2 Chronicles 15 - Asa's Religious Reforms

2 Chronicles 15

Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the Lord which was in front of the porch of the Lord. (verse 8)

Message: Asa's Religious Reforms

Time: 2 Chronicles, like 1 Chronicles has a mystery writer and was separated into 2 books in 200 BC when the Septuagint was translated. This book focuses on Judah from 971-586 BC. The chronicler focused on the blessings God bestowed when leaders were faithful to His law. It covers Solomon's ascension to the throne to Judah finally carried into exile in Babylon. 

What the Lord is Saying: Azariah, a prophet, comes to Asa. He is the son of Oded. God used him to speak to Asa telling him to remain faithful to God and continue seeking Him. In these passages, the phrase "The Lord is with you" is a common one and when it appears there is the promise that God will be there with His people to defeat enemies. The writer or the chronicler is looking to the past at this time and remarking that God leads people to defeat their enemies as those people seek Him. And conversely the Prophet Azariah states, "If you abandon Him, He will abandon you." The message from this prophet is somewhat simple: Be with Him and He is with you; Seek Him and He will let you find Him. It does not seem reasonable to simply expect God to show favor on us even when we do not honor Him. We need to be a people that listens to God, stands with Him, seeks Him. When I am close to God, God is close to me.

Azariah tells Asa that there were days when "Israel was without the true God" and in response to this "they turned to the Lord God of Israel." In times of barrenness and poverty, the people responded by going to God. They did not wait for God to be good to them, but they instead sought after Him and then they received blessings. 

After the prophet Asa spoke, Asa responded. "He took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin" and "He restored the altar of the Lord." He removed the things not of God and replaced them with the things of God. 

In verse 9, when people "saw that the Lord his God was with him" they turned to God, leaving their ways. Looking on at these texts - "they assembled at Jerusalem" and "they sacrificed" and "they entered into covenant." The people assembled. We do this regularly when we gather together at church. Some will make a long journey to get to church. We live a short distance to our church. In those times, it seems people made the trek to Jerusalem. It is important to gather and assemble. I must admit that often times what is taught or done at church I don't understand, but I always see the importance of being with others and assembling. 

Upon assembling, they sacrificed. It is hard for me to understand and make sense of 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep. In the preceding chapter it was mentioned in verse 14 and 15 conquering the Ethiopians and along the way carrying away large number of animals. Thus, some of these animals are mentioned. I read a commentary that said these were most likely peace offerings in which the sacrifices includes burning parts of the animal in order to cover sin. When we assemble and gather together before God, there needs to be some sort of acknowledgement of confessing our sin. 

I think this is important to confess sin. At times, there isn't much mention of sin in our gatherings and speech. The sin that is mentioned often is the world's sin and how far they have gone in that direction. It is the church which recognizes sin. We see ourselves as sinners which is something the world often does not see about themselves. In church, by not mentioning sin in our midst, at times we focus more on the opposite of the sin and that is in the doing of good and practicing things that are thought to be good. Doing good is important. But I think we need to be intentional daily in acknowledging our sin. Jesus has forgiven my sin. Church all to often is focused on what we need to do rather than spending much time acknowledging first that we are sinners. I think it is mentioned but more indirectly. As we worship and sing, we are thinking Jesus for his sacrifice. As we listen to a message we are realizing that God has given us grace. But how often are we really examining ourselves. 

The church I am attending now is a church I have attended in the past. Around 2015 we left that church and came upon another church - Hope EV Free Church - and it was a breath of fresh air in way this new church rotated speakers, rotated song leaders and emphasized things often more liturgical. One of things I immediately enjoyed was the corporate confession of sin, taken from the Book of Common Prayer: 

Most merciful God,

we confess that we have sinned against you

in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done,

and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,

have mercy on us and forgive us;

that we may delight in your will,

and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your Name. Amen.

I think it is important that as we gather we take a moment to confess our sins. I am a sinner. At times, church seems to be more focused on emotional responses to God through corporate singing and then corporate reading of God's word to determine what we need to do better. I think this is part of our assembling as verses 12 states, "They entered into the covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and soul." The singing and reading is important. This is part of our assembling and gathering, but I think we need to be careful to not also confess our sins. 

In verse 13, these words appear to be radical and yet are consistent in thought to other verses: "whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman." Exodus 22:20, "He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the Lord alone, shall be utterly destroyed." There is separation from God for those that do not seek the Lord God. Reject God and go to hell which is the equivalent of being destroyed. 

I started a couple of weeks ago reading, The Chance of Salvation - A History of Conversion in America. In the first chapter it mentions the change from salvation being inherited, often though infant baptism, and instead a person conversion. Charles Finney (1792-1875), a pastor, within the Presbyterians aggressively moved people to immediate conversion rather than a progressive conversion. He often cited the dangers of waiting. These words are often mentioned today. Life hangs in a balance often and we are not guaranteed tomorrow, so today is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 - "for He says, “At a favorable time I listened to you, And on a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is “a favorable time,” behold, now is “a day of salvation”" He did have several ideas that I don't agree with though, but I think overall his intent was good in moving people to take more seriously their sin and a need to be surrendered to God. 

Going back to this text - the people entered into a covenant in verse 12. And then in verse 14 "they made an oath to the Lord." In life when we want to make a firm commitment to something, papers are signed, as in buying a house or buying a car or entering into a contract that commits our money to an investment instrument. We sign our name to commit our finances to a specific purpose. In marriage, we get a certificate to state that we are committing ourselves to a person. In this text is a two-prong commitment to the Lord. There is a covenant agreement and then there is a personal oath. It seems hard to differentiate between the two and yet the text does this. Is it a two-fold commitment that we are making? And in that respect it is communicating a heartfelt commitment. 

