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The Story of King Asa – The King Who Was Blessed in the Beginning and Defeated in the End · truthunedited

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  Speaker 1: Have you ever wondered why some people begin their spiritual
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  Speaker 1: journey with such passion and dedication, only to stray from
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  Speaker 1: the path over time. How can someone who once knew
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  Speaker 1: God so intimately end up hardening their heart as the
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  Speaker 1: years go by, the story of Aesa offers us a
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  Speaker 1: mirror to examine our own walk with God. This king
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  Speaker 1: ruled Judah for forty one years, and his life unfolds
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  Speaker 1: in two very distinct chapters, one of remarkable faithfulness and
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  Speaker 1: another of surprising disobedience. As we follow this narrative, I
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  Speaker 1: invite you to reflect on your own spiritual journey in
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  Speaker 1: what areas have you been faithful like Young Aesa. Is
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  Speaker 1: there any part of your life where pride or self
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  Speaker 1: sufficiency has started to replace your dependence on God. Prepare
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  Speaker 1: your heart, open your mind, and let's discover together what
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  Speaker 1: we can learn from the king who was blessed in
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  Speaker 1: the beginning and defeated in the end, a story that,
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  Speaker 1: even after to thousands of years, still speaks directly to
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  Speaker 1: our hearts to day. Young Esa was only twenty years
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  Speaker 1: old when he was crowned King of Judah. His father,
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  Speaker 1: King Abija, had just passed away after a short reign
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  Speaker 1: of only three years, as Burne Kings fifteen eight tells,
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  Speaker 1: us and Abija rested with his ancestors and was buried
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  Speaker 1: in the city of David and Asa, his son, succeeded
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  Speaker 1: him as king. The kingdom Asa inherited, was in a
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  Speaker 1: dire spiritual state for many years. The kings before him
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  Speaker 1: had turned away from the Lord. His grandfather Rehoboam and
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  Speaker 1: his father Abija had not followed God wholeheartedly. Because of this,
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  Speaker 1: the people of Judah had also drifted away from God's ways.
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  Speaker 1: Throughout the land, you would find images of foreign gods.
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  Speaker 1: People worshiped idols on hilltops and under large trees. As
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  Speaker 1: First Kings fourteen twenty three twenty four describes the time
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  Speaker 1: before Esa. They also set up for themselves high places,
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  Speaker 1: sacred stones, and a sharer poles on every high hill
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  Speaker 1: and under every spreading tree. There were even male shrine
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  Speaker 1: prostitutes in the land. The people engaged in all the
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  Speaker 1: detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out
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  Speaker 1: before the Israelites. Esa looked at his spiritually divided kingdom
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  Speaker 1: and realized he had a choice to make. Continue walking
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  Speaker 1: in the footsteps of his ancestors or turn the hearts
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  Speaker 1: of the people back to the God of Israel. Unlike
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  Speaker 1: his father and grandfather, Esa chose to follow the ways
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  Speaker 1: of the Lord. The Bible tells us in First Kings
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  Speaker 1: fifteen eleven, Aesa did what was right in the eyes
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  Speaker 1: of the Lord, as his father David had done. Wasting
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  Speaker 1: no time, Aesa launched a sweeping reform across his kingdom.
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  Speaker 1: He didn't shy away from confronting the widespread pagan practices
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  Speaker 1: with boldness and determination. He ordered the destruction of the
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  Speaker 1: foreign altars that had been built to worship false gods.
