In Asa's thirty-sixth year, Baasha king of Israel fortified Ramah to prevent movement between the kingdoms, and Asa responded by sending the temple and palace treasures to Ben-hadad of Damascus to break his treaty with Israel and attack from the north. The strategy succeeded militarily as Ben-hadad struck northern Israelite cities and Baasha withdrew, allowing Asa to dismantle Ramah and use its materials to build Geba and Mizpah. However, the seer Hanani rebuked Asa for relying on Syria rather than the Lord who had delivered the vast Ethiopian army, declaring that because of this faithlessness Asa would have wars; Asa angrily imprisoned Hanani and oppressed some of the people, and when he became severely diseased in his feet, he sought physicians rather than the Lord.
Read 2 Chronicles Chapter 16 Summary
Characters in This Chapter
Builder of the temple and Israel's most glorious king
Reforming king who restored temple worship and trusted God against Assyria
Young king who led the greatest revival, rediscovered the Law
Godly king known for his prayer and trust in God during battle
Son of Jacob, Ancestor of David and Christ
King of Israel
Places in This Chapter
Ramah (also Ramathaim-zophim) was the hometown of Samuel the prophet. He lived here, judged Israel from here, and was buried here. It was a center for the prophets and the school of prophets. Saul first met Samuel here when searching for his father's donkeys.
Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and plays a significant role in biblical history. It was on the road to Damascus that Saul of Tarsus had his dramatic encounter with the risen Christ and was converted, becoming the apostle Paul. The prophet Elijah was told to anoint Hazael as king of Syria in Damascus. The city is mentioned throughout both the Old and New Testaments.
Position in Book
Alternating faithful and unfaithful kings, with special attention to reformers like Hezekiah and Josiah.