BE YE STRONG THEREFORE, AND LET NOT YOUR HANDS BE WEAK

Asa had earlier conducted an extensive campaign against idola­try, 14. 3-5, but the message from the prophet Azariah proved to be the spark which ignited a second phase in the great revival of Asa’s day. This time, Asa ‘put away the abominable idols’, not only ‘out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin’, but also ‘out of the cities which he had taken from’ the northern king­dom of Israel.

Our text forms the closing section of Azariah’s message and the Holy Spirit immediately stresses the wholehearted response of Asa to the prophet’s exhortation. For the word translated ‘took courage’, v. 8, is the same as that rendered ‘Be ye strong’, v. 7. Asa was exhorted to be strong and courageous, and this he was! It is interesting to note that God sent the prophet to the king of Judah with the exhortation ‘be strong’, not when Asa was con­fronted by the incredibly large army of the Ethiopians, 14. 9, or when he faced a military onslaught from the nation of Israel, 16. 1, but when he was moved to eliminate the abhorrent and detestable idols which still remained in the land. Asa certainly needed great spiritual strength and courage to deal effectively and thoroughly with the remnants of idola­try throughout his kingdom - not least because of the evil and powerful influence exerted by Maachah, the queen mother. Of Rehoboam’s 18 wives, Maachah had been Rehoboam’s favour­ite, 11. 18-22, and she was Asa’s own grandmother. For Asa to depose such an influential family member and to crush and burn the ‘horrible and terrifying’ image (‘idol’ in the KJV) she had herself made for the goddess Asherah, v. 16, was a laudable case of setting one’s spiritual loyalty above one’s family loyalty. Not a task for the weak-handed! Ahaziah’s exhortation was backed up by the assurance, ‘your work shall be rewarded’. It was the same God who provided Asa with strength (compare 14. 11) who promised him full recom­pense. For our part, we should heed the exhortation of Paul, ‘quit you like men, be strong’, 1 Cor. 16. 13, fully assured that our ‘la­bour’ also ‘is not in vain in the Lord’, 15. 58.