Throughout the Kings of Judah and Israel in the Old Testament it is rare to find a good King that follows God. One of the Kings of Judah was Asa. This is what was said about Asa: And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment (2 Chronicles 14:2-4 KJV) .
He has a wonderful prayer later in this chapter and God hears him and Judah prevails in battle over their enemies. In the next chapter God sends a prophet to prophesy unto Asa. And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law (2 Chronicles 15:2-3 KJV). He tells him some other things and Asa receives it gladly. He even does more good things. This sounds like a good King at this point. One chapter later though we see Asa being rebuked by another prophet. Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time (2 Chronicles 16:10 KJV).
What happened to Asa that caused him to change so much? I think for some answers we must look a little further at his son, Jehoshaphat. He did a lot of good things as well. I think the major difference lies in this. He sent to his princes, even to Benhail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. And with them he sent Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests. And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the LORD with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people (2 Chronicles 17:7-9 KJV). He sent teachers out with the Levites and priests and had the Word of God taught to the people.
You see this is something that Asa overlooked even though it was mentioned to him. He was told: Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law (2 Chronicles 15:3 KJV). It is pointed out here that there was no teaching being done by the priests, there was no law being taught. It appears Asa thought that this was not important. By his actions with the second prophet it shows he didn’t like being told what he was doing wrong. He seemed to think that he could be his own priest or pastor. Jehoshaphat is different though. He sends out teachers with the priests. He actually gets rebuked twice by a prophet and received it. He understood that he needed someone to tell him when he was doing wrong.
We too need someone to tell us when we are doing wrong. We need someone to teach us. It says in Romans 10:14 (KJV) How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? Yes, you need a preacher in your life. Yes, you need a pastor. Yes, you need a church which He hath purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28 KJV). For the one who has isolated himself seeks his own desires; he rejects all sound judgment (Proverbs 18:1 NET).
Don’t be like Asa, thinking that you don’t need instruction from someone. That you can live for God all on your own. God never designed it this way. If he purchased the church of God with His blood. If He has given us the ministry to build up the body of Christ. If He put these things in place then this was His design. Let’s honor His design and live for Him the way he intended. Will you be like Asa or Jehoshaphat?
Hosea 4:6 KJV My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Ephesians 4:11-12 NET 11 It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ,