2-я Паралипоменон 14

Ch2 14:1-3 Asa's efforts for the abolition of idolatry and the establishment of the kingdom. - Ch2 14:1-4. The good and right in God's eyes which Asa did is further defined in Ch2 14:2-4. He abolished all the objects of the idolatrous worship. The "altars of the strangers" are altars consecrated to foreign gods; from them the בּמות, high places, are distinguished-these latter being illegal places of sacrifice connected with the worship of Jahve (see on Kg1 15:14). The מצּבוה are the statues or monumental columns consecrated to Baal, and אשׁרים the wooden idols, tree-trunks, or trees, which were consecrated to Astarte (see on Kg1 14:23 and Deu 16:21). Asa at the same time commanded the people to worship Jahve, the God of the fathers, and to follow the law. Ch2 14:4-6 He removed from all the cities of Judah the altars of the high places, and the חמּנים, sun-pillars, pillars or statues consecrated to Baal as sun-god, which were erected near or upon the altars of Baal (Ch2 34:4; see on Lev 26:30). In consequence of this the kingdom had rest לפניו, before him, i.e., under his oversight (cf. Num 8:22). This ten-years' quiet (Ch2 14:1) which God granted him, Asa employed in building fortresses in Judah (Ch2 14:5). "We will build these cities, and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bolts." It is not said what the cities were, but they were at any rate others than Geba and Mizpah, which he caused to be built after the war with Baasha (Ch2 16:6). "The land is still before us," i.e., open, free from enemies, so that we may freely move about, and build therein according to our pleasure. For the phraseology, cf. Gen 13:9. The repetition of דּרשׁנוּ, Ch2 14:6, is impassioned speech. "They built and had success;" they built with effect, without meeting with any hindrances.…

Here is, I. Asa's general character (Ch2 14:2): He did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 1. He aimed at pleasing God, studied to approve himself to him. Happy are those that walk by this rule, to do that which is right, not in their own eyes, or in the eye of the world, but in the eyes of God. 2. He saw God's eye always upon him, and that helped much to keep him to what was good and right. 3. God graciously accepted him in what he did, and approved his conduct as good and right. II. A blessed work of reformation which he set on foot immediately upon his accession to the crown. 1. He removed and abolished idolatry. Since Solomon admitted idolatry, in the latter end of his reign, nothing had been done to suppress it, and so, we presume, it had got ground. Strange gods were worshipped and had their altars, images, and groves; and the temple service, though kept up by the priests (Ch2 13:10), was neglected by many of the people. Asa, as soon as he had power in his hands, made it his business to destroy all those idolatrous altars and images (Ch2 14:3, Ch2 14:5), they being a great provocation to a jealous God and a great temptation to a careless unthinking people. He hoped by destroying the idols to reform the idolaters, which he aimed at, rather than to ruin them. 2. He revived and established the pure worship of God; and, since the priests did their part in attending God's altars, he obliged the people to do theirs (Ch2 14:4): He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and not the gods of the heathen, and to do the law and the commandments, that is, to observe all divine institutions, which many had utterly neglected. In doing this, the land was quiet before him, Ch2 14:5. Though they were much in love with their idols, and very…

14:1 Asa reigned from 910 to 869 BC.