Asa’s Religious Reforms

GOLDEN TEXT: “The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.” —II Chronicles 15:2

II CHRONICLES 15:1-12

ASA was the third king of Judah, the two-tribe kingdom of the Hebrew people, after the other ten tribes broke away from the rulership of his grandfather Rehoboam in the revolt which was led by Jeroboam. From the very start of his reign Rehoboam failed to manifest a determined desire to look to the Lord for guidance. After he had established himself as ruler of the two tribes—Judah and Benjamin—“he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.”—II Chron. 12:1

He was almost continually at war with Jeroboam during the seventeen years of his reign. All the while he “did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.” (II Chron. 12:14) When Rehoboam died and “slept with his fathers, … Abijah his son reigned in his stead.” (II Chron. 12:16) Asa was the son of Abijah.

“There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam” also. (II Chron. 13:2) However, Abijah mustered as large an army as he could in an endeavor to settle the issue. Although Jeroboam’s army greatly outnumbered the forces of Abijah, the Lord blessed the latter, and he scored an outstanding victory. “Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers.”—II Chron. 13:18

Abijah manifested a desire to serve the true God and be loyal to him. Thus he instituted a measure of reform in the nation, and when after his death his son Asa succeeded him to the throne, this religious reform was continued. The record is that “Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.”—II Chron. 14:2

The record states that Asa “took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.” (II Chron. 14:3,4) “Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.”—vs. 5

The peaceful condition of the nation did not continue, however, Asa raised and equipped an army of nearly six hundred thousand soldiers, with the thought, no doubt, of thus preventing war. But just as strength of arms now is no safeguard against war, neither was it in the ancient past. Zerah the Ethiopian came against Judah with an army of a million men.

Then Asa prayed, “Lord it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.” (II Chron. 14:11) The Lord answered this prayer and “smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.”—vs. 12

It is after this defeat of Judah’s enemies that the narrative of today’s lesson begins. “The Spirit of God came upon Azariah,” who spoke words of wisdom and encouragement to Asa which no doubt further strengthened his hand in bringing about religious reforms within the nation. The man of God said to Asa, “The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you: but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.”—II Chron. 15:2

Our lesson states that prior to this Israel had for a long season been without the true God. But in keeping with the words of Azariah, when in their trouble the people turned to him, he was found of them. Without God the nation had passed through a difficult time. The record states there was no peace “to him that went out, nor to him that came in.” Instead, “great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.”

These truly must have been difficult years. But when Asa heard the words of the prophet he took the matter in hand, and finally at a great assembly of the people at Jerusalem, including large numbers who came over to him from the ten-tribe kingdom, “they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul.”—vs. 12

The Lord honored this covenant, and “gave them rest round about.” (vs. 15) This was in keeping with God’s original covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai. God is always faithful to his promises. If God is withholding blessings from us, it would be well to examine our own hearts to discover the reason. God is not now dealing with his people and blessing them along material lines, but from a spiritual standpoint, and upon the basis of faith.

The principle expressed by Azariah, nevertheless, operates in the same manner. If we endeavor with our whole soul to live close to the Lord, and to be faithful to him, he will stay close to us, and will be faithful to us in our every time of spiritual need.

QUESTIONS

Who was Asa, and who preceded him on the throne of Judah?

What religious reforms did Asa institute in Judah?

How was Asa victorious over an Ethiopian army almost twice the size of his own?

After this victory, what further reforms did Asa accomplish?

Should we of this age expect God to bless us along temporal lines?

| Home Page | Table of Contents |