Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-07-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JULY u.

XIV. 11-Memory Verses, @-b-Com-
mentary on the Days Lesson.
I. Reformation under Asa Tvs. l-5). !.
"City of David" Jerusalem. Asa, his
SON" Abijah had many sons (chap. 1921.
"Was quiet" That is, they had no wars.
"Ten wears" 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 Asas reign; later on there was rest
of twenty years (compar. chap 1910 with
l5:l9). 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 1892. 2:
Good and right" After the division OF
the kingdom not one of the nineteen Kings
that ruled over Israel was good king,
and only 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 ms whole heart,
and in hat respect was like David. I'm
the eyes of-God." l.: He aimed at pleas
ing God. g. He saw Gods eye always
upon him. 8. God approved of what he
did The important question is not wheth'
er we are right in our own eyes, or in the
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 contradcted in chap. l5:l7, where 1t
is said The high places 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 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 "alp' 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
places" It was the practice of the heath
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 heather
goddess. Asherah plural for Asherim
and Asheroth), and is another form for
Ashtoreth, the goddess Of the Zidonians.
Asherah was their female, as Baal was
their male divinity. In the plural 1t IS
J often used in the more general sense of
: idols
4. "To seek the Lord Compare chap.
l5:l2. Is. Asa commanded the people to
observe all the divine institutions which
they had been utterly neglecting. After
DESTROYING idolatry, Asa revived religious
worship () by his personal example, and
(2) by the use of his authority. He car
! ried out the reforms in spirit of self-con-
secration, courage and zeal. He sought to
please God first and not himself or his
courtiers. S. 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 it is possible
that no kind of image is meant, but rather
the hearth on which the sacred fire was
kept. The Hebrew root means to be hot.
"Was quiet" The people obeyed the COM
mands of Asa and sought the Lord (chap.
l5). 10,
ri. Asa's military defenses Tvs. 6-S). 6.
"Built fenced cities" He probably re-
stored the fortresses which Shishak, the
king of Egypt, had taken and dismantled
(chap. l2:24). The kingdom of Judah
! had probably been tributary to Egypt
since the time of Shishak's invasion (chap.
l2:S), but now Asa discerned 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
given it. 7. "Land-before u.s." That is
While the land was unoccupied and un
guarded by their enemies and they were
free to 90 at their own 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
can come only from God. g. Targets and
spears." See R. V. The Hebrew word
here rendered target means 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. 49,.
III. Asa defeats the Philippians Tvs
e-i5). o. "Zerah the Ethiopian" He
probably belonged to the same dynasty al
Shishak (chap. l2:24, for his army wal
composed of the same nations. This proves
him to have been an Egyptian and not, al
some have thought, an Arabian or Asiatit
king. His object in invading judah was
doubtless to recover to Egypt the cities
which Asa had been fortifying, for Asa!
procedure had been virtually a, rebellion
against Egypt. "a thousand thousand.
This is the largest collected army of which
we hear in the Scriptures. But some thinl
that the number is not to be taken liter
ally, and that thousand thousand signi
fies that there was great host too grea,
to number. ''Three hundred chariots.
The chariots, though comparatively few
are mentioned because Asa himself. hat
none att all "Mareshah." One of tn
cities which had been fortified b.. Reno
boam (chap. ll:8). 1t was probably nea
the western border of Judah, about TWEEN
ty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem.
IL. "Cried unto tne Lo T." Asa say
that his hoe of success was not IN any Ell
fort be might be able to make, but in God
His faith and courage mounted high, ant
with holy boldness he pressed his case
Nothing with Thee" See R. v. 1t i
alike to Thee to help the powerful or tn
as the strong. Gin Thy name" That is
by Thy commission, in confidence of Tn.
assistance, and for the maintenance of In,
honor and service and people. 1--WE CO.
Although relying on God for victory, We
Asa made the best preparations possibl
and went out to meet the enemy. "Agains
Thee Asa thus made the battle tn
Lords. and called upon Him to maintain
His own honor. L.. "The Lord smote.
But not without the help of Asa and hi
Jewish and Benjamite forces. Fled
Filled with terror the vast Ethiopian
hordes fed to the south.