II Chronicles 16: Forgetting One's Lessons

I have always considered a mark of wisdom to be the ability to learn through the mistakes of others.  The epitome of foolishness, then, would be forgetting the lessons you have already been taught through your own experience.  Unfortunately for King Asa, he disregarded the lessons of his earlier reign, forgetting that his trust ought to rest in the Lord rather than men.

In chapter 14, Asa was able - through prayer to the Lord - to defeat an army of a million Ethiopians with only 580,000 warriors.  God's deliverance of Judah should have made a lasting impression on Asa.

However, when Israel later threatens Judah's peace through the construction of a city called Ramah "to prevent anyone from going out or coming into the territory of King Asa of Judah" (vs. 1), Asa appeals not to God but to the heathen nation of Aram.  He sends messengers to Damascus to plead with King Ben-hadad for deliverance.  The king of Judah takes silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the Lord, and gives them to a pagan king to win his favor!  By buying off the Arameans in this fashion, Asa cynically puts pressure on King Baasha of Israel to break off his campaign to build Ramah.  He succeeds, but at what cost?

God is not pleased with Asa's lack of faith.  He sends a prophet, Hanani, to confront the king about his foolishness.  Shouldn't Asa have remembered the lessons he learned when fighting against the Ethiopians? (vs. 8)  While in the past Asa had respected and heeded the words of God's prophets, he does not do so with Hanani.  Instead, the king is enraged and has the seer thrown into prison and put in stocks (vs. 10).

It's a downhill slide for Asa after this.  He inflicts cruelties on his people, gets diseased in his feet, and grows sicker and sicker.  But in all of this, he refused to humble himself and turn once again to the Lord.

The example of Asa teaches us that it is prudent to pause now and again and reflect on the lessons that we have learned earlier in life.  For instance, God could be trusted then - He can certainly be trusted now!  Don't forget your lessons!