If I see bad practices in my environment, should I? What did King Asa do? (Part II)
2 Chronicles 15: 1-2
"The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. Azariah went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you look for Him, He will let you find Him. But if you leave Him, He will leave you."
"The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. Azariah went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you look for Him, He will let you find Him. But if you leave Him, He will leave you."
Obviously all this was disappointing for him but here is his key:
1. Hearing and Doing: he could have followed what his environment did to "fall well," but "When Asa heard these words and the words of Azariah the son of Oded, his heart became strong. He put away the sinful false gods from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim. He built again the altar of the Lord which was in front of the porch of the Lord’s house." (2 Chronicles 15: 8)
2. Decision and Commitment: Throughout history we have known of kings, presidents, governors, monarchs who ask a people to do something but they do not fulfill it, however, "Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, who lived with them. For many had left Israel to come to him when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s rule. They killed animals on the altar in worship to the Lord that day. They killed and gave 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep from the animals they had taken in battle. And they agreed to follow the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and soul. Whoever would not follow the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, young or old, man or woman. They made a promise to the Lord with a loud voice, calling out and blowing horns. All Judah was filled with joy because of the promise. For they had promised with their whole heart. They had looked for the Lord with a pure heart. And He let them find Him. So the Lord gave them rest on every side." (2 Chronicles 15: 9-15)
3. Authority: When we approach God obviously we understand that the Great King and Lord delegates over us Authority and our duty is to exercise it, and this point was very well understood by king Asa for the particular case of his mother "King Asa even stopped his mother from being queen mother. Because she had made a sinful object of the false goddess Asherah. Asa cut down her sinful object. He crushed it and burned it at the Kidron River. " (2 Chronicles 15:16)
4. Prayer, Conviction, and Trust in God: Though "Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, with large battle-coverings and spears. And he had 280,000 men from Benjamin, with battle-coverings and bows. All of them were powerful soldiers." (2 Chronicles 14: 8), he was clear that his confidence in his ability would serve him nothing; rather, his confidence in God in the midst of adversity would give him a resounding success. "Zerah the Ethiopian came out to fight against them with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 war-wagons. He came as far as Mareshah. So Asa went out to meet him. They made themselves ready for battle in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one but You to help in the battle between the powerful and the weak. So help us, O Lord God. For we trust in You. In Your name we have come against these many people. O Lord, You are our God. Do not let any man win the fight against You.” So the Lord began to destroy the Ethiopians in front of Asa and the people of Judah, and the Ethiopians ran away. Asa and the people with him went after them as far as Gerar. The Ethiopians were killed until none were left alive. They were destroyed before the Lord and His army. And they carried away many things that had belonged to the Ethiopians. Then they destroyed all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them. And they took everything of worth that was in the cities, for there was much left. They destroyed the tents of the animals. And they took away many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem." (2 Chronicles 14: 9-15)
When we decide to please God instead of men, we just want to give glory to God and God rewards this. "He brought into the house of God the holy things of his father and his own holy things. He brought in silver and gold and the things used for the worship. 19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s rule." (2 Chronicles 15: 18-19)
What would we have done in king Asa's position? What would king Asa have done in our position?
If our environment behaves badly, should we?
1. Hearing and Doing: he could have followed what his environment did to "fall well," but "When Asa heard these words and the words of Azariah the son of Oded, his heart became strong. He put away the sinful false gods from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim. He built again the altar of the Lord which was in front of the porch of the Lord’s house." (2 Chronicles 15: 8)
2. Decision and Commitment: Throughout history we have known of kings, presidents, governors, monarchs who ask a people to do something but they do not fulfill it, however, "Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, who lived with them. For many had left Israel to come to him when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s rule. They killed animals on the altar in worship to the Lord that day. They killed and gave 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep from the animals they had taken in battle. And they agreed to follow the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and soul. Whoever would not follow the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, young or old, man or woman. They made a promise to the Lord with a loud voice, calling out and blowing horns. All Judah was filled with joy because of the promise. For they had promised with their whole heart. They had looked for the Lord with a pure heart. And He let them find Him. So the Lord gave them rest on every side." (2 Chronicles 15: 9-15)
3. Authority: When we approach God obviously we understand that the Great King and Lord delegates over us Authority and our duty is to exercise it, and this point was very well understood by king Asa for the particular case of his mother "King Asa even stopped his mother from being queen mother. Because she had made a sinful object of the false goddess Asherah. Asa cut down her sinful object. He crushed it and burned it at the Kidron River. " (2 Chronicles 15:16)
4. Prayer, Conviction, and Trust in God: Though "Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, with large battle-coverings and spears. And he had 280,000 men from Benjamin, with battle-coverings and bows. All of them were powerful soldiers." (2 Chronicles 14: 8), he was clear that his confidence in his ability would serve him nothing; rather, his confidence in God in the midst of adversity would give him a resounding success. "Zerah the Ethiopian came out to fight against them with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 war-wagons. He came as far as Mareshah. So Asa went out to meet him. They made themselves ready for battle in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one but You to help in the battle between the powerful and the weak. So help us, O Lord God. For we trust in You. In Your name we have come against these many people. O Lord, You are our God. Do not let any man win the fight against You.” So the Lord began to destroy the Ethiopians in front of Asa and the people of Judah, and the Ethiopians ran away. Asa and the people with him went after them as far as Gerar. The Ethiopians were killed until none were left alive. They were destroyed before the Lord and His army. And they carried away many things that had belonged to the Ethiopians. Then they destroyed all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them. And they took everything of worth that was in the cities, for there was much left. They destroyed the tents of the animals. And they took away many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem." (2 Chronicles 14: 9-15)
When we decide to please God instead of men, we just want to give glory to God and God rewards this. "He brought into the house of God the holy things of his father and his own holy things. He brought in silver and gold and the things used for the worship. 19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s rule." (2 Chronicles 15: 18-19)
What would we have done in king Asa's position? What would king Asa have done in our position?
If our environment behaves badly, should we?
God bless you and have an excellent day in Christ Jesus!
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