Session 2 Depend on God
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Intro
Intro
The Divided Kingdom ()
9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. 11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. 12 Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.”
Asa, the Good King
Asa, the Good King
Asa, grandson of Rehoboam, was on the throne in Jerusalem for forty-one years, 913–873 (15:9-24).
forty-one years, 913–873 (15:9-24). It is remarkable that he
He did “what was right” by purging blasphmous worship, notably the practices of his grandfather, Rehoboam.
receives only a few more verses of coverage than does his father who
23 Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet. 24 And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.
23 Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet. 24 And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.
lasted only two years. The report on Asa is divided into two more
The common act of religious departure from Yahwism is the Asherah, perhaps a symbol of pagan fertility religion.
or less characteristic parts, a theological verdict (15:9-15) and what
appears to be a factual historical report (15:16-24).
The theological verdict, on the whole, is positive, thus a contrast
The quintessential act of religious departure from
to that of his predecessors. He did “what was right” by purging
heterodox worship, notably the practices of his grandfather,
Rehoboam (15:23-24). Among other things, he negated the heterodox
Asa is a reforming king, taking steps to assure a singular focus on Yahweh.
practices of his mother who, incidentally, has the same
name as the mother of his father, apparently intended as the same
woman. The quintessential act of religious departure from
Yahwism is the Asherah, perhaps a symbol of pagan fertility religion,
perhaps at one time Yahweh’s female consort. [The Asherah] Asa
He devoted royal energy and royal resources to the temple, again a contrast to his grandfather who dismantled the decor of the temple (; ).
is a reforming king, taking steps to assure a singular focus on
15 And he brought into the house of the Lord the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.
Yahweh. And therefore he is celebrated by this theological perspective:
25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. 26 He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house. He took away everything. He also took away all the shields of gold that Solomon had made, 27 and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house. 28 And as often as the king went into the house of the Lord, the guard carried them and brought them back to the guardroom.
“His heart was true!” (15:14). He devoted royal energy and
The assessment of Asa is positive—except for the high places, still a measure of infidelity to Yahweh, endured () . This is a small note that does not by much diminish the positive valuation made of Asa; except that it is there.
royal resources to the temple, again a contrast to his grandfather
who dismantled the decor of the temple (15:15; 14:25-28). We
may notice that the temple loss under Rehoboam is because of his
11 And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done. 12 He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. 14 But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days.
political weakness; conversely, Asa’s restitution of the temple may
be a measure of political stability, so that the fate of the temple is
intimately connected to the political-economic condition of the
Solomon’s son Rehoboam, Asa’s grandfather, had neither Solomon’s wisdom nor his tact. Rehoboam failed to use diplomacy to avoid an approaching explosion of popular resentment against Solomon’s oppressive policies; in fact, Rehoboam actively precipitated the explosion.
state.
The assessment of Asa is positive—except for the note in v. 14a.
The high places, still a measure of infidelity to Yahweh, endured
(see 3:2). This is a small note that does not by much diminish the
positive valuation made of Asa; except that it is there. We may
wonder if Asa was neglectful and indifferent, or perhaps it was
politically not prudent to go “all the way” in reform. Either way,
the narrative confirms the fact that the theopolitical enterprise in
Jerusalem is characteristically a compromise. Most remarkably, it is
a compromise that this theological perspective can tolerate. In any
case, Asa is a vast improvement over what has gone before.
The historical account of Asa’s reign is preoccupied with the civil
war, the war precluded by Yahweh (12:24), but prosecuted by Asa’s predecessors (14:30; 15:6-7). But Asa takes an important strategic
initiative, either because he is more desperate or because he is more
imaginative. He negotiates with Syria (Aram) to form a defense
pact that will separate Syria from its previous cooperation with
Israel and make Syria, along with Judah, an adversary of Israel.
That is, Asa intends by the alliance to put Israel in a vice, to be
squeezed into submission. This is the first entry of Syria into the
orbit of Jerusalem politics, a position it will occupy for the long
term.
