2 Crônicas 15

2 Crônicas 15

Spurgeon - Faith's Checkbook - GOD had done great things for King Asa and Judah, but yet they were a feeble folk. Their feet were very tottering in the ways of the Lord, and their hearts very hesitating, so that they had to be warned that the Lord would be with them while they were with him, but that if they forsook him he would leave them. They were also reminded of the sister kingdom, how ill it fared in its rebellion, and how the Lord was gracious to it when repentance was shown. The Lord’s design was to confirm them in his way, and make them strong in righteousness. So ought it to be with us. God deserves to be served with all the energy of which we are capable. If the service of God is worth anything, it is worth everything. We shall find our best reward in the Lord’s work if we do it with determined diligence. Our labour is not in vain in the Lord, and we know it. Half-hearted work will bring no reward; but, when we throw our whole soul into the cause, we shall see prosperity. This text was sent to the author of these notes in a day of terrible storm, and it suggested to him to put on all steam, with the assurance of reaching port in safety with a glorious freight. 2 Chronicles 15:8 Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD which was in front of the porch of the LORD. NET 2 Chronicles 15:8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he was encouraged. He removed the detestable idols from the entire land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had seized in the Ephraimite hill country. He repaired the altar of the LORD in front of the porch of the LORD's temple. CSB 2 Chronicles 15:8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He renovated the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD's temple. ESV 2 Chronicles 15:8 As soon as Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the LORD. NIV 2 Chronicles 15:8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD's temple. NLT 2 Chronicles 15:8 When Asa heard this message from Azariah the prophet, he took courage and removed all the detestable idols from the land of Judah and Benjamin and in the towns he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. And he repaired the altar of the LORD, which stood in front of the entry room of the LORD's Temple. NRS 2 Chronicles 15:8 When Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the LORD. Azariah the son of Oded : 2Ch 15:1 took courage: 2Ch 19:11 Isa 44:14 Ac 28:15 removed the abominable idols Lev 18:30 De 27:15 1Ki 11:5,7 2Ki 23:13 Isa 65:4 Jer 16:18 Eze 8:10 1Pe 4:3 Rev 17:4,5 the cities: 2Ch 13:19 the altar of the Lord: 2Ch 4:1 8:12 29:18 2Ki 16:14 18:22 Related Passages: 1 Kings 15:12-15+ (KING ASA) He also put away the male cult prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols which his fathers had made. 13 He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image and burned it at the brook Kidron. 14 But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the LORD all his days. 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. 2 Chronicles 14:2-4+ Asa did good and right in the sight of the LORD his God, 3 for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim, 4 and commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment. A RIGHT RESPONSE TO GOD'S WORD Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet (nabiy) spoke, he took courage (chazaq - literally "strengthened himself") and removed the abominable idols (shiqquts; Lxx - bdelugma = that which is abhorred - used by Jesus in Mt 24:15+) from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim (nothing is known about how these cities were captured or by whom - this is clearly territory in the Northern Kingdom) - Now clearly Asa did not carry out these actions by himself which indicates the people also responded to Azariah's encouragement and admonition. Notice Asa's prompt response (he didn't say "I need to pray about it" -- some things don't need to be prayed about but need to be promptly practiced!) was to eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive, smash the idols and seek the LORD through His altar (the brazen altar for burnt offering was in front of the porch and was for sacrifice, foreshadowing the Cross of Christ). Remember that idolatry and immorality go together so removing the abominable idols would be also cleansing the land of the horrid sexual immoralities that accompanied Canaanitish worship and which Israel had been ensnared by, even practicing sexual perversion under the deceptive guise of "worship!" THOUGHT - When you stray from the Word of Truth, it is unbelievable how far your heart will stray and how deep can be the depravity in which your heart falls! Why? Two simple answers are that sin is deceitful and gives passing pleasure! (Heb 3:13+, Heb 11:25+). (See Solomon - 1Ki 11:5, 7 where "detestable" = shiqquts). Warren