5. Asa's good reign in Judah 15:9-24

Asa was the first of eight kings of Judah whom the writer of Kings judged as good. Four were reformers who sought to bring the nation back to the Mosaic Covenant, and Asa was the first of these. The writer of Chronicles described his reforms more fully in 2 Chronicles 14-16.

 Asa's godliness 15:9-15

Asa came to power close to the end of Jeroboam's reign over Israel in 910 B.C. Asa reigned from 911-870 B.C., 41 years, an unusually long reign that probably began when he was quite young (cf. 15:2). It was his grandmother (NIV), not his mother (NASB), who bore the name Maacah (cf. 15:2). The queen mother (dowager), not the king's wife, was the first lady in the kingdom.¹⁵⁸

The rightness of Asa's acts is clear from his removing the pagan worship practices of Rehoboam and Abijam (vv. 12-13; cf. Deut. 9:21). He did away with some of the high places (2 Chron. 14:3), but not all of them (v. 14). However his heart was true to Yahweh all his days (v. 14) even though he became somewhat self-reliant later in his life (2 Chron. 16:7-10).

 Asa's victory over Israel 15:16-22

Antagonism continued between Israel and Judah in Asa's day. Ramah was a border town just north of Judah. Many Israelites were leaving Israel to live in Judah, an indication of God's blessing on the Southern Kingdom (cf. 2 Chron. 11:13-17). Baasha may have been building a Berlin wall type of structure at Ramah. Asa's plan to divert Baasha's attention to Ben-Hadad (ca. 900-860 B.C.) worked. His treaty evidenced some lack of trust in Yahweh (2 Chron. 16:7-9). Asa's strategy was one God blessed, however, and it enabled him to break down Baasha's fortifications that he used to rebuild two towns on Judah's side of the border (v. 22).

"Tabrimmon(v. 18) means good is Rimmon', the Thunderer-god, a title of Baal."¹⁵⁹

 Asa's death 15:23-24

Asa experienced some personal discipline for his trust in the flesh (v. 23; 2 Chron. 16:12). It may have been because of his ill health that Asa's son, Jehoshaphat, became coregent with him late in his reign (873-870 B.C.).¹⁶⁰When Asa died, Ahab was reigning in Israel (874-853 B.C.).

Asa's heart was right with God all his reign (v. 14) as David's had been. Nevertheless like David he also sinned. He experienced personal blessing in the form of a long reign and victory over his enemies because of his commitment to Yahweh. He also became a source of blessing to Judah.