2 Crônicas 15

2 Crônicas 15

Maclaren writes on 2 Chronicles 15:15 “The Search that Always Finds”: “The words express in simplest form what should be the chief desire of our heart and occupation of our lives … But our text lays emphasis on the wholeheartedness of the people’s seeking God. We are not required to seek nothing else in order to seek God wholly … but He does ask that the dominant desire after Him should be powerful enough to express itself through all our actions, and that we should seek for God in them, and for them in God … the one token of it which the text specifies is, casting out our idols. There must be detachment if there is to be attachment … To seek him with the whole heart is to engage the whole of self in the quest, and that is the only kind of seeking which has the certainty of success … Whilst to seek is to find him, in a very deep and blessed sense, even in this life; in another aspect all our earthly life may be regarded as seeking after Him, and the future as the true finding of Him”. So (term of conclusion - conclusion when one finds Him) the LORD gave them rest (nuach/nuah; Lxx - katapauo) on every side - In His presence is fullness of joy (Ps 16:11) and rest. The LORD Who sees hearts, and so acknowledged that their seeking with their whole heart and earnestly was sincere. Rest from enemies was part of God's blessing for obedience (see 2Ch 14:5-7 1Ch 22:8-9,18). (SEE Rest in the Bible) True soul rest is only available as a gift from Yahweh (cf Jesus' offer Mt 11:28-30+). THOUGHT - Are you currently experiencing "rest on every side?" If you are, it is a gift from your Father in Heaven. If you are not, perhaps you might want to do a "Psalm 139:23-24 Inventory." Of course, not every "disturbance" is related to our personal sin, for we live in a fallen world filled with many disturbances, but even then God's Spirit can use our trials for our good and His glory (e.g., James 1:2-4+, 1Pe 1:6-7+). If the Spirit shows you some unconfessed sin when you do your "Psalm 139:23-24 Inventory" peace, joy and rest is as close as confession and repentance. 2 Chronicles 15:16 He also removed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from the position of queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah, and Asa cut down her horrid image, crushed it and burned it at the brook Kidron. Maacah: 1Ki 15:13-24 the mother: that is, grandmother, 1Ki 15:2,10 he removed: 2Ch 14:3-5 Ex 32:27,28 De 13:6-8 33:9 Zec 13:3 Mk 3:21,31-35 2Co 5:16 cut down: 2Ch 14:3-5 34:7 Ex 32:20 Lev 26:30 De 7:5,25,26 9:21 1Ki 15:14-24 2Ki 23:6,12,15 Related Passages: 1 Kings 15:13+ He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image (miphletseth) as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image (miphletseth) and burned it at the brook Kidron. 2 Chronicles 11:20-22+ After her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as head and leader among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. 2 Chronicles 29:16+ (KIDRON VALLEY - GARBAGE DUMP FOR IDOLS) So the priests went in to the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and every unclean thing which they found in the temple of the LORD they brought out to the court of the house of the LORD. Then the Levites received it to carry out to the Kidron valley. 2 Chronicles 30:14+ (KIDRON VALLEY - GARBAGE DUMP FOR IDOLS) hey arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and cast them into the brook Kidron. Kidron Valley East of City FALSE WORSHIP HAD INFECTED THE ROYAL FAMILY He also removed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from the position of queen (gebirah) mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah, and Asa cut down her horrid image, crushed it and burned it at the brook Kidron - Queen mothers often played important roles in family politics and as the king's adviser as well as an instructor of the royal offspring. In Maacah's case, her "value" is certainly questionable. Asa removed her but apparently did not execute her (which he should have done because of her gross idolatry - Dt 13:6-9+). So here we see at least a suggestion of Asa beginning to compromise on truth and holiness. On the other hand one might commend Asa for demonstrating mercy to his "mother." Recall earlier they had covenanted to "put to death, whether small or great (MAACAH WOULD BE "GREAT"), man or woman" who did not seek the LORD God of Israel (used of Israel generically). (2Ch 15:12,13). Maacah was the wife of Rehoboam and the mother of Abijah, who was Asa's father. So while the text says "mother," she was actually his grandmother, for the Hebrew word for "mother" was not uncommonly substituted for grandmother (also in 1Ki 15:2,10). It is also notable that the Hebrew word for queen is not the one normally used and may indicate special authority, the same word referring to the Queen of Sheba. Horrid image is miphletseth, which is derived from the verb palats which means to shudder, quake, quiver or tremble (as in Job 9:6). The picture of her idol is that it was an image that was so horrible that it caused one to shudder! Why was it so "horrid"? We don't know for the text does not give graphic details, probably because they are "X-Rated" as several commentators have suggested. The Spirit does not even want our "mind's eye" going to that unholy thought dear holy one of God! William Rodgers wrote, “Maachah had got doing pretty much as she liked in the reign of her husband Rehoboam (11:21–22), and in that of her own son Abijah (13:2), so it must have required more than ordinary firmness on the part of her grandson Asa to oust her from her long held position as head of the royal household, and to smash her favourite idol”. The Kidron Valley (see note below and map above) was just to the east