May 24 Daily Devotional

2 Kings 15; 2 Chron. 14–16

After the short reign of Abijah, a son of Rehoboam (he ruled only three years), Asa became king in Judah. Asa did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. He took away the altars of the strange gods and broke down the images and cut down the groves. He opposed his grandmother Maachah, who worshipped an idol in a grove. He tore down the idol and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

King Asa had a large army. For ten years he had peace in his country. Then the host of the Ethiopians with many chariots came to attack him. Asa cried unto the Lord, “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 Judah; and they carried away much spoil.

Then the Lord sent to Asa a prophet named Azariah. He said to 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.” Soon the people in the kingdom of Israel heard that God was blessing the king of Judah, and they went again to worship and offer at Jerusalem. But Baasha, the king of Israel became jealous, and tried to prevent this. He planned to build a strong city in the southern part of his country, the city of Ramah, and station soldiers there. King Asa heard about this plan and planned how it might be frustrated. He caused Benhadad, king of Syria to attack Baasha’s country on the north, so it became necessary to discontinue his building program in the southern portion. Now it happened that Baasha left the unfinished work and hastened to drive away the enemy. While he was gone, Asa and his men destroyed the work that had been started to build the strong city of Ramah. God sent the prophet Hanani to tell Asa that he had done wrong. He told 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 show himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.” But Asa became angry at the prophet and commanded to cast him into a prison house.

Some years later Asa became ill; it was a disease of his feet, and he had to suffer a great deal. Yet in his disease he sought not the Lord, but the physicians. They tried to cure him, but could not. After two years he died and was buried in Jerusalem. He ruled for forty years.