Chapter 15
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
2And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
3Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
4But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.
5And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
6And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.
7Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.
8And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.
9And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
10So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
11And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
12And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
13That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
14And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.
15And all 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: and the LORD gave them rest round about.
16And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.
17But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
18And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.
19And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.
“The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.”
Overview
The Spirit of God comes upon Azariah, who encourages Asa with the message that God is with those who seek Him but will forsake those who forsake Him. Inspired, Asa completes a thorough reform, removing idols even from his own grandmother Maachah. The people enter a covenant to seek the LORD with all their heart and soul, and God gives them rest on every side.
Key Themes
Prophetic Encouragement for Reform
The Spirit-empowered word of Azariah gives Asa the courage to complete his reforms, showing the vital role of prophetic encouragement in spiritual renewal.
Covenant Renewal
The people's sworn covenant to seek God with all their heart represents a communal decision that transforms the nation's spiritual direction.
The Cost of Total Commitment
Asa's removal of his grandmother's idol shows that total commitment to God may require painful separations from those closest to us.
Study Questions
What does Azariah's message 'The LORD is with you, while ye be with him' (v. 2) teach about conditional blessing?
What does it cost Asa to depose his own grandmother, and what does this teach about priorities?
Why does the covenant specifically mention seeking God 'with all their heart and with all their soul' (v. 12)?
How does the death penalty for those who refuse to seek God (v. 13) strike modern readers, and what does it reveal about the seriousness of the covenant?
What does the resulting rest on every side teach about the fruit of wholehearted commitment?
Connection to Christ
Azariah's promise that God is with those who seek Him points to Christ, Immanuel — God with us — who promises 'he that seeketh findeth' (Matthew 7:8). The covenant to seek God with all the heart anticipates the new covenant in Christ, where God writes His law on hearts rather than stone, enabling the wholehearted devotion that the old covenant demanded but could not produce (Hebrews 8:10).
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through 2 Chronicles 15. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?