Verse 13 follows the covenant agreement of verse 12 and states a death penalty on those that do not make that commitment. Death penalty is a radical way to describe this outcome, but in believing that non-believers are eternally separated from God, it seems to be the same idea. 

In repeating the words here about covenant in verse 12. It says, "They entered into the covenant to seek the Lord God." This is statement of a sort of contractual commitment by the people of Israel. The covenants of the Old Testament are in response to what God has said or done. But the words of these covenants to me are focused directionally toward God. Words like "They entered into the covenant." In Exodus 24:7 "Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” Again, God does or God speaks and the response is "we will be obedient."  In our verse 12 it says, "with all their heart and soul." 

In other places there was a word from the Lord to a person for that person to enter into covenant with people. Deuteronomy 29:1 "These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He had made with them at Horeb." The Lord commands Moses to make covenant with sons of Israel. Moses takes on a mediator role, like later Christ would do, in connecting the people to God. There is a binding of people - God to man and man to God. Here we have promises, commands, blessings for obedience, and judgments for rebellion. There is a two-way commitment - from God and from man. 

In contrast, oaths don't seem to be as prevalent, but as I read and study the Bible, oaths and promises. God swearing a promise, making a commitment is on many pages. There is a sense or desire to put something in writing and make a promise and then uphold it. One oath we tend to make in life is marriage and yet marriage rates are on the decline. 

I realize my sin, believe Jesus forgave my sin, and commit to follow Him all of my days. At this time it was a commitment.  The oath perhaps is a daily commitment. Parties enter into a covenant relationship and use oaths to swear they will be faithful to the terms. In this passage, "All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath." Perhaps this is the decision a person makes to follow Christ and then be baptized. Everyone rejoices. We make a commitment to Him and He responds. We don’t seem to voice oaths anymore or at least call them oaths. Maybe we do and they are unspoken or internal commitments we make. I don’t even know what an oath would look like in my life at this point. But perhaps when I agreed to be a volunteer coordinator for Angel Tree this Christmas as I was making a commitment to carry that out to its completion. I also think about each Sunday after the pastor gives his message. He has everybody stand up, ponder, what was said, and resolved to be different. Perhaps in this, there is an oath. 

Verse 16 he removed an ungodly image. He took a stand. I suppose why this chapter is taking me so long to get through is I’m trying to make it applicable to today. Taking a stand was perhaps the after effects of making a oath of not allowing any worship of anyone else, but God. This was something that occurred almost 3000 years ago and yet the mind of people and the ways of God remain true. But I’m also wrestling with my own life. Like this lesson, I’m having a hard time getting things accomplished. And sometimes I even feel like I’m making things harder to accomplish. There are many things at work I keep putting off and I don't want to do, while really loving other things, like the NTD. That is fun work. 

And as I wander through life at this stage, I’m looking at my relationship with God and maybe some of the practices of my relationship and maybe struggling a little bit with continuing to do the things that I’ve always done. At church, I have somewhat hit a wall. The messages, the lessons, I seem to be critical of them.

But I’m to press on.

In verse 17, there is mention that not all high places were "removed from Israel." Six activities seem to be related to high places -- burning of incense, sacrificing, eating of sacrificial meals, praying, prostitution, child sacrifice. Some high places were removed, but some were not. There was only one high place that was permitted - where the temple was built - on the high threshing floor of Israel. All other high places were abominations and improper places or counterfeits to the real thing. This is where sin continued to linger. Asa was intentional in eradicating some of these areas, but in other areas things remained. Sin still remains. We make a strong effort in life to remove it but it remains. It is the reality of our times. But I should focus in my life on those things I can control. 

"Asa's heart was blameless." Not sinless, but blameless. He had a commitment of loyalty and being whole-hearted, but it didn't mean that he did not sin. Maybe my life is like Asa's. I have devotion to God, but it wane's at times. I like that verse. And yet it is a verse that provides an excuse for not being the best you can be. 

On the heels of the words that Asa's heart was blameless is the mention that "He brought into the house of God the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things." Again, Asa was not perfect but he seems different from the apostasy that hit some of the other kings in their lives. Dedicated (holy holy things), qodesh is a masculine noun which means set apart, distinct, unique. Qodesh describes that which has been consecrated or set apart for sacred use and was not to be used for common or profane tasks. Asa valued the things of his father and his own items for the glory of God. 

Is there anything distinct in my life that I set apart for what is sacred? I can see church clothes as a way to be sacred, taking time to wear those clothes that are not worn in ordinary life. My personal time with God can be a sacred time as I arise early in the morning and set aside time for him that is different from other time. 

And God gave them rest, with no war for a period of time. There is a good result from all of this, though the actions of Asa were not without sin. 

Summary: With Asa leading, the people assembled, sacrificed, entered into covenant, made an oath to God, rejoiced, removed idols and brought specific items for worship. Asa was not perfect but his life had the stamp of being blameless. 

Promise: We need to do our best to elevate the things of God and section off to Him those things that are proper for worship. 

Prayer: God, these verses were important. I took almost a month to go through them. I thought of them being a lesson, but they are words with so much application to me and they are words that I need to continue to meditate and think on. Help me to identify what it means to keep covenants, keep oaths to You, remove in life that which is not meant to worship and set aside to You those things that are Yours. Help me in this to train myself for Godliness, allowing your Spirit God to fill me up and continue to distance myself from things that are not about You. You are creator and Lord, king of Kings and Lord and Lords. I am not here by chance but by purpose and for that I continue to look to You and Your word for guidance on my life. Thank you for the people in my life. I pray for strength to continue to walk with You day by dad. Even as times may be difficult and my health may not be perfect, help me to keep striving for You. 

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