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  Speaker 1: He traveled throughout his kingdom tearing down the Ashera poles,
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  Speaker 1: those wooden images dedicated to the goddess Ashera. He also
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  Speaker 1: removed the high places hilltop sites where people carried out
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  Speaker 1: pagan rituals far from the temple in Jerusalem. As it
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  Speaker 1: says in Second Chronicles fourteen three five, he removed the
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  Speaker 1: foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones,
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  Speaker 1: and cut down the Ashera poles. He commanded Judah to
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  Speaker 1: seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to
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  Speaker 1: obey his laws and commands. He removed the high places
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  Speaker 1: and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the
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  Speaker 1: kingdom was at peace under him. One of ESA's most
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  Speaker 1: significant moves was to expel the male shrine prostitutes, individuals
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  Speaker 1: who took part in sexual rituals in pagan temples which
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  Speaker 1: were completely against God's law. Aesa made it clear he
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  Speaker 1: would not tolerate such practices in his kingdom. As we
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  Speaker 1: see in First Kings fifteen twelve, he expelled the male
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  Speaker 1: shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all
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  Speaker 1: the idols his ancestors had made. Wherever he went as Sir,
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  Speaker 1: destroyed the idols and images that defiled the land. He
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  Speaker 1: understood there could be no middle ground. You either served
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  Speaker 1: the Lord or you served idols. Ussa's resolved to purify
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  Speaker 1: the kingdom was put to the test when idolatry hit
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  Speaker 1: close to home his own family. His grandmother Marker, who
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  Speaker 1: held the powerful position of Queen Mother, had made a
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  Speaker 1: disgusting image to worship the goddess Ashera. Many kings would
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  Speaker 1: have ignored this for the sake of family peace, but
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  Speaker 1: not Aesa. He understood that no one was above God's law,
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  Speaker 1: not even royalty. As First Kings fifteen thirty recounts he
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  Speaker 1: even deposed his grandmother Marka from her position as queen
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  Speaker 1: mother because she had made a repulsive image for the
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  Speaker 1: worship of asherah Usir cut it down and burned it
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  Speaker 1: in the Kidron Valley. Imagine that scene. Ussur didn't just
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  Speaker 1: remove her from her position, He publicly burned the idol
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  Speaker 1: she had made in the Kidron Valley. It was a bold,
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  Speaker 1: unmistakable message to the people. If even the queen mother
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  Speaker 1: had to obey God's commands, then so did everyone else.
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  Speaker 1: This act showed ASA's unwavering commitment to the Lord. He
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  Speaker 1: didn't let family ties stop him from doing what was right.
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  Speaker 1: As Second Chronicles fifteen sixteen says, King Aesa also deposed
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  Speaker 1: his grandmother Marka from her position as queen mother because
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  Speaker 1: she had made a repulsive image for a sharer. Asa
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  Speaker 1: cut it down, broke it up, and burned it in
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  Speaker 1: the Kidron Valley. With the land cleansed of idolatry, Ussur
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  Speaker 1: turned his focus to the Temple in Jerusalem. For years,
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  Speaker 1: the temple had been neglected while previous kings chased after
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  Speaker 1: foreign gods. User made it his mission to restore proper
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  Speaker 1: worship in the temple. He brought back the sacred objects
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  Speaker 1: that had been taken or hidden during the years of unfaithfulness.
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  Speaker 1: The Bible tells us in First Kings fifteen fifteen, he
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  Speaker 1: brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and
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  Speaker 1: gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.
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  Speaker 1: He encouraged the people to bring offerings and tithes to
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  Speaker 1: God's house, re establishing the system God had ordained through Moses.
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  Speaker 1: The daily sacrifices which had been forgotten were reinstated. The
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  Speaker 1: annual feasts, Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and Pentecost were
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  Speaker 1: celebrated once again, just as the law of Moses had commanded.
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  Speaker 1: The priests and levites who had been removed from their
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  Speaker 1: duties or who were performing them improperly were called back
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  Speaker 1: to serve in the temple as God had commanded. Second
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  Speaker 1: Chronicles fifteen eight tells us when Esa heard these words
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  Speaker 1: and the prophecy of Azariah's son of Odad the prophet,
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  Speaker 1: he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the
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  Speaker 1: whole land of Judah and Benjamin, and from the towns
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  Speaker 1: he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired
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  Speaker 1: the altar of the Lord that was in front of
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  Speaker 1: the portico of the Lord's temple. All this effort to
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  Speaker 1: purify the kingdom and restore worship to the Lord brought
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  Speaker 1: a great blessing upon Judah. The Bible tells us in
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  Speaker 1: Second Chronicles fourteen one, Aesa did what was good and
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  Speaker 1: right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He
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  Speaker 1: removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the
