Trusting in God

Context: Who was King Asa? (v9-10)

• 3rd king of the kingdom of Judah (after division)
  • Rehoboam (kingdom divided) -> Abijam -> Asa
• 5th king if counting from David
  • David -> Solomon -> Rehoboam -> Abijam -> Asa
• Hebrew apparently has no word for grandmother or grandmother
  • Instead the words father and mother are used
    • Hence David is mentioned as Asa’s father
      • And also as father of Abijam
  • In light of Matthew 1:7
    • Asa is Son of Abijam, grandson of Rehoboam
      • Hence, Maacah must be his grandmother, not mother 

How was King Asa similar to King David? (v11-15, 2 Chronicles 14:8-12)

• Did what was right in God’s eyes
  • Contrast this with Rehoboam in the end (2 Chronicles 12:14)
    • And with Abijam (1 Kings 15:3)
• Put away sodomites from the land
  • Sodomites: According to the Strong’s definitions : a temple prostitute
• Removed all the idols that his fathers had made
  • Fathers – considering there is now word for grandfather
    • Includes not only Abijam but also Rehoboam and Solomon
• Removed Maacah, his mother (grandmother) from being the queen
  • Because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah
    • Asherah: According to Strong’s a Phoenician goddess
  • Note: Rehoboam (Asa’s grandfather) loved Maacah (2 Chronicles 11:21-22)
• Cut down, ground to dust and burned a image that his grandmother Maacah had made
• His heart was perfect with Yahweh

What went wrong with King Asa? (v16-20, 2 Chronicles 16:7)

• King Asa reached out to the king of Syria, Ben Hadad for help
  • When there was another war with the King of Israel Baasha
    • Note: Baasha was building a Ramah (blockade)
      • To block out / isolate King Asa from other people
• When Hanani called out that he didn’t rely on God
  • The God who helped them before with the huge army of Ethipians and Lubim
    • An army that had many horsemen and chariots (300,000)
  • King Asa was angry and in a rage threw Hanani in a prison
  • Oppressed some of the people also at this time 
• When Asa became sick, he did not seek God, but just the physicians.

Conclusion

• Asa trusted God in a terrible circumstance and God helped Asa.
  • Who do we call out to / trust when things start turning bad?
• Asa did what was right in the sight of the Lord.
  • How about us?
• Asa wasn’t good at accepting the truth (criticism).  In rage threw the messenger in jail.
  • How are we handling feedback?

Main Passage 1 Kings 15:9-22 – World English Bible (WEB)

9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah. 10 He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11 Asa did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, as David his father did. 12 He put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah. Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. 14 But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with Yahweh all his days. 15 He brought into Yahweh’s house the things that his father had dedicated, and the things that he himself had dedicated: silver, gold, and utensils. 16 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that was left in the treasures of Yahweh’s house, and the treasures of the king’s house, and delivered it into the hand of his servants. Then King Asa sent them to Ben Hadad, the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying, 19 “There is a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.”

20 Ben Hadad listened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel, and struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abel Beth Maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and lived in Tirzah. 22 Then king Asa made a proclamation to all Judah. No one was exempted. They carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had built; and king Asa used it to build Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

Notes / Cross References

1 Kings 15:1-3 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 3 He walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father.

Matthew 1:7 Solomon became the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam became the father of Abijah. Abijah became the father of Asa.

2 Chronicles 14:8-12 8 Asa had an army of three hundred thousand out of Judah who bore bucklers and spears, and two hundred eighty thousand out of Benjamin who bore shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor.

9 Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million troops and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 10 Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 Asa cried to Yahweh his God, and said, “Yahweh, there is no one besides you to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength. Help us, Yahweh our God; for we rely on you, and in your name are we come against this multitude. Yahweh, you are our God. Don’t let man prevail against you.”

12 So Yahweh struck the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.

2 Chronicles 16:7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on Yahweh your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped out of your hand.

2 Chronicles 16:10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the prison; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.

2 Chronicles 16:12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa was diseased in his feet. His disease was exceedingly great: yet in his disease he didn’t seek Yahweh, but just the physicians.

1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall.