seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 Kings 15:1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.
3 He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. 4 Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. 5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.
6 There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam throughout Abijah’s lifetime. 7 As for the other events of Abijah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king.
9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.
11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done. 12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. 13 He even deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14 Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. 15 He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.
16 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
18 Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 19 “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”
20 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.
23 As for all the other events of Asa’s reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. 24 Then Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king.
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Asa became king over Judah: This great-grandson of Solomon took the throne of Judah at the end of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel, after his father’s brief reign.
Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did his father David: The kings of Judah were usually measured against David, the founder of their dynasty. In contrast to his father Abijah (1 Kings 15:3), Asa followed in the same heart as David.
The phrase his father David shows us that in Hebrew literature the word father can be used of an ancestor in general, instead of strictly referring to one’s father. David was actually the great-great-grandfather of Asa.
He banished the perverted persons from the land: These state-sanctioned homosexual idol-temple prostitutes were introduced into Judah during the reign of Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:24). Asa’s father Abijam didn’t remove these perversions and idols, but King Asa did.
Also he removed Maachah his grandmother from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah: This demonstrates the thoroughness of Asa’s reforms. He was able to act righteously even when his family was wrong, in particular his own grandmother. “It is in a man’s own family circle that his faithfulness is put fairly to the test” (Knapp).
Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the treasuries of the king’s house: Asa used this treasure to buy the favor of Ben-Hadad of Syria, so that he would withdraw support from Israel. Apparently, Baasha of Israel could not stand against Judah by himself — he needed the backing of Syria.
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Asa was the great grandson of Solomon. Asa was the great, great grandson of David. Asa was the great, great, great grandson of Ruth and Boaz.
Asa ran the prostitutes out of the Temples in Verse 12
Asa took all the idols, golden calves and other junk the people had been worshipping, and burned them to ash in the local dump in Verse 13.
Now when Solomon was king, he set Bathsheba on a throne right beside him. Apparently, the others followed his "wise" example.
Asa took his grandmother's throne away because she made idols to be worshipped in the temple too. Asa deposed his own grandmother in verse 13.
Asa also knew he couldn't hold off the armies of Jeroboam. Asa gathered up all the gold and silver he could get his hands on and used that gold and silver to buy a peace agreement with the king of Syria for protection in verse 19.
So now there is Jeroboam, Asa, and Ben Hadad. Asa and Ben Hadad had a peace agreement. Jeroboam in Israel should stay away from Judah and Syria if he knows what's good for him, right?
Now, please indulge me for a couple of minutes while I discuss the male prostitutes in the temples. Asa ran them out.
A long time ago, I lived in Kissimmee, Florida. I belonged to the local Baptist church. I taught a youth group. I was pregnant with my third baby. They used to say they didn't think that the baby would ever be born because I was too busy in the church to take time to have a baby.
Anyway, the preacher of that church was an alcoholic. He made no bones about it. He would preach about it. He was apparently on the deck of an aircraft carrier on his last drunk and God made an impact on him and he never looked back. He said he was sober only by the Grace of God.
There were, no doubt, a few uppity women who were opposed to the hiring of this good man because he was a drunk. How dare they bring a drunk into the church? Suppose he backslid and was drunk on Sunday morning, or Wednesday evening! They could not allow that!
That preacher was just a common ordinary alcoholic, grateful for his sobriety through Jesus, his Savior.
What if that preacher's problem was not alcohol? What if that preacher's problem was his sliced-up thingy? What if the preacher had been a redeemed trans?
Wouldn't those uppity women have a field day with that?!? What if the male prostitutes that moved into the temples were redeemed? What if they were so thankful for redemption that they were willing to care for the Temple? Would they have to be removed so the straight people would be more comfortable praying to their golden calves?
Would those uppity women even believe it possible for a male prostitute to find redemption in Jesus? Hey, I've been one of those uppity women. I know what they are likely to spew.
Oh well, enough reading for today. Thank you for reading along.
Asa got rid of the male prostitutes, the idols in the temples, his idol worshipping grandmother, and hired the king of Syria to protect his kingdom.
Asa cleaned house.
