How should believers respond when facing adversity like in 2 Chronicles 28:17? Set the Scene: Edom’s Assault on Judah “Again the Edomites had come and attacked Judah and carried away captives.” (2 Chronicles 28:17) Ahaz had turned from the Lord, and the Lord allowed enemy raids to press Judah. The verse is a sober reminder: adversity can arrive suddenly, painfully, and as a direct consequence of unfaithfulness. Recognize God’s Sovereign Hand in Adversity • God is never caught off guard. “I form light and create darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity.” (Isaiah 45:7) • Trials do not mean God has lost control; they may instead signal His loving discipline. “For the Lord disciplines the one He loves.” (Hebrews 12:6) Respond with Immediate Repentance and Humility • Ahaz hardened his heart; believers must do the opposite. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us.” (1 John 1:9) • Adversity can expose hidden idols. Use the moment to smash them, as Hezekiah later did with the bronze serpent (2 Kings 18:4). Seek the Lord Earnestly through Prayer and Fasting • Judah eventually learned to cry out: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” (2 Chronicles 20:12) • Combine fasting with prayer to express wholehearted dependence (Ezra 8:21–23). Return to Covenant Obedience • Real repentance produces real obedience. “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” (James 1:22) • Obedience invites God’s favor and protection: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) Strengthen One Another in Community • The Edomites “carried away captives.” Isolation worsens pain; God designed fellowship for mutual aid (Galatians 6:2). • Encourage, supply, rescue—just as the prophet Oded urged Israel to release Judah’s captives and clothe them (2 Chronicles 28:11–15). Remember God’s Past Faithfulness • Rehearse victories like the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14) or David’s triumph over Goliath (1 Samuel 17). • Memory fuels hope: “I will remember the deeds of the LORD.” (Psalm 77:11) Look Ahead to Christ’s Ultimate Deliverance • Earthly enemies foreshadow humanity’s greatest foe—sin and death, defeated at the cross. • “Take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Key Takeaways for Today • Adversity is not random; it is under God’s rule. • Respond first with repentance, not resentment. • Seek the Lord intensely—prayer, fasting, Scripture. • Obedience restores fellowship and protection. • Bear one another’s burdens; no believer faces battle alone. • Remember former deliverances and the finished work of Christ. • Anticipate ultimate rescue when every captivity is forever ended. |
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