Fully Committed Heart
1 Kings 15:14
Although he did not remove the high places, Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life.
Wicked Abijah ruled for only 3 years, and then his son Asa became king. Before this verse is a list of all the good he did, reversing the worst of what his father had done. He even deposed his grandmother, Maacah, because of her Asherah pole.
The high places must have been hard to remove. Asa wasn't the only king who didn't do it.
I just tried a little research on the subject of high places and found myself digressing into all sorts of theories and opinions on ancient Israel. The simplest definition I found was one calling them open-air shrines, like those built by Jeroboam to keep the split-off kingdom of Israel from returning to worship at Jerusalem.
I also found a good bit about Molech, and the high places built by Solomon. There was a huge grave for the ashes of the sacrificed children that they called Topheth, or Hinnom, or just "hell". So it was easy to see why the high places should have been removed.
Was popular opinion a problem? Was it really that much like modern day abortion, an evil with a barbed hook in the flesh of a society that considers itself decent?
In Asa's defense, his heart was fully committed to Yahweh all his life. Little more could be said of anyone. In fact, in this frequent usage of heart, I'm beginning to see a huge principle. Is the heart fully devoted, or isn't it? Partial devotion is not an option. Partial devotion is not devotion. As Pastor Allen has said, partial obedience is disobedience. Similar principle.
God, examine my heart. Show me if my heart is fully devoted or not. I need to know.
Although he did not remove the high places, Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life.
Wicked Abijah ruled for only 3 years, and then his son Asa became king. Before this verse is a list of all the good he did, reversing the worst of what his father had done. He even deposed his grandmother, Maacah, because of her Asherah pole.
The high places must have been hard to remove. Asa wasn't the only king who didn't do it.
I just tried a little research on the subject of high places and found myself digressing into all sorts of theories and opinions on ancient Israel. The simplest definition I found was one calling them open-air shrines, like those built by Jeroboam to keep the split-off kingdom of Israel from returning to worship at Jerusalem.
I also found a good bit about Molech, and the high places built by Solomon. There was a huge grave for the ashes of the sacrificed children that they called Topheth, or Hinnom, or just "hell". So it was easy to see why the high places should have been removed.
Was popular opinion a problem? Was it really that much like modern day abortion, an evil with a barbed hook in the flesh of a society that considers itself decent?
In Asa's defense, his heart was fully committed to Yahweh all his life. Little more could be said of anyone. In fact, in this frequent usage of heart, I'm beginning to see a huge principle. Is the heart fully devoted, or isn't it? Partial devotion is not an option. Partial devotion is not devotion. As Pastor Allen has said, partial obedience is disobedience. Similar principle.
God, examine my heart. Show me if my heart is fully devoted or not. I need to know.
posted by ruthees @ 2:10 PM
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