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| 1 Now, as for Azariah son of Oded, there came upon him, the spirit of God. |
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| 2 So he went forth to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear me, O Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin,–Yahweh, is with you, so long as ye are with him, and, if ye seek him, he will be found of you, but, if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. |
Asa – Whose environments in youth had been unfavorable but who quickly developed a loyalty to God and soundness of judgment beneficial to his kingdom. R4724:2
The LORD Is with you – They had all done well and faithfully and therefore God's blessing was with them. R4724:5
While ye be with him – The continuance of divine blessing would depend upon their faithfulness to God and to the requirements of his Law. R4724:5
If ye forsake him – The hour of victory is more dangerous than the hour of distress; the heart is more apt to be proud and feel its own importance. The divine warning helped Asa and his people take a firmer stand for righteousness. R4724:5
Nor should a great victory elate us and make us careless and self-sufficient. R4725:4
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| 3 Now, many days, had Israel been,–without the faithful God, and without a teaching priest, and without the law; |
Israel – The ten tribes. R5733:3
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| 4 But they turned, in their distress, unto Yahweh God of Israel,–and sought him, and he was found of them. |
He was found of them – The Lord helped Israel proportionately as they at any time had turned to him. R5733:3
Reveals God's care over his people when they seek him. R5733:5
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| 5 And, in those times, there had been no prosperity, to him that went out nor to him that came in,–for, great consternations, were upon all the inhabitants of the lands; |
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| 6 and they were beaten in pieces-nation against nation, and city against city,–for, God, discomfited them with all manner of distress. |
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| 7 Ye, therefore, be strong, and let not your hands be slack,–for there is a reward for your work! |
Be ye strong therefore – Asa had manifested a disposition in harmony with God and now had this encouraging message. R5733:3
Work shall be rewarded – God's promise to Israel was his divine blessing of peace and earthly prosperity in proportion to their loyalty to him. R4725:1
Contrariwise, spiritual Israel is assured of tribulation, hatred, opposition and suffering in the world, but with the peace of God and a spiritual reward. R4725:1
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| 8 And, when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he strengthened himself, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had captured out of the hill country of Ephraim,–and renewed the altar of Yahweh, that was before the porch of Yahweh. |
Abominable idols – No idolatry was thenceforth permitted in the kingdom under penalty of death. R4724:6
We should put away all idolatry of money, fame, honor of men, and do the will of the Lord from the heart. R4725:4
Renewed the altar – Today, proportionately as creed idols and their worship would cease, the repair of the true altar of God would progress and many would rejoice to present their bodies living sacrifices. (Rom. 12:1, 2) R5734:1
As the Bible comes to be rightly understood, the unscriptural follies of the creeds will be appreciated. R5734:1
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| 9 And he gathered together all Judah and Benjamin, and the sojourners with them, out of Ephraim and out of Manasseh, and out of Simeon,–for they fell unto him out of Israel, in great numbers, because they saw that, Yahweh his God, was with him. |
Out of Israel – Many of the ten-tribe kingdom who were piously inclined and still respected God and his promises were glad to leave their king and ally themselves with the tribe of Judah, where the great God was worshipped and they were known as "Jews." R5733:3, R2380:2, R2084:6
God grants blessings to those who humble themselves and are obedient. R2380:2
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| 10 So they gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem, in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. |
They gathered themselves – A great convention was held--a holiness convention. R2363:5
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| 11 And they sacrificed unto Yahweh, on that day, out of the spoil they had brought in,–oxen, seven hundred, and sheep, seven thousand. |
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| 12 And they entered into a covenant, to seek Yahweh, God of their fathers,–with all their heart, and with all their soul; |
Entered into a covenant – A great national awakening along religious lines. R5733:5
Such a company of consecrated covenanters, enlightened as we are today, would be a mighty force, a mighty power. R5734:4
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| 13 and, whosoever would not seek unto Yahweh God of Israel, should be put to death,–whether small or great, whether man or woman. |
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| 14 So they bound themselves by oath unto Yahweh, with a loud voice, and with shouting,–and with trumpets and with horns. |
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| 15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for, with all their heart, had they sworn, and, with all their good will, had they sought him, and he was found of them,–and Yahweh gave them rest round about. |
Lord gave them rest – The Lord's blessing continued with the kingdom of Judah. R4724:6
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| 16 Moreover also, as touching Maacah mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made, unto the Sacred Stem, a monstrous thing,–so Asa cut down her monstrous thing, and reduced it to dust, and burnt it up, in the Kidron ravine. |
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| 17 But, the high places, were not taken away out of Israel,–only, the heart of Asa, was perfect, all his days.
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Were not taken away – It is not sufficient that we outwardly acknowledge the Lord to be our God; we must also be zealous in serving his cause. R2363:3
The heart of Asa was perfect – Asa was not serving the Lord because it would be the most profitable course for himself and for the nation but from a heart that was in harmony with God. R2363:3
Perfection of heart in the Lord's consecrated people of the Gospel age means a great deal more--a full consecration in thought, word and deed. R2364:4
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| 18 And he brought the hallowed things of his father and his own hallowed things, into the house of God,–silver and gold, and utensils. |
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| 19 And, war, was there none,–until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa. |
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