The name Asa (Hebrew: ’Asa’) means “healer” or “physician.” He was the third king of Judah following the division of the kingdom, succeeding his father, Abijah. Asa is overwhelmingly portrayed in scripture as a reformer who led the nation back to the worship of the true God, making his reign a high point in the history of the Southern Kingdom.
His life and reign are primarily documented in 1 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 14–16.
1. The Righteous Reformer
Asa began his reign strongly, driven by a deep commitment to remove the idolatry that had crept into the land during the reigns of his predecessors. The Chronicler records this positive assessment:
“And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God:” (2 Chronicles 14:2, KJV, emphasis added).
His initial reforms were radical and sweeping, targeting the sources of pagan worship:
- Removal of Idolatry: He took away the altars of the strange gods and the high places, brake down the images, and cut down the groves (Asherah poles).
- Purging His Own House: He even deposed his own mother, Maachah, from her position as queen because she had made an idol in a grove, demonstrating his commitment to God over family allegiance: “And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron” (1 Kings 15:13, KJV).
- Restoration of Worship: He commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers and to obey the law and the commandment.
2. The Great Victory Over Zerah the Ethiopian
Asa’s faithfulness was quickly tested by a formidable military threat. Zerah the Ethiopian (or Cushite) marched against Judah with an immense army of a million men and three hundred chariots.
Instead of relying on his own small forces, Asa prayed a powerful, faithful prayer, recognizing that God alone was the source of strength:
“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.” (2 Chronicles 14:11, KJV, emphasis added).
Because of Asa’s faith, the LORD smote the Ethiopians, leading to a miraculous and total victory for Judah. The spoils were vast, and the victory cemented Asa’s authority and provided the resources for his religious reforms.
3. The Later Compromise and Failure
Despite his righteous beginning, Asa’s reign was marred by a critical failure late in his life. When Baasha, king of Israel, fortified Ramah to cut off access to Judah, Asa feared for the security of his kingdom.
Instead of relying on the God who had delivered him from the million-man army of Zerah, Asa committed two serious errors:
- Trust in Man: He took silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the LORD and the king’s house and sent them as a bribe to Ben-hadad, king of Syria (1 Kings 15:18). He used a political alliance to solve a problem that required divine intervention.
- Rejection of Rebuke: The prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for relying on the King of Syria instead of the LORD. Asa’s reaction was one of pride and wrath: “Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.” (2 Chronicles 16:10, KJV, emphasis added).
4. The Final Years
The end of Asa’s life was marked by suffering. In his thirty-ninth year, he was afflicted with a severe disease in his feet. Again, his lack of faith was noted in scripture:
“And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.” (2 Chronicles 16:12, KJV, emphasis added).
He died shortly thereafter and was succeeded by his son, Jehoshaphat.