Asa 


"And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God; for he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves; and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. "

Because Asa acted so wisely, the Lord gave him peace for ten years. This time he improved in building fortified cities, and strengthening those already built. Finally there came out against him Zerah the Ethiopian, with a million of men and three hundred chariots. Although Asa had an army of nearly six hundred thousand men of valor, he felt that his only hope was in the Lord his God. "And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee."

So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 

The flight of this vast army was so precipitate; that their tents and their cattle, very many in number, were left a spoil to the men of Judah.

Asa and his men returned to Jerusalem, rejoicing and praising God. They offered to the Lord seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep ; and entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul. "And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa."

Then Baasha, king of Israel, came, and began to build a fortified city at Ramah, which was only six or seven miles north of Jerusalem. Instead of seeking counsel of the Lord, Asa took the silver and gold which he and his father had dedicated and placed in the house of the Lord, and sent it to Benhadad, king of Syria, to induce him to break the league with Baasha, and make war against the kingdom of Israel. Benhadad accepted the rich present, and did as Asa requested. Baasha was then obliged to leave off building Ramah, and go against the enemies that had invaded his kingdom on the north.

The Lord was greatly displeased with this act on the part of Asa, and sent a prophet to re- prove the king. Instead of receiving the re- proof meekly, Asa was angry, and put the prophet in prison. It seems sad to see this great and good man turning away from the Lord after a long life of good deeds.

During the latter part of Asa's reign, there was great confusion in the kingdom of Israel, Baasha died in the twenty-sixth year of Asa's reign, and was succeeded by his son Elah, who, after two years, was slain by Zimri. Zimri reigned only seven days, when he was overcome by Omri, who reigned nearly twelve years, sharing the rule for the first five years with Tibui, and succeeded by the wicked Ahab. Asa died in the forty-first year of his reign, and was succeeded by Jehoshaphat, his son. Jehoshaphat was a good man, and reigned twenty-five years. He sent priests and Levites to all the cities of Judah, to teach the people the law of the Lord; and the fear of the Lord fell upon all the surrounding nations, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat, but brought him presents, and tried in every way to secure his friendship. Judah was very populous at this time; for, according to the numbering, there were eleven hundred and sixty thousand men of war.