The Harrison times., 1911-01-14

tore, and let not your hands be weak; for
your work shall be rewarded = Chron.
Isl.
TIME-Asa began to reign B, c. 96S Cor
)1e), near the close Of Jeroboam's reign in
the goth year of the kingdom Of Judah.
PLACE-The kindom Of Judah, and
Jerusalem it's capital with excursions IN
to Ephraim. Asa's great victory over
The invading Ethiopians was gained at
Mareshah, 70 miles southwest OF Jeru-
salem.
Asa was the grandson of Rehoboam,
Ills grandmother, the queen-mother at
the beginning of his reign, was Maa-
chah, an idolatress who had set up
an idol and it's debased worship in
Jerusalem. Apparently Asa was quite
q Young man when he came to the
throne, perhaps twenty years old.
Asa lived in a corrupt court, under
the influences of an idolatrous grand
mother, surrounded by idolatry fiat
tered by courtiers. His father and
his grandfather were neither OF them
good characters for boy to look up
to. There we're also some good lni1u-
ences from godly men and the temple
worship, the good priests and their
teaching of the Word Of God.
He looked out upon his fathers
kingdom, and upon the northern king
dom, and saw what was going on; the
idolatries and the evils that followed
in their train, and the heather ma
tions and the fruits Of idolatry in
them. His heart burned within him,
and urged him on to reform.
There are two possible effects OF
the presence of great and prevailing
evils. Some are overwhelmed by their
power and attractions, and become
part of their downward tide. Others
are repelled by them, hate them with
perfect hatred, and arouse all their
being to destroy them. We all know
instances of this. One OF the best
business men Of my acquaintance
lived when a boy amid the vilest sur
roundings. But he had open eyes.
He saw the effect of laziness, and re-
solved not to be lazy. He saw the
effects of drinking and smoking, and
resolved not to drink or smoke. He
saw the degrading effects Of profanity,
and he determined not to swear. And
80 through the whole list. SO Asa
did that which was right in the sight
of the Lord, as did David his father"
Asa Immediately began his reforms.
There was a period Of ten years of
rest from external attack. In these
years Asa himself did right and
obeyed God His example stood out
before all his people. 1t is a great
thing to have rulers who are true eX-
amples of goodness. This is the
source of the greatest power any per-
son can have over another,
He taught his people the word to
God, to seek God, to keep His COM
mandments. Education, knowledge of
right and wrong, are the guides Of the
impulses to seek God
From Egypt in the southwest there
came up an immense host, one million
strong, with three hundred chariots,
and like all early Oriental armies,
living on the country, consuming the
crops, burning the houses, capturing
families, and leaving devastation and
ruin behind chem, like fire on the
prairies, or the grasshoppers on a
farm They had reached Mareshah,
twenty-five miles from Jerusalem. No
wonder the people were terrified, But
Asa used both faith and works. He
went out with his army, and like
Cromwell with his lronsides, cried
unto the Lord his God and said, Lord,
It is nothing with thee to help,
whether with many, or with them that
have no power; help us, o Lord our
God; for we rest on thee, and In thy
name we go against this multitude,
O Lord, thou art our Cod let not man
prevail against thee" 1t was Gods
cause as well as the peoples, and they
were strong in that trust. The Ethi-
opians were overthrown, and their
spoil lell into the hands of the Judah
ties
The people entered into covenant
to seek the Lord. This was like the
public profession Of serving Jesus
Christ when Joining the church, Some
seem to think that they can be as
good and as useful without profes-
sion as with the covenant relation
with others, and public VOWS to obey
Jesus Christ and our Father In heaven.
But this is n mistaken feeling, A
public covenant gives one far
greater influence for good. 1t makes
known your valuation of the cause.
1t makes each individual stronger,
The principles in the work Of King
Asa apply to our own times, but are
to be worked out In ways adapted to
modern life. THE church is an army
on duty IAN army for the Christian
conquest Of the world by loving faith.
fulness," There are great evils to be
driven out Of our country, The whole
land is waking up to realize the need