Topical Bible: Blessing: Temporal, from God: To Asa

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Asa, the third king of Judah and the son of Abijah, is a notable figure in the biblical narrative for his devotion to God and the temporal blessings he received as a result. His reign is chronicled primarily in 1 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 14-16, where his actions and the divine responses to them are detailed.

Upon ascending to the throne, Asa demonstrated a commitment to the worship of Yahweh, distinguishing his reign from that of his predecessors who had allowed idolatry to flourish. Asa's reforms included the removal of foreign altars and high places, the breaking of sacred pillars, and the cutting down of Asherah poles. He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments (2 Chronicles 14:3-4).

Asa's faithfulness was met with divine favor, manifesting in temporal blessings that included peace and prosperity. The land experienced a period of rest, as the LORD granted him peace on every side. This tranquility allowed Asa to fortify the cities of Judah, building walls, towers, gates, and bars, which further secured the nation (2 Chronicles 14:6-7).

The temporal blessings extended to military success. When Zerah the Cushite marched against Judah with a vast army, Asa relied on the LORD, praying, "LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. 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; do not let a mere mortal prevail against You" (2 Chronicles 14:11). In response, God struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah, leading to a decisive victory and the plundering of their cities (2 Chronicles 14:12-15).

Asa's reign was further blessed through the prophetic encouragement of Azariah son of Oded, who assured him that the LORD would be with him as long as he remained with the LORD. This message spurred Asa to continue his reforms, leading to a renewal of the covenant with God and a great assembly in Jerusalem where the people entered into a covenant to seek the LORD with all their heart and soul (2 Chronicles 15:1-15).

However, Asa's later years were marked by a reliance on human alliances rather than divine intervention, as seen in his treaty with Ben-Hadad of Aram against Baasha, king of Israel. This decision led to a rebuke from the prophet Hanani, who reminded Asa of the LORD's past deliverance and criticized his lack of trust (2 Chronicles 16:7-9). Despite this, Asa's earlier years of faithfulness and the resulting temporal blessings remain a testament to the rewards of seeking and relying on God.

Asa's life illustrates the principle that temporal blessings from God are often contingent upon faithfulness and obedience. His account serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining reliance on God throughout one's life, not just in times of immediate need.

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2 Chronicles 14:6,7
And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest.
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Library

A Prayer when one Begins to be Sick.
... kindness, whereby thou dost with thy temporal judgments draw me ... God will never give
a blessing by those ... Use, therefore, the physician as God's instrument, and ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bayly/the practice of piety/a prayer when one begins.htm

The Good Man Useful in Life and Happy in Death.
... him into public view, render him a public blessing. ... such kind promises of a faithful
God, and the ... As to temporal matters, which often trouble those, who are ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xxv the good man.htm

The First Delegated General Conference of 1812
... full powers as elders in the Church of God; " and as ... alone, who sacrificed their
all of temporal emolument and ... office, in order to assure the blessing of God ...
/.../chapter 1 the first delegated.htm

From the Death of Bishop Asbury to the Close of the General ...
... of their united endeavors to promote their temporal and spiritual ... by you, to the
praise of God and the ... cease, and to restore the invaluable blessing of peace ...
/.../chapter 3 from the death.htm

Covenanting Enforced by the Grant of Covenant Signs and Seals.
... the blessings of which were not merely temporal, but spiritual ... Being a new Covenant
blessing, the new heart is a ... into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter xi covenanting enforced by.htm

The General Conference of 1836
... to hope that he would be rendered a great blessing to the ... an action, as it was once
right for God to permit ... and into some portions of our temporal economy, are ...
/.../chapter 13 the general conference.htm

Of the Agreement of the Evangelists Matthew and Luke in the ...
... they not with joy unspeakable embrace so great a blessing? ... For to God must we be
brought back, when ... from the Lord, during which the temporal dispensation of ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon i of the agreement.htm

Homilies on the Gospel of John.
... leads to hell, [37]285; due to Christ, [38]285; blessing of here ... 61]ib.; are holy,
[62]49; have not seen God in His ... Asa, his gout a punishment for sin, [117]132 ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homilies on the gospel of.htm

The General Conference of 1840
... have little doubt that, with the blessing of God ... over these lands,' to questions
of temporal import, involving ... our first desire, after piety toward God, to be ...
/.../chapter 15 the general conference.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... repeated changes of dynasty in Israel"Asa and Baasha ... Jacob, who, by his wrestling
with God, had obtained ... dispersion alluded to in Jacob's blessing (Genesis 49 ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm