What does Asa's action in 2 Chronicles 14:5 teach about obedience to God?

Setting the Scene

- Judah is under King Asa, great-grandson of Solomon

- The land has drifted into idol worship at “high places” (local hilltop shrines)

- God’s covenant (Deuteronomy 12:2-4) had already forbidden such worship

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Asa’s Specific Action

“​He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and under him the kingdom was at peace.” (2 Chronicles 14:5)

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What Obedience Looks Like

- • Active, not passive: Asa “removed” idol sites; obedience goes beyond good intentions to decisive action (James 1:22)

- • Wholehearted: He cleared “all the cities,” refusing selective obedience (Psalm 119:10)

- • Costly: Dismantling popular shrines surely risked public backlash; true obedience accepts short-term loss for long-term faithfulness (Acts 5:29)

- • Aligned with Scripture: Asa’s reforms echo Moses’ command to destroy pagan altars (Deuteronomy 12:3); genuine obedience matches God’s revealed Word, not human opinion

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Blessings That Followed

- “The kingdom was at peace” (2 Chronicles 14:5)

• Internal peace: Idolatry breeds division; obedience unifies

• External peace: God often grants rest when His people walk in His ways (Proverbs 16:7)

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Timeless Principles

- Remove, don’t remodel, what God calls sin (Colossians 3:5)

- Obedience in private and public spheres invites God’s peace (Isaiah 26:3)

- Leaders set spiritual tone; individual choices ripple outward (Matthew 5:16)