2 Chronicles 14:2-15 (October 1, 2025)

Asa Reigns in Judah

14 [a] Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years. 2 [b] And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim 4 and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment. 5 He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him. 6 He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace. 7 And he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God. We have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and prospered. 8 And Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin that carried shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor.

9 Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. 10 And Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 And Asa cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.” 12 So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13 Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive, for they were broken before the Lord and his army. The men of Judah[c] carried away very much spoil. 14 And they attacked all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord was upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. 15 And they struck down the tents of those who had livestock and carried away sheep in abundance and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 14:1 Ch 13:23 in Hebrew

2 Chronicles 14:2 Ch 14:1 in Hebrew

2 Chronicles 14:13 Hebrew They

Relying on the Lord in a Time of Peace and in a Time of War

Summary

King Asa “did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God” (14:2). He removed foreign altars, high places, pillars, and Asherim, and commanded Judah to seek the Lord and keep His law (14:3–4). He fortified Judah’s cities, building up defenses, for “the land had rest” (14:5–7). Asa recognized that the time of peace was a gift from God:

But peace gave way to testing. Zerah the Ethiopian came with an army of a million men and 300 chariots to fight against Judah (14:9). Asa went out to meet him and prayed:

The Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and the people of Judah. They pursued the enemy as far as Gerar, and the fear of the Lord fell on the surrounding cities. Judah carried away a great deal of spoil (14:12–15).

Who is God?

God is the one who provides peace and defends His people. He grants rest when His people seek Him (14:7), but He also proves His power in times of crisis. His help is not limited by numbers or strength. When Asa faced a million-man army, God displayed that He alone saves, humbling the proud and exalting those who trust Him. God is not a distant observer but a present deliverer, faithful in peace and in war.

What is our guilt?

We are guilty of taking peace for granted. In times of rest, we often grow complacent, using our freedom for self-indulgence instead of building faithfulness and obedience. And in times of crisis, we are quick to rely on numbers, strategies, or human power instead of crying out to God. Asa’s prayer exposes our unbelief. We often act as though God cannot or will not help those who are weak. Our guilt is presumption in prosperity and unbelief in adversity.

How does grace shine?

God answers the cry of the weak. Asa’s prayer, “Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you,” points us to Christ, who came to save not the strong but the helpless. At the cross, Jesus bore the battle for us, defeating sin and death in apparent weakness. Now, by His resurrection power, God grants His people peace with Him and promises ultimate victory over every enemy. Just as Asa’s peace came from seeking God, our eternal peace rests in seeking Christ, who Himself is our peace.

Prayer

O Lord, you are the giver of peace and the one who fights for the weak. We confess that in times of rest we take your gifts for granted, and in times of trial we trust our own strength. Forgive us for presuming on your goodness and doubting your power. Thank you for Jesus Christ, who bore our battle and secured our peace. Teach us to seek you in every season, to rely on your strength, and to live in the confidence that you will never forsake us. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.