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  Speaker 1: sacred stones, and cut down the asherapols. He commanded Judah
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  Speaker 1: to seek the Lord, the god of their ancestors, and
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  Speaker 1: to obey his laws and commands. The land had peace
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  Speaker 1: for ten years. During those ten years of peace, Aesa
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  Speaker 1: did not remain idle. He used that time why to
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  Speaker 1: strengthen the kingdom's defenses. He built fortified cities throughout Judah,
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  Speaker 1: complete with high, strong walls, watch towers, and bronze gates
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  Speaker 1: designed to withstand enemy attacks. The king also organized and
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  Speaker 1: trained a large army. As we read in Second Chronicles
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  Speaker 1: fourteen seven to eight, he said to Judah, let us
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  Speaker 1: build up these towns and put walls around them with towers, gates,
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  Speaker 1: and bars. The land is still ours because we have
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  Speaker 1: sought the Lord our God. We sought him, and he
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  Speaker 1: has given us rest on every side. So they built
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  Speaker 1: and prospered. Aesa had an army of three hundred thousand
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  Speaker 1: men from Judah equipped with large shields and spears, and
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  Speaker 1: two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed with small
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  Speaker 1: shields and bows. All these were brave fighting men. Aesa
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  Speaker 1: understood that even in times of peace, it was crucial
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  Speaker 1: to be prepared for war. He assembled three hundred thousand
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  Speaker 1: warriors from the tribe of Jews Udah, armed with large
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  Speaker 1: shields and spears. Alongside them were two hundred and eighty
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  Speaker 1: thousand skilled archers from the tribe of Benjamin, equipped with
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  Speaker 1: small shields and bows. It was a formidable, well trained,
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  Speaker 1: and well equipped army. But the peace of those first
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  Speaker 1: ten years didn't last forever. One day, a messenger rushed
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  Speaker 1: into Ace's palace with alarming news. Zira the Kushite was
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  Speaker 1: marching against Judah with a massive army and three hundred chariots.
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  Speaker 1: This Kushite or Ethiopian army was enormous, an army of
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  Speaker 1: a thousand thousands, says Second Chronicles fourteen nine. Imagine a
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  Speaker 1: million soldiers advancing towards you, they far outnumbered ASA's forces.
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  Speaker 1: Despite all his preparations, Aesa knew he was at a disadvantage.
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  Speaker 1: He marched out with his army to confront the Kushites
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  Speaker 1: and took up position in the valley of Zephyther near
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  Speaker 1: the city of Maresia. Seeing the size of the enemy army,
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  Speaker 1: Aesa realized his own strength wouldn't be enough. That's when
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  Speaker 1: he did something that changed the course of the battle.
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  Speaker 1: He cried out to the Lord in a simple but
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  Speaker 1: faith filled prayer, and Second Chronicles fourteen eleven records his prayer.
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  Speaker 1: Then Esa called to the Lord, his God, and said, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: there is no one like you to help the powerless
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  Speaker 1: against the mighty. Help us, Lord, our God, for we
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  Speaker 1: rely on you, and in your name we have come
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  Speaker 1: against this vast army. Lord, you are our God. Do
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  Speaker 1: not let me immortals prevail against you. What a beautiful prayer.
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  Speaker 1: Aesa acknowledged that it makes no difference to God whether
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  Speaker 1: he helps the strong or the weak. He confessed his
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  Speaker 1: total dependence on the Lord and placed his trust not
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  Speaker 1: in his army, but in God's name. And God heard
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  Speaker 1: ESA's prayer and responded with power. Second Chronicles fourteen twelve
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  Speaker 1: Town thirteen tells us what happened. The Lord struck down
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  Speaker 1: the Kushites before Asa and Judah. The Kushites fled, and
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  Speaker 1: Asa and his army pursued them as far as Jura.
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  Speaker 1: Such a great number of Kushites fell that they could
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  Speaker 1: not recover. They were crushed before the Lord and his forces.
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  Speaker 1: The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder.
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  Speaker 1: The enemy army was utterly defeated. The Lord struck the Kushites,
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  Speaker 1: causing confusion and panic among them. They fled in complete disorder,
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  Speaker 1: and ASA's forces pursued them all the way to Gerar,
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  Speaker 1: southwest of Judah. The victory was so decisive that the
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  Speaker 1: text says there was no more resistance among the Kushites.
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  Speaker 1: They were crushed before the Lord. It was clear to
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  Speaker 1: everyone that this wasn't just a military triumph, it was
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  Speaker 1: a divine intervention. Aesa and his army conquered all the
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  Speaker 1: surrounding towns near Gerar that had supported the Kushites. The
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  Speaker 1: Bible says in Second Chronicles fourteen fourteen to fifteen, they
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  Speaker 1: destroyed all all the villages around Jurah. For the terror
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  Speaker 1: of the Lord had fallen on them. They plundered all
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  Speaker 1: these villages since there was much booty there. They also
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  Speaker 1: attacked the camps of the herders and carried off droves
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  Speaker 1: of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.