The remarkable feature of this pact is what the narrative tells us
about its terms. In fact Asa purchases an ally by cashing in temple
resources, on which see v. 15. It is, however, important that the
term “present” is almost everywhere else in the Old Testament
translated as “bribe.” Asa bought an ally and, as a consequence, he
must mobilize the work force of his nation in state projects
(15:22). The report does not use the term “forced labor” that had
such a bad press under Solomon and Rehoboam; but that is what it
is. For reasons of “national defense”—almost always a good
excuse—Asa reconstitutes the policy of forced labor that was decisive
in the collapse of the great Solomonic achievement. The forced
labor policy is to build fortifications at Geba and Mizpah, in order
to protect the northern border of Judah. These installations are juxtaposed
to Ramah, the fortification on Israel’s southern boundary (15:17). The alliance worked! The Syrian king moved against the
Northern Kingdom, as Asa had anticipated. The outcome is that
the Northern king, Baasha, had to pull back and relocate at a safer
place, Tirzah (15:21). [Tirzah]
The narrative provides us with one other notation about Asa. He
was “diseased in his feet” (15:23). This is an exceedingly odd notation
that permits speculation about the king. The terse comment
may mean simply to report an old age infirmity as a detail toward
death. Or it could refer to a serious ailment such as leprosy that
would impede his rule. Or it is possible, since “feet” is elsewhere a
euphemism for genitalia, that he is impaired in his “virility” that
matters so much in royal ideology (see 1:1). Nothing is made of the
point. But since the narrative may hint and suggest, the way is left
open for theological speculation. It remained for later theology to
bring Asa under judgment in a verdict that seized upon the hints of
negativity made here. [An Alternative Report]
An Alternative Report
The narrative account of Asa is offered as descriptive report. On two counts in the subsequent
theological reflection of , Asa’s “data” is turned to negative theological judgment.
First, the alliance he initiated with Syria is interpreted there as an act of unfaith, trusting in allies
rather than trusting Yahweh:
Because you relied on the king of Aram, and did not rely on the LORD your God, the army of the
king of Aram has escaped you.…You have done foolishly in this; for from now on you will have
wars. (, )
The judgment parallels the foreign policy of “trust” advocated by the prophet Isaiah.
Second, Asa’s foot disease is presented in our text simply as a fact. In , the king is
condemned for seeking healing from a doctor rather than from Yahweh, thus a parallel to the political
alliance. In both acts, Asa is judged for lacking the kind of faith in Yahweh that would shape his
actions. It may be that in the Chronicles account the foot disease is a consequence (punishment) for
not trusting Yahweh in the political arena. The version given in the Chronicles indicates yet another
attempt to state the tricky relation of faith to power and power to faith.
Asa was third king of the southern kingdom of Judah (910–869 bc) after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Solomon’s son Rehoboam, Asa’s grandfather, had neither Solomon’s wisdom nor his tact. Rehoboam failed to use diplomacy to avoid an approaching explosion of popular resentment against Solomon’s oppressive policies; in fact, Rehoboam actively precipitated the explosion.
Asa came to the throne just after his father, Abijam (or Abijah), had reigned only briefly (913–910 bc). Asa thus inherited a shrunken, vulnerable kingdom.
Moreover, he was thrust into a suddenly unstable political arena shaken by collapse of the great world empires of Old Babylonia to the north and east in Mesopotamia, and of Egypt to the southwest.
Hence until the emerging might of Assyria was firmly established (mid-9th century bc), the small Palestinian states (Israel, Judah, Syria, the Aramaeans and Phoenicians, and to some degree the peoples of Moab and Edom) were free to push and shove among themselves.
The rival states had superficial similarities, especially Judah and Israel, but were divided by deep differences and intense self-interest.
Nonetheless, later in his reign Asa abruptly abandoned his trust in God. By means of a huge gift that stripped the temple treasures he entered an alliance with Ben-hadad, king of Damascus (Syria), in order to force Baasha, ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel, to withdraw from newly conquered territory in Judah. Asa had become heedless of God’s faithful protection when Israel, Judah’s mortal enemy, stood triumphant and strategically poised to strike, only 5 miles from Jerusalem. Asa’s power play worked. Israel had to retire from the field in the south to meet Benhadad’s threat from the north. When Hanani spoke plainly to Asa about his disbelief in God, Asa was infuriated and had Hanani thrown into prison (2 Chr 16:7–10).
Nonetheless, later in his reign Asa abruptly abandoned his trust in God. By means of a huge gift that stripped the temple treasures he entered an alliance with Ben-hadad, king of Damascus (Syria), in order to force Baasha, ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel, to withdraw from newly conquered territory in Judah. Asa had become heedless of God’s faithful protection when Israel, Judah’s mortal enemy, stood triumphant and strategically poised to strike, only 5 miles from Jerusalem. Asa’s power play worked. Israel had to retire from the field in the south to meet Benhadad’s threat from the north. When Hanani spoke plainly to Asa about his disbelief in God, Asa was infuriated and had Hanani thrown into prison (2 Chr 16:7–10).
