Jump to: Hitchcock's • Smith's • ATS • ISBE • Easton's • Webster's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms Topical Encyclopedia Introduction: Asa was the third king of the Kingdom of Judah and reigned for 41 years, from approximately 911 to 870 BC. He was the son of Abijah and the grandson of Rehoboam, making him a direct descendant of King David. Asa is noted for his religious reforms and efforts to rid Judah of idolatry, aligning his reign with the worship of Yahweh. Biblical Account: The primary accounts of Asa's reign are found in 1 Kings 15:9-24 and 2 Chronicles 14-16. Asa is introduced in 1 Kings 15:11, which states, "Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done." This sets the tone for his reign, emphasizing his commitment to the covenant with God. Religious Reforms: Asa's reign is marked by significant religious reforms. He removed the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made (1 Kings 15:12). He also deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene image for Asherah, which Asa destroyed and burned in the Kidron Valley (1 Kings 15:13). 2 Chronicles 14:3-5 further elaborates on Asa's reforms: "He removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and chopped down the Asherah poles. He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments." Military Achievements: Asa's reign was also characterized by military success. Early in his reign, he faced a significant threat from Zerah the Cushite, who marched against Judah with a vast army. Asa called upon the LORD for help, and God granted him victory (2 Chronicles 14:9-12). This victory is a testament to Asa's reliance on God and his faithfulness in seeking divine intervention. Covenant Renewal: In the fifteenth year of his reign, Asa gathered the people of Judah and Benjamin, along with those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them, to renew the covenant with the LORD. They sacrificed seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep from the plunder they had brought back (2 Chronicles 15:9-11). The people entered into a covenant to seek the LORD with all their heart and soul, and the LORD gave them rest on every side (2 Chronicles 15:12-15). Later Years and Challenges: Despite his early successes, Asa's later years were marked by challenges. In the thirty-sixth year of his reign, Asa faced a threat from Baasha, king of Israel. Instead of relying on the LORD, Asa sought help from Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, by sending him treasures from the temple and his palace (2 Chronicles 16:1-3). This act of reliance on foreign powers rather than God was rebuked by the prophet Hanani, who told Asa, "Because you have relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand" (2 Chronicles 16:7). In his thirty-ninth year, Asa was afflicted with a severe disease in his feet. Yet, even in his illness, he did not seek help from the LORD but only from the physicians (2 Chronicles 16:12). Asa's failure to seek God in his later years serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of consistent faithfulness. Death and Legacy: Asa died in the forty-first year of his reign and was buried in the city of David. His reign is remembered for its initial zeal for the LORD and the reforms that brought Judah back to the worship of Yahweh. Despite his shortcomings in later years, Asa's efforts to purify the worship practices in Judah left a lasting impact on the spiritual life of the nation. Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary AsaSmith's Bible Dictionary Asa(physician , or cure).
