2 Chronicles 14:1 - Meaning and Application

Here is Asa’s general character. He did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He aimed to please God and to gain his approval. Those are happy people who use that rule, doing what is right, not in their own eyes or in the eyes of the world, but in God’s eyes.

He also kept in mind that God was always watching him, and that helped keep him steady in what was good and right. God kindly accepted Asa in what he did and approved his conduct as good and right.

Here is also the blessed work of reformation that Asa began as soon as he came to the throne. He removed and destroyed idolatry. Since Solomon had allowed idol worship near the end of his reign, nothing had been done to stop it, so it likely had spread. Foreign gods were being worshiped, with their altars, images, and groves, while many people had neglected the temple worship, even though the priests kept serving there (2 Chronicles 13:10).

Asa, as soon as he had authority, made it his work to tear down those idolatrous altars and images (2 Chronicles 14:3, 2 Chronicles 14:5). They were a great insult to a jealous God and a serious trap for careless people. He hoped that destroying the idols would help reform the idol worshipers, which was his aim, rather than simply ruin them.

He also revived and established the true worship of God. Since the priests were doing their part at God’s altars, he required the people to do theirs too (2 Chronicles 14:4). He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and not the gods of the nations, and to obey the law and the commandments. That is, they were to observe all God’s appointed ways, which many had completely neglected.

As a result, the land was quiet before him (2 Chronicles 14:5). Though the people had a strong love for their idols and were slow to leave them, their consciences agreed with Asa’s commands, and they could not easily refuse. Those who have power and use it firmly to restrain wickedness and reform behavior will often face less resistance than they fear. Evil is sly and weak in the end, while virtue has the better case, so all wrongdoing must finally stop its mouth (Psalm 107:42).

In Asa’s days the land had peace for ten years (2 Chronicles 14:1). There was no war with the kingdom of Israel, which did not quickly recover from the blow it had received in the previous reign. Abijah’s victory, which came from his courage under God, laid the foundation for Asa’s peace, and that peace was the reward of Asa’s faith and reform. Though Abijah was not a deeply religious man, he still helped prepare the way for one who was.

If Abijah had not done what he did to quiet the land, Asa could not have done what he did to reform it, because in the noise of war, the voice of law is unheard.

Asa also made wise use of that quiet time. The land had rest because the Lord had given him rest. If God gives quietness, who can make trouble? (Job 34:29). Those truly have rest to whom God gives rest, and true peace comes to those to whom Christ gives peace, not the kind the world gives (John 14:27).

First, Asa recognized that their rest was a gift from God. He said that God had given them rest on every side. We should thank God for the rest we enjoy in body and mind, in our families, and in the country. He also saw this rest as the reward of the reform they had begun. Because they had sought the Lord their God, he had given them rest.

We should notice both the hard dealings of Providence, which warn us away from evil, and the kind dealings of Providence, which encourage us in what is good. The people had found by experience that it is good to seek the Lord, because it brings rest. When we chase after the world, we only find trouble.

Second, Asa consulted with his people, through their leaders, about how to make good use of this peaceful time. They agreed on two things. They must not be lazy, but busy. Times of peace should be used for work, because we should always have something useful to do. In the years when he had no war, Asa said, “Let us build, and let us keep working.” When the churches had rest, they were built up (Acts 9:31). When the sword is put away, take up the trowel.

They must also not be careless, but prepare for war. In times of peace, we should get ready for trouble, expect it, and store up what we need for it. He fortified the chief cities with walls, towers, gates, and bars (2 Chronicles 14:7). “Let us do this,” he said, “while the land is still open before us,” that is, while they still had the chance and advantage to do it. He spoke as one expecting trouble to rise someday, when it would be too late to fortify, and when they would wish they had done it. So they built and prospered.

He also had a good army ready if needed (2 Chronicles 14:8), not a permanent standing army, but the militia, the trained men of the country. Judah and Benjamin were counted separately. Benjamin, once called little Benjamin (Psalm 68:27), had almost as many soldiers as Judah, coming close at 28 to 30, which shows how much that tribe had grown. God’s blessing can make a small one become a thousand.

It seems these two tribes were armed differently, both for attack and defense. The men of Judah carried large shields, while the men of Benjamin carried smaller shields (1 Kings 10:16, 1 Kings 10:17). The men of Judah used spears when they came close to the enemy, while the men of Benjamin used bows to strike from farther away. Both served well, and neither could say to the other, “I have no need of you.” Different gifts and duties are meant for the good of all.