THEY SOUGHT HIM WITH THEIR WHOLE DESIRE

The subject before us is that of the peace and rest provided for the people of God, and the conditions under which enjoyment of these blessings is obtained. Asa was a good king and mostly set a good example, but there was indifference on the part of the people. The Lord made this clear through the words of Oded the prophet: ‘The Lord is with you, while ye be with him;’ v. 2, and ‘Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law’, v. 3.

God outlined the ground for restoration - total allegiance to Him requiring faithfulness and industrious outworking in their personal lives, and in the social and religious life of the nation. Any lack of rest was the result of their disobedience and a sign of God’s displeasure; ‘for God did vex them with all adversity’, v. 6.

Even though it is recorded that ‘the heart of Asa was perfect all his days’, 2 Chr. 15. 17, scripture also records some discrepancy between his love for the things of God and his ability to work this out in his own life and in the life of the nation. For example, he made an alliance with the king of Syria and imprisoned the prophet (Hanani) who opposed him, and he sought the physicians rather than the Lord during his illness, 2 Chr. 16. 10, 12. But God looked upon Asa’s heart, preserved the good testimony of his reign, and followed instances of failure with examples of faithfulness.

Following Oded’s prophecy, Asa gathered the people to him and ‘they saw that the Lord his God was with him’, v. 9, and they made a covenant with Him. Their covenant was to ‘seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul’, v. 12. Only 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’, v. 15. All knew about the covenant but it was only fulfilled in Asa and the people of Judah. The things of the Lord transcend human wisdom but are not beyond human understanding in the power of the Spirit; we will only be faithful to the things of the Lord when they are precious to us and touch and move our hearts. If this is the case, the result will be glorious, as it was to Asa and the people of Judah; ‘the Lord gave them rest round about’, v. 15.