04.1.7.1. Four Kings In Judah - Asa
FOUR GOOD KINGS IN JUDAH SUBSEQUENT TO THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM Chapter 7i - Asa
Although Asa was the third king after Solomon, he was the first good king of Judah subsequent to the division of the kingdom. Asa reigned in Judah during the last two years of the reign of Jeroboam in Israel (1 Kings 15:9-10). His reign lasted 41 years. His contemporaries who reigned during this period in the northern kingdom were Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab.
Asa’s father, Abijam, son of Rehoboam, reigned three years (I King 14:31-15:2). The name Abijam in I Kings is recorded as Abijah in 2 Chronicles 13:1-22 (spelled Abia in Matthew 1:7). Abijah is believed to be his real name, while the name Abijam is a form of the name. Due to the religious feelings of the Jews, they would not allow the word Jah, a construction of Jehovah, to be retained as an element in a bad king. An illustration of this feeling is also seen in the change of Beth-el (the name means “house of God”) to Beth-aven (the name means “house of vanity”). The change of the name from Abijah (the name means “my father is Jah”) to Abijam (the name means “father of the sea”) is understandable: And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. —1 Kings 15:3 As wars had continued between Rehoboam and Jeroboam, war between Abijah and Jeroboam followed the death of Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 13:1-22). Although Judah was outnumbered two to one—eight hundred thousand to four hundred thousand—God used Abijah to punish Jeroboam. The religion of Jeroboam was idolatrous (1 Kings 12:25-33), and Abijah was also evil. But for the sake of the good people in Judah, God gave them victory over Jeroboam and his army. The world’s philosophy is “might is right,” but to God’s people “right is might.” Judah’s enemies are described as rebels against appointed authority, vain men, children of Belial, and those who strengthened themselves (2 Chronicles 13:6-9). Abijah had made a great speech (2 Chronicles 13:4-12), but while Jeroboam was listening, his men were preparing for an attack from the rear. Although Abijah was for peace, Jeroboam was for war. The record states that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. Thus, Abijah and his army slew five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel. Judah prevailed because they relied on the Lord God of their fathers (2 Chronicles 13:13-20).
Asa’s mother (grandmother), Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom, was an idolater (2 Chronicles 15:16). In doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, Asa “...took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made” (1 Kings 15:12). He also removed his mother (grandmother) from being queen because she had made an idol in a grove. He not only cut down her idol but also crushed and burned it at the brook Kidron (2 Chronicles 15:16). Relatives did not stand in Asa’s way when it came to serving God. This principle is the same as that taught by Jesus Christ. (See Matthew 10:32-38.) Tearing down is insufficient. True service must also set up something constructive in the place of that which has been destroyed.Hence, both negative and positive actions are necessary.
One must not misapply the perfection of Asa: “...nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect [blameless] all his days” (2 Chronicles 15:17). When the heart is right before God, the man is counted perfect (blameless). This is not talking about state or condition. It is referring to Asa’s standing or position before God. The state of one’s heart cannot always be determined by external symptoms; conversely, the state of the heart may be unsound even though its unsoundness is not manifested by outward actions. Asa’s life proves that a person may be wholly devoted to the Lord and yet have sin. (See 1 John 1:8-10.) It is a Biblical fact that God does not see sins as condemnatory where He sees grace. Asa’s sins were not seen because they were covered by the mercyseat, and this was manifested by his actions. What we see in Asa is opposite to what we see in Jehu: But Jehu took no heed [observed not] to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin. —2 Kings 10:31
Asa not only did what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, but he also prepared for war before he entered into battle (2 Chronicles 14:6-8). He began as follows:
[He] commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment. He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him. —2 Chronicles 14:4-5 (NASB)
Preparation for this begins with people being right with God. Since Asa ascended the throne in a crisis situation in the nation’s history, this first good King since the division of the kingdom must seek to rectify the transgression of both his father and grandfather, Abijah and Rehoboam. If Judah had followed their path, the southern kingdom would have gone the way of Israel. However, God in His faithfulness to the unconditional covenant made with David, raised up Asa to keep alive the promise:
Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. —Genesis 49:8-10 (NASB)
Judah becomes a gathering place for God’s elect people. This is presently realized in the assembly meetings, but these are only a foretaste of the great gathering and obedience of the future, expressed by Paul: With a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him. —Ephesians 1:10 (NASB)