of the main city, down in a valley that had a perennial stream and it served as sort of a "garbage dump" for idolatrous objects (cf 2Ch 29:16, 2Ch 30:14) Gustafson - The writer of the Chronicles approvingly records that Asa’s loyalty to God was greater than his loyalty to his grandmother. He took from his grandmother the honour and dignity that she had as queen mother and burnt her idol at the brook Kidron. Asa is the first king recorded as destroying idols. After Asa, other idols were so dealt with (2 Kings 23:4–6, 12; 2 Chr 29:16; 30:14). Since Maachah had an idol, she certainly was not seeking the Lord God of their fathers as they had covenanted to do (2Ch 15:12–15). After her idol was destroyed, she may have agreed to seek the Lord and thus avoided being put to death; but the Chronicler does not say so. (What the Bible Teaches - 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles) Frederick Mabie adds: The Kidron Valley is located to the east of the old city of Jerusalem and is the location of the famed Gihon Spring. This valley as a focal point in the destruction of heterodoxy and idolatry continues into the later reforms of Hezekiah (cf. 2Ch 29:15-17; 30:14) and Josiah (cf. 2Ki 23:1-15). (See The Expositor's Bible Commentary: 1 Chronicles-Job - Page 226) ESV Study Bible (BORROW) has an interesting note that "An inscription found at the site of Khirbet El-Qom, near modern Hebron, reads: “Blessed be Uriyahu by Yahweh and by his Asherah; from his enemies he saved him!” The inscription dates to the second half of the eighth century b.c. It reflects the constant struggle in Judah between true servants of Yahweh and those who were syncretists and idolaters. (ED: See note below) Believer's Study Bible on Maacah - Maachah remained as queen mother after the death of her son Abijam, who had reigned for only three years (v. 2). It is likely that she maintained the rule in the early years of her young grandson Asa, until he was old enough to depose her. The reference to her as Asa's mother in 2 Chr. 15:16 reveals the fluidity of such terms as "mother," "brother," or "father." They can be used to mean one generation of relationship or many. Andrew Hill: The Asherah pole was a cultic symbol of the Canaanite fertility goddess Asherah in the form of a tree or tree trunk. The pole represented the tree of life in Canaanite religion, and the fertility cult associations of the symbol made the object “repulsive” or even “obscene” (NEB). It was among the objects of false worship under the ban of holy war for the Israelites at the time of the conquest of Canaan (Deut. 7:5). The raising of an Asherah pole is expressly forbidden in Mosaic law as an act that God hates (Deut. 16:21; cf. 2 Kings 23:6). Asa smashes this pole and burns it in the Kidron Valley southeast of Jerusalem, a garbage pit and refuse dump sometimes used for the disposal of such religious objects (cf. 2 Chron. 29:16; 30:14). (See 1 and 2 Chronicles - Page 17) Ron Daniel - Removing The Queen Mother. King Asa removed Mah-ak-AW - his grandmother, who had been Rehoboam's wife (2Chron. 11:20) - from her position of prominence. This must have been more than a little difficult for Asa. After all, it's his grandma! But there are times when a right walk with God means cutting off your relationship. Jesus said, Matt. 10:34-36 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD." Many people are torn, because we have a biblical mandate to honor mother and father (Eph. 6:1-2). But understand that honoring your mother and father doesn't mean tolerating sin in your midst. Gustafson concludes that "This is the most outstanding evidence of Asa’s reformation. He made no allowances for natural ties when God’s honour was involved. He had already displayed that good trait by destroying all the idols his fathers had made (1 Kings 15:12). His action is in keeping with the later teaching of our Lord Jesus in Luke 14:26: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple”. Since He also taught elsewhere love for our enemies (Mt 5:44), “hate” has to be taken in comparison to love for the Lord Jesus. Matthew 10:37 makes this clear: “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me”. (What the Bible Teaches - 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles) Queen (01377)(gebirah) means lady, queen or queen mother. Gilbrant has a lengthy note on gebirah - Gevîrāh is a technical term which denotes legal superiority. It occurs fifteen times in the Hebrew Bible. Seven times it appears in the context of the female superior of a female servant (see also HED #8569). Six times it refers to either the queen or queen mother (the female superior of all in society). Twice it is used metaphorically in Isaiah as "queen." Three times it occurs in the account of Hagar's flight from Sarah and her discussion with the angel in the desert, ultimately leading to her return to her superior (Gen. 16:4ff). Naaman, a Syrian military official, became aware of the potential healing power of Elisha through the Israelite female slave of his wife (2 Ki. 5:3). The word is coupled with shiphah in poetic contexts. The psalmist states that the collective eyes of the people look upon Yahweh as servants look to masters and mistresses for mercy (123:2). In Isaiah 24, it is prophesied that Yahweh will punish the unrighteous. All will suffer identical fates. "As with the female servant, so with her mistress" (v. 2). Finally, among those things that cause the earth to tremble is "a female servant when she succeeds her mistress" (Prov. 30:23). The remaining occurrences of the word are those associated with the position of queen mother (with the exception of 1 Ki. 11:19, where the context implies the term is used to denote the queen of Egypt). This position is one which is