In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord ’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”
Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim and all the store cities of Naphtali. When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah.
At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen ? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”
Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.
The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors. They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honor.
My thoughts -
Asa was a godly man and a good king. For the first 35 years of his reign there was peace. He destroyed idols and even deposed his own grandmother over idol worship. He built cities and fortified them and relied on God for protection. He even prayed this prayer while under attack from the Cushites:
Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “ Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.” (2 Chronicles 14:11 TNIV)This was a king of Judah that truly followed after David. And then there was the 36th year, which we just read about.
Here's pride sneaking in again. The king who relied on God got cleaver and decided he could do everything by his own strength. When called on this he didn't like what he heard so he metaphorically shot the messenger when he imprisoned Hanani. When David fell and was confronted with his sin he repented and returned to God. Asa was too proud for that. He jailed his accuser and then oppressed his own people.
His pride even marred his treatment for an illness. He didn't seek help from the Lord, who had rescued him from a mighty foe (the Cushites) earlier, but rather from his own physicians. He didn't need God's help. He could do it on his own.
He was buried shortly thereafter.
As we prepare for worship this morning let us humble ourselves before the Lord, acknowledge that we need God, that we can't do this on our own, and prepare to praise God and tell of the wonderful deeds God has done for us and to give thanks for all God continues to do.
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