Changes

== Early life ==

== Early life ==

The Bible does not say how old Asa was when he began to reign. However, his grandfather [[Rehoboam]]<ref name=Blank/> died at the age of 58, and Asa began to reign a scant two years later, following the death of his father [[Abijam]]<ref name=Blank/>). Thus Asa must have been quite young when he began to reign—probably as young as 18 and not much older than 22.

The Bible does not say how old Asa was when he began to reign. However, his grandfather [[Rehoboam]]<ref name=Blank/> died at the age of 58, and Asa began to reign a scant two years later, following the death of his father ([[Abijam]]<ref name=Blank/>). Thus Asa must have been quite young when he began to reign—probably as young as 18 and not much older than 22.

The Bible describes his father as an "evil-doing" king. However, young Asa would have had one instructive example of how to trust [[God]] from his father's reign:<ref name=Hughes>Hughes, Al V. "[http://www.biblebaptistportorchard.com/?row=60 The Rise and Fall of King Asa]." Port Orchard, WA: Bible Baptist Church, 2003. Retrieved June 21, 2007.</ref> the [[Battle of Zemaraim]], in which Abijam routed an army that outnumbered him two-to-one and inflicted 62.5% casualties on it, simply by appealing to God by faith alone. Asa did well as a king only when he consistently followed that example.<ref name=Blank/>

The Bible describes his father as an "evil-doing" king. However, young Asa would have had one instructive example of how to trust [[God]] from his father's reign:<ref name=Hughes>Hughes, Al V. "[http://www.biblebaptistportorchard.com/?row=60 The Rise and Fall of King Asa]." Port Orchard, WA: Bible Baptist Church, 2003. Retrieved June 21, 2007.</ref> the [[Battle of Zemaraim]], in which Abijam routed an army that outnumbered him two-to-one and inflicted 62.5% casualties on it, simply by appealing to God by faith alone. Asa did well as a king only when he consistently followed that example.<ref name=Blank/>

[[James Ussher]]<ref name=Ussher/> and his translator, [[Larry Pierce]], suggest<ref name=Pierce3>[[Larry Pierce|Pierce, Larry]]. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/magazines/tj/docs/divided.pdf Ussher's Time Line for the Divided Kingdom]." ''Trinity Review'', 170, April 1999, p. 7. Retrieved June 21, 2007, from [http://www.answersingenesis.org Answers in Genesis]. Requires PDF reader or plug-in.</ref> that the thirty-sixth year referred to in II Chronicles is the thirty-sixth year ''in the history of the Southern Kingdom'' and ''not'' the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign. The [[Hebrew]] text, says Pierce, is ambiguous on this point. The assumption that Ussher and Pierce make resolves the apparent paradox. It also explains why the Chronicler says that the land of Judah had rest for ten years, although it also says that the land had no warfare until "the thirty-fifth year"—again, probably the thirty-fifth year of the Southern Kingdom, not of King Asa.

[[James Ussher]]<ref name=Ussher/> and his translator, [[Larry Pierce]], suggest<ref name=Pierce3>[[Larry Pierce|Pierce, Larry]]. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/magazines/tj/docs/divided.pdf Ussher's Time Line for the Divided Kingdom]." ''Trinity Review'', 170, April 1999, p. 7. Retrieved June 21, 2007, from [http://www.answersingenesis.org Answers in Genesis]. Requires PDF reader or plug-in.</ref> that the thirty-sixth year referred to in II Chronicles is the thirty-sixth year ''in the history of the Southern Kingdom'' and ''not'' the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign. The [[Hebrew]] text, says Pierce, is ambiguous on this point. The assumption that Ussher and Pierce make resolves the apparent paradox. It also explains why the Chronicler says that the land of Judah had rest for ten years, although it also says that the land had no warfare until "the thirty-fifth year"—again, probably the thirty-fifth year of the Southern Kingdom, not of King Asa.

That the Chronicler records Asa's failure to remove the [[high place]]s in the fifteenth year of his reign, may or may not be significant in the context of the border skirmish occurring one year later.

That the Chronicler records Asa's failure to remove the high places in the fifteenth year of his reign, may or may not be significant in the context of the border skirmish occurring one year later.

[[Edwin R. Thiele]] would have had to make a similar assumption to make this border skirmish fit with his own chronology.

[[Edwin R. Thiele]] would have had to make a similar assumption to make this border skirmish fit with his own chronology.