associated with Judah, as the formula employed at the ascension of Judaean kings include the mother of the king; Israelite kings do not mention them. Precisely what powers were held by the women in this position is not clear, although it is clear they wielded enough power to cause problems. Four queen mothers are mentioned, three of them in a negative light. Bathsheeba (the non-negative example), wife of David and mother of Solomon, appears with access to and a position near her son's throne (perhaps as reward for her efforts in the harem intrigue which brought her son to power; 2 Sam. 11:3; 12:24). The only Israelite queen mother who is recorded in the Hebrew Bible is Jezebel. Her influence in the courts of her sons Ahaziah and Jehoram was undeniable (1 Ki. 16:31; 22:15; 2 Ki. 3:2; 9:22). Her prominence in the narratives is a stark contrast to the involvement of other queen mothers in Israel. This may be attributed to her being the daughter of the king of Sidon. It is clear that the queen played some role in neighboring Ugarit, although the extent of her role is unknown. The uniqueness and negativity of Jezebel's role is an indictment against allowing foreign influences to enter into Hebrew political and religious life. The prime charge against the evil queen mother involves the introduction of foreign religions. Jezebel was zealous concerning the worship of Phoenician deities of her native Sidon. She had 450 prophets of Baal and 400 of Asherah seated at the royal table, indicating state support of the religion (1 Ki. 18:19). Given the intolerance of normative Yahwism for other gods, she persecuted all members of the Yahwistic religious structure, including prophets (e.g., Elijah, 1 Ki. 18:4). She violated the royal role in Israel by her seizure of Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21). Murder is by no means the only serious offense in this incident (21:19). The ultimate violation by Jezebel's action is the seizure of inalienable property as her own. Yahweh owned the land; all property was his, and He allowed individuals to inherit the use of fields. To usurp ownership outside the clan structure was to take land from Yahweh, to usurp his role. Her inglorious end at the hand of eunuchs obeying the command of Jehu during his successful coup underscores her lack of power in the face of Yahweh. Her lack of burial is antithetical to her position of prominence, as the powerful secured elaborate tombs and a period of public mourning. The next evil queen mother recorded in the Hebrew Bible was a Judahite queen, Athaliah, who was either the daughter or (less likely) sister-in-law (cf. 2 Ki. 8:26; see ABD 1, 511f) of Jezebel. First Kings 22:44 states that Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, made peace with Israel, doubtless sealed by the marriage of the crown prince Jehoram to Athaliah (2 Ki. 8:18). Jehoram reigned for eight years (most of which scholars hold was as coregent with his father), and was labeled as an evil king, especially in contrast to his father and grandfather (2 Ki. 8:18; 2 Chr. 22:11ff). His sin was that "he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife." This indictment had to do with the tolerance of worship for foreign gods. Given Jezebel's influence and zeal for Sidonian gods, it is not at all surprising that her daughter (or any royal family member) would push for the same religious circumstances that existed in the Northern kingdom. The Chronicler blames her for the reign of her son Ahaziah, which was done in the fashion of the "ways of the house of Ahab" (2 Chr. 22:3ff). He was killed in the course of Jehu's coup in Israel, along with the entirety of Ahab's descendants and forty-two Davidic descendants who were in the Northern kingdom (2 Ki. 9:27ff; 10:13ff). Athaliah seized upon the political chaos by attempting to obliterate all male descendants of the royal line, inadvertently missing Ahaziah's son Joash (2 Kings 11). Joash was protected by the high priest of the Temple of Yahweh, who six years later would instate him as king in a palace coup (2 Ki. 11:4-20; 2 Chr. 22:11-12). Meanwhile, Athaliah became sole ruler in Judah, the lone queen to rule either kingdom. The animosity of the Yahwistic priesthood and the destruction of the temple of Baal in the coup which ended her reign and life confirm her commitment to Baalism. Her ability to stage a coup, to order male Davidic descendants to be slaughtered, speaks of the power of the position of the queen mother. Her ability to firmly establish Baalism as an official cult likewise is testimony to the power wielded by this woman. It is not clear if this represents the normal power wielded by her office or if it is representative of the enormous strength of personality of this woman. The latter certainly must play a role in her ascension to the rulership of the country; how much of a base her office provided is not clear. The other person labeled gevîrāh in the Hebrew Bible was Maacah, the mother of Abijah and Asa, wife of Rehoboam the son of Solomon. Abijah did evil in the sight of Yahweh (1 Ki. 15:3-8). Asa did away with most forms of idolatry (1 Ki. 15:11-15). In order to do so, he had "to remove his mother Maacah from being queen mother, because she had made an abominable image for Asherah" (1 Ki. 15:13). Her power of office was sufficient to be enough of a nuisance to the king that Asa had to remove her from her power base. Isaiah uses this noun metaphorically twice in ch. 47 in the course of an oracle against Babylon and its impending demise. Babylon is called the "mistress of kingdoms" (v. 5) and considers herself to be "mistress forever" (v. 7). Here the imagery is best understood as that of queen or superior. Verse 8 contains the boast of Babylon that she "shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children." (Complete Biblical Library) 1Ki. 11:19; 1Ki. 15:13; 2Ki. 10:13; 2Chr. 15:16; Jer. 13:18; Jer. 29:2 QUESTION - What is the Kidron Valley in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - The Kidron Valley is a place just outside of Jerusalem, in between the city and the Mount of Olives. The name Kidron (or Cedron in the KJV) is either a reference to the “darkness” or “murkiness” of the water that periodically flows in that place or to the cedars that grow in that area. The Kidron Valley is technically a wadi, as a stream runs through it only after heavy rains. This location is associated in the Bible with sorrow, judgment, and death. For example, 2 Kings 23:1–6 describes King Josiah commanding “the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts.” Once removed from the temple, the idols were “burned . . . outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley” (verse 4). King Josiah did the same with the Asherah pole (2Ki 23:6). Similar reforms were accomplished by King Asa and King Hezekiah, both of whom disposed of idols in the Kidron Valley (1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 29:16; 30:14). When David fled Jerusalem during Absalom’s rebellion, he crossed the Valley of Kidron (2 Samuel 15:23). When King Solomon confined the rogue Shimei to the city, he forbade him from going any farther than the Kidron Valley (1 Kings 2:36–37). From 2 Kings 23:6, it seems that, in the time of Josiah, the Valley of Kidron contained “the graves of the common people.” According to the historian Josephus, Queen Athalia was executed in the Valley of Kidron (Antiquities of the Jews, ix. 7, § 3). Jesus must have crossed the Valley of Kidron many times in His travels. On the night of His arrest, Jesus “went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden” (John 18:1). Once in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus felt the full weight of His impending death, so much so that “his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood” (Luke 22:44NLT). The Bible speaks of an end-times judgment on the earth. As God is restoring the fortunes of His people, Israel, He says, “I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel” (Joel 3:2). The Valley of Jehoshaphat, or the Valley of Decision (Joel 3:14), is thought by many to be a reference to the Valley of Kidron. In each case, the Kidron Valley serves as backdrop to death and sorrow and judgment. There is coming a day, however, when the Valley of Kidron will shed its sorrowful reputation. God promises that, one day, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people” (Jeremiah 31:1). “See, I . . . gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return. . . . I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble” (Jer 31:8–9). Then, God says, “I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow” (Jer 31:13). The Lord’s plans for a restored Jerusalem will include a change in the Valley of Kidron: “The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished” (Jer 31:40). The Valley of Kidron, with its sad history of idolatry, impurity, and condemnation, will one day be “holy to the Lord,” and God “will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:34). QUESTION - Why was the worship of Baal and Asherah a constant struggle for the Israelites? ANSWER - Throughout the Old Testament, we read accounts of idol worship among the Israelites, especially the worship of Baal and Asherah, or sometimes Baal and Ashtoreth. The paganism that surrounded God’s people crept in, gained a foothold, and led to much misery. It was a constant struggle to stay true to the Lord their God. God had commanded Israel not to worship idols (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7)—indeed, they were to avoid even mentioning a false god’s name (Exodus 23:13). To prevent compromise, they were warned not to intermarry with the pagan nations and to shun practices that might be construed as pagan worship rites (Leviticus 20:23; 2 Kings 17:15; Ezekiel 11:12). Israel was the nation chosen by God to one day give rise to the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Yet, even with their heritage and so much riding on their future, Israel was continually drawn into dalliances with Baal and Asherah. Baal was the supreme god in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. As the storm god, he was usually depicted holding a raised lightning bolt. His consort, Asherah, was the chief female deity and was represented by a carved pole or limbless tree trunk planted in the ground. Baal and Asherah are often mentioned together in Scripture. Sometimes Baal is mentioned with the goddess Ashtoreth who, in Canaanite mythology, was closely related to Asherah and may have been for a time considered the same goddess. All of them were fertility gods, and their worship rites involved sexual perversion. After the death of Joshua, the worship of Baal and Asherah became a plaguing and perennial problem for Israel. It didn’t take long: in the very next generation after Joshua, “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs” (Judges 3:7). Later, God told the judge Gideon to clean house: “Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it” (Judges 6:25). Again, in the days of Jephthah, “the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths” (Judges 10:6). During the monarchy, the kings got involved, forsaking the Lord and bringing the worship of Baal and Asherah into Israel. Under King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, Israel was a state sponsor of a Phoenician form of idol worship, and the prophet Elijah had to confront “four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and . . . four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table” (1 Kings 18:19). The evil King Manasseh of Judah undid all the reforms of his father Hezekiah and “erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole” (2 Kings 21:3). In His indictment of Israel before sending them into exile, God said, “They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal” (2 Kings 17:16). There are several reasons why the worship of Baal and Asherah was such a problem for Israel. First, the worship of Baal and Asherah held the allure of illicit sex, since the religion involved ritual prostitution. This is exactly what we see in the incident of Baal of Peor, as “the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods” (Numbers 25:1–2). During this episode an Israelite named Zimri brazenly brought a Midianite woman into the camp and went straight to his tent, where the two began having sex (verses 6–8, 14–15). Another reason that the worship of Baal and Asherah was a perennial problem for Israel is what we could call international peer pressure. Israel wanted to be like the other nations (see 1 Samuel 8:5, 20). The other nations worshiped Baal and Asherah, and so many Israelites felt a pull to do the same. And, most basically, Israel worshiped Baal and Asherah because of Satan’s temptations coupled with mankind’s sinfulness. The enemy of our souls tempted Israel to worship idols; the sacrifices made to Baal and Asherah were really sacrifices to demons (1 Corinthians 10:20). The stubborn willfulness of humanity works in tandem with Satan’s seductions, and the result is rebellion against God. Israel repeatedly forsook their covenant with God, lost God’s blessings, and chased after the Baals and Asherahs to their own destruction. The book of Hosea aptly uses adultery as a metaphor to describe Israel’s idol worship. Forsaking the God of their covenant and chasing after false gods such as Baal and Asherah was akin to spiritual adultery. (ED: SEE ISRAEL THE WIFE OF JEHOVAH) But God promised to restore His unfaithful people and love them forever: In that day,” declares the Lord, . . . “I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked. . . . I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness and you will acknowledge the Lord.” (Hosea 2:16–17, 19–20) The problem of Baal and Asherah worship was finally solved after God removed Israel from the Promised Land. Due to the Israelites’ idolatry and disregard of the law, God brought the nations of Assyria and Babylon against them in an act of judgment. After the exile, Israel was restored to the land, and the people did not dally again with idols. Christians today may be quick to judge the Israelites for their idolatry, but we should remember that idols take many forms. Idolatrous sins still tempt the modern-day believer (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8–10). Instead of bowing down to the ancient forms of Baal and Asherah, we today sometimes honor possessions, success, and physical pleasure to the dishonoring of God. Just as God disciplined the Israelites for their idolatry and forgave them when they repented, He graciously disciplines us and extends the offer of forgiveness in Christ (Hebrews 12:7–11; 1 John 1:9; 2 Peter 3:9).GotQuestions.org Related Resources: Baal (verb)(husband, marry, rule)(01166) baal Baal (noun)(husband, lord, master, owner, possessor)(01167) ba'al Baal (proper noun)(01168) ba'al (See this entry for detailed discussion of baal and related words) Baal - See uses in combination with other Hebrew words Baal (Canaanite god)(01168) bāʿal (see also Married 01166 and Husband 01167) 2 Chronicles 15:17 But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa’s heart was blameless all his days. the high places: 2Ch 14:3-5 De 12:13,14 1Ki 3:2-4 22:43 2Ki 12:3 14:4 the heart of Asa: 2Ch 16:7-12 1Ki 11:4 Related Passages: 1 Kings 15:14+ But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the LORD all his days. Deuteronomy 12:2-3+ You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 “You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. 2 Chronicles 20:32 He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not depart from it, doing right in the sight of the LORD. 2 Chronicles 21:12 Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet saying, “Thus says the LORD God of your father David, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and the ways of Asa king of Judah, THE BAD AND THE GOOD CONTRASTS But (a bad term of contrast) the high places (bamah) were not removed from Israel "According to 2 Chronicles 14:3,5, Asa did take away the high places out of Judah, but this verse indicates he had been unable to get them removed from the rest of Israel." (Morris) In other words this probably refers to those cities of the northern kingdom ("Israel") which Asa had conquered and over which Asa had some degree of control. Notice that the parallel passage in 1Ki 15:14 lacks the phrase removed from Israel, suggesting the writer of chronicles was clarifying the meaning. Andrew Hill explains the high places...not removed - Nevertheless, Asa fails to remove the high places from Israel. Rather than see this as a contradiction to the record of the king’s reforms (2Ch 15:17; cf. 2Ch 14:2), it is probably better to assume that the writer distinguishes between the high places of Judah and Israel, or perhaps the two statements are but “evidence of the persistence of the indigenous cults over several years.” (See 1 and 2 Chronicles - Page 17) Gustafson explains the high places...not removed - Verse 17 may seem to contradict 2Ch 14:3 in relation to Asa destroying the high places. 