2 Chronicles 16:1-14 (October 3, 2025)

Asa's Last Years

16:1 In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa took silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the Lord and the king's house and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, 3 “There is a covenant[a] between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 4 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and let his work cease. 6 Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.

7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. 8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless[b] toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time.

11 The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians. 13 And Asa slept with his fathers, dying in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 They buried him in the tomb that he had cut for himself in the city of David. They laid him on a bier that had been filled with various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumer's art, and they made a very great fire in his honor.

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 16:3 Or treaty; twice in this verse

2 Chronicles 16:9 Or whole

The Danger of Forsaking Reliance on the Lord

Summary

In the 36th year of Asa’s reign, Baasha, king of Israel, fortified Ramah to cut off Judah. Asa took silver and gold from the treasuries of the temple and the palace. He sent them to Ben-hadad, king of Syria, making a treaty so that Baasha would withdraw (16:1–6). The strategy worked, but it was a worldly alliance, not reliance on God.

Prophet Hanani came to Asa and rebuked him:

Sadly, instead of humbling himself, Asa grew angry, put Hanani in prison, and oppressed some of the people (16:10). Later, when he was diseased in his feet, he did not seek the Lord but only the physicians. Asa died in the 41st year of his reign (16:12–13).

Who is God?

God's eyes “run to and fro throughout the whole earth” to give strong support to those who trust Him (16:9). God is omniscient, omnipotent, and ready to uphold the weak who are faithful to the covenant. He loves His people jealously. So He is right to seek the trust of His covenant people. He will not bless alliances that replace Him. God is not honored by the clever strategies that people come up with as a "solution." God delights in wholehearted faith and dependence.

What is our guilt?

Like Asa, we are tempted to rely on human strength—money, connections, strategies—rather than God. When challenges arise, we often reach for the so-called "practical" solutions first, rather than prayer. Worse, we even resist correction (Is this you?). Instead of receiving rebuke, we get defensive, angry, or dismissive. Our guilt is presuming that past faithfulness excuses present disobedience, as if reliance on God were optional once we have stability. Asa’s sad end warns us. Partial obedience and stubborn pride can mark even long-serving believers.

How does grace shine?

Grace shines in the God who still watches over His people, eager to “give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him” (16:9). Where Asa failed, Christ triumphed. In His greatest hour of weakness, Christ relied wholly on the Father, even unto death. At the cross, He bore our foolish self-reliance and pride, and by His resurrection, He gives us His Spirit so we might trust in Him always. Christ is the true King who never wavered in obedience, and in Him our hearts are made whole. Even when we falter, God calls us back to repentance, offering mercy for those who will rely again on His grace.

Prayer

O Lord, you are the God who sees all and gives strong support to those who trust you. We confess that we often rely on human strength, wealth, or strategy rather than on you. Forgive us for resisting correction and persisting in pride. Thank you for Jesus Christ, who relied on you perfectly and bore our sins at the cross. Teach us to trust you in weakness and in strength, to welcome your correction, and to walk in humble dependence upon you. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.