2 Chronicles 15

King James Version

Full text for 2 Chronicles Chapter 15

1¶ And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:

2And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD [is] with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

3Now for a long season Israel [hath been] without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

4But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.

5And in those times [there was] no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations [were] upon all the inhabitants of the countries.

6And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.

7Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.

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.

9And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God [was] with him.

10So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

11And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil [which] they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

12And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;

13That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

14And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

15And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about.

16And 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.

17But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

18And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.

19And there was no [more] war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

King Asa received a prophecy from Azariah, urging him to seek the Lord and warning of consequences for forsaking Him. Inspired, Asa initiated a widespread religious reformation, removing idols and leading Judah into a solemn covenant to seek God wholeheartedly. This act of faithfulness brought the kingdom peace and rest for many years.

Medium Summary

The chapter begins with the Spirit of God coming upon Azariah, who delivers a powerful message to King Asa, Judah, and Benjamin. Azariah declares that the Lord is with those who seek Him but will forsake those who abandon Him, referencing Israel's past troubles due to their departure from God's law and true worship. Encouraged by this prophecy, King Asa took decisive action, removing abominable idols from the land and renewing the Lord's altar. He then gathered all Judah, Benjamin, and many from other tribes who had joined him, to Jerusalem. There, they offered sacrifices and entered into a solemn covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and soul, decreeing death for those who would not. Asa further demonstrated his commitment by removing his own mother, Maachah, from her royal position for her idolatry. This period of reform brought the kingdom peace and rest, and Asa's heart remained devoted to God throughout his reign, despite the high places not being entirely removed.

Long Summary

Second Chronicles chapter 15 opens with the Spirit of God empowering Azariah, the son of Oded, to deliver a prophetic message to King Asa and all of Judah and Benjamin. Azariah proclaimed that the Lord would remain with them as long as they remained with Him, but would forsake them if they abandoned Him, drawing a parallel to Israel's past suffering when they lacked the true God, a teaching priest, and the law. He reminded them that when they sought the Lord in their distress, He was found, and urged them to be strong, assuring them that their work would be rewarded. Inspired by this divine word, King Asa took courageous action, initiating a comprehensive religious reformation throughout his kingdom. He systematically removed abominable idols from all of Judah and Benjamin, including cities conquered from Mount Ephraim, and restored the altar of the Lord. Asa then convened a great assembly in Jerusalem during the third month of his fifteenth regnal year, gathering not only Judah and Benjamin but also a significant number of people from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had migrated to Judah upon seeing the Lord's favor upon Asa. During this assembly, they offered numerous sacrifices—seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep—from the spoils they had acquired. Crucially, they entered into a solemn covenant, vowing to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and soul, and establishing a severe penalty of death for anyone, regardless of status or gender, who would not seek Him. The people of Judah rejoiced wholeheartedly in this oath, having sworn with genuine desire, and the Lord responded by granting them rest on every side. Asa's commitment extended to his own household, as he removed his mother, Maachah, from her position as queen because she had erected an idol in a grove, which Asa subsequently cut down, stamped, and burned by the brook Kidron. Although the high places were not entirely removed from Israel, the text emphasizes that Asa's heart remained "perfect" throughout his days. He also brought dedicated silver, gold, and vessels into the house of God. Consequently, the land experienced a prolonged period of peace, with no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Presence and Seeking GodThe chapter emphasizes that "The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." This establishes a conditional relationship where God's presence and availability are directly tied to the people's faithfulness and active pursuit of Him.
  • Consequences of ApostasyAzariah's prophecy highlights the historical suffering of Israel when they were "without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law," leading to "no peace" and "great vexations." This illustrates the societal and national turmoil that results from spiritual deviation.
  • Religious ReformationKing Asa, spurred by prophecy, undertakes a significant purge of idolatry, removing "abominable idols" and renewing the altar of the Lord. This demonstrates a king's responsibility to lead his people back to pure worship according to the law.
  • Covenant RenewalThe people of Judah and the gathered Israelites enter into a solemn covenant to "seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul." This act signifies a collective commitment to spiritual devotion and obedience, reinforced by a severe penalty for non-compliance.
  • Personal Piety and LeadershipAsa's commitment is exemplified by his willingness to remove his own mother, Maachah, from her position due to her idolatry, showing that his devotion to God superseded family ties. This illustrates the personal integrity required of a godly leader.
  • Divine Reward and RestAs a direct consequence of their faithfulness and covenant, the text states that "the LORD gave them rest round about" and that "there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa." This demonstrates God's blessing of peace and security upon a nation that returns to Him.