2 Chronicles 15 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

2 Chronicles 15 Short Summary:

In 2 Chronicles 15, Azariah, the prophet of God, is sent to King Asa of Judah to remind him to seek the Lord and obey His commands. Asa takes the prophet’s words seriously and begins an immediate purge of idolatry from his country. In the 15th year of his 41-year reign, he gathered the citizens of his kingdom together and had them swear an oath to follow God’s law.

2 Chronicles 15 Extended Summary

WHEN:

• Asa reigned over Judah for 41 years. His reign fits within the window of 960-910 B.C.

CHARACTERS:

• Asa – King of Judah.

• Azariah – God’s prophet who He used to deliver a message to King Asa.

• Maacah – The queen-mother of Judah. She lost her role and her title because she was an idol worshiper.

WHERE:

• Asa reigned from Jerusalem.

• High Places – These were locations, probably on the tops of hills, where altars were built and sacrifices were offered to the Lord. The Bible doesn’t tell us how these places were designated. It’s possible some of them were originally chosen as holy sites by the nations who inhabited the Promised Land prior to Israel’s conquest.

OUTLINE:

• AZARIAH DELIVERS GOD’S MESSAGE TO KING ASA (15:1-7):

  • The Spirit of God gave Azariah a message to deliver to King Asa.

  • Azariah delivered the message, which was a reminder that God would bless Judah if they honored Him, but He would forsake them if they forsook Him.

  • Azariah reminded Asa of times in Israel’s past when they walked away from God and were oppressed by enemies, but how God was always willing to help them if they returned to Him.

  • God’s prophet encouraged Asa to take courage and to take action against any form of ungodliness in Judah.

• ASA’S REFORMS IN JUDAH (15:8-19):

  • As soon as Asa heard Azariah’s words from the Lord, he began a purge of all idolatry from Judah.

  • He repaired the bronze Altar of Burnt Offering which sat in front of the Temple.

  • Asa even removed Maacah from her position as queen-mother because she was an idol worshiper. He tore down her Asherah idol, crushed it, and burned it.

  • In the 15th year of his reign, Asa gathered all the people of his kingdom, and together, they offered 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep, and took an oath to follow the Lord with all their heart and soul.

  • Anyone who refused to obey the Lord was to be put to death.

  • One thing Asa failed to do was to remove the unauthorized “high places” from Judah, but the text still says his “heart was blameless all his days” (15:17).

  • Asa refilled the Temple treasuries with gold and silver dedicated to the Lord.

  • After his campaign against idolatry, Asa enjoyed a period of peace, lasting until the 35th year of his reign.
    

APPLICATION:

• Asa’s leadership is admirable, especially his determination to root out evil in his immediate family.

• Many corrupt leaders stop short of doing anything that might affect their families.

• They’re ok with condemning other people’s actions, but they don’t want to expose the problems of their relatives.

• This even happens in the Church. Church leaders will sometimes boldly rebuke a group of people for being involved in a particular sin, while at the same time, turning a blind eye to the sins of their relatives.

• Asa gives modern leaders an example to follow. He cared more about the purity of his people than protecting his relatives from shame.