2 Chronicles 14 Study Notes: Asa Seeks God and Defeats Zerah
King Asa tears down idol worship, calls Judah to follow God’s law, and builds walled towns during years of peace that God grants. When Zerah the Cushite invades with a huge army, Asa prays for help, and God routs the invaders before Judah.
General
Along with tearing down places of false worship, what did King Asa order Judah’s people to do (2 Chronicles 14:2-5)?
Answer: To seek God and carry out His law and commands
Asa, the son of Abijah, acted rightly and well in the LORD’s sight (14:2). He took away altars to foreign gods and the high places, which were hilltop shrines used for worship apart from the LORD’s appointed altar. He smashed sacred pillars and cut down Asherah poles, wooden objects linked to the Canaanite goddess Asherah (14:3, 5). But he did more than tear down. He also commanded Judah’s people to seek their fathers’ God, the LORD, and to obey His law and commandments (14:4). The law had told Israel to destroy such idols (Deuteronomy 7:5), and David had urged Israel’s leaders to give their hearts to seeking the LORD (1 Chronicles 22:19). Later a prophet praised Jehoshaphat for this same pairing of removing Asherah poles and setting his heart on God (2 Chronicles 19:3).
- 2 Chronicles 14:2-5 (BSB)“And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. He removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and chopped down the Asherah poles. He commanded the people of Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments. He also removed the high places and incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and under him the kingdom was at peace.”Asa does what is right, removes places of false worship, and commands Judah to seek the LORD and keep His law.
- Deuteronomy 7:5 (BSB)“Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.”The law commanded Israel to destroy pagan altars, pillars, and Asherah poles.
- 1 Chronicles 22:19 (BSB)“Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God. Begin building the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.””David had called Israel’s leaders to devote their hearts to seeking the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 19:3 (BSB)“However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God.””A prophet later commends Jehoshaphat for the same combination of removing idols and seeking God.
Theological
Alongside his removal of idolatrous worship sites, what positive charge did Asa lay on Judah (2 Chronicles 14:2-5)?
Answer: To seek God and carry out His law and commands
Chronicles opens Asa’s reign with the verdict that he acted rightly and well in the LORD’s sight (14:2), then pairs negative reform with positive charge. He took away the foreign altars, high places, sacred pillars and Asherah poles (14:3, 5), in obedience to the law’s demand to destroy Canaanite worship objects (Deuteronomy 7:5), and he charged Judah to seek their fathers’ God and keep the law and commandments (14:4). Seeking the LORD is the book’s central measure of faithfulness, echoing David’s charge to Israel’s leaders (1 Chronicles 22:19). The same two marks, removing Asherah poles and devoting the heart to seeking God, are later commended in Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 19:3).
- 2 Chronicles 14:2-5 (BSB)“And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. He removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and chopped down the Asherah poles. He commanded the people of Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments. He also removed the high places and incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and under him the kingdom was at peace.”Asa does what is right, removes places of false worship, and commands Judah to seek the LORD and keep His law.
- Deuteronomy 7:5 (BSB)“Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.”The law commanded Israel to destroy pagan altars, pillars, and Asherah poles.
- 1 Chronicles 22:19 (BSB)“Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God. Begin building the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.””David had called Israel’s leaders to devote their hearts to seeking the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 19:3 (BSB)“However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God.””A prophet later commends Jehoshaphat for the same combination of removing idols and seeking God.
General
Facing Zerah the Cushite’s enormous army, what did Asa confess about the LORD as he began his prayer (2 Chronicles 14:9-11)?
Answer: Only He can rescue the weak against the strong
Zerah the Cushite marched against Judah with a huge army and many chariots (14:9). Asa had a sizable army of his own (14:8), but when he lined up for battle he put no confidence in numbers. He cried out that none but the LORD can come to the aid of the powerless when they face the strong (14:11). Jonathan had once said the same: the LORD can save with a small force as easily as with a large one (1 Samuel 14:6). A psalm warns that a vast army cannot rescue a king (Psalm 33:16-17), and another says God’s people trust in His name rather than in chariots and horses (Psalm 20:7).
- 2 Chronicles 14:9-11 (BSB)“Then Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots, and they advanced as far as Mareshah. So Asa marched out against him and lined up in battle formation in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.””Zerah attacks with a huge army, and Asa cries out that only the LORD can help the powerless against the mighty.
- 1 Samuel 14:6 (BSB)“Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.””Jonathan affirms that the LORD can save by many or by few.
- Psalm 33:16-17 (BSB)“No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.”A large army or great strength cannot save a king.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God’s people trust in the LORD’s name rather than in chariots and horses.
