1 Kings 15:16-24 ESV
16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, 19 “Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 20 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21 And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. 23 Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet. 24 And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

FORTIFY YOUR BORDERS.
Asa’s reign was comparable to Solomon’s early years of reign. But, unlike Solomon’s reign where there was peace, ‘there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.’ Baasha put pressure to Asa by fortifying Ramah. He was so displeased about the number of his people relocating to Judah, so he built this fortified city “Ramah”, about five miles north of Jerusalem. A fortified city was used to help protect a border. It usually included a large, thick wall and several towers.

As this would effectively block all traffic into Jerusalem from the north, Asa had to find a way to stop the project. He sent a substantial gift, a bribe, to Benhadad of Aram to side with him against Baasha. It worked for him as Solomon had said, “A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
wherever he turns he prospers.”[Prov 17:8]

And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah.[v.21] As Baasha withdrew, Asa had mobilized Judah to come into Ramah. They carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber. He then built Geba and Mizpah as fortresses to ward off another attack from Judah's adversaries. It appeared that Baasha had left in such a hurry so that the building materials were left behind.

We are in an ongoing tension too. Let’s fortify our spiritual borders too. Thus Paul had admonished, “ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”[Gal 5:16-17] Let us therefore “ put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”[Rom 13:14]

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