Asa's Last Stand
- It seems the Northern Kingdom of Israel didn't crumble after Jeroboam died. They chose a new king named Baasha and now they're back and ready for revenge.
- Baasha is building a blockade in the city of Ramah, which keeps anyone in Judah from going in or out. Good luck getting food and supplies in.
- So Asa approaches Ben-hadad, the king of a neighboring country called Aram.
- Asa tells Ben-hadad that he'll give him mass quantities of gold and silver if he'll just stop supporting Baasha and the Northern Kingdom.
- Ben-hadad agrees to turn his back on the Northern Kingdom and sends armies to attack Baasha. As a result, the king in the north isn't able to pay much attention to his stronghold in Ramah.
- Asa attacks Ramah and dismantles the roadblock. Victory celebration, people.
- Not so fast. A prophet named Hanani comes to see King Asa and tells him that he made a mistake. Asa relied on the King of Aram instead of God to help him defeat the north. Huge miscalculation.
- Didn't God help them when they were outnumbered by the Ethiopians? He would have helped them this time, too. But since Asa didn't even bother to ask, the people will have to suffer.
- Asa doesn't like what he's hearing, so he throws the prophet in jail and starts taking out his anger on some of the people of Judah.
- Asa gradually turns away from God. Eventually he gets a really gross foot disease, but instead of looking to God for healing, he has the nerve to consult physicians instead.
- Despite this, he's honored by the nation when he dies after ruling for 41 years.