Jump Start # 3126
1 Kings 15:13 “He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image and burned it at the brook Kidron.“
Asa was one of the good kings of Judah. There weren’t too many, but he was among them. The steps of righteousness involved cleaning out the filth of error and pagan worship. In doing this, Asa had to start in his family. Our text tells us of this mother. Other versions state that she was the grandmother. Either way, close because of family and either way, hard to go against someone older than you are.
The NAS tells us that Maacah’s image was “horrid.” The NIV says, “repulsive.” The ESV, “abominable.” The CSB says, “obscene.” It had to go. It wasn’t decent and it was godly.
Some lessons from this:
First, sometimes our families can really disappoint us and even offend us. They can do this in a number of ways. Inviting us to their same sex weddings. Refusing to accept their biological gender and demanding that we call them by their new choice. Drinking. Smoking. In trouble with the law. Multiple marriages and divorces. Oh, the pain that can be created by our families. Not only are their choices wrong, they expect, yea, even demand that we accept and approve of those choices. Asa didn’t. Mom or grandma, didn’t matter. He dethroned her and tossed her sick images into the Kidron.
It’s hard to be a light when we are going along with darkness. There are times when one has to draw a line and be an Asa in their family. You’ll likely get the reproach of everyone else. You may be banned from the family and made out to be the bad guy. The rest of the family doesn’t have a backbone. The rest have drunk the Kool-Aid of tolerance and error and are oblivious to the word of God.
Second, Asa smashed, cut up, burned and tossed the horrid idol that his mother made. He didn’t want any keepsake from it. He didn’t want any remembrance of it. He didn’t try to sell it on the O.T. Ebay of his day. He didn’t give it to someone. It was wrong and it was gone.
We think of the courageous Ephesians who gathered up the black magic books and burned them. The cost was 50,000 pieces of silver, an enormous amount. One might reason, sell the books and use the money for the kingdom. Fifty pieces of silver would go along way in supporting the apostles. But that would mean putting something wrong into the hands of others. They didn’t sell the books, they burned them. As one comes to Christ, he’ll find DVD’s, CD’s, video games, clothing, and other things that are just not decent nor fit for anyone. It’s not Ebay, but to the dump with that stuff. Find your Kidron and smash it, burn it and toss it.
In doing that, one sees what a fool he has been. So much money spent with the Devil. And, what did it bring? More sin. More dark thoughts. More trouble. It’s time to part with those things. And, when someone asks “Can I have them?” The answer is boldly, “NO.” No one gets these. No one is hurt by these ever again. Into the Kidron they go and by purging yourself of these things you are making a clean break back to Jesus.
Third, repentance can certainly make one feel so much better. Rather than defending the wrongs and hiding our sins, turn to God and do what is right. Cleansing is such a wonderful experience. We love clean cars, clean sheets, clean dishes, clean hands, and clean hearts. Repentance means a new start. It means God’s grace. It means getting things right this time.
I expect that prodigal felt so good that first night back home. Home, right where he belonged. Home, the place that loved him and accepted him. And, so it is for us when we come back to God. That is where we belong. That is what we were made for.
Fourth, there was no going forward for Asa, as long as a prominent family member was clinging to an offensive idol. If Asa did nothing, he looked like he was compromising, inconsistent and even a hypocrite. There have been far too many books recommended by preachers that are nothing more than spiritual poison. They need to be burned and tossed into the Kidron. Not telling others about some of the dangers is cowardly, sinful and negligent on their part. Sure there may be some good thoughts, good ideas, but don’t fail to warn about the dangers also found in those books. Recommending something without any qualifiers leaves the impression that everything in it is fine. That can be the very formula for someone getting tangled into error and their faith being damaged.
To cleanse the nation, Asa had to start at home. He had to be consistent.
There are times that you and I need to find the Kidron and rid ourselves of the things that are not helping us get to Heaven.
Roger