Asa Reform II Chronicles 15

II Chronicles 15:8 "And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD."

Asa has returned from his battle with Zerah where the LORD smote the Ethiopians which out numbered Judah by almost 2 to 1. The prophet Oded came to Asa after the battle and told him that the LORD was with him so long as Asa sought the LORD. The situation is Israel is lacking though which this verse indicates.

v3 "Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law."

The king of Israel (ten tribes) had replaced the Levite priest with just about anyone who stepped forward. They ministered for false gods of idols. So Israel had pretty much forgotten the law of God given by Moses. This is a challenge for Asa and he sets out to clean things up, even to the point of unseating his own other.

v16 "And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron."

He also removed the high places that were in Judah. He also rebuilt the treasury of the house of the LORD from the spoils of war. v18

Asa ends this chapter in his 35th year as king and it was said of him that his heart was perfect.

v17 "But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days."

Up to this point Asa trusted in the LORD fully. We will see him falter though in the next chapter as many of us humans often do.

Psalm 15: 1-2 "LORD who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart."

Asa takes down idols in Judah.