1 Kings 15:1-24 | 2 Chronicles 13-16

After Rehoboam died, his son Abijah reigned in Judah for 3 years, and under his leadership Judah won a great victory over the army of Jeroboam because they called upon the Lord to save them. Unfortunately, Abijah was wicked and ungodly like his father, and he died, so that his son Asa reigned in his place. Asa was a man who followed God, and who led Judah for 41 years in a mostly godly way. When the Ethiopian army of 1 million came against Judah, who fielded an army of 580,000, king Asa called upon the Lord to save them, and they won a great victory, and to huge amounts of spoil. There was a national revival in Judah, with all peoples turning to God, and destroying the places and idols used for worshipping false gods. The Lord gave Judah and Asa peace until the 36th year of his reign.

In the 36th year of Asa’s reign Baasha, king of Israel in the north, came against Judah to lay siege against Jerusalem. However, rather than call upon God for help, Asa hired the army of Syria (to the north of Israel) to come and fight against Baasha. God was displeased with Asa, and his prophet Hanani told the king this, but Asa got mad and put the prophet in prison. In the last few years of Asa’s life, he was afflicted with disease in his feet, but he only sought the help of physicians, and not the Lord. The words of God to Asa are important for us to remember…

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars. In the case of king Asa, he was faithful to God for most of his life, but then he drifted away, and did not finish well.
- 2 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV