Chronicles of the Past Dynasties_Chapter 15

The spirit of God moved Azariah, the son of Od.

He came out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. If you obey the Lord, the Lord will be with you.”. If you seek him, you will find him. If you abandon him, he will abandon you.

The Israelites have not believed in true God, have no priests to teach, and have no law for a long time.

But in their distress, they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them.

At that time, those who entered and exited were not safe, and the inhabitants of all nations were in great turmoil.

This country attacks that country, this city attacks that city, and they destroy each other, because God disrupts them with all kinds of disasters.

Now be strong, do not be weak, for your actions will be rewarded.

When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah the prophet, the son of Od, he became bold and removed all the detestable things from all the land of Judah and Benjamin, as well as from all the cities that were taken from the mountains of Ephraim. He also rebuilt the altar of the Lord in front of the porch of the Lord’s house.

He also gathered all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the Ephraimites, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living among them. Many Israelites surrendered to Asa because they saw the Lord his God with him.

In the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa, they all gathered in Jerusalem.

On that day, they offered to the Lord seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep from the spoil they had taken.

They made a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul.

Anyone who does not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, whether big or small, male or female, will be put to death.

They shouted loudly, sounded the trumpet and horn, and swore to the Lord.

Everyone rejoices in the oath they make. Because they swore with all their heart and sought the Lord with all their heart, and the Lord was found by them, and they gave them peace on all sides.

King Asa deposed his grandmother, Queen Mary, because she had created an detestable idol, Asherah. Asa cut down her idols, crushed them to pieces, and burned them by the Kidron River.

But the high places have not yet been taken away from Israel, yet Asa’s heart was honest throughout his life.

Asa brought into the temple of God the gold, silver, and vessels that his father had consecrated, as well as those that he had consecrated himself.

From this time until the thirty fifth year of Asa, there was no war.