These three chapters are an anomaly to me, as is the main character, Asa. Here’s the story:
- 14:2- Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord.
- 14:9-15- He wins a fight, in which his army of 500K beats the 1Mil strong Ethiopian army. How does he pull it off? He prays.
- 15:12- He and the people enter into a covenant to seek the Lord.
- 15:17- The high places weren’t taken out in Israel, nevertheless Asa’s heart was wholly true all his days.
- 16:10- Asa gets a message from the prophet. He doesn’t like the message, so he locks up the prophet and inflicts cruelties on the people.
- 16:12- He gets a disease in his feet. But he still won’t seek the Lord. He seeks physicians instead.
So here’s my dilemma: Was Asa a good king or a bad king? Did he please the Lord or displease Him? Will I see him in heaven, or will I not?
If you know the answers to the above questions, please feel free to share.
Now regardless of if we have the answers to these questions, I think we can draw two conclusions.
- Seek God in every situation.
- Don’t live your life oscillating from obedience to disobedience.
Omer Redden 