In my morning meeting with The Boss we talked about the life of King Asa.

The Boss said, “Asa led the community into a covenant to seek the Lord with all their heart and with all their soul. And whoever would not seek the Lord, Asa put them to death, whether young or old, man or woman. And they swore an oath to the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns. And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought God with their whole desire, and God was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.”

  • Leading people into a radically dependent and delighted relationship with The Maker = GOOD!
  • Killing people who will not choose to be radically and delightedly dependent on God = I’m very very curious, and I’m somewhat confused; and my only comment/counsel would be, “Read the book of Revelation.”
  • Swearing an oath to the Lord with loud voices and shouting and trumpets and horns = doesn’t seem very Presbyterian 🙂

Then The Boss said, “Even Maacah, his mother, Asa removed from being queen mother because she had made a detestable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron.”

  • I strongly believe that Asa’s mother would argue that Asa was breaking the 5th commandment by taking this action. I also strongly believe that Maacah’s spouse and close friends would claim that Asa is dishonoring his mother.

Then The Boss said, “But Asa did not take down the high places in Israel. …Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true all his days.”

  • Asa didn’t remove the high places, AND yet his heart was WHOLLY true ALL his days??? Wholly & All??? Seems like hyperbole …especially considering the next thing The Boss told me!

Then The Boss said, “Hanani the seer came to King Asa, and Hanani confronted him about doing something bad. Hanani said, ‘You have done foolishly.’ Then Asa was angry with the Hanani the seer, and Asa put him in the stocks in prison, for Asa was in a rage with him. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time. And then Asa became diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians. And then Asa died.”

  • I am very very curious and confused by the story of Asa.