Since Christians are soldiers, we must be prepared for battle if we expect to win the war over our enemies. In the beginning of Ephesians, the believers are described as chosen, predestined, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, sealed, and seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus; but at the conclusion, the Ephesian believers were to stand (Ephesians 6:11-17). Christians have three great foes; they are to flee the world and the flesh but fight the enemies of truth. According to Ephesians, the Christian walk merges into a warfare. The Epistle begins with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ and closes with all spiritual enemies in the same position. Positionally, Christians are victorious; but conditionally, we may be defeated. For conditional victory, we must fight in order to win; but it can never be negotiated. As soon as Asa prepared Judah for war, Zerah, the Ethiopian, came out against them with a million men and three hundred chariots (2 Chronicles 14:9). The odds were so great (580,000 against 1,000,000) that all Asa could do was to cry unto the Lord his God:
LORD, there is no one besides Thee to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in Thee, and in Thy name have come against this multitude. O LORD, Thou art our God; let not man prevail against Thee. So the LORD routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. —2 Chronicles 14:11-12 (NASB) The world says that “self-reliance” is the conquering virtue, but Scripture teaches that “self-distrust” is the condition of all spiritual victories. Courageous advance should follow self-distrust. Therefore, it is good when self-distrust leads to confidence, but it is better when self-distrust and confidence in God lead to spiritual courage.
Asa was warned by the prophet Azariah (2 Chronicles 15:1-7). The prophet admonished Asa and his army concerning their duty after so great a victory:
...Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. —2 Chronicles 15:2 (NASB) Following this warning, Azariah used Israel, the northern kingdom, as an illustration of a people forsaking God: And for many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. But in their distress they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. And in those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. And nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress. But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work.
—2 Chronicles 15:3-7 (NASB) The victorious Asa became the bribing and defeated Asa (2 Chronicles 16:1-14). Having done his best at the first, Asa could not say that the conclusion of his life was better than the beginning. Hence, men at their best are but men. The greatest faith of yesterday will not suffice today. One must be experiencing fellowship with God that results in his going from faith to faith, strength to strength, and glory to glory to be victorious. The good King Asa failed to take his problem to the Lord when Baasha, King of Israel, came against Judah, as he did when Zerah came to Mareshah. His actions showed that Asa was not completely divorced from confidence in the flesh even after the victory over the Ethiopians and his covenant to seek the Lord God. Resorting to fleshly schemes is always disastrous because the sad fruit of such schemes will soon manifest itself.
Asa used bribery to get Ben-hadad, King of Syria, to break treaty with Baasha, King of Israel. A believer teaching an unbeliever to be untrue may be considered good politics, but it was a black mark against one who had entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God with all his heart and soul (2 Chronicles 15:12). According to 2 Timothy 3:3, truce breaking is a sin. It has been said that a political ambassador is a person who is sent abroad to lie for his country. Consider the tricks, plots, deceptions, and intrigues of political diplomacy! Was Asa foolish enough to think that all was fair in war?
God sent His prophet Hanani (the name means “my grace—gracious”) to warn Asa:
...Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect [completely His] toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. —2 Chronicles 16:7-9 The prophet showed that God sees the whole of a thing, whereas we see but a little of anything. God’s government is practically denied when we walk contrary to the checks of providence, or when we lean on the arm of the flesh. The good King Asa did something that Rehoboam, the bad King who was his grandfather, did not do. Rehoboam did not put the prophet Shemaiah in prison, but Asa became so angry with Hanani for telling him the truth that he put him in prison. (See 2 Chronicles 16:6-10.) Asa was not only enraged at Hanani the prophet, but he also oppressed some of the people. When Asa failed to listen to the prophet, God sent another messenger to the King in the form of a mortal disease which lasted two years before he died. During those two years, Asa sought not the Lord but the physicians (2 Chronicles 16:12). The King fell into his former sin of creature confidence. He was not wrong to seek physicians, but he was wrong to seek them without first seeking the Lord. The saddest thing about Asa is that during this time he never sought the Lord with whom he made a covenant to seek Him with all his heart and soul. Therefore, the Lord took him after two years of suffering for his sin; and his acts—first and last—are written in the book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.