Who was King Asa and what are his acts "first and last" about?

King Asa was a king of Judah who reigned forty-one years. His “acts, first and last” means the whole story of his life and rule, from the early days to the end. Earlier in his reign he trusted the Lord, removed idols, and saw God give victory over large enemy armies. Later, he relied on other kings instead of God and even became harsh toward God’s messenger and some of the people. This passage comes at the end, pointing back to that full story and then telling how his life closed with sickness and death.

What does it mean that Asa was diseased in his feet until the disease was very great?

The passage says that in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and the sickness grew very severe. Many understand this as a painful, long-lasting condition in his feet or legs that worsened with time and finally became life-threatening. Some think it stayed mainly in his feet, others think it may have spread upward in his body. Either way, it was a heavy affliction that humbled him physically and lasted until close to his death two years later.

Why is it a problem that Asa sought the physicians and not the Lord?

The issue is not that Asa used physicians, but that he sought them instead of the Lord. Using doctors and medicine can be good, but God still calls his people to look to him first, pray to him, and depend on his help. Asa had known God’s power in earlier battles yet, in his sickness, he “sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.” This shows a heart that had shifted from trusting God to trusting human help alone. The passage quietly warns us about leaving God out when trouble comes.

What is the meaning of Asa sleeping with his fathers?

The phrase “Asa slept with his fathers” is a common way of saying that he died and joined his ancestors in death. It points to the fact that, like the kings before him, his life had an appointed end. He died in the forty-first year of his reign. The wording reminds us that even kings are not above death, and that their lives are part of a longer story among God’s people. His death closed a mixed life, with real faith and good works early on, but also serious failings later.

Why was Asa buried in his own sepulchres in the city of David?

Asa was buried in a burial place he had prepared for himself in the city of David, where the kings of Judah were buried. The word “sepulchres” likely points to a family tomb with several spaces, not just a single grave. Preparing such a place showed he expected to die and thought about his burial. Being buried in the city of David tied him to the line of kings God had set over Judah and was a mark of honour, even though his later years were stained by sin and unbelief.

What is the significance of the sweet odours, spices, and great burning at Asa’s burial?

Asa was laid on a kind of funeral bed filled with sweet smells and many kinds of spices prepared by skilled workers. Then the people made a very great burning for him, which likely means they burned large amounts of spices and incense in his honour, not that they burned his body. This showed the people still held him in high regard despite his later failures. The care, spices, and burning all underline that he had been a respected king and that his memory was honoured at his death.

What does this passage teach about trusting God in times of sickness?

This passage quietly warns that in trouble, even long-time believers can drift into trusting people more than God. Asa had once leaned on the Lord against huge armies, but when disease hit his feet, he turned only to physicians and “sought not to the Lord.” The lesson is not to avoid doctors, but to keep God first. In sickness we are called to pray, to rely on God’s power and mercy, and then to use any help he provides with a heart that still trusts him above all.

Why does God allow Asa’s life to end with sickness after earlier faithfulness?

Earlier, Asa walked closely with God, but later he relied on another king instead of the Lord and became angry with God’s messenger. The serious disease in his feet came after these sins. The passage hints that the sickness was a form of discipline that matched his actions, reminding him of his weakness. Yet there is no sign that God erased all the good he had done before. God sometimes lets painful things come to correct, humble, or expose what is in the heart, even in those who once walked well.

How should believers today think about using physicians in light of Asa’s example?

Asa’s mistake was not that he used physicians, but that he did not seek the Lord in his sickness. For believers today, this means we can gratefully use medical help and medicine, knowing God gives wisdom and skill, but we should not forget to pray or act as if healing comes only from people. We honour God when we seek him first, ask his blessing on any treatment, and accept that our lives are in his hands. Medicine is a tool, but the Lord is the one who rules over life and health.

2Chr.16.11

2 Chronicles 16:11

KJV

¶ And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

The Death and Burial of Asa

¶ And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.

¶ And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.

And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries’ art: and they made a very great burning for him.

Cross References

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