"Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord his God" (vs. 2)
The Bible makes clear its opinion which kings were good and which were not, based on their adherence to the Law and their devotion to the Lord. But how important was it, really, to have a good king? Did they have any real power to effect change in the spiritual realm?
In the case of Asa, we see just how influential a good king could be. As the national leader, the king set the spiritual tone for the people. Asa "took away the foreign altars and the high places, broke down the pillars, hewed down the sacred poles, and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to keep the law and the commandment" (vs. 3 and 4). In addition, Asa also removed the high places and incense altars from all the cities of Judah and built fortified cities.
Because of the decisions that he made and carried out, the land and the people were blessed with peace and protection. The king's heart really does make a difference on the quality of life in the nation. Asa shows that leaders have the power to affect the spiritual temperature of the land. That is true today just as much as it was back then.
The power of Asa to be a force for good will be magnified even more in the next chapter as the king is encouraged by the prophet Azariah to strengthen his program of religious reform. However, it will also be seen that the king's potential for good only remains as long as that king stays true to the course. Unfortunately for Asa and Judah, the king's constancy with the Lord did not persist.
No comments:
Post a Comment