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  Speaker 1: After completely defeating their enemies, Asa and his troops returned
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  Speaker 1: to Jerusalem with abundant spoils of war wealth, flocks of
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  Speaker 1: sheep and camels. It was an incredible victory that strengthened
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  Speaker 1: ASA's reign and proved to the people the power of
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  Speaker 1: trusting in the Lord. On the way back from this
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  Speaker 1: victorious battle, something special happened. The spirit of God came
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  Speaker 1: upon a prophet named Azariah son of Odad. He went
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  Speaker 1: out to meet King Aesa with an important message from
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  Speaker 1: the Lord. Chronicles fifteen one two tells us the spirit
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  Speaker 1: of God came on Azariah son of Odad. He went
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  Speaker 1: out to meet Aesa and said to him, listen to me,
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  Speaker 1: Aesa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with
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  Speaker 1: you when you are with him. If you seek him,
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  Speaker 1: he will be found by you. But if you forsake him,
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  Speaker 1: he will forsake you. The message was clear as long
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  Speaker 1: as Esa and the people remained faithful to God, he
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  Speaker 1: would be with them, but if they abandoned him, he
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  Speaker 1: would also leave them. As a Riah continued reminding the
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  Speaker 1: king and the people of the hardships Israel had faced
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  Speaker 1: when they turned away from God. For a long time,
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  Speaker 1: Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach,
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  Speaker 1: and without the law. But in their distress they turned
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  Speaker 1: to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him,
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  Speaker 1: and he was found by them Second Chronicles fifteen three four.
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  Speaker 1: The prophet described how during those times of unfaithfulness, there
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  Speaker 1: was no peace for those who came or went, because
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  Speaker 1: great turmoil fell on all the inhabitants of the lands.
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  Speaker 1: Nation rose against nation, and city against city, for God
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  Speaker 1: had troubled them with every kind of distress. Second Chronicles
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  Speaker 1: fifteen five to six. Azariah ended his message with words
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  Speaker 1: of encouragement to Mesa. But as for you, be strong
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  Speaker 1: and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.
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  Speaker 1: Second Chronicles fifteen seven. This prophetic message deeply moved Aesa's heart.
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  Speaker 1: He understood that the victory over the Ethiopians was just
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  Speaker 1: the beginning. God wanted him to continue the work of
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  Speaker 1: spiritual reform in Judah Inspired by the prophet Azariah's message,
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  Speaker 1: Ayesa was filled with new resolve and decided to intensify
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  Speaker 1: his reforms. The Bible says in Second Chronicles fifteen eight.
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  Speaker 1: When Esa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah,
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  Speaker 1: son of odid the Prophet, he took courage. He removed
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  Speaker 1: the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin,
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  Speaker 1: and from the towns he had captured in the hills
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  Speaker 1: of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the Lord that
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  Speaker 1: was in front of the portico of the Lord's temple.
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  Speaker 1: Asa didn't limit his reforms to just Judah and Benjamin.
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  Speaker 1: He extended his efforts to the cities he had conquered
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  Speaker 1: in the hill country of Ephraim further north. He also
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  Speaker 1: repaired the altar of the Lord that stood at the
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  Speaker 1: temple entrance. What happened next was incredible. People from other
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  Speaker 1: tribes of Israel, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon began migrating to Judah.
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  Speaker 1: They had seen that the Lord was with Esa and
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  Speaker 1: wanted to be part of this spiritual revival. As Second
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  Speaker 1: a Chronicles fifteen nine says, then he assembled all Judah
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  Speaker 1: and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manassa, and Simeon,
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  Speaker 1: who had settled among them for large numbers, had come
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  Speaker 1: over to him from Israel when they saw that the
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  Speaker 1: Lord his God was with him. In the third month
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  Speaker 1: of the fifteenth year of ASA's reign, the king organized
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  Speaker 1: a great assembly in j Jerusalem. It was a historic event.
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  Speaker 1: People from all over the kingdom gathered to renew their
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  Speaker 1: covenant with God. During the assembly, they offered sacrifices to
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  Speaker 1: the Lord from the spoils they had taken in war,
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  Speaker 1: seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep. These were offerings
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  Speaker 1: of gratitude to God for the victory he had given them.
