The Old Testament books of history read like a slow circling of the drain, a downward spiral of ever-worsening kings, determined to ignore God’s prophetic message, delivered in vivid terms by a long succession of articulate and earnest prophets: “Stop doing this to yourselves!” In dark times, any glimmer of light stands out, so when 2 Chronicles 15:17 reports that “the heart of [King] Asa was loyal all his days,” I want to know more.
How did he stand strong against evil in a time when Israel was surrounded by polytheistic pagans and had, herself, become a religious crazy quilt of idolatry, superstition, and waywardness?
Even more pressing is this question:
How can you and I stand strong in our own evil time—or, more accurately, our own comfortable time? Our own distracted time?
Our own wishy-washy time of cancel culture when a hard line for or against anything can get you shut down and wreck your social media numbers.
How did King Asa stand strong against evil in a time when Israel had become a religious crazy quilt of idolatry, superstition, and waywardness? Even more pressing is this question: How can you and I stand strong in our own evil day?
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At the risk of over-simplification, I see in Asa’s wholehearted devotion a pattern for us to follow:
“Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God”
(2 Chronicles 14:2).
We don’t need a PhD in theology to know what’s “good and right.” When given the choice to be snarky or kind, be kind. When presented the option to be diligent or lazy, grab hold and get busy.
Asa “removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images” (2 Chronicles 14:3).
How can you spot an idol in your life? I recently heard someone say that if you’ll sin to get it or sin to keep/protect it, it’s probably an idol. My time claims first place in my own personal pantheon. (If you want to see me lose my cool, just mess with my time. Not pretty…)
What “wooden images” are claiming your devotion and stealing the preeminent place in your heart?
Asa “commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment”
(2 Chronicles 14:4).
Who or what are you seeking?
Who or what are you spending your time observing?
David the psalmist prayed for a singular focus, a life lived in the presence of the Lord. The only antidote to the screaming banshees of culture and the persistent lies that live in your own head is regular doses of biblical truth. We seek the Lord through his Word, through prayer, and through meaningful interactions with God’s people.
Asa “built fortified cities in Judah…Therefore he said to Judah, ‘Let us build these cities and make walls around them'”
(2 Chronicles 14:6,7).
Walls can divide us in ways that are unhealthy, but walls will also protect what is valuable. Let’s build walls around our entertainment choices, our attitude toward possessions, our use of time, and the words that come out of our mouths.
May our hearts be fortified cities, wholly devoted to the glory of God.
Spoiler Alert!
Sadly, King Asa’s track record was far from flawless. Like his ancestor David, he had feet of clay.
The prevailing message of the Old Testament is that we desperately need the New Testament! We need a savior. Sin has corrupted every one of us, and King Asa was no exception. Next Sunday, we’ll trace his sad ending and spend some time thinking about how we can resist the drift of subtle currents that can carry us away.
Holding You in the Light,
We don’t need a PhD in theology to know what’s good and right. When given the choice to be snarky or kind, be kind. When presented the option to be diligent or lazy, grab hold and get busy.
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Amen! We so need the New Testament The hope and the way back to the Father.
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