“In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa’s territory in Judah. Asa responded by removing the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace. He sent it to King Ben-hadad of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message: “Let there be a treaty between you and me like the one between your father and my father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone.” Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa’s request and sent the commanders of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all the store cities in Naphtali. As soon as Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah and stopped all work on it. Then King Asa called out all the men of Judah to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baasha had been using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the towns of Geba and Mizpah. At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, “Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram. Don’t you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and charioteers? At that time you relied on the Lord, and he handed them over to you. The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” Asa became so angry with Hanani for saying this that he threw him into prison and put him in stocks. At that time Asa also began to oppress some of his people. The rest of the events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord’s help but turned only to his physicians. So he died in the forty-first year of his reign. He was buried in the tomb he had carved out for himself in the City of David. He was laid on a bed perfumed with sweet spices and fragrant ointments, and the people built a huge funeral fire in his honor.”
2 Chronicles 16:1-14 NLT
Just as Solomon before him, Asa did not totally abandon God, but he also didn’t stay loyal to him. In his old age, he fell into the trap of his own devices and wisdom. He neglected to consult God. Here again, we see the repetition of the theme in Eden. Man is provided for. He enjoys a time of harmony in his walk with God. But before long, he decides that he can define truth away from God’s guidance. He is then given a choice to repent, as David did, or dig in deeper. He chose the latter. It was this choice, more than the act of any sin, that sealed his fate. The text is clear in implication that he should’ve pursued God in his foot disease. Instead, he chose his own wisdom. The. Lear implication is that his illness was meant to be a marker. One which he chose not to heed. In true Edenic irony, his pursuit of freedom to define his own path enslaved his life to the point of suffering an avoidable death. Would that none of us were that stubborn.
Asa’s Disobedience: Asa, like Solomon, didn’t fully abandon God but also didn’t stay loyal, neglecting to consult God in his old age.
Consequence of Disobedience: Asa’s choice to rely on his own wisdom, rather than God’s guidance, led to suffering and death.
Lesson from Asa’s Story: The story of Asa emphasizes the importance of seeking God’s guidance, even in times of hardship, as a path to true freedom and avoidance of unnecessary suffering.
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