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  Speaker 1: Second Chronicles fifteen ten eleven describes it this way. They
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  Speaker 1: assembled in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth
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  Speaker 1: year of AES's reign. At that time they sacrificed to
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  Speaker 1: the Lord seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand
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  Speaker 1: sheep and goats from the plunder they had brought back.
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  Speaker 1: But the high point of the assembly came when the
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  Speaker 1: people made a solemn covenant to seek the Lord with
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  Speaker 1: all their hearts. This was no superficial promise. It was
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  Speaker 1: a total dedication to God. The most emotional moment of
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  Speaker 1: the assembly was when every one publicly vowed loyalty to
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  Speaker 1: the Lord. The Bible describes it in Second Chronicles fifteen
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  Speaker 1: twelve to fifteen. They entered into a covenant to seek
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  Speaker 1: the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their
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  Speaker 1: heart and soul. All who would not seek the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: the God of Israel, were to be put to death,
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  Speaker 1: whether small or great, man or woman. They took an
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  Speaker 1: oath to the Lord with loud acclamation, with shouting, and
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  Speaker 1: with trumpets and horns. All Judah rejoiced about the oath
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  Speaker 1: because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly,
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  Speaker 1: and He was found by them, so the Lord gave
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  Speaker 1: them rest on every side. Just imagine the scene, thousands
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  Speaker 1: of people shouting their oath of loyalty to God with
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  Speaker 1: loud acclamation, as trumpets and horns filled the air. It
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  Speaker 1: was a powerful atmosphere of celebration and commitment. The text
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  Speaker 1: says all Judah rejoiced about the oath because they weren't
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  Speaker 1: doing it out of duty, but whole heartedly and with eagerness.
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  Speaker 1: The covenant even included a harsh clause anyone who didn't
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  Speaker 1: seek the Lord, the God of Israel, would be put
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  Speaker 1: to death, man or woman, great or small. It was
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  Speaker 1: a radical commitment to exclusive worship of the One True God.
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  Speaker 1: And what was the result of this national commitment. The
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  Speaker 1: Bible tells us that the Lord gave them rest. On
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  Speaker 1: every side. Peace returned to Ace's kingdom. No nation dared
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  Speaker 1: to attack them because they saw that the Lord was
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  Speaker 1: with them. That peace would last for many years. As
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  Speaker 1: we read in Second Chronicles bertin sinteen, there was no
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  Speaker 1: more war until the thirty fifth year of Ace's reign.
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  Speaker 1: For thirty five years, more than three decades, Judah lived
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  Speaker 1: in peace under Ace's leadership. It was a time of
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  Speaker 1: prosperity and security, a direct result of the kings and
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  Speaker 1: the people's faithfulness to the Lord their God. But after
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  Speaker 1: thirty five years of peace and prosperity, ASA's life was
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  Speaker 1: about to take a dramatic turn. In the thirty sixth
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  Speaker 1: year of his reign, dark clouds appeared on the horizon.
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  Speaker 1: A threat from the north dramatically shifted the kingdom's political landscape. Basha,
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  Speaker 1: King of Israel, the Northern Kingdom, came up against Judah.
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  Speaker 1: This wasn't just a simple invasion for territory. Basha had
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  Speaker 1: a much more cunning plan in mind, the Bible tells
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  Speaker 1: us in Second Chronicle sixteen to one, in the thirty
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  Speaker 1: sixth year of ASA's reign, Basha, king of Israel, went
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  Speaker 1: up against Judah and fortified Rama to prevent anyone from
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  Speaker 1: leaving or entering the territory of us A king of Judah,
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  Speaker 1: Basha began strengthening and fortifying the city of Rama, located
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  Speaker 1: just eight kilometers north of Jerusalem. This city was strategically
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  Speaker 1: placed on the main road that connected Jerusal to the
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  Speaker 1: rest of the world. By fortifying Rama, Basha effectively blocked
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  Speaker 1: all trade routes leading to Juda's capital. It was a
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  Speaker 1: brilliant strategy of economic strangulation. With the roads blocked, no
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  Speaker 1: goods could come in or go out of Jerusalem, No merchants,
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  Speaker 1: no travelers, no pilgrims could pass through. As the text says,
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  Speaker 1: the goal was to prevent anyone from leaving or entering
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  Speaker 1: ASA's territory. In a short time, Judah began facing a
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  Speaker 1: severe supply crisis. Food became scarce, Price's sword. Communication with
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  Speaker 1: other regions was cut off. Without trade, Judah's economy was
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  Speaker 1: under serious threat. Asa found himself in a desperate situation.
