Asa – He Started Well, But Finished Poorly

“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. … 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.” – (2 Chronicles 16:10, 12)

In chapters 15 – 17 of today’s passage we see the account of King Asa.  He started out as a very good king, even going as far as removing his mother from being queen because of her idolatry.  In fact in chapter 15, everything that is recorded about his reign as king is good.  However, when we get to chapter 16, we see Asa faced with an imminent attack from his neighbor, the northern kingdom of Israel.  Now in times past, when Asa faced strong opposition, he trusted in God to deliver him; but here he does something completely out of character for him: he relies, not upon God, but upon another nation to deliver him.  God was not too pleased with this, so he sent his prophet to rebuke Asa for his lack of faith.  Instead of getting right with God, Asa gets angry and throws the prophet in jail.  Not a very wise move.  A few years later we find that Asa is “diseased in his feet”; but once again he goes to men (the physicians) instead of going to God.  I think that the first mistake that Asa made could have been corrected with a little contrition and repentance; but instead it caused him to get angry and “dig in”; and it literally altered the rest of his life.  His pride caused him to stay his course, instead of yielding to God’s will.