Lives of Scripture

Hanani was a prophet -- called "the seer" -- during the reign of King Asa of Judah. Early in his reign Asa had torn down idols and relied on the LORD for a great victory over a massive Cushite army (2 Chronicles 14:9-15). But later, when King Baasha of Israel threatened Judah, Asa paid the king of Aram with silver and gold from the temple to break his treaty with Israel and attack it instead -- a political solution in place of prayer (16:1-6). Hanani confronted Asa directly: "Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand" (16:7), reminding him that God had delivered far larger armies when Asa trusted Him. Rather than repent, Asa was enraged, put Hanani in prison in the stocks, and "oppressed some of the people at the same time" (16:10) -- a king who had once walked faithfully now silencing the prophet who told him the truth. Hanani's son Jehu carried on his father's prophetic ministry, later confronting King Baasha of Israel (1 Kings 16:1-7) and King Jehoshaphat of Judah (2 Chronicles 19:2), with both men's records preserved in "the annals of Jehu the son of Hanani" (2 Chronicles 20:34). Hanani's brief, costly courage stands as a rebuke to trusting human power over God.