Difference between revisions of "Asa"

<p> The third king of Judah after Solomon, son and successor of Abijam, &nbsp;1 Kings 15:8 . He began to reign [[B. C]]  951, and reigned forty-one years at Jerusalem. The first part of his reign was comparatively peaceful and prosperous. He restored the pure worship of God; expelled those who, from sacrilegious superstition, prostituted themselves in honor of their false gods; purified Jerusalem from the infamous practices attending the worship of idols; and deprived his mother of her office and dignity of queen, because she erected an idol to Astarte. In the eleventh year of his reign, God gave him the victory over the vast army of the Cushite king Zerah; and the prophet Azariah encouraged him to go on in his work of reform. And yet, when Baasha king of Israel opposed this very work, he sought aid not from God, but from heathen Syria. In the latter part of his life, he became diseased in his feet; and Scripture reproaches him with having had recourse to the physicians, rather than to the Lord, &nbsp;2 Chronicles 16:12 . Yet his reign was, on the whole, one of the happiest which Judah enjoyed, and the Bible repeatedly commends his piety as an example. &nbsp;1 Kings 22:43 &nbsp; 2 Chronicles 20:32 &nbsp; 21:12 . His funeral rites were celebrated with special magnificence. There was ill-will and strife between Asa and Baasha all their days, as between Rehoboam and Israel, &nbsp;1 Kings 15:6,16 . </p>

<p> <strong> ASA </strong> . <strong> 1 </strong> . The third king of Judah after the disruption, succeeding Ahijah. Since his mother’s name is given as the same with that of Abijah’s mother, some have supposed the two kings to have been brothers. But there may be some mistake in the text. Asa is praised by the Biblical writer for his religious zeal, which led him to reform the worship, and even to depose his mother from her place of influence at court because of her idolatrous practices. Politically he took a mistaken course when he submitted to Benhadad of [[Damascus]] to secure his aid against Baasha of Israel, who had captured Ramah. The [[Temple]] treasures were sent to Benhadad, who thereupon invaded Israel, and Baasha was compelled to evacuate the threatening fortress (&nbsp; 1 Kings 15:9 ff.). The Chronicler (&nbsp; 2 Chronicles 14:9 ff.) credits Asa with a victory over an enormous force of Ethiopians. <strong> 2 </strong> . A Levite (&nbsp; 1 Chronicles 9:16 ). </p> <p> [[H. P]]  Smith. </p>