For the last years of his long 41-year reign, Asa was ill; “yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians” (2 Chr 16:12). He died and was buried in honor in the royal tombs (1 Kgs 15:24; 2 Chr 16:14).
Asa (910–869 B.C.) enjoyed the blessing of God because he removed the symbols of paganism (14:1–8; 1 Kgs 15:11–12). The Cushite (Ethiopian) Zerah attacked Judah from the south, but Asa appealed to the Lord and won an impressive victory at Mareshah (2 Chr 14:9–15).
14:9 Zerah the Cushite. Although Egypt is not named within the account of vv. 9–15, the close connection between the region of Cush/Nubia and Egypt, as well as the inclusion of Libyans along with Cushites in 16:8, may imply that Zerah was a field general on behalf of an Egyptian pharaoh (presumably Osorkon I). Alternatively, Zerah may have been the chief of an Arab coalition (from the Sinai region), given the pairing of Cushites with Midianites in OT texts and the references to camels and herdsmen in v. 15.
14:9 Zerah the Ethiopian. Lit., “the Cushite,” from modern Sudan (see 12:3; 16:8). Not otherwise known, but possibly a general in the service of Pharaoh Osorkon I, son of Shoshenq I (12:2). A million men is literally “a thousand thousands” and represents an enormous number. An alternative way to understand this is “a thousand units” (see note on 1 Chron. 12:23–37). This is more than double the army following Asa (2 Chron. 14:8). Mareshah. One of Rehoboam’s fortified cities on Judah’s southwestern border (11:8).
Zerah Attacks Judah
Zerah Attacks Judah
At some point during Asa’s long and prosperous reign over Judah, Zerah the Ethiopian led a vast army from the south to attack Judah at a valley near Mareshah.
At some point during Asa’s long and prosperous reign over Judah, Zerah the Ethiopian led a vast army from the south to attack Judah at a valley near Mareshah.
Let’s start with
Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. And Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 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.”
2 Chronicles 14:9-11
What trait did Asa possess here that we can emulate?
14:9 The identity of Zerah is unknown.
Literally “a thousand thousands.” This phrase indicates a large army rather than a specific number.
14:10 A fortified city (11:8) south of Jerusalem. The precise location of the Valley of Zephathah is unknown.
The intimidating numbers of the enemy did not prevent Asa and Judah from proceeding out to the battlefield to face them. Not through his own strength, but the strength that comes through faith in the Lord.
Asa’s prayer began with acknowledgment of the singular power and strength of the Lord, thereby acknowledging his need and dependence on that power and strength.
He expressed his and the nation’s trust in the Lord, basing his petition not on anything in himself, nor in the nation, but only because the Lord had identified Himself with this nation.
It was for the sake of God’s name and because the Lord was their God that He should go before them in this battle. In effect, the enemy had not come against the king or nation so much as against the Lord.
What are some other examples of this kind of faith in the Bible?
14:11 Relying on God—along with seeking God (see note on v. 4)—is a theme in the Chronicler’s portrayal of Asa (14:1–16:14).
The Hebrew word used here, sha'an, meaning “to rely,” occurs only once in Chronicles outside of the story of Asa (13:18). It describes a reliance on God, especially in a military context. Here, Asa relies on God to help him defeat the Ethiopian army (v. 12). Later, Asa is rebuked for relying on an alliance with the king of Syria rather than God (16:7).
Move to
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 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.
Pay attention as to Who is given credit for the victory.
The description of the extent of the victory and the plunder the nation carried away was an example of the Lord doing “exceedingly, abundantly above all” that the king had asked or expected.
Why do you think they plundered all of the other cities?
To demonstrate the complete power of the Lord; to instill in their fos that this was a supernatural conquest; and to express upon them a fear of the Lord so no more uprisings would occur
What can we learn from this?
What can we learn from this?
Look at Asa’s faithfulness, yet trials still came to him
Yet he went out and faced the enemy despite of the odds
And what did God do?
Even though we have God on our side, He still wants us to face our battles and claim the victories He gives us.
What victories has the Lord given you?
14:13 A town in the Negev, the arid region of southern Judah.
14:15 Could indicate that Zerah and his army were traveling Bedouins (see note on v. 9).