“They
entered into the covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their
heart and soul.” (v.12)
What
brought about this covenant, was a Word from the Spirit of God given to the
prophet Oded for the ears of Asa saying, “The LORD is with you while you are
with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; if you forsake Him, He will
forsake you” (v.2).
So
when Asa heard these words, he began to make reforms, one of which was a
national covenant, to “seek the LORD”, the God of their fathers and turn from
their idolatrous ways. And whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel was to
be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman (v.13). Pretty
serious stuff, but as a result of all of Asa’s reforms and his heart being
right toward God, there was no more war for 25 years.
A covenant
is a spiritual agreement and was taken very seriously in Asa’s day. It could be
taken between a leader and his people, between two individuals, or between man
and God. Covenants made by men were more like resolutions
or endeavors, and were more often than not, broken eventually. But, a covenant
made by God to man is permanent, founded upon the oath and promise of God.
Therefore,
while Asa sought the LORD, the LORD was with him and peace prevailed in the
nation, as He promised.
The
Truth
“For no
matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so
through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians
1:20)
