The Reign of King Asa
1 Kings 15:11-13, 15
11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.
12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.
15 And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.
What were the things right in the eyes of the Lord?
✓ Took away the Sodomites out of the land – we have to remove the sexual immorality from our lives to be right in our Lord’s eyes.
✓ Removed all the idols that his fathers had made – idols shouldn’t necessarily be the hand made items. It also represents anything we give importance over God in our minds.. It could be human love, worldly pleasures or anything. We are called to be the temple of God and what do these idols have to do with us?
Let all glory and honor be given to the Lord our Savior.
✓ Removed Maachah his mother from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa – we need to develop a zeal for our God, to stand up against any relationship if it hinders your relationship with God. Prioritise God over any other worldly relationships.
✓ Destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron – Not only should we cut chains with the evil relationships, we must remove even its tiny bits. Ask the Lord to search you deeply every day and destroy every evil roots that remain inside us. Ask the Holy Spirit to burn inside us.
✓ Brought in the things – we see in one of the Jesus’ parable about the demons cast out from a man later returned with its friends and inhabited him, finding him clean and empty. Not only must we clean ourselves, but we should fill ourselves, leaving no space for evil to dwell in, anymore. Fill our hearts with the word of God. Ask Jesus to fill us to overflow with his love and holy spirit.
Still there are 2 errors that we see in Asa.
1 Kings 15:14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.
2 Chronicles 16:12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.
- High places were not removed – remove what God expects us to remove from our lives. Let no pride or self righteousness remain dwelling in us. Cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
- In his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians – whatever be the situation, Jesus shouldn’t be our last resort. He should be our first choice. Our emergency dial. Our only hope.
Let’s pray to God that he reveals the hidden evil inside us, and give us his grace and annointing to remove them completely without leaving any trace… Let’s pray that he should fill us completely leaving no space for anyone or anything else. Let us pray that he becomes our first preference. Let’s ask all this in Jesus’ mighty and precious name.
Shekina Ike