Asa and Good Living

And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father. And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the Lord all his days.

1 Kings 15:11-14

Finally, a good king! It has been a lot of bad so far, and that is to be expected because the good are rare when it comes to kings of Judah and nonexistent in Israel. So what makes Asa a good king? Let’s consult the Word above.

He did what was right in the sight of the Lord. The Lord is the standard. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple (Psalm 19:7). When we look at all rulers, we compare them first to this standard. No man can be a great leader without doing right in the eyes of the Lord.

He followed the right examples in his family. First, Asa is compared to David; he was like David in this way. This does not mean that he is without sin. For we know that David, like all men, sinned and fell short of the glory of God. We know one thing: that Asa did not completely remove the high places. Yet the Word says, “Nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the Lord all his days.”

He rejected the wrong examples in his family. He removed the idols of his father and even went as far as removing his mother as queen. Asa would not tolerate the idolatry even of his mother, and he destroyed her idol in a grove. He removed the sodomites out of the land even though that practice was accepted under the former regime.

We, too, can be like Asa; we can walk in the standard of the Lord and His standard alone. We can affirm the example of our faithful brethren. We can reject the false traditions of our families that are contrary to the Word. Let us use good examples for good living.

Grace and Peace,

Ryan

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