Asa Continued His Reform Efforts
January 27, 2020
Commentary
Asa was the fifth king of the House of David and the third of the Kingdom of Judah. He was the son of Abijah, and great-grandson of Solomon. Azariah the son of Obed, a prophet of the Lord went to meet Asa and challenged him to remain true to the Lord so he could continue to enjoy the blessing of God (vv. 1-7). For a long time the people of Israel had refused to obey God.
Asa responded to the prophet’s message by getting his priorities in line; increasing his destruction of idols and repairing the great bronze altar in the Lord’s temple which had suffered damage (vv. 8-15). This revival was not limited to Judah, for a few northern tribes (Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon) had members join with Asa when they saw that the Lord his God was really with him (v. 9). His method of enforcing reform was patterned after Moses’ command in (Deut. 17:2-6) as he stated, “whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death” (v. 13). Perhaps the most striking evidence of Asa’s reformation was his removal of his own grandmother from being Queen because of her idol (v. 16). As long as Asa lived, he was faithful to the Lord (vv. 17-19).
Application
An idol is anything that takes the place of the Lord. Do I see anything more important to me than the Lord Jesus and His Word? I need to make sure my priorities are right and there is nothing more important than reading the Bible, praying, and sharing spiritual truths with my family? It is my goal to make this a daily habit in my life and to challenge as many people as I come in contact with to do the same.
2 Chronicles 15:1– 19 (NET)
1 God’s Spirit came upon Azariah son of Oded. 2 He met Asa and told him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin! The Lord is with you when you are loyal to him. If you seek him, he will respond to you, but if you reject him, he will reject you. 3 For a long time Israel had not sought the one true God, or a priest to instruct them, or the law. 4 Because of their distress, they turned back to the Lord God of Israel. They sought him and he responded to them. 5 In those days no one could travel safely, for total chaos had overtaken all the people of the surrounding lands. 6 One nation was crushed by another, and one city by another, for God caused them to be in great turmoil. 7 But as for you, be strong and don’t get discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”
8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he was encouraged. He removed the detestable idols from the entire land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had seized in the Ephraimite hill country. He repaired the altar of the Lord in front of the porch of the Lord’s temple.
9 He assembled all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the settlers from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had come to live with them. Many people from Israel had come there to live when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. 10 They assembled in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11 At that time they sacrificed to the Lord some of the plunder they had brought back, including 700 head of cattle and 7,000 sheep. 12 They solemnly agreed to seek the Lord God of their ancestors with their whole heart and being. 13 Anyone who would not seek the Lord God of Israel would be executed, whether they were young or old, male or female. 14 They swore their allegiance to the Lord, shouting their approval loudly and sounding trumpets and horns. 15 All Judah was happy about the oath, because they made the vow with their whole heart. They willingly sought the Lord and he responded to them. He made them secure on every side.
16 King Asa also removed Maacah his grandmother from her position as queen mother because she had made a loathsome Asherah pole. Asa cut down her loathsome pole and crushed and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 17 The high places were not eliminated from Israel, yet Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord throughout his lifetime. 18 He brought the holy items that his father and he had made into God’s temple, including the silver, gold, and other articles.