II Chronicles 14, Asa's First Good Years

Abijah grandson of Solomon has died. His son is Asa, who will reign over Judah for 41 years. His reign is covered in three chapters of 2 Chronicles but only half a chapter in 1 Kings (1 Kings 15:9-24.)

2 Chronicles 14: 1-5, Asa removes the altars and Asherah poles

And Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his days the country was at peace for ten years. Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to obey his laws and commands. He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him.

Asa is described as a good king, cutting down the Asherah poles, and removing other idols. We have not heard much about the Asherah poles in the scroll of Chronicles but they appear throughout the scroll of Kings, especially in the northern kingdom. Asa's devotion leads to peace and prosperity.

2 Chronicles 14: 6-7, Fortified towns

He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the LORD gave him rest.

"Let us build up these towns," he said to Judah, "and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the LORD our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered.

Like Rehoboam, Asa concentrates on defense, building up fortification on the frontier towns.

2 Chronicles 14: 8-10, A large army

Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah, equipped with large shields and with spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed with small shields and with bows. All these were brave fighting men. Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with a vast army and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.
 

Asa is threatened by a "Zerah the Cushite". Mareshah (fortified by Rehoboam in 2 Chronicles 11: 6-12) is southwest of Jerusalem so presumably this attack comes from the west, as did attacks by the Philistines. Payne says that "Cushites" were "Nubians", possibly mercenaries from Egypt.

Payne argues that translating eleph as "thousands" here is a mistake and in context should be translated "special warriors." There is an emphasis on specialized weapons and warriors. This Israelite force of 280 special warriors from Benjamin and 300 speical warriors from Judah meets a Cushite force that includes 300 chariots.

2 Chronicles 14: 11-15, Victory over the Cushites

Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, 

"LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O LORD, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you."

The LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed before the LORD and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder. They destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for the terror of the LORD had fallen upon them. They plundered all these villages, since there was much booty there. They also attacked the camps of the herdsmen and carried off droves of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

As before, Asa calls out to God. The result is overwhelming victory. Asa's army sweeps through the Cushite forces, down to Gerar, a Philistine region to the southwest of Jerusalem, near what is now the Gaza Strip.