflicts and sufferings we
need especially to look to our own hearts, that they may be
perfect towards
God,
By Faith, patience, and obedience.