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  Speaker 1: The siege didn't involve an army at the city gates,
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: but it was just as effective. If things continued that way,
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: Jerusalem would slowly be choked without a single battle being
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: fort So what would Esa do in the face of
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: this threat? In earlier times, when he faced the massive
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: Ethiopian army, he had sought the Lord in prayer, But
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: something had changed in the King's heart. Instead of calling
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: upon the Lord as he had before, Asa decided to
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: pursue a purely political solution. He looked at the map
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: and saw a way out. Syria, ruled by King ben Hadad,
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: was a regional power that could help him against Israel.
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: Asa made a decision that revealed how much his heart
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: had changed. Chronicles sixteen two to three tells us. Then
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: Esa took the silver and gold from the treasuries of
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: the Lord's temple and of the royal palace, and sent
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: it to ben Hadad, King of Aram, who was ruling
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: in Damascus. Let there be a treaty between me and you,
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: he said, as there was between my father and your father. See,
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: I am sending you silver and gold now break your
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: treaty with Basha, King of Israel, so he will withdraw
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: from me. Just imagine, Usah emptied the treasures of the Temple,
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: the very same temple he had restored years earlier. He
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: took the sacred silver and gold items, added the wealth
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: from the royal palace and sent it all as a
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: gift to Ben Hadad. In his message to the Syrian king,
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: Asa proposed, let there be a treaty between me and you,
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: as there was between my father and your father. He
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: was trying to reactivate an old alliance from a previous generation.
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: But the real request followed, immediately break your treaty with Basha,
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: King of Israel, so he will withdraw from me. Asa
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: was asking Syria to betray its current alliance with Israel
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: and attack its northern ally. It was a plea for disloyalty,
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: paid for with treasures that had been consecrated to God.
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: At first glance, ESA's plan seemed to work perfectly. Ben
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: Hadad accepted the gifts and did exactly what Asa asked.
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: The Bible tells us in Second Chronicles sixteen forty five.
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: Ben Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: Iijon Dan, Abel Maim, and all the store cities of Naftali.
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: When Basha heard this, he stopped building Rama and abandoned
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: his work. The Syrian armies invaded northern Israel and captured
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: key cities like Eijon Dan and Abel Maim. They also
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: took over all the fortified store cities of Naftali, which
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: were vital hubs for storing food and supplies. This surprise
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: attack put Basha in an impossible position. He couldn't fight
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: on two fronts at once. With his northern territory under invasion,
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: Basha had no choice but to abandon his project in Rama.
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: He stopped building the fortifications and pulled his troops back
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: to defend his own kingdom from Syria. As soon as
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: Basha's forces left Rama, Aesa acted swiftly. Chronicle sixteen six records.
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: Then King Esa brought all the men of Judah and
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: they carried away from Rama the stones and timber Basha
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: had been using. With them. He built up Gaba and mispah.
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: Asa mobilized all the men of Judah and ordered them
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: to dismantle the fortifications Basha had been building in Rama.
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: Every stone and beam of wood was taken and repurposed.
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: With these materials, Asa strengthened two cities in his own territory,
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: Gabar and Mispa, both located near the border with Israel.
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: From a political and military standpoint, Aesa's strategy was a
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: smashing success. The blockade was broken, trade uroots reopened, the
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: immediate threat was neutralized, and not a single soldier died
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: in battle. Any military adviser would have praised the king's cunning,
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: but God sees things differently than men do. While Esa
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: celebrated his political victory, a man of God named Hanani,
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: a prophet, came to meet him. He carried a hard
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: message the king didn't want to hear. Chronicles sixteen seven
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: to nine records Hanani's words at that time, Hanani the
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: Seer came to Aesa, King of Judah, and said to him,
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: because you relied on the King of Aram and not
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: on the Lord your God, the army of the King
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: Kushites and Libyans, a mighty army with great numbers of
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: chariots and horsemen. Yet when you relied on the Lord
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: he delivered them into your hand, for the eyes of
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: the Lord ranged throughout the earth to strengthen those whose
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: Hanani's message was blunt and clear. He pointed out Aesa's
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: critical mistake, because you relied on the King of Aram
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: and not on the Lord your God. The prophet reminded
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: the king how God had once delivered him from a
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: much greater enemy, the Ethiopians and Libyans with their vast
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: armies of chariots and horsemen. Back then, Aesa had trusted
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: in the Lord and God had given him victory. But now,
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: when facing a smaller threat, Aesa had chosen human help
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: over divine. Then Hanani revealed a beautiful truth about God.
