Asa was the third king of the kingdom of Judah.  He was zealous in his love and obedience to the Lord.  He drove out the practice of idolatry from among His people. We read in 2 Chronicles 15:10-15, “So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep. And THEY ENTERED INTO A COVENANT TO SEEK THE LORD GOD OF THEIR FATHERS WITH ALL THEIR HEART AND WITH ALL THEIR SOUL; That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and THE LORD GAVE THEM REST ROUND ABOUT.”  Asa’s obedience to the Lord brought peace to the land. 

In his later years, King Asa was admonished by Hanani, the seer.  We read in 2 Chronicles 16:7, “And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because THOU HAST RELIED ON THE KING OF SYRIA, AND NOT RELIED ON THE LORD THY GOD, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.” This saying outraged Asa so much that he had Hanani cast into prison as we read in verse 10, “Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.” 

Now let’s move on and read 2 Chronicles 16:12-13, “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.”  A pattern becomes apparent here, does it not?  In his later years, Asa did not depend upon the Lord to defeat his enemies.  Neither did he depend upon the Lord to heal the disease he had in his feet. 

Does the Lord not want us to go to a doctor when we are ill?  Of course, He does.  He has enabled men with great knowledge so that we might fight diseases and cure illnesses.  However, in reality, men can treat symptoms, but only the Lord can heal the body.  There are treatments, medicines, surgeries, etc. that can help cure people, but it is the creator of the body that knows exactly what we need.  Should we go to a doctor when we are sick?  Yes, we should.  The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 9:12, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.”  Here the Lord points out the benefit of seeing a doctor.  Luke, the writer of the books of Luke and Acts was a doctor.  (Read Colossians 4:14).

The problem with Asa is that, in his old age, he began to place his faith in others rather than in the Lord.  We just read in 2 Chronicles 16:7 that Asa, “RELIED ON THE KING OF SYRIA, AND NOT RELIED ON THE LORD THY GOD.”  In verse 12, we read that Asa, “in his disease HE SOUGHT NOT TO THE LORD, but to the physicians.”  In both these cases, Asa illustrated a tendency to cast all his cares upon the world, rather than on the Lord.  This independent spirit led to Asa’s death.  Was this the Lord judgment?  Perhaps.  Was it the natural consequence of not depending upon the Lord?  Possible.  Either way, Asa was certainly in the wrong when he began to depend upon others rather than the Lord.  What about you, dear reader.  Whose voice are you looking for?  Whose voice are you listening to?  (411.2)