Asa

(physician) (1 Kings 15:8) — son and successor of Abijah, a devout king of Judah. He began his reign 955 years before Christ and reigned 41 years. Though raised amid the beginnings of paganism, he showed from his youth a firm aversion to idolatry, and even deprived his mother Maachah of her royal dignity for worshiping Asherah, and himself cut down and burned the idol of the pagan goddess by the brook Kidron (2 Chron. 14:9–15; 15:1–19). The early years of his reign passed in peace, and he used this peaceful time to purge his kingdom of idolatry and to build and fortify many cities.

When Zerah, king of Ethiopia, invaded his territory with a million-man army and 300 chariots, Asa went out against him with 600,000 men and utterly defeated him. This remarkable battle took place at Mareshah (2 Chron. 14). Convinced by the prophet Azariah, who was specially appointed by God for this purpose, Asa zealously set about eradicating all abuses in his kingdom, and established a special solemn service of thanksgiving, to which the whole people gathered, and after offering numerous sacrifices they all entered into a sworn covenant with the Lord.