ATS Bible Dictionary AsaThe third king of Judah after Solomon, son and successor of Abijam, 1 Kings 15:8. He began to reign B. C. 951, and reigned forty-one years at Jerusalem. The first part of his reign was comparatively peaceful and prosperous. He restored the pure worship of God; expelled those who, from sacrilegious superstition, prostituted themselves in honor of their false gods; purified Jerusalem from the infamous practices attending the worship of idols; and deprived his mother of her office and dignity of queen, because she erected an idol to Astarte. In the eleventh year of his reign, God gave him the victory over the vast army of the Cushite king Zerah; and the prophet Azariah encouraged him to go on in his work of reform. And yet, when Baasha king of Israel opposed this very work, he sought aid not from God, but from heathen Syria. In the latter part of his life, he became diseased in his feet; and Scripture reproaches him with having had recourse to the physicians, rather than to the Lord, 2 Chronicles 16:12. Yet his reign was, on the whole, one of the happiest which Judah enjoyed, and the Bible repeatedly commends his piety as an example. 1 Kings 22:43 2 Chronicles 20:32 21:12. His funeral rites were celebrated with special magnificence. There was ill-will and strife between Asa and Baasha all their days, as between Rehoboam and Israel, 1 Kings 15:6,16. Easton's Bible Dictionary Physician, son of Abijah and grandson of Rehoboam, was the third king of Judah. He was zealous in maintaining the true worship of God, and in rooting all idolatry, with its accompanying immoralities, out of the land (1 Kings 15:8-14). The Lord gave him and his land rest and prosperity. It is recorded of him, however, that in his old age, when afflicted, he "sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians" (Comp. Jeremiah 17:5). He died in the forty-first year of his reign, greatly honoured by his people (2 Chronicles 16:1-13), and was succeeded by his son Jehoshaphat. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (n.) An ancient name of a gum.International Standard Bible Encyclopedia ASAa'-sa ('aca', "healer"; Asa): Greek 760. Asaph -- Asa, a king of Judah ... Asa, a king of Judah. Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable Transliteration: Asaph Phonetic Spelling: (as-ah') Short Definition: Asa Definition: Asa, son of ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/760.htm - 6k Strong's Hebrew 609. Asa -- perhaps "healer," an Israelite name... 608, 609. Asa. 610 . perhaps "healer," an Israelite name. Transliteration: Asa Phonetic Spelling: (aw-saw') Short Definition: Asa. ... /hebrew/609.htm - 5k Library Asa Asa's Prayer Asa's Reformation, and Consequent Peace and victory How Zerah, King of the Ethiopians, was Beaten by Asa; and How Asa ... The Perfect Heart. National Apostasy Jehoshaphat Genealogy of Jesus According to Matthew. The First Delegated General Conference of 1812 The Search that Always Finds Thesaurus Asa (54 Occurrences)... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ASA. a'-sa ('aca', "healer"; Asa): (1) A king of Judah, the third one after the separation of Judah and Israel. ... /a/asa.htm - 29k Asa's (8 Occurrences) Ba'asha (26 Occurrences) Baasa (26 Occurrences) Baasha (26 Occurrences) Zerah (22 Occurrences) Reigneth (54 Occurrences) Ben-ha'dad (26 Occurrences) Ben-hadad (27 Occurrences) Tirzah (17 Occurrences) Resources Who was King Asa in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho was King Abijah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Who was King Baasha in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Asa: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Asa (54 Occurrences)Matthew 1:7 Matthew 1:8 1 Kings 15:8 1 Kings 15:9 1 Kings 15:11 1 Kings 15:13 1 Kings 15:14 1 Kings 15:16 1 Kings 15:17 1 Kings 15:18 1 Kings 15:20 1 Kings 15:22 1 Kings 15:23 1 Kings 15:24 1 Kings 15:25 1 Kings 15:28 1 Kings 15:32 1 Kings 15:33 1 Kings 16:8 1 Kings 16:10 1 Kings 16:15 1 Kings 16:23 1 Kings 16:29 1 Kings 22:41 1 Kings 22:43 1 Kings 22:46 1 Chronicles 3:10 1 Chronicles 9:16 2 Chronicles 14:1 2 Chronicles 14:2 2 Chronicles 14:8 2 Chronicles 14:10 2 Chronicles 14:11 2 Chronicles 14:12 2 Chronicles 14:13 2 Chronicles 15:2 2 Chronicles 15:8 2 Chronicles 15:10 2 Chronicles 15:16 2 Chronicles 15:17 2 Chronicles 15:19 2 Chronicles 16:1 2 Chronicles 16:2 2 Chronicles 16:4 2 Chronicles 16:6 2 Chronicles 16:7 2 Chronicles 16:10 2 Chronicles 16:11 2 Chronicles 16:12 2 Chronicles 16:13 2 Chronicles 17:2 2 Chronicles 20:32 2 Chronicles 21:12 Jeremiah 41:9 Subtopics Related Terms |