I Kings 15:1-2- Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
II Chronicles 13:21- But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.
Abijah had only been ruling Judah for 3 years when the war with Jeroboam took them to the battlefield. Even though they were outnumbered, God helped them to win the battle because they put their trust in Him.
But, it didn't take long for Abijah to turn his back on the Lord.
I Kings 15:3- 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.
Remember that Solomon in his old age had set up temples to the false gods that his heathen wives served? Well, Abijah's mother served these false gods, and she encouraged her son to serve her idols.
Because of his sins God cut his life short. He only reigned for 3 years.
II Chronicles 14:1- So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.
After Abijam's reign ended, Asa was crowned king. Do you think he would be a good king? His father and grandfather had turned their backs on the Lord. His mother/grandmother served false gods. What would this king do?
I KIngs 15:11-14- And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father. And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.
II Chronicles 14:4- And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.
Asa decided that he wanted to follow the Lord. It didn't matter what the rest of his family were doing. He took his mother's position away and destroyed her idol and her worship place. I bet it wasn't easy for him to fire his mom! But, he also went further and removed all the idols and wicked people out of his kingdom!
God gave him 10 years of peace in his kingdom because of his zeal. He didn't sit around doing nothing. He was preparing his kingdom for just in case.
II Chronicles 14:6-8- And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest. Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the LORD our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered. And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.
Asa knew that there would come a time when the enemies would attack. He didn't know when it would happen, but he knew that it would be best if his people were ready for it. He built safe cities with hight walls and strong gates, and he trained an army of 580,000 men.
II Chronicles 14:9-13- And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah. Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.
Asa knew that his army was ready for the battle against this larger army. But, he also knew that no matter how much training they had they still needed the Lord. Asa put his trust in God and God helped him to win this battle.
II Chronicles 15:1-2- And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
God sent a prophet out to meet Asa and tell him that he would be blessed if he followed the Lord's will, but he warned him that God would leave if he decided to turn his back on God and worship idols like his fathers had.
II Chronicles 15:8-13- And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD. And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep. And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
Asa wanted God to bless him and his people, so he gathered his kingdom together, along with any other Jews from Samaria that wanted to serve God, and they promised as a nation to worship God only.
God was so pleased with Asa's decision that he gave him another 25 years of peace!
II Chronicles 15:19- And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.
The new king of Samaria was Baasha, and he didn't like that some of his people were going to Jerusalem to worship God. So, he decided it was time to go to war with Asa.
II Chronicles 16:1- In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
Asa knew that Baasha thought he was strong because of a league he had made with the heathen nation of Syria. Asa thought that he could avoid a war if he sent a large present to the king of Syria and ask him to break his league with Baasha. The king of Syria accepted and sent his army to attack Baasha.
But, this didn't please God. You see, God wanted Asa to put his trust in Him, not in a heathen king.
II Chronicles 16:7,9- And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, 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. 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 toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
God sent a prophet to tell Asa that He knew his heart was turning away from Him. No one else in the kingdom noticed that Asa's heart had begun grow in pride! But, God sees our heart. He knows before even we do.
Asa was going to show exactly what was in heart by his response to the words of the Lord.
II Chronicles 16:10- Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.
Asa was so angry that he put the prophet in jail. He also turned on his people and made life harder for them.
God wasn't going to let him get away with this!
II Chronicles 15:12- And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.
Pride is a very dangerous sin. Most sins people can see you commit- if you steal or lie people can find out. But pride hides inside where no one can see it. And it grows until it makes you think you are better than you actually are.
Proverbs 29:23a- A man's pride shall bring him low:
Psalm 73:6a- Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain;
Proverbs 11:2a- When pride cometh, then cometh shame:
Proverbs 16:18- Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
God put a disease in Asa's feet to try to humble him, but he would not repent. Instead of telling God he was sorry, he tried to find a doctor who could heal him. His pride led to his death.
I Kings 15:9-10- And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah. And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
II Chronicles 15:13-14- And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries' art: and they made a very great burning for him.
How sad to see a once great man fall because he couldn't say "I was wrong!"