Theological
Confronted by Zerah’s overwhelming force, what confession about the LORD opens Asa’s prayer (2 Chronicles 14:9-11)?
Answer: Only He can rescue the weak against the strong
Zerah’s invasion pits Judah against a vastly larger force with chariots (14:9). Though Asa commands a substantial army (14:8), his prayer begins by confessing the LORD’s unique ability to help the helpless against the mighty (14:11), a confession of utter dependence. Jonathan voiced the same conviction that the LORD’s saving power is not bound to numbers (1 Samuel 14:6), and the Psalms deny that a king’s great army can rescue him (Psalm 33:16-17) while affirming that the faithful trust in the LORD’s name, not in chariots and horses (Psalm 20:7).
- 2 Chronicles 14:9-11 (BSB)“Then Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots, and they advanced as far as Mareshah. So Asa marched out against him and lined up in battle formation in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.””Zerah attacks with a huge army, and Asa cries out that only the LORD can help the powerless against the mighty.
- 1 Samuel 14:6 (BSB)“Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.””Jonathan affirms that the LORD can save by many or by few.
- Psalm 33:16-17 (BSB)“No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.”A large army or great strength cannot save a king.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God’s people trust in the LORD’s name rather than in chariots and horses.
General
After the battle, why were Judah’s forces able to strike every town near Gerar (2 Chronicles 14:14-15)?
Answer: Dread sent by the LORD had gripped those towns
After the Cushites were routed, Judah took a great deal of plunder. They struck all the towns around Gerar because fear from the LORD had come over those towns (14:14). They also raided the herdsmen’s camps, carried off flocks and camels, and went back to Jerusalem (14:15). The same thing happens later in Chronicles: dread from the LORD fell on the kingdoms around Judah and kept them from fighting Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:10), and the nations were seized with fear of God once they learned that He had battled for Israel (2 Chronicles 20:29).
- 2 Chronicles 14:14-15 (BSB)“and attacked all the cities around Gerar, because the terror of the LORD had fallen upon them. They plundered all the cities, since there was much plunder there. They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen and carried off many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.”Judah strikes the towns around Gerar because terror from the LORD has fallen on them, then returns to Jerusalem.
- 2 Chronicles 17:10 (BSB)“And the dread of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.”Dread of the LORD later keeps the nations from fighting Jehoshaphat.
- 2 Chronicles 20:29 (BSB)“And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.”Fear of God comes on the nations when they hear the LORD fought for Israel.
Theological
What reason does the text give for Judah’s success against the towns around Gerar after the rout of the Cushites (2 Chronicles 14:14-15)?
Answer: Dread sent by the LORD had gripped those towns
The victory’s aftermath is again attributed to God: Judah could strike the towns around Gerar because terror from the LORD had seized them (14:14), and they went home to Jerusalem with flocks and camels as spoil (14:15). Chronicles repeatedly presents this divinely sent fear as the means by which the LORD protects His people, as when dread from the LORD kept the surrounding kingdoms from warring against Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:10) and when fear from God fell on the nations after the LORD fought Israel’s enemies (2 Chronicles 20:29).
- 2 Chronicles 14:14-15 (BSB)“and attacked all the cities around Gerar, because the terror of the LORD had fallen upon them. They plundered all the cities, since there was much plunder there. They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen and carried off many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.”Judah strikes the towns around Gerar because terror from the LORD has fallen on them, then returns to Jerusalem.
- 2 Chronicles 17:10 (BSB)“And the dread of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.”Dread of the LORD later keeps the nations from fighting Jehoshaphat.
- 2 Chronicles 20:29 (BSB)“And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.”Fear of God comes on the nations when they hear the LORD fought for Israel.
General
True or False: In his prayer, Asa told the LORD that Judah was depending on Him and had marched out against the huge army in His name.
Answer: True
This is true. Asa asked the LORD to help because Judah was relying on Him and had come out against the multitude in His name (14:11). He ended by asking God not to let a mere human being prevail against Him, treating the battle as the LORD’s own cause. A psalm makes the same request, that God not allow humans to triumph (Psalm 9:19). Chronicles had just told how Abijah’s men won against Jeroboam because of their reliance on the LORD (2 Chronicles 13:18), and David told Goliath that the battle belongs to the LORD (1 Samuel 17:47).
- 2 Chronicles 14:11 (BSB)“Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.””Asa says Judah relies on the LORD, has come in His name, and asks that no mortal prevail against Him.
- Psalm 9:19 (BSB)“Rise up, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your presence.”The psalmist likewise asks the LORD not to let man prevail.
- 2 Chronicles 13:18 (BSB)“Thus the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.”Judah had prevailed under Abijah because they relied on the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 17:47 (BSB)“And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.””David declared that the battle is the LORD’s and that He saves without sword or spear.
Theological
True or False: Asa’s prayer grounds Judah’s advance against Zerah in reliance on the LORD and in His name, and presents the battle as the LORD’s own cause.
Answer: True
This is true. Asa pleads for help on the ground that Judah relies on the LORD and advances in His name, and he closes by asking that no mortal man triumph over the LORD (14:11), identifying Judah’s cause with God’s honor. The appeal mirrors the psalmist’s plea that man not prevail before God (Psalm 9:19). Reliance is the decisive category in Chronicles: Judah prevailed under Abijah precisely because of their reliance on the LORD (2 Chronicles 13:18), and David confessed that the battle belongs to the LORD (1 Samuel 17:47).
- 2 Chronicles 14:11 (BSB)“Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.””Asa says Judah relies on the LORD, has come in His name, and asks that no mortal prevail against Him.
- Psalm 9:19 (BSB)“Rise up, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your presence.”The psalmist likewise asks the LORD not to let man prevail.
- 2 Chronicles 13:18 (BSB)“Thus the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.”Judah had prevailed under Abijah because they relied on the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 17:47 (BSB)“And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.””David declared that the battle is the LORD’s and that He saves without sword or spear.
General
True or False: According to 2 Chronicles 14:6, no one attacked Asa in those years because his new walled cities frightened his enemies.
Answer: False
This is false. The order runs the other way. The land was already quiet, and because of that peace Asa was able to build fortified cities (14:6). The reason the verse gives for why nobody fought against him is that rest was the LORD’s gift to him. Rest from enemies was something God had promised Israel in the land (Deuteronomy 12:10) and had given in Joshua’s day (Joshua 21:44). Chronicles describes Jehoshaphat’s peaceful kingdom the same way, as rest that his God gave (2 Chronicles 20:30). The walls were built during God’s gift of peace; they were not its cause.
- 2 Chronicles 14:6 (BSB)“Because the land was at peace, Asa built fortified cities in Judah. In those days no one made war with him, because the LORD had given him rest.”Asa builds fortified cities during the peace, and no one makes war with him because the LORD had given him rest.
- Deuteronomy 12:10 (BSB)“When you cross the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and He gives you rest from all the enemies around you and you dwell securely,”God promised to give Israel rest from all surrounding enemies in the land.
- Joshua 21:44 (BSB)“And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.”The LORD fulfilled that promise by giving Israel rest on every side.
- 2 Chronicles 20:30 (BSB)“Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.”Jehoshaphat’s peace is likewise traced to the rest his God gave him.
Theological
True or False: 2 Chronicles 14:6 attributes the absence of war in Asa’s early reign to the deterrent effect of his newly fortified cities.
Answer: False
This is false. The building program is the result of the peace, not its source: with the land at rest, Asa fortified Judah’s cities, and the stated reason for the absence of war is the LORD’s gift of rest (14:6). Rest from surrounding enemies is the covenant blessing promised for life in the land (Deuteronomy 12:10) and granted under Joshua (Joshua 21:44), and Chronicles repeatedly attributes royal peace directly to God’s gift, as with Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:30). The fortifications are stewardship of a blessing already received, not the ground of Judah’s security.
- 2 Chronicles 14:6 (BSB)“Because the land was at peace, Asa built fortified cities in Judah. In those days no one made war with him, because the LORD had given him rest.”Asa builds fortified cities during the peace, and no one makes war with him because the LORD had given him rest.
- Deuteronomy 12:10 (BSB)“When you cross the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and He gives you rest from all the enemies around you and you dwell securely,”God promised to give Israel rest from all surrounding enemies in the land.
- Joshua 21:44 (BSB)“And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.”The LORD fulfilled that promise by giving Israel rest on every side.
- 2 Chronicles 20:30 (BSB)“Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.”Jehoshaphat’s peace is likewise traced to the rest his God gave him.
General
According to 2 Chronicles 14:12-13, who struck down the Cushite army?
Answer: The LORD, fighting for Asa and Judah
The answer to Asa’s prayer came at once. The LORD Himself defeated the Cushites in front of Asa and the army of Judah, and they fled (14:12). Asa’s men chased them all the way to Gerar, and the Cushites could not recover, because they were shattered in the LORD’s presence and before the army that belonged to Him (14:13). Judah’s soldiers are even called the LORD’s army, showing whose battle it was. Scripture often teaches this: a horse may be ready for battle, but victory comes from the LORD (Proverbs 21:31), as when Moses told Israel at the sea that the LORD would fight for them (Exodus 14:13-14). A psalm says the same: God, not bow or sword, saves His people (Psalm 44:6-7).