2Ch 14:3 tells of the idols connected with the high places, whereas v. 17 has no mention of them. This indicates that those high places were places where they worshipped the Lord their God only (33:17). It is also possible that the Chronicler inserted in v. 17 the words, “out of Israel”, to indicate that Asa did not remove the high places from the cities of the northern kingdom over which he had no control. That is clearly the meaning of “out of Israel” in 2Ch 15:9. In contrast 14:5 says explicitly, “out of all the cities of Judah”. (What the Bible Teaches - 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles) NIV Study Bible (BORROW) on high places...not removed - 1Ki 15:14 states that Asa did not remove the high places. This difficulty is best resolved by the Chronicler's own statement in 1Ch 15:17, which is properly parallel to 1Ki 15:14: Early in his reign Asa did attempt to remove the high places, but pagan worship was extremely resilient, and ultimately his efforts were unsuccessful (15:17). Statements that the high places both were and were not removed are also found in the reign of Jehoshaphat (2Ch 17:6; 20:33). Nevertheless (a good term of contrast) Asa’s heart (lebab; Lxx - kardia) was blameless (shalem; Lxx - pleres - with nothing lacking) all his days - 1Ki 15:14+ is a parallel statement to the present verse. See verses on whole heart or blameless heart - 1Ki 8:61, 11:4, 15:3,14 2Ki 20:3 1Ch 12:38, 28:9, 29:19, 2Ch 15:17, 16:9, 19:9, 25:2. The time statement all his days is amazing and surely reflects the patience and lovingkindness of God to look at Asa's entire life, not just a backsliding segment, because we know that God was displeased with Asa in his latter days (2Ch 16:7-9+) As John Newton this is "Amazing Grace!!!" To say it another way. clearly Asa's last 5 years of reign did not end well, so it calling him blameless all his days is as if God grades his reign on a curve (so to speak), and gives him a very good grade ("ALL HIS DAYS"), for relative to many of the other kings (all northern and many southern), Asa's reign was indeed "blameless." (SEE BLAMELESS, INNOCENT, GUILTLESS, WITHOUT REPROACH). Ron Daniel - Compromise - Although Asa was trying, he was not successful at completely removing all of the high places. Fortunately, God was looking at the completeness of his heart rather than the completion of the job. Gustafson on “the heart of Asa was blameless all his days”, it does not mean that Asa was morally perfect. For the Chronicler soon afterwards (16:1–10, 12) records some serious transgressions by this king. The expression only means that Asa was free from idolatry (1 Kings 15:14). 1 Kings 11:4 states that Solomon’s “heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father”, when his heart turned away after other gods. So David was perfect in the same way that Asa was perfect. (What the Bible Teaches - 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles) Knapp - Asa’s history reveals his weaknesses: God, in His comments on his character, gives no hint of them (2 Chron. 20:32; 21:12). He loves to commend whatever is lovely in His servants’ lives, and only when necessary exposes their failures and follies. May we in this, as in all things else, be “imitators of God”! (Eph. 5:1+.) (The Kings of Judah and Israel) High places (01116) bamah Six activities seem to be related to high places -- burning of incense, sacrificing, eating of sacrificial meals, praying, prostitution, child sacrifice (cf. bama in the valley, Je 7:31). The first use in Lev 26:30 is God's declaration to Israel "I will destroy your high places." In Dt 32:13 speaking of Jacob (Israel) He declared "He made him ride on the high places of the earth," so clearly some uses of bamah are not negative. In a similar use God says Israel "you will tread upon their (Israel's enemies') high places." Another positive use is Psalm 18:33 where David declared Jehovah "makes my feet like hinds' feet, And sets me upon my high places." (cp Hab 3:19 - NET Note = David "compares his agility in battle to the ability of a deer to negotiate rugged, high terrain without falling or being injured.", cp Isa 58:14) We see he effect of Israel's high places on Jehovah in Ps 78:58 = "For they provoked Him with their high places and aroused His jealousy with their graven images." A sad phrase that is repeated again and again (speaking of Israel) is "the high places were not taken away" (1Ki 15:14, 2Chr 15:17 = King Asa but notice he did remove some of them - 2Chr 14:3, 5, 1Ki 22:43, 2Chr 20:33 = King Jehoshaphat, 2Ki 12:3 = King Jehoash, 2Ki 14:4 = King Amaziah, 2Ki 15:4 = King Azariah, 2Ki 15:35 = King Jotham son of Uzziah and look what his son did in 2Ki 16:1-4!, 2Chr 20:33). In many of these passages the context was of a king doing "spiritual house cleaning" so to speak and yet still failing to remove the high places. Isn't sin that way? We confess one or two sins but we have a little pet sin (better a "venomous viper") that we just don't have the heart to kill! God grant us spiritual eyes and hearts to learn from Israel's mistakes. Amen! Some kings like Hezekiah (1Ki 18:4, 2Chr 31:1, Isa 36:7) and Josiah (2Ki 23:4,8, 13, 15, 19-20, 2Chr 34:3 cp prophecy about Josiah 300 years earlier = 1Ki 13:2) did destroy the high places, but in Hezekiah's case his own son Manasseh rebuilt them (2Ki 21:1-2, 3, 2Chr 33:3) and in Josiah's case the people rebuilt them! We see the spiritual effect of high places on the people when King Jehoram (2Chr 21:5-10) "made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot and led Judah astray." (2Chr 21:11) One of the most incredible (and saddest) verses in the OT (in my opinion) is "Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon." (1Ki 11:7, cp 1Ki 3:3 = Solomon had "half a heart" for God!) This was too much for Jehovah and He declared that the 12 tribes would be split as a result of Solomon's sin! Sin is costly. You may think