CHAPTER 16

(941 B.C.)

WAR WITH BAASHA: ASAS UNHOLY ALLIANCE WITH BEN-HADAD

¹In 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. (Tens of thousands of people from the northern kingdom of Israel were coming down to Judah, as stated, that they might worship God at the Temple. Baasha, king of Israel, was attempting to stop this flight by building this border city of Ramah.

One of the sure signs that a doctrine, or a so-called gospel, is wrong is when the propagators try to stop people from hearing anything else. One of Satans greatest ploys is to place the true worship of God off limits, and to threaten by force anyone who would attempt to exceed those limits.)

²Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the House of the LORD and of the kings house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying (rather than trust God to help him regarding Baasha, he hired the king of Syria. Asas plan would succeed militarily, but fail spiritually. The success of self-made plans is always a spiritual disaster.

It must be remembered that new victories cannot be won by the remembrance of old faith; there must be a fresh exercise of faith in every crisis),

³There is a league between me and you, as there was between my father and your father: behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me (Believers are never to join with unbelievers [II Cor. 6:14-18]).

⁴And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

⁵And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease.

⁶Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

HANANI, THE PROPHET OF GOD, REBUKES ASA FOR RELYING ON SYRIA

⁷And at that time Hanani the Seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD your God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of your hand (is it possible that God makes plans for us which speak of great victory, and we forfeit those plans by our faithlessness? Rather than trusting Him, we trust man).

⁸Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because you did rely on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand (why did Asa rely on the Lord then, and not rely on Him now? As stated, yesterdays faith will not suffice for today!).

⁹For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole Earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein you have done foolishly: therefore from henceforth you shall have wars (when one considers that the Lord is ardently looking for individuals who will believe Him, so that He might show Himself strong on their behalf, such should give us a very positive perspective on the Ways of the Lord; our Lord desires to help people, but they must evidence Faith in Him, and it must be a continuous Faith).

¹⁰Then 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. (This is the same Asa who instituted the great Revival of Chapter 15. How the mighty have fallen! If Asa had truly repented as this time, thereby heeding the Prophet, more than likely the diseases of Verse 12 would not have come upon him and shortened his life.)

¹¹And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last (the statement, first and last, signifies that there was a difference in Asa in his last years), lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

ASAS SICKNESS AND DEATH

¹²And 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. (The Lord permitted this disease as a result of Asas actions. I wonder how many presently fall into the same category.

The idea of this Verse is that if Asa had sought the Lord, the Lord would have forgiven him and healed him.

The physicians who are spoken of here were probably Egyptian physicians, who were in high repute at foreign courts in ancient times, and who pretended to expel diseases by charms, incantations, and mystic arts. In other words, they were Satanic!)

¹³And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign (because of his faithlessness, Asa no doubt cut his life short!).

¹⁴And 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 (the burning of spices).