The Reign of Asa

Wendy Leacock — Leicester, United Kingdom

Background

Personality profile of Asa
Home: Jerusalem
Family: The son of King Abijam of Judah
Occupation: King of Judah for 41 years (910-869 B.C.)
Best known today as: The first King to bring reform to Judah

After spiritual and political decline under Rehoboam and Abijam, the southern kingdom of Judah reversed course under the reformer, Asa. His main contribution was a campaign against idolatry that went so far as to banish his grandmother Maachah, who was a notorious worshiper of the Canaanite fertility goddess, Asherah (1 Kgs 15:11-15).

Asa also strengthened his country’s defences by refortifying its walled cities (2 Chr 14:6-7). His military won a decisive victory over Zerah the Ethiopian when the “fear of the lord” came upon his troops (2 Chr 14:9-15). The army also took fortified cities and booty during periodic forays against the northern kingdom through the help of Ben-Hadad of Syria (1 Kgs 15:16-22; 2 Chr 16:2-4).

However, this reliance on a foreign government seemed to suggest that Asa no longer felt a need to rely solely on the Lord. He was rebuked by the prophet Hanani, but instead of listening, he had the seer imprisoned (2 Chr 16:7-10). Towards the end of his life, Asa developed a severe disease in his feet. Yet again he failed to rely on the Lord for healing, and he never recovered (2 Chr 16:12).

His Good Beginning

            (2 Chr 14:2-15:15—Asa initiates a reformation)

What did Asa do to make his reformation and what can we learn from him?

He followed the way of the Lord and not his own way or that set by his two predecessors, who were said to have done evil in the sight of the Lord. The way of man, which often seems right to many, will not lead us to please God but will result in death and destruction (Prov 14:12; Jer 10:23).

Asa prayed to God for defense against the Ethiopians (2 Chr 14:9-15). Some people think of prayer primarily as a last resort, an act of desperation to try when all else fails and we are faced with overwhelming odds. But the example of Asa shows that while prayer ultimately is the best defense, it also is the best offence—a discipline that should be practiced long before trouble strikes.

Faced with an army more than three times the size of his own 300,000, a man force, Asa cried out to God for help. He humbly acknowledged that the Lord, not military might, was his ultimate defense (2 Chr 14:11). The Lord responded by defeating the Ethiopians. This incident showed that what matters in battle is not the size of the armies but trust in the Lord. And as always, what counts with God is faith.

Yet, Asa’s trust in God was not just a “foxhole faith,” motivated by fear. He was able to pray as he did because he had been praying, worshipping, and honoring the Lord for years (2 Chr 14:3-7). In fact, his reign had reversed many of the sins initiated by his great-grandfather, Solomon.

So it is similar with spiritual warfare today. God wants to see whether we respond in faith when circumstances overwhelm us. But He also is interested in the quality of our faith before tragedy strikes—when things are going well. Either way, in calm or in crisis, we need to pray to the Lord in faith (1 Jn 5:4).

He destroyed idolatry and its various manifestations and drove out perverted persons from the land. Perverted persons are sodomites referring to homosexuals. Ritual acts of homosexuality were often associated with pagan idolatry and this is one reason why they were condemned in the Old Testament, along with idolatry in general (Deut 23:17-18).

Do we have idols today? Covetousness is a form of idolatry (Col 3:5), and so is anything that takes the place of God in our hearts and separate us from Him. Therefore, we must keep ourselves from any idol that would stand between us and God (1 Jn 5:21). Beyond this, we also learn from Asa that doing what is right in the sight of the Lord means opposing all evil and sinful practices (Eph 5:11; 2 Jn 9-11).

In addition, Asa did not let family ties keep him from doing right. He removed Maachah his grandmother from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. And Asa cut down her obscene image and burned it by the Brook Kidron (1 Kgs 15:13).

He did not allow physical relationships keep him from serving God. Today, we must hold firmly to our confession of Christ as Lord even during severe persecution by close relatives, so that the Lord will also acknowledge and receive us. We must uphold our faith in God. Our love for the Lord must come before our love for all others (Mt 10:37).

Finally, Asa restored proper worship to his kingdom, and “[he] brought into the house of the Lord the things which his father had dedicated” (1 Kgs 15:15a). As part of God’s church, we need to make sure that we are worshipping according to the teachings of Christ (c.f. Jn 4:24).

Because of these fine attributes, Asa started his reign well.

His Mistakes

(2 Chr 15:16-16:10—A treaty with Syria)

What mistakes did Asa make and what reminders can we learn from it?

There was a war between Asa and Baasha, who was fortifying Ramah to embargo Judah. So in an attempt to protect his kingdom, Asa removed gold and silver that was from the treasuries of the house of God and made a treaty with Ben-Hadan, the King of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus (2 Chr 15:18-19).

Asa trusted in political alliances for defense rather than in God. We must never rely upon political methods in our fight for the faith because “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal” (2 Cor 10:3-4). We should not use any other means to defend the truth apart from what God gave us, and that is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph 6:17).

Asa also made another mistake. According to the parallel account in 2 Chronicles 16:7-10, when God sent a seer named Hanani to rebuke Asa for this political move, the King was angry and put the prophet in prison. He did not like the message so he decided to get rid of the messenger. When the Jewish leaders didn’t like the truth that Stephen spoke, they were also determined to get rid of the messenger by stoning him to death (Acts 7:51-60). Even today, there are people of this sort.

We may hear specific sermons containing messages that we do not like because it indirectly relates to our conscience or current lifestyles. But we know that the truth will always sound harsh but is good for the soul, whereas sweetened words may sound pleasing to our ears but will not benefit us.

For example, it may be hard to receive sharp rebuke at first, but it can help subdue or quiet our hearts because, in the long term, we realize and accept there was wisdom in what we heard. Though rebuke seems unpleasant or hurtful, we are taken towards helpful understanding aided by a humble attitude.

The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise. He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility (Prov 15:31-33).

His End

            (2 Chr 16:11-14—Illness and death of Asa)

What was Asa’s horrible fate and what can we learn from it? Asa met a very unfortunate end.

….but in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. So Asa rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father…. (1 Kgs 15:23–24).

If we refer to 2 Chronicles 16:12 we realize why he suffered such terrible end: “….yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord but the physicians.”

This doesn’t mean that it is wrong to go to the doctors, but Asa tried to seek help without God. The Lord wants all of us to seek Him throughout our lives because His ways are better than our ways (Isa 55:6-9).

At one time, Asa was a faithful child of God, but he did not continue to seek the Lord and thus lost a correct relationship with Him. Therefore, we must all the more stand fast and be vigilant, lest anyone of us should think we’re strong enough (1 Cor 10:11-12).

We must always strive to do what is right in the sight of God (Mt 7:21), and we must trust in Him and in His will rather than the ways of men (2 Cor 1:21). For how tragic it would be if we lost Him to our own folly because we insist in our own ways and our own wills.