The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-07-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JULY IL.
Subject: hsa's Good Reign; III chron..
xiv, 1-12-Golden Text, II Chron.,
xiv, 11-Memory Verses, 2-5-Com-

xiv, 11-Memory Verses, 2-5-Com.
~1nentary on the Days Lesson.
7. Reformation under Asa Tvs. 1-5). l.
"City of David" Jerusalem. ASA, his
Abijah had many sons (chap. l3:2l).
"Reigned:" Asa reigned forty-osne years.
WAS quiet" That is, they had no wars
'"Ten years" This was probably the re-
suit, largely, of -Abijah's great victory over
Jeroboam. These ten years Of rest are
naturally to be assigned to the beginning
of Asa's reign; later on there was a rest
of twenty years (compar. chap. 1910 with
1919. The number ten here makes a
discrepancy with l Kings, for Baasha be-
came king of Israel in the third year OF
Asa, and there was war between Asa and
Baasha all their days" Il Kings 1899. ..
Good and right" After the division Of
the kingdom not one of the nineteen kings
that ruled over Israel was a good king,
and only a few Of the nineteen who ruled
over Judah were good. Asa was the first
good king of Judah. He followed the COM
mandments of God with his whole heart,
and in hat respect was like David. "In
the eyes of-God." /. He aimed at pleas
ing God. .. He saw Gods eye always
upon him. 8. God approved of what he
did. The important question is not wheth-
ST We dIS IbSIlI III Jul w SySs, VI III hhS
eyes of the world, but are we right before
God.
8. "He took away" This statement,
which is again repeated in verse 5, seems
to be c%ontradicted in chap. 1911, where it
is said the high niaces were not taken
away out of Israel" There are different
ways of explaining this apparent discrep-
ancy. Perhaps the best explanation is that
Asa made a great effort to remove them
from his kingdom. and was largely success
full, but that Notwithstanding all his efforts
he failed of complete success. The writer
does not say that he took away "all" the
high places. Some think that the high
places here referred to were those of the
strange gods, while those where God was
worshiped were suffered to remain; others
think that at one time in his reign Asa
succeeded in abolishing all the high places,
but that they subsequently appeared again.
Strange gods" Heather deities. High
en- to erect affairs for their idolatrous wor-
ship on the tops of hills or mountains, sup
posing they were nearer to God and heav-
en-. HGroves." "Asherim." r. V. This
word is the proper name for q heather
Asherah plural for Asherim
and Asheroth), and is another form for
Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians.
Asherah was their female, as Baal was
male divinity. In the plural it IS
often used in the more general sense OF
4. ITO seek the Lord" Compare chap.
1912, l3. Asa commanded the peSplc to
observe all the divine institutions which
they had been utterly neglecting. After
destroying idolatry, Asa revived religious
worship ,Q) by his personal example, and
{2) by the use of his authority. He car
ried out the reforms in a spirit of self-con-
secration, courage and zeal. He sought to
please God first and not himself or his
courtiers. 5. Images" "Sun images
R. V. The original word is different from
the one used in verse 8. The Hebrew word
is of uncertain meaning, and j; is possible
the hearth on which the sacred fire was
kept. The Hebrew root means to be hot.
WAS quiet" The people obeyed the com
mand1 of Asa and sought the Lord (chaD.
l5).
II. Asa's military defenses Tvs. 6-9). G.
"Built fenced cities" He probably re-
stored the fortresses which Shishak, the
king OF Egypt, had taken and disnantled
(chap. l2:2-4). The kingdom Ct Judah
had probably been tributary to Egypt
the time of Shishak's invasion (chap.
l2:S), but now Asa Giscerned a favorable
time to throw off this foreign yoke, and
while the land was unguarded by the
Egyptians he fortified his kingdom. Lord
had given" Asa had not gained rest and
success by his W %valor, but God had
given it. 7. "Land-before US" That is,
the land was unoccupied and I'M
by their enemies and they were
free to 90 at their OWL pleasure. Sought
the Lord" 1t is always good to seek the
Lord. Those who pursue the world meet
with vexation of spirit. but God gives
peace and prosperity and real prosperity
spears."\ See R. V. The Hebrew word
rendered target means a large shield:
'Out of Judah" Asa's army is divided
into heavy-armed soldiers, carrying spears,
belonging to Judah, and light,armed bow:
men belonging to Benjamin. All these"
This does not mean that Asa had an army
of $4,000 professional soldiers, such as
compose European armies Or our standing
army. but there were in judah and Benja-
min this number of men capable of bear.
ing arms and liable to be called into serv-
ice.
III. Asa defeats the Ethiopians Tvs.
9-l5). 9. "Zerah the Ethiopian" He
probably belonged to the same dynasty as
Shishal (chap. l2:24), for his army was
composed of the same nations. This proves
him to have been an Egyptian and not, as
some have thought, al Arabian or Asiatic
king. His object in invading Judah was
doubtless to recover to Egypt the cities
which Asa had been fortifying, for Asa's
procedure had been virtually a rebellien
This is the largest collected army of which
we hear in the Scriptures. But SOM think
that the number is not to be taken liter
ally, and that a thousand thousand signi-
fies that there was a great host too great
to number. .'Three hundred chariots."
The chariots, though comparatively few.
are mentioned because Asa himself had
none at all. "Mareshah." One of the
cities which had been fortified b. Reno
boam (chap. 1l:S). 1t vas probably near
the western border Of Judah, about twel.
ty.fve miles southwest Of Jerusalem.
II. Cried unto me Lo J." Asa caT
that his no. e Of success was not il any Ell.
fort he might be able to make, but in God.
His taith and courage mounted high, and
Mith holy hold9 Ts he Eres2ed his ease:
alike to Thee to help the powerful CT the
weak, Thou canst as easily hcl7 the weak
as the strong. 'In Thy rane." That is,
by Thy commission. in confidence of Thy
assistance. and for the maintenance of Thy
honor and service and people. 1--WE 60"
Although relying on God for victory, yet
Asa made the best preparations possible
and went out 10 meet the enemy. against
Thee Asa thus made the battle the
Lords, and called upon Hin to maintain
His own honor. -. "Thc Lord snote."
But not without the help of Asa and his
Jewish and Benjamite forces. "Fled."
Filled with terror the vast Ethiopian
hcrdcs fed to the south.