2 Chronicles 15

Asa's Religious Reforms

1 y The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, 2 and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: z The Lord is with you while you are with him. a If you seek him, he will be found by you, b but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 c For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, 4 d but when in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 5 In those times there was no peace e to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress. 7 f But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, g for your work shall be rewarded."

8 As soon as Asa heard these words, h 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 i the cities that he had taken in j the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the Lord k that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the Lord. 1 9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, l and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. 10 They were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 They sacrificed to the Lord on that day m from the spoil that they had brought 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep. 12 n And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul, 13 but that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, o should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman. 14 They swore an oath to the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns. 15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, p and the Lord gave them rest all around.

16 q Even Maacah, r his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother because she had made a detestable image s for Asherah. Asa cut down her image, t crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron. 17 u But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true all his days. 18 And he brought into the house of God the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. 19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

  1. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 20:14
    And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.
    2 Chronicles 24:20
    Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, "Thus says God, 'Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.'
    Numbers 24:2
    And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him.
    Judges 3:10
    The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.
    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.
  2. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 20:17
    You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.
  3. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 28:9
    And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.
    Isaiah 55:6
    Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.
    Jeremiah 29:13
    You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
  4. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 12:5
    Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, "Thus says the Lord, 'You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.'
    2 Chronicles 24:20
    Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, "Thus says God, 'Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.
  5. Cross References
    Hosea 3:4
    For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods.
  6. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 4:30 - 31
    When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice.
  7. Cross References
    Judges 5:6
    In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned, and travelers kept to the byways.
  8. Cross References
    Joshua 1:6 - 7
    Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
    Joshua 1:9
    Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
  9. Cross References
    Genesis 15:1
    After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.
    Psalms 62:12
    And that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work.
  10. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 15:1
    The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.
  11. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 17:2
    He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had captured.
    2 Chronicles 13:19
    And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages.
  12. Cross References
    Joshua 24:33
    And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of Phinehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim.
  13. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 8:12
    Then Solomon offered up burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord that he had built before the vestibule.
  14. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 11:16
    And those who had set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their fathers.
  15. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 14:13 - 15
    Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive, for they were broken before the Lord and his army. The men of Judah carried away very much spoil.
  16. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 29:10
    Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, in order that his fierce anger may turn away from us.
    2 Chronicles 34:31
    And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.
    2 Kings 23:3
    And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.
    Nehemiah 10:29
    Join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes.
  17. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 13:6 - 9
    If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which neither you nor your fathers have known.
  18. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 14:7
    And he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God. We have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side." So they built and prospered.
    2 Chronicles 20:30
    So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.
  19. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 15:16 - 18
    Even Maacah, his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother because she had made a detestable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron.
    1 Kings 15:13 - 15
    He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.
  20. Cross References
    1 Kings 15:2
    He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
    1 Kings 15:10
    And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
  21. Cross References
    Exodus 34:13
    You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim
  22. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 30:14
    They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they took away and threw into the Kidron Valley.
    2 Kings 23:6
    And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people.
    2 Kings 23:15
    Moreover, the altar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, that altar with the high place he pulled down and burned, reducing it to dust. He also burned the Asherah.
  23. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 14:3
    He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim
    2 Chronicles 14:5
    He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
Previous Book Next Book