Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life

1 King 15:1-24

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.

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. 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. 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.

In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.

Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done. He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. 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. Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.

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.  “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.”

The writer of Kings defines a good king as one who promotes the worship of God: a bad king as one who strays into idolatrous practices. In this definition, Abijam's three-year reign is a bad one. Asa, by contrast, is a good king. He rules for 41 years. The war with Israel continues until he succeeds in persuading Syria to change side. It cost him all the silver and gold from his palace and the temple, but diverts Baasha's attention and buys Asa time to improve his own defenses.

Why?

Abijah did not worship the Lord so his life is short. As to be a bad king.

Asa is a good king in Judah, but he spent many resources to improve his own defenses for Judah is always fighting with the Israelites. 

Asa's heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life, which is a good comment to this king in Judah by the writer.

All of us will be commended by the Lord after we finished our life in this world.

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亞比央：我的父親，央： 海神  亞比亞：耶和華是我的父親。有敬拜的儀式卻沒有敬畏神的心。只記錄常常與以色列爭戰，即一個不敬畏神的王，戰爭勝負已經不重要。亞比央是先知寫的，所以明顯與例代誌記載不同。亞比央作者認為他是以耶和華為父親的神，所以記為亞比央。

亞撒用金錢外交，讓我的敵對國與你斷交，因為他有錢，有經濟能力，這是人的習慣，用錢來解決問題。有錢就想用錢來解決問題。亞撒一生敬畏神怎麼會有這樣的行為，這是丘壇的影響。利未記已經說明不可在聖殿以外地方獻祭，不可用自己喜歡的方式，方便的方式，地方……丘壇就是世俗化的影響力在社會上。

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How?

What I can do to the Lord? Nothing. Just be humble and obey God's word with fully committed to the Lord all my life.