Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 219
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made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down her obscene pole and burned
it in the Kidron Valley. Although the pagan shrines were not removed,
Asa’s heart remained completely faithful to the Lord throughout his life.
He brought into the Temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated.
There was constant war between King Asa of Judah and King Baasha
of Israel. King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in
order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa’s territory
in Judah.
Asa responded by removing all the silver and gold that was left in the
treasuries of the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace. He sent it
with some of his officials to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, son of He
zion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this
message:
“Let there be a treaty between you and me like the one between your
father and my father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold.
Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me
alone.”
Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa’s request and sent the commanders of
his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon,
Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Kinnereth, and all the land of Naphtali.
As soon as Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his
project of fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. Then King Asa sent
an order throughout Judah, requiring that everyone, without exception,
help to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baas ha had been
using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the town of
Geba in Benjamin and the town of Mizpah.
The rest of the events in Asa’s reign—the extent of his power, everything
he did, and the names of the cities he built—are recorded in The Book of
the History of the Kings of Judah. In his old age his feet became diseased.
When Asa died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David.
Then Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, became the next king.
Nadab son of Jeroboam began to rule over Israel in the second year of King
Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Israel two years. But he did what was
evil in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his father, continuing
the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.