Azariah's Prophecy
Study note
The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded, who went out to meet Asa. He delivered one of the most important principles in Chronicles: the Lord is with you when you are with him. He reminded them of dark times in Israel's past when there was no true God, no teaching priest, and no law. He encouraged Asa to be strong, promising that his work would be rewarded.
1 The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
2 He went out to meet Asa and said, "Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin! The Lord stays with you as long as you stay with him. If you look for him, you will find him. But if you walk away from him, he will walk away from you." And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; 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.
3 "For a long time, Israel lived without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without God's law." Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
4 "But whenever they were in trouble and turned back to the Lord, the God of Israel, and searched for him, he let them find him." But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.
5 "In those days, it was not safe to travel anywhere because there was great trouble among all the people of the land." And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
6 "Nation fought against nation, and city fought against city, because God brought all kinds of trouble on them." And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.
7 "But you must be strong! Do not give up, because your hard work will be rewarded." Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.
Asa Leads a National Revival
Study note
Encouraged by the prophet's words, Asa removed all the idols from the land, repaired the altar of the Lord, and called a great assembly in Jerusalem. People came not only from Judah and Benjamin but also from the northern tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had seen that the Lord was with Asa. They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord with all their heart and soul, with trumpets and horns blaring. Everyone rejoiced because they had committed themselves wholeheartedly, and the Lord gave them peace.
8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of the prophet Oded, he found new courage. He removed the disgusting idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He also fixed up the Lord's altar that stood in front of the entrance to the Lord's temple. And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.
9 Then he called together everyone from Judah and Benjamin. He also gathered people from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had moved there. Many people from Israel had come to live with Asa. They could see that the Lord his God was on his side. And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
10 They all gathered in Jerusalem during the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's rule. So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
11 That day they offered sacrifices to the Lord. They gave 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep and goats from the goods they had captured in battle. And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
12 They made a solemn agreement to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with everything they had. And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
13 They agreed that anyone who would not follow the Lord, the God of Israel, would be put to death. It did not matter if they were young or old, man or woman. That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
14 They made their promise to the Lord with loud cheers, trumpet blasts, and the blowing of horns. And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.
15 Everyone in Judah was glad about this promise because they had made it with their whole heart. They had searched for God with all their desire, and he let them find him. So the Lord gave them peace all around them. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about.
Asa Removes His Grandmother
Study note
Asa even removed his grandmother Maachah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole idol. He cut down her idol, crushed it, and burned it at the Kidron Valley. Though the hilltop shrines in the northern territory were not all removed, Asa's heart was fully committed to the Lord throughout his life. He brought silver, gold, and other items into the temple, and there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of his reign.
16 King Asa even removed his own grandmother Maacah from being queen mother. She had made a disgusting idol for the goddess Asherah. Asa chopped it down, crushed it, and burned it in the Kidron Valley. And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.
17 The hilltop worship places were not all removed from Israel. But Asa stayed fully devoted to the Lord his whole life. But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
18 He brought into God's temple all the silver, gold, and other items that he and his father had set apart for the Lord. And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.
19 There was no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's rule. And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.