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: The eyes of the Lord ranged throughout the earth to
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. God
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: is always searching for people who will trust him completely,
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: so he can show his power through them. But the
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: prophecy ended with a sobering judgment, from now on you
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: will be at war. The peace that Judah had enjoyed
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: for thirty five years was about to end. ASA's wrong
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: choice would have lasting consequences. So how did Aesa respond
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: to this prophetic rebuke. Unfortunately, not like the humble young
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: king who once cried out to God in the Valley
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: of Zephyth, something in his heart had changed over the years.
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: Chronicles sixteen ten tells us Aesa was angry with the
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: Seer because of this. He was so enraged that he
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: put him in prison. At the same time, Aesa brutally
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: oppressed some of the people. Aesa became furious with God's messenger.
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: Instead of receiving the divine correction and repenting, he threw
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: Hanani into prison, a place referred to as the house
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: of stocks. Stocks were a device of torture where a
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: person's feet, hands, or neck were locked into wooden holes,
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: forcing them into painful positions. It was a cruel and
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: humiliating punishment, and Asa didn't stop there. The text says
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: that at the same time Aesa brutally oppressed some of
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: the people, it seems that anyone who dared agree with
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: Hanani or question the king's decision also faced persecution. This
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: behavior showed that Aesa had become intolerant of any criticism
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: or correction. His heart, once open to God's voice, had
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: become hardened. He didn't want to hear the truth, only
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: praise for his actions, even when they were clearly wrong.
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: There's a saying power tends to corrupt, and it seems
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: that after decades on the throne, Aesa had allowed pride
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: to take root in his heart. He was no longer
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: the humble servant of God. He had become a king
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: who demanded absolute obedience and wouldn't tolerate being questioned, not
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: even by a prophet sent by the Lord. Several years
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: passed and Aesa faced another challenge, this time a deeply
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: personal one. The Bible tells us in Second Chronicles sixteen twelve,
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: in the thirty ninth year of his reign, Aesa was
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: was severe, Even in his illness, he did not seek
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. In
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: the thirty ninth year of his reign, Usa was struck
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: by a severe disease in his feet. The Biblical text
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: describes the condition as very severe, indicating that it caused
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: intense and debilitating pain. Although the Bible does not specify
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: the exact illness. Many scholars believe it may have been gout,
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: a form of arthritis known for sudden attacks of intense pain, redness,
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: and tenderness in the joints, particularly at the base of
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: the big toe. Gout was often referred to as the
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: disease of Kings because it was associated with a luxurious
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: lifestyle rich in food and drink, inaccessible to the poor.
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: Regardless of the specific diagnosis, what matters is that the
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: condition was excruciating and lightly limited Ace's mobility, especially considering
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: his advanced age. What stands out most in this passage, however,
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: is the final remark, even in his illness, he did
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians.
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: There is nothing wrong with seeking medical help when we
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: are ill. The issue was Ace's choice to rely exclusively
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: on the doctor's without turning to God. This attitude revealed
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: that Ace's heart remained hardened, even when confronted with a
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: painful and serious illness that could have led him to
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: reflection and repentance. Aesa held on to a posture of
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: self reliance. He sought only human solutions, completely ignoring the
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: Lord who had guided and protected him for most of
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: his life. The final years of Ace's life stood in
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: stark contrast to the beginning of his reign. He who
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: had once been a devout reformer, now ended his days
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: as a bitter and hardened ruler. The kingdom that had
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: enjoyed decades of peace and prosperity under his leadership was
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: now plagued by ongoing conflicts. Just as Hanani had prophesied,
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: from now on you will be at war. The political
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: alliances Esa had forged instead of trusting in God failed
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: to bring the lasting security he had hoped for. ESA's
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: physical condition mirrored his spiritual state. Just as his feet
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: were diseased and unable to support him properly, his faith
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: had weakened and could no longer sustain him in difficult times.
