Year 1, Week 49, Day 3 Bible Reading Observations

Year 1, Week 49, Day 3

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of 2 Chronicles 14-16.

Today’s reading covers the life of Asa, king of Judah. Today’s reading parallels the historical account found in 1 Kings 15. Asa, the son of Abijah, was a good king: “And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim and commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment” (2 Chronicles 14:2-4). The Kingdom of Judah experienced much peace and prosperity during the forty-one year reign of Asa: “And the kingdom had rest under him…they built and prospered” (2 Chronicles 14: 5b, 7b). Even though Asa was named as one of the good kings of Judah (there would be eight good kings during this era consisting of 20 kings), he did not finish well.

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading was the LORD’s emphasis upon having His people seek Him: “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). In the early years of Asa’s reign, both he and Judah reflect this: “And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around” (2 Chronicles 15:15). The Chronicler provides an illustration of how Asa and Judah sought the LORD. When Zerah the Ethiopian, with a million men and three hundred chariots came against a much smaller force from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, Asa sought the LORD: “And Asa cried to the LORD his God, “O LORD, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, you are our God; let not man prevail against you” (2 Chronicles 14:11). Victory was certain: “So the LORD defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled” (2 Chronicles 14:12).

The prophet Azariah reinforces the LORD’s desire for His people to seek Him: “The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you” (2 Chronicles 15:1-2). Azariah assures Asa and Judah of the LORD’s abiding favor as He is sought, but also warns of the consequence of failing to seek the LORD. Asa’s early years reflect his seeking the LORD, but tragically, his later years do not reflect this. Whereas Așa sought the LORD in the face of the threat from Zerah, Asa chose a different path in dealing with the threat from Baasha and the Northern Kingdom of Israel: "Asa took silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the LORD and the king’s house and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, “There is a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me” (2 Chronicles 16:2-3). Asa’s scheme worked: Ben-Hadad, Aram’s king, sent his armies against Israel, and Judah got a reprieve.

Even though Asa’s agreement with Ben-Hadad had a good outcome, it dishonored the LORD. The prophet Hanani condemned Asa for his foolish reliance on the king of Aram instead of on the Lord: “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, he gave them into your hand” (2 Chronicles 16:7-8). Hanani’s confrontation enraged Așa: “Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time” (2 Chronicles 16:10). These events are a sad turning point in the reign of Asa. Asa stopped turning to the LORD: “In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but sought help from physicians” (2 Chronicles 16:12). Asa’s latter years were marked by sinful stubbornness that prevented any notion of repentance. This is a miserable ending to the life of one of Judah’s good kings, and what it illustrates is that those who refuse to seek the LORD will be punished.

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe