2 Chronicles 14

2 Chronicles 14:1

C. King Asa (Chaps. 1416)14:1, 2 The next three chapters give us a brief report of Asa and his forty-one year reign. 1Ki_15:9-24 should be read along with these chapters. Verse 1 is a bridge from the previous chapter. The Hebrew Bible starts chap. 14 with v. 2. 14:3-8 The source of Asa’s peaceful reign was his heart’s attitude toward Jehovah. He put away many of the sins of his fathers and urged his people to seek the LORD, leading the way himself by zealously purging his kingdom of idolatry. During this time of rest, Asa fortified his cities and gathered a large army. 14:9-15 Judah’s peace was shattered by an Ethiopian . . . army of a million men with three hundred chariots. Judah’s smaller force was victorious because of their trust in Jehovah. The enemy was routed decisively. Asa’s prayer in verse 11 is short and to the point. There is no time in battle to be eloquent, but prayers born out of desperate need are very effective if the person praying is in a right relationship with God, as Asa was. Because he followed the Lord in peace, he knew the Lord would care for him in war. The fight began in Mareshah, a city in Judah, and ended around Gerar, a city belonging to the Philistines. Many were slain, including those who owned livestock, and huge amounts of spoil and animals were carried back to Jerusalem.