2 Chronicles 16:9-10, 12 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect before him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in the prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time….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.
Asa was a good king, but yet he had some sinful flaws. His heart was not perfect before the Lord; therefore, he did foolishly. He was foolish to turn to Syria as an ally, instead of trusting in the Lord alone. He loved the Lord indeed, but did not trust Him with his whole heart. This flaw showed up in his later years when he was diseased in his feet. He did not seek the Lord in his need, but instead sought after the physicians. Sure, it is not wrong to “go to the doctor,” but it is a sin not to trust in the Lord with all your heart as the source of life and health.
He also sinned in “shooting the messenger” by putting Hanani the seer in prison. He did not want to hear the Law that uncovers our sin and guilt, no matter how good we are in the rest of our life. Asa knew the Lord, but not quite well enough to know the gospel of mercy from God.
This confrontation teaches us that no matter how good we think we are still not perfect before the Lord. Therefore we respond by acting foolishly instead of trusting with our whole heart. For this reason the Son of God entered our world to live perfectly before God and entrust Himself into His hands. He did it for us!