1. Name and Meaning
• Name: Asa (Hebrew: אָסָא, ʾĀsāʾ)
• Meaning: “Healer” or “physician,” possibly implying restoration or renewal

2. Genealogical Placement and Lineage Role
• Position: Thirty-seventh generation from Adam; twenty-seventh generation after the flood in the Messianic line
• Father: Abijah (Abijam) – second king of Judah
• Son: Jehoshaphat – his successor, continuing the Davidic line
• Lineage Role: Third king of Judah; led significant religious reforms and strengthened covenant worship, sustaining the Messianic lineage

3. Life Summary and Historical Setting
• Reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem (1 Kings 15:10; 2 Chronicles 16:13)
• Removed idolatry and pagan altars, even deposing his grandmother Maacah from her royal position due to idolatry (1 Kings 15:13)
• Experienced peace early in his reign due to faithfulness, but later relied on political alliances rather than trusting God (2 Chronicles 16:7–9)
• Afflicted with a foot disease in old age and failed to seek the Lord for healing (2 Chronicles 16:12)

4. Theological and Christological Significance
• Embodied the tension between covenantal faith and declining reliance on God
• Reform efforts prefigured the need for spiritual renewal, pointing forward to Christ as the ultimate purifier of worship
• Preserved the Davidic line during spiritual compromise in surrounding nations
• Demonstrates God’s favour upon kings who seek Him, as well as the consequences of self-reliance

5. Legacy and Interpretive Reflections
• Praised for initial reforms, faithfulness, and national restoration (2 Chronicles 14–15)
• Criticised for his failure to trust God later in life, despite early zeal
• His reign is a reminder of the need for perseverance in faith, not just strong beginnings
• Included in the genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:7–8)

6. Summary Insight
• Asa’s reign reflects the paradox of reform and relapse—his legacy lies in his efforts to restore covenant worship and maintain Judah’s fidelity in the line leading to Christ.

7. Biblical References
• 1 Kings 15:8–24
• 2 Chronicles 14–16
• Matthew 1:7–8