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: The physical pain he experienced daily reflected the deterioration of
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: his relationship with God. This king, who had once led
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: a national spiritual renewal, destroyed idols, restored the temple, and
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: guided the people back to true worship, was now relying
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: solely on human means. He sought comfort in the hands
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: of physicians, strength through foreign armies, and security and material wealth.
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: Esa spent his final years in physical pain and spiritual isolation.
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: The Bible does not record any repentance or return to
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: God during this closing chapter of his life. On the contrary,
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: the last spiritual note we receive about him is he
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: did not seek help from the Lord, but only from
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: the physicians. What a sad ending for a king who
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: had started so well, a life that once shone as
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: a beacon of faithfulness now faded slowly into the shadows
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: of pride and self reliance. After forty one years on
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: the throne of Judah, ESA's reign came to an end.
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: The Bible records in First Kings fifteen twenty three to
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: twenty four. As for all the other events of Aesa's reign,
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: all his achievements, and all the cities he built, are
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: they not written in the book of the Annals of
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: the Kings of Judah. In his old age, however, his
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: feet became diseased. Then Aesa rested with his ancestors and
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: was buried with them in the city of his father,
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: David and Jehoshafat, his son succeeded him as king. Chronicles
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: sixteen thirteen to fourteen provides additional details about his death
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: and funeral. Then Aesa rested with his ancestors and died
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: in the forty first year of his reign. They buried
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: him in the tomb that he had cut out for
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: himself in the city of David. They laid him on
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: they made a huge fire in his honor. Ussir was
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: buried with great honor in Jerusalem. In the city of David.
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: His body was placed in a tomb he had prepared
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: for himself during his lifetime. It was customary for kings
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: to prepare their tombs in advance, and Aesa had followed
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: this tradition. The text says his body was laid on
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes. These
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: spices and aromatic ointments were used in embalming to slow
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: decomposition and mask the smell of death. This practice was
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: reserved for individuals of great importance. Moreover, they made a
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: huge fire in his honor. This was not a cremation,
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: but a ceremonial burning of perfumes, spices, and perhaps some
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: of the king's personal belongings, a tribute reserved for kings
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: respected by the people. Despite the failures of his later years.
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: The people of Judah still honored ASA's memory, especially for
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: the early part of his reign, when he had led
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: the nation back to God. Jehoshafat, his son, succeeded him
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: as king. With a forty one year reign. Asa had
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: one of the longest governments. Among the kings of Judah,
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: only Manassa fifty five years and Husaiah fifty two years
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: ruled longer. This longevity gave Asa the opportunity to leave
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: a deep mark on the history of his people. Yet
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: his legacy is defined by a dramatic contrast between the
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: beginning and the end of his reign. The first thirty
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: five years were marked by faithfulness to God, significant religious reforms,
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: and divine blessings. During this time, Ayesa removed idolatry from
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: the land, restored the temple, strengthened the nation militarily, and
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: led the people in renewed commitment to the Lord. However,
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: the final six years tell a different story, one of pride,
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: self sufficiency, and spiritual decline. Aesa, who once trusted god
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: fully in the face of a massive Ethiopian army, now
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: sought security through political alliances. The king, who once purified
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: the temple was now plundering its treasures to buy foreign aid.
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: This contrast made Asa a powerful biblical example of how
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: someone can finish poorly after starting with excellence. His life
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: illustrates a sobering truth. It's not enough to start well.
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: You have to persevere to the very end. What caused
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: this change in Aesa's heart. The Bible doesn't say explicitly,
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: but we can find some clues. Maybe it was the
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: pride that grew after years of success and prosperity. Maybe
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: it was the comfort and security that made him forget
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: his dependence on God. Or maybe it was simply the
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: weariness that came from decades of leadership, which led him
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: to seek easier, quicker solutions. Whatever the cause, Ace's reign
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: stands as a warning to all of us. As the
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: apostle Paul said in First Corinthians ten twelve, so if
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: you think you are standing firm, be careful that you
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: don't fall. No one, not even a king, who served
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: God faithfully for decades, is immune to the dangers of
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: pride and self reliance. Ace's story reminds us that faith
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: isn't a one time event, It's a lifelong journey. Every
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: day brings new challenges and new opportunities to choose whether
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: we'll trust in God or rely on our own strength.
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: And in the end, it's the sum of those daily
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: choices that defines the legacy we leave behind. If this
• 37:41
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• 37:45
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• 37:52
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• 37:56
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• 37:59
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• 38:05
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• 38:08
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