REFORMATION UNDER ASA

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 15, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 37.

REFORMATION UNDER ASA

Lesson I.—Sunday, October 2, 1898.

REFORMATION UNDER ASA.

Lesson Scripture, 2 Chron. 14: 2-12, R.V.

2 “And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God; for he took away the strange altars, and the high places, and brake down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim; and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun-images; and the kingdom was quiet before him. And he built fenced cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years; because the Lord had given him rest. For he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars; the land is yet before us, because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and He hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered. And Asa had an army that bare bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand; all these were mighty men of valor. And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and he came unto Mareshah. Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, there is none beside Thee to help, between the mighty and him that hath no strength; help us, O Lord our God; for we rely on Thee, and in Thy name are we come against this multitude. O Lord, Thou art our God; let not man prevail against Thee. So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.”

Golden Text: “Help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on Thee.” Verse 11.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What is said of Asa’s conduct? V. 2. (2) What position did Asa occupy? Note 1. (3) In what has his zeal for the true God manifested? V. 3. Note 2. (4) How did he command his people? V. 4. Note 3. (5) What did he do in the cities? What was the result of this action? V. 5. (6) What did he do while the land was at rest? Who had given them rest? V. 6. Note 4. (7) How extensive were the defenses built by Asa and his people? How had they been enabled to do this work? V. 7. Note 5. (8) What is said of Asa’s army? V. 8. Note 6. (9) Who afterward came against them? What is said of his army? V. 9. (10) Where was the battle fought? V. 10. (11) To whom did Asa look for victory? What was his cry? V. 11. Note 7. (12) What was the result of the battle? V. 12.

NOTES.

1. Asa was the third king of Judah, being the grandson of Rehoboam, in whose reign the division of the kingdom was consummated.

2. “High places.”—It was a custom among all the heathen nations to build altars on the tops of hills (Num. 22:41), and the backsliding Israelites fell into the practise (1 Sam. 9:12; 1 Kings 14:23). It was forbidden by the law of Moses (Deut. 12:11-14; Lev. 26:30), but it continued, even in Judah, until the reformation under Josiah (2 Kings 34:3-7, 33). Pillars.—Margin, “obelisks,” images connected with licentious sun-worship. Asherim.—The probable wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah, the female divinity of sun-worship.

3. “Commanded Judah to seek the Lord.”—We understand by this that he taught the people, using force only in destroying the tokens of idolatry. He also used the influence of a good example. A parallel expression is that of the Lord concerning Abraham: “I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord.” Gen. 18:19. A sinful people can not be made to give true service to the Lord by arbitrary command. A heart filled with the Spirit will gladly obey the commandments of God, but “the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Rom. 8:7.

4. “The Lord had given him rest.”—This shows that the Lord could control by His power the outward acts of the enemies of His people. He could restrain them or He could let them loose, according to the conduct of His people. So God could now compel an outward obedience to His law, if He chose to do so; but it is not His plan to make hypocrites. The Gospel of Christ is designed to take a people for His name out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. But it seeks “whosoever will” voluntarily give themselves to Him in spite of all opposition. But “all the wicked [those who will not accept salvation] will God destroy.”

5. Timely precaution.—Asa had anticipated trouble, and prepared for it during ten years of peace and prosperity. There is a time of trouble ahead of the people of this world,—“a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.” Dan. 12:1. The same verse shows that it is in connection with the coming of the Lord. Shall we not then use the intervening time, as Asa did, in making due preparation?

6. Bucklers were very long shields, covering nearly the whole person, in distinction from ordinary shields, which were smaller and lighter.

7. “Asa cried unto the Lord.”—He had done all he could, but his hope was in God. The opposing army numbered about twice as many men as his own, which added to his realization of his need. But numbers do not count when the Lord comes into the contest. His power is not limited; “with many, or with them that have no power,” it is all the same to Him. The sure way to be on the strong side, or on the right side, is to be on the side of God.