“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you’” (Ps 122:6).
Stalwart king Asa stood against his own grandmother when she introduced idolatry into the palace. Like so many Bible characters—Abel, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Jael, Abigail, David, even our Lord—he found opposition within his own house. Two commands seem to collide at this point—to love your family and to love God. In most instances, both live comfortably together, but when a decision must be made for God which family members oppose, the Lord always has the prior claim. Jesus warned that this situation would increase as history draws to its close, when “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Mt 10:36). But today another challenge arises. Over a 41-year reign, “there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel” (1 Ki 15:16). And “Baasha…came up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah” (v 17). This wasn’t just a political issue; it would prevent worshipers of the 10 tribes from coming to the temple for religious holidays. Asa had refurbished the Lord’s house with gold and silver vessels (v 15) after the Egyptians plundered it. But with some treasures left over, he sent them to Ben-Hadad, king of Syria. Why? To break an alliance he had with Israel. It worked. With the Syrians attacking northern towns, Baasha quickly moved his forces there, abandoning Ramah. Judah then “took away the stones and timber of Ramah” (v 22), using them to fortify their own gate-way towns, thus protecting the road to Jerusalem. “Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together, where the tribes go up…to give thanks to the name of the Lord” (Ps 122:3-4). Let’s do whatever we can to encourage thanksgiving and worship rising to God from others’ hearts.