- 2 Chronicles 14:12-13 (BSB)“So the LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah, and the Cushites fled. Then Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. The Cushites fell and could not recover, for they were crushed before the LORD and His army. So the people of Judah carried off a great amount of plunder”The LORD strikes down the Cushites, who are crushed before the LORD and His army.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Battle may be prepared for, but victory belongs to the LORD.
- Exodus 14:13-14 (BSB)“But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.””At the sea Moses told Israel that the LORD would fight for them.
- Psalm 44:6-7 (BSB)“For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me. For You save us from our enemies; You put those who hate us to shame.”The psalmist trusts God, not weapons, to save from enemies.
Theological
To whom does 2 Chronicles 14:12-13 attribute the defeat of the Cushites?
Answer: The LORD, fighting for Asa and Judah
Chronicles makes the LORD the agent of the victory: He defeated the Cushites in the presence of Asa and Judah (14:12), and the enemy was broken in the LORD’s presence and before the forces that belonged to Him (14:13). Judah’s pursuit to Gerar follows God’s decisive act, and the designation of Judah’s forces as the LORD’s army frames the war as His. This is the consistent biblical pattern: preparation for battle is human, but the win itself comes from the LORD (Proverbs 21:31), as at the Red Sea, where the LORD fought for Israel (Exodus 14:13-14), and as the psalmist confesses that salvation comes from God, not from bow or sword (Psalm 44:6-7).
- 2 Chronicles 14:12-13 (BSB)“So the LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah, and the Cushites fled. Then Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. The Cushites fell and could not recover, for they were crushed before the LORD and His army. So the people of Judah carried off a great amount of plunder”The LORD strikes down the Cushites, who are crushed before the LORD and His army.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Battle may be prepared for, but victory belongs to the LORD.
- Exodus 14:13-14 (BSB)“But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.””At the sea Moses told Israel that the LORD would fight for them.
- Psalm 44:6-7 (BSB)“For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me. For You save us from our enemies; You put those who hate us to shame.”The psalmist trusts God, not weapons, to save from enemies.
General
When Asa urged Judah to build walled cities during the peace, what reason did he give for why the land was still theirs (2 Chronicles 14:7)?
Answer: They had sought God, and He gave them peace all around
Asa told the people to use the quiet years to build cities with walls, towers, gates, and bars. He explained that the land remained theirs because they had turned to the LORD their God in seeking Him, and that in response He had surrounded them with rest (14:7). The building went ahead, and the people did well. Asa’s words reflect what David told Solomon: whoever seeks the LORD will find Him (1 Chronicles 28:9). Later in Asa’s reign the same pattern appears again, when the people seek God eagerly and He gives them rest all around (2 Chronicles 15:15). The New Testament also teaches that God rewards people who seek Him earnestly (Hebrews 11:6).
- 2 Chronicles 14:7 (BSB)“So he said to the people of Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.”Asa urges Judah to build and says the land is theirs because they sought the LORD, who gave them rest.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 (BSB)“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”David told Solomon that the LORD will be found by those who seek Him.
- 2 Chronicles 15:15 (BSB)“And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with all their heart. They had sought Him earnestly, and He was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.”Later in Asa’s reign, wholehearted seeking is again followed by God giving rest on every side.
- Hebrews 11:6 (BSB)“And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”The New Testament affirms that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Theological
In urging Judah to fortify its cities, how did Asa account for Judah’s continued possession of the land (2 Chronicles 14:7)?
Answer: They had sought God, and He gave them peace all around
Asa interprets Judah’s security theologically: the land remains theirs because they have been seeking the LORD, and the rest all around is His response to that seeking (14:7). The building and prospering that follow are fruit of God’s gift, not its cause. This applies the principle David laid before Solomon, that the LORD is found by those who seek Him (1 Chronicles 28:9), and anticipates the summary of the covenant renewal later in the reign, where earnest seeking is again met by God being found and granting rest (2 Chronicles 15:15). Hebrews states the same truth: God rewards people who seek Him earnestly (Hebrews 11:6).
- 2 Chronicles 14:7 (BSB)“So he said to the people of Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.”Asa urges Judah to build and says the land is theirs because they sought the LORD, who gave them rest.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 (BSB)“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”David told Solomon that the LORD will be found by those who seek Him.
- 2 Chronicles 15:15 (BSB)“And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with all their heart. They had sought Him earnestly, and He was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.”Later in Asa’s reign, wholehearted seeking is again followed by God giving rest on every side.
- Hebrews 11:6 (BSB)“And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”The New Testament affirms that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him.