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JULY 10
16 Also he removed Maachah, the mother of Asa king of Judah, and said to him: “Because
Asa the king, from being queen mother, you have relied on the king of Syria, and have
because she had made an obscene image of not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the
Asherah; and Asa cut down her obscene army of the king of Syria has escaped from
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image, then crushed and burned it by the your hand. Were the Ethiopians and the
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Brook Kidron. But the high places were not Lubim not a huge army with very many chari-
removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart ots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on
of Asa was loyal all his days. the LORD, He delivered them into your hand.
18 He also brought into the house of God the 9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro
things that his father had dedicated and that he throughout the whole earth, to show Himself
himself had dedicated: silver and gold and strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to
utensils. And there was no war until the thirty- Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore
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fifth year of the reign of Asa. from now on you shall have wars.” Then Asa
In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of was angry with the seer, and put him in prison,
16 Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up for he was enraged at him because of this. And
against Judah and built Ramah, that he might Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.
let none go out or come in to Asa king of Ju- 11 Note that the acts of Asa, first and last, are
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dah. Then Asa brought silver and gold from indeed written in the book of the kings of Ju-
the treasuries of the house of the LORD and of dah and Israel. And in the thirty-ninth year of
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the king’s house, and sent to Ben-Hadad king his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and
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of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying, “Let his malady was severe; yet in his disease he
there be a treaty between you and me, as there did not seek the LORD, but the physicians.
was between my father and your father. See, I 13 So Asa rested with his fathers; he died in the
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have sent you silver and gold; come, break forty-first year of his reign. They buried him in
your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that his own tomb, which he had made for himself
he will withdraw from me.” in the City of David; and they laid him in the
4 So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and sent bed which was filled with spices and various
the captains of his armies against the cities of ingredients prepared in a mixture of ointments.
Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, They made a very great burning for him.
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and all the storage cities of Naphtali. Now it Psalm 81:6–10
happened, when Baasha heard it, that he
stopped building Ramah and ceased his work. 6 “I removed his shoulder from the burden;
6 Then King Asa took all Judah, and they car- His hands were freed from the baskets.
ried away the stones and timber of Ramah, 7 You called in trouble, and I delivered
which Baasha had used for building; and with you;
them he built Geba and Mizpah. I answered you in the secret place of
7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Selah
8 “Hear, O My people, and I will admonish
16:7 Hanani. God used this prophet to rebuke you!
Asa 1) for his wicked appropriation of temple O Israel, if you will listen to Me!
treasures devoted to God to purchase power, 9 There shall be no foreign god among
and 2) for his faithless dependence on a pagan you;
king instead of the Lord, in contrast to before Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
when opposed by Egypt (2 Chr.14:9–15).army 10 I am the LORD your God,
of the king of Syria has escaped. Asa forfeit- Who brought you out of the land of
ed by this sin the opportunity of gaining vic- Egypt;
tory not only over Israel, but also Syria. This Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
could have been a greater victory than over
the Ethiopians, which would have deprived Proverbs 20:24–25
Syria of any future successful attacks on Judah. 24 A man’s steps are of the LORD;
Though God had delivered them when they How then can a man understand his
were outnumbered (13:3ff.; 14:9ff.), the king own way?
showed his own spiritual decline both in lack of
trust and in his treatment of the prophet of God 25 It is a snare for a man to devote rashly
who spoke truth (v.10). something as holy,
And afterward to reconsider his vows.

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