The Second Book of the Chronicles
2 Chronicles 15
Chapter XV · Vol. II, p. 861
1 Asa with Judah and many of Israel, moved by the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, make a solemn covenant with God. 16 He putteth down Maachah his mother for her idolatry. 18 He bringeth dedicated things into the house of God, and enjoyeth a long peace.
2 And he went out to meet1 Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The bLORD is with you, while ye be with him; and cif ye seek him, he will be found of you; but dif ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
1 Heb. before Asa.
b ch.13.12; 32.8. 1 Ch.22.18. Ja.4.8.
c ver.4,14. Mat.7.7. ch.33.12,13. Ps.32.6. Je.29.12-14. Is.55.6.
d 1 Ch.28.9. 2 Ki.21.14. ch.24.20; 7.19,20.
3 Now for ea long season2 Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law:
e Ho.3.4. 1 Ki.12.28-33; 15.3.
2 The prophet does not mean 'long ago' in reference to the time of the judges, but addressing Judah and Benjamin, ver. 2, 8, he speaks of the separate kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam (comp. ver. 9), of the mutual calamities the two kingdoms inflicted upon each other (see ch. 13. 17), because of this national defection, and of God's mercy to such, in either nation, as believed the word of his law and prophets, and turned to him by repentance.—C.
4 But fwhen they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.
5 And in those times there was gno peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
g Ju.5.6; vi. x. 1 Sa. xiii. ch.12.15; xiii.
7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.
8 And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of iOded4 the prophet, he took courage, and put away the kabominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities lwhich he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the oaltar of the LORD that was before the porch of the LORD.
i ver.1.
4 'These words,' that is, the words spoken by Azariah the son of Oded, ver. 1, and the 'prophecy' of Oded himself, who had likewise spoken, though the words of his prophecy are not given, while their happy effect is recorded.—C.
k Heb. abominations, 2 Ki.23.13.
l ch.13.19.
o ch.4.1; 8.12.
9 And he gathered pall Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: (for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him:5
p ch.11.16; 32.9. Zec.8.23.
5 The 'strangers' here mentioned were Israelites belonging to tribes not included in the kingdom of Judah. It is singular to find? some even out of Ephraim, the great rival tribe, coming to Jerusalem. It is evident that many in the northern kingdom were dissatisfied and shocked at the idolatry there practised, and now when they saw the pure worship of God re-established under Asa, they embraced the precious opportunity of journeying to Jerusalem to join in it. It is not to be inferred from the mention of 'strangers out of Simeon,' that the tribe and territory of Simeon were not included in the southern kingdom. They formed part of Judah; but it seems that some of the Simeonites had left their homes and settled in the northern kingdom. They are here called 'strangers.'—P.
10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the qthird month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
q Es.8.9.
11 And they roffered unto the LORD the same time,6 of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen, and seven thousand sheep.
r Nu.31.28,29. ch.1.6; 7.5. 1 Ch.26.26,27.
6 Heb. in that day.
12 And they sentered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart, and with all their soul;
13 That twhosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.7
14 And they usware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.
u Ne.5.13; 10.29. Ps.119.106.
15 And all xJudah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he ywas found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about.
16 And also concerning zMaachah the amother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen,8 because she had made an 9idol1 in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook bKidron.
z 1 Ki.15.13. ch.14.3,5. De.33.9; 13.6,8. Zec.13.3.
a Grandmother, 1 Ki.15.2,10.
8 In many eastern courts, the queen-mother is not a name of relation, but of a high and influential office. From such a dignity Maachah seems to have been removed.—C.
9 Heb. horror.
1 Literally, 'a fear in a grove,' that is, an object to be worshipped with fear, not the filial and ennobling fear which is due to God, but the slavish and degrading fear rendered to an abominable idol. There is little doubt that this idol was Ashtaroth.—C.
17 But the chigh places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
c For worship of the true God, Le.26.38. De.12.13,14. 1 Ki.22.43. 2 Ki.12.3; 14.4. ch.33.17.
18 And he brought dinto the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.
19 And there was no more war unto2 the five and thirtieth year of the ereign of Asa.
2 Till the end of.
e Kingdom, 1 Ki.15.16,32.
Notes
Reflections.—Let me observe that God grants peace and victory to his people to animate them to their duty; that none ever seek him in vain; but that the case of churches and nations is extremely bad when God forsakes them; and that the hurt which we or others have sustained by sin ought to deter us from it. God's work must be done with unanimity, cheerfulness, and resolution; and we must draw as many as we can into it. He must be served with the first and best of what providence brings to our hand: and all our religious performances are to no purpose except they be hearty and sincere. Notwithstanding the high obligations of God's law on our consciences, to the whole of our duty, it is often necessary that we bind our souls to it by bonds, oaths, and covenants with God, in order to fortify us against temptation, and engage us to holiness, or to renew those public covenants into which our fathers entered for themselves and us. Public covenanting with God is of great use in times of reformation; and ought always to be grounded on the covenant of grace and the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ; performed with much knowledge, faith, integrity, delight, and cheerfulness; and nothing engaged to in it but what is plainly warranted by God. It is both an honour and happiness for nations to be under such vows. And great care, faithfulness, and impartiality ought to be exercised in extirpating idolatry, and in punishing obstinate idolaters for their treasonable rebellion against God, the King of kings. National piety procures national happiness; yet none experience the real pleasures of religion but such as are sincere and upright in it; to such, though they be not sinless, God's service brings its own comfort and reward along with it.