16:7-10 Both Judah and Israel suffered from faithless forgetfulness! Although God had delivered them even when they were outnumbered (13:3ff; 14:9ff), they repeatedly sought help from pagan nations rather than from God. That Asa sought help from Syria was evidence of national spiritual decline. With help from God alone, Asa had defeated the Ethiopians in open battle. But his confidence in God had slipped, and now he sought only a human solution to his problem. When confronted by the prophet Hanani, Asa threw him in prison, revealing the true condition of his heart. It is not sin to use human means to solve our problems, but it is sin to trust them more than God, to think they are better than God’s ways, or to leave God completely out of the problem-solving process.
16:12 The criticism of Asa’s visit to the physicians was not a general indictment of medicine. Asa’s problem was that he completely ignored God’s help. The medicine practiced at this time was a mixture of superstition and folk remedies. We should certainly avoid any pseudo-medical treatment derived from occult sources. Asa’s experience should encourage us to follow the New Testament practice of receiving prayer for our sickness (James 5:14) as we seek responsible medical help.