11 Chronicles Chapter 16

Asa's Last Years

• 2Chronicles 16:1  In 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. 

As with many false religions or secular atheistic countries, they end up with severe dictators and tyrants. Religion is an issue of the heart or the inner person. True religion even if they claim to be Christian can never be forced. If we have to force it upon people, it's not real.

We have to enforce laws that protect people against those that break the law, like murder, theft etc. but what a person believes within their innermost being has to be from within their very soul and spirit. We can't even force Christianity.

We can't force someone to be born from above by the power of the Holy Spirit. God has to do that. When we believe in the one He sent to grant salvation to all who would receive Him, we become born again from above. We become a new creature through Christ Jesus, the Son of God. If a church loses their first love for the Lord and for the salvation of those that are lost, they are no longer a true religion. If they use force they are no different than those that worship idols.

If a nation has to put of barriers and walls to keep people in, they are tyrants, not believers of freedom. Sometimes walls have to be built to keep out enemies that are out to kill and destroy but we should never build walls to keep people from leaving. Freedom is a good thing but we also have freedom to do evil as well and good. Proper teaching of God's word, will help us do this. In the name of freedom the word of God is kept from public schools and as a result we have what we see today. They allow everything to enter schools except the name of all names and the king of all kings which is Jesus our Christ. We had no school shootings when we acknowledged God in our public schools.

King Baasha of the northern kingdom decides to fight against Judah to keep his people from leaving and going to Judah for religious freedom to serve the God of Abraham as opposed to the gods of wood and stone which he was forcing upon his subjects.

• 2Chronicles 16:2  Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, 
• 3  There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. 
• 4  And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. 

This was a big mistake on the part of Asa. He wasn't trusting the Lord but relying upon the king of Syria to help him.

God will not forsake those that trust in Him but it's so easy to try to do things according to our own thinking and human traits. Asa bribed Benhadad of Syria to help him defeat the Baasha.

• 2Chronicles 16:5  And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease. 
• 6  Then 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. 

This plan seemed to work for a while but God sends His prophet to bring correction to Asa.

• 2Chronicles 16:7  And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto 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. 
• 8  Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand. 
• 9  For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. 

I see the work of the enemy of our souls here. When we start to trust in God, the enemy of all that is good will try hard to get us away from trusting in God. Now Asa was told he would always have wars to fight. He needed to stay with God. God would have giving him victory over any nation that came against Judah if he would have stayed true to God and not given into fear. Bribing someone with riches does not form a lasting bond of safety. When the riches run out, they will be back. Syria even today are a threat to the modern state of Israel.

Don't Shoot the Messenger

• 2Chronicles 16:10  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. 
• 11And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 
• 12  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. 
• 13  And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. 
• 14  And 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. 

To put in prison, destroy reputations, persecute or kill someone that brings a message from God that we don't believe, does not destroy the message. If it is from God, it will come to pass. We need to stop trying to fight against God. Now if they do not speak for God, leave them alone also for we don't know for sure. Let God handle it.

This grieves my heart to read about. Forsaking the Lord and persecuting the prophets that come in the name of the Lord to bring correction was Asa's downfall. He became no different than the northern king Baasha. Sad to write about this but it is written for our learning so that we who believe in God will not follow after this way of living but wholly trust in the Lord for our direction. -DC

11 Chronicles Chapter 17