you are getting away with it, but you are not! You may think you are the wisest man in the world (like Solomon) but you are really the most foolish (as Solomon was)! There was one high place that was not idolatrous (at least not at the outset) - "Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place which was at Gibeon; for God's tent of meeting was there, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness." (2Chr 1:3, cp 1Chr 16:39-40, 21:29). Blameless (complete, whole, full) (08003) shalem s an adjective which describes something that is full, whole, made ready, perfected, complete. Shalem is occasionally used to mean safe or unharmed (Ge 33:18). As noted above in the discussion of Shalom, the Hebrew root sh-l-m implies completion, fulfillment, an entering into a state of wholeness and unity. Shalem describes iniquity which was not full or complete (Ge 15:16), stones which were whole (uncut) (Dt 27:6, Josh 8:31), stones that were whole or finished (for the Temple 1Ki 6:7), a weight that is full (Dt 25:15, Pr 11:1), wages that were full (abounding) (Ru 2:12), a heart that was whole (wholly devoted, complete, perfect - 1Ki 8:61, the antithesis = 1Ki 11:4), an army at full strength (Nah 1:12), a population, as entire or whole (taken captive) (Amos 1:6, 9), of hearts that were whole or undivided, wholly centered on the Lord (see below). Beloved, considering that there are 14 uses (>50%) of the adjective shalem in passages dealing with the heart (the "control center" of a our being - see kardia) it would behoove each of us to read over these Scriptures (see list below) prayerfully pondering (meditating) in our own heart (doing a spiritual checkup as to our "heart condition") how we are relating to the LORD God Almighty. Is the condition of our heart one of "shalem" toward God? If the Spirit convicts us of sin (missing the mark of God's will for our life), then may He also strengthen us in our inner man with the will ("want to") and the power (Php 2:13NLT+) so that we may be enabled to repent and return to Jehovah and experience the times of refreshing found only in our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. SHALEM - 27V - blameless(1), complete(1), completed(1), completely(1), entire(2), friendly(1), full(4), just(1), perfect(2), prepared(1), safely(1), uncut(2), whole(5), wholeheartedly*(1), wholly devoted(4). Gen. 15:16; Gen. 33:18; Gen. 34:21; Deut. 25:15; Deut. 27:6; Jos. 8:31; Ruth 2:12; 1 Ki. 6:7; 1 Ki. 8:61; 1 Ki. 11:4; 1 Ki. 15:3; 1 Ki. 15:14; 2 Ki. 20:3; 1 Chr. 12:38; 1 Chr. 28:9; 1 Chr. 29:9; 1 Chr. 29:19; 2 Chr. 8:16; 2 Chr. 15:17; 2 Chr. 16:9; 2 Chr. 19:9; 2 Chr. 25:2; Prov. 11:1; Isa. 38:3; Amos 1:6; Amos 1:9; Nah. 1:12 How Do We Resolve Asa being blameless all his days and yet failing to run well (Gal 5:7) and finish strong in the last 5 years of his life? (I modified the response below a bit from ChatGPT) 1. "Blameless" Does Not Mean "Sinless" The Hebrew word for blameless (shalem) means wholehearted, loyal, or devoted, not perfect or without fault. Asa was generally devoted to God for most of his life, even though he stumbled in his final five years. 2. The Focus Is on Asa’s Overall Devotion The phrase “blameless all his days” refers to his general faithfulness, despite his later mistakes. Similar descriptions are used for King David, who was called a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), despite his sins with Bathsheba and Uriah. 3. His Failures Were Personal, Not Idolatrous Unlike many kings of Judah and Israel, Asa never turned to idolatry or abandoned worship of Yahweh. Even in his failures, he did not lead Judah into apostasy like his successors. 4. God's Grace and the Bigger Picture The Bible often acknowledges the faithfulness of God's servants while also recording their failures. Asa’s legacy of faithfulness was recognized, even though his later years were marked by pride and stubbornness. Conclusion: A Lifetime of Faithfulness, But a Flawed Finish Asa’s heart was devoted to God, but he made mistakes in his later years due to pride. His early reforms, commitment to worship, and faithfulness define his reign more than his personal failures at the end. This teaches us that a blameless heart refers to overall direction and not to perfection. THOUGHT - Is there not a bit of "Asa" in even the best of God's saints? How gracious, forgiving and magnanimous is our Father to look at the general tenor of our walk with Him and not focus on the bypaths and missteps that most of us make to one degree or another! Oswald Chambers - The relapse of concentration - Asa was incomplete in his external obedience, he was right in the main but not entirely right. Beware of the thing of which you say—‘Oh, that does not matter much.’ The fact that it does not matter much to you may mean that it matters a very great deal to God. Nothing is a light matter with a child of God. How much longer are some of us going to keep God trying to teach us one thing? He never loses patience. You say—‘I know I am right with God’; but still the “high places” remain, there is something over which you have not obeyed. Are you protesting that your heart is right with God, and yet is there something in your life about which He has caused you to doubt? Whenever there is doubt, quit immediately, no matter what it is. Nothing is a mere detail. Are there some things in connection with your bodily life, your intellectual life, upon which you are not concentrating at all? You are all right in the main, but you are slipshod; there is a relapse on the line of concentration. You no more need a holiday from spiritual concentration than your heart needs a holiday from beating. You cannot have a moral holiday and remain moral, nor can you have a spiritual holiday and remain spiritual. God wants you to be entirely his, and this means that you have to watch to keep yourself fit. It takes a tremendous amount of time. Some of us expect to “clear the numberless ascensions” in about two minutes. QUESTION - What is the significance of high places in the Bible? ANSWER - High places, very simply, were places of worship on elevated pieces of ground. High places were originally dedicated to idol worship (Numbers 33:52; Leviticus 26:30), especially among the Moabites (Isaiah 16:12). These shrines often included an altar and a sacred object such as a stone pillar or wooden pole in various shapes identified with the object of worship (animals, constellations, goddesses, and fertility deities). It seems that, at times, high places were set up in a spot that had been artificially elevated; 2 Kings 16:4 seems to differentiate the “high places” from the “hills.” The Israelites, forever turning away from God, practiced Molech worship and built high places for Baal (Jeremiah 32:35). Although Solomon built the temple of God in Jerusalem, he later established idolatrous high places for his foreign wives outside of Jerusalem and worshiped with them, causing him the loss of the kingdom (1 Kings 11:11). The people were still sacrificing at the pagan high places before the temple was built, and Solomon joined them. After the Lord appeared to him in a dream at Gibeon, the king returned to Jerusalem and sacrificed offerings; however, he continued to waver between the two places of worship. Not all high places were dedicated to idol worship. They played a major role in Israelite worship, and the earliest biblical mention of a site of worship, later called a “high place,” is found in Genesis 12:6–8 where Abram built altars to the Lord at Shechem and Hebron. Abraham built an altar in the region of Moriah and was willing to sacrifice his son there (Genesis 22:1–2). This site is traditionally believed to be the same high place where the temple of Jerusalem was built. Jacob set up a stone pillar to the Lord at Bethel (Genesis 28:18–19), and Moses met God on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:1–3). Joshua set up stone pillars after crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4:20) and considered this a high place of worship because the Israelites “came up from” the Jordan onto higher ground. The high places were visited regularly by the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 7:16). High places as sites of Canaanite idol worship (Judges 3:19) extended into the period of Elijah (1 Kings 18:16–40). God would name only one high place where sacrifice was authorized, and that was the temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 3:1). God commanded that all other high places be destroyed. King Josiah destroyed them in 2 Kings 22—23.GotQuestions.org 2 Chronicles 15:18 He brought into the house of God the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils. brought: 1Ki 7:51 1Ki 15:14-15 1Ch 26:20-26 Related Passages: 1 Kings 15:15+ He brought into the house of the LORD the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils. ASA RESTORES SOME VESSELS IN TEMPLE He brought into the house of God (Temple in Jerusalem) the dedicated things (qodesh; Lxx - hagios - holy, set apart) of his father (Abijah) and his own dedicated (qodesh; Lxx - hagios - holy, set apart) things: silver and gold and utensils - Parallels 1Ki 15:15+. Asa restores some of the gold vessels to the Temple. Where did he get this gold? We cannot be absolutely certain but 2Ch 14:13-14+ says when Asa defeated the Ethiopians (2Ch 14:12+) they carried away "much plunder." In this act of dedication we see an example of Asa's heart being wholly devoted to God and this restoration in the Temple serving as an act of worship of Yahweh. One might ask where did Abijah get the gold and silver because his father Rehoboam had been defeated by Shishak who plundered the Temple treasures (2Ch 12:9+)? It is possible that when King Abijah defeated Jeroboam I and regained several Israelite cities, including Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron (2 Chronicles 13:19+), he must have also obtained some plunder from those cities. After Abijah's victory, Israel (Northern) was significantly weakened, and it may have paid tribute (often in form of gold and silver) to Abijah. Kings in the ancient world often received gifts of gold and silver from vassal cities or rulers who were defeated. Dedicated (holy holy things) (06944) qodesh is a masculine noun which means set apart, distinct, unique. Qodesh describes that which has been consecrated or set apart for sacred use and was not to be used for common or profane tasks. If it were used for profane things, in simple terms, it became "not holy." 2 Chronicles 15:19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign. until the thirty-fifth year: 2Ch 16:1 1Ki 15:16,17,31,33 NO MORE WAR "UNTIL" And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign - Until is a significant time phrase which means something happens up to a point in time and then something else happens. The implication is that "no more war" becomes "more war" as proved true in Asa's last years. Gustafson - 2Ch 15:19 is reconcilable with 1 Kings 15:16, “And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days”. Kings refers to what we would call today a “cold war” existing constantly between them. 2 Chronicles refers to no open conflict, in keeping with the last phrase of 2Ch 15:15: “the Lord gave them rest round about”. It is more difficult to reconcile the 35th year of Asa in 2Ch 15:19 and the 36th year of Asa in 2Ch 16:1, since Baasha died in Asa’s 26th year (1 Kings 15:33; 16:8). (What the Bible Teaches - 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles) Bob