Along The Way: King Asa of Judah
1 Kings 15; 1
Chronicles 15
A light in the darkness! This is a good way to describe the
reign of King Asa. He was one of eight good kings who sat upon the throne of
Judah. There were 19 kings who ruled Judah, plus one queen. He reigned for 41
years. The Lord blessed his efforts, but he was “not perfect” as his forefather
King David. He was zealous and a striking example that community does not have
to dictate a person’s outcome. His grandfather was Jeroboam (the first king of
Judah), who did evil. His father was Abijah, who followed his father’s footstep
(Jeroboam), also committing evil in God’s sight. Living with such examples
(community), it would be expected that the son would follow the father’s lead;
but Asa chose to “do good and right in the sight of the Lord his God” (2 Chronicles 14:2).
The Lord rewarded his faithfulness, granting him success in battle and length
of days in leadership.
The Lord rewards the faithful. The believer can rise above
their circumstances and their community and choose to serve God. They can
expect God to support them in their “piety”. So it was that God favored this
king who chose to serve Him. He was not as gifted as King David, but he was “steady,
and deliberate in his effort to rid the nation of ungodly practices” (Henry). We can expect God to support us when we walk in his government. Imagine a people, choosing to live out God's government in their personal lives, workplaces, schools and ministries? We can expect God to show up!
In Asa's case, Yahweh showed up! The Light of lights
(Yahweh) encouraged Asa, telling him “The Lord is with you when you are with
Him…But you, be strong and do not lose courage” (2 Chronicles 15: 2a, 7a). We are blessed
when and while we live righteously.
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