Posted by Chester Morton / Sunday 15 January 2017 / No comments
Good parenthood, the example of King Asa of Israel
(1 King 15:9-15, 22:41-46)
Introduction
King Asa became the king of Judah after twenty years of the
reign of Jeroboam in the Northern Kingdom. His mother was Maacah and his father
was the previous king called Abijam. He reigned in Jerusalem for forty-one
years.
In the years before he came to the throne, Israel had drifted
into the practice of Canaanite culture and religion which was opposed to the instructions God had given them not to follow the religion of the nations around them. Asa’s
own father was a contributor to this state of affairs.
ASA’S REFORMS
Abolished cult prostitution
One of the religious reforms of King Asa was that he
removed the male cult prostitutes from Judah.
Ending cult sex
King Asa also stopped the practice of cult
sex. This was a practice in which it is believed that having sexual intercourse
at the shrine enhanced the fertility of the land and increased the stock of
their herds of animals.
Removal of idols
King Asa removed all the idols that
his father, Abijam, the previous king had made in the kingdom. The Lord God had
spoken against such practices and King Asa ensured that they were removed from
the land.
Removal of the queen mother
King Asa also removed the Queen Mother from playing her role.
This was because she had made an image for Asherah. This was a bold act since
the Queen Mother’s position was as a result of being the mother of the king. He
also destroyed the image that his mother had made. It was burned at the brook
Kidron.
Adorning the house of the Lord
King also, after carrying out the various reforms, brought
gold and silver ornaments into the house of the Lord and made it more beautiful
than he had met it. He brought his father’s votive gifts and those of his own
into the house of the Lord.
He could not destroy the high places
The king carried out all these reforms but he could not destroy the high places. Even then he was
still regarded as a man whose heart was with the Lord and had followed the
desires of the Lord throughout his reign.
THE SON FOLLOWS THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE FATHER
The exploits of Jehoshaphat
The exploits of Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat was the son of King Asa and he began to reign in
Jerusalem at the age of thirty-five. He followed the footsteps of his father
King Asa. He did not depart to the left or to the right. He did everything that
was good in the sight of the Lord. However, he could not remove the high
places, therefore people continued to burn incense and make sacrifices there.
One can therefore conclude that King Asa trained his son very
well. He raised him up in his ways so that he could follow his footsteps. Jehoshaphat
followed the good examples of his father. A manifestation of the good training
he received from his father.
WAYS OF FULFILLING
PARENTAL OBLIGATIONS
Meet material needs
One of the ways of fulfilling one’s parental obligations is
to provide the material needs of the children. They need food, shelter,
clothing and any other basic need.
Helping them to avoid sin
Another way of fulfilling parental responsibility is to
ensure that parents train their wards to avoid becoming sinful. The wages of
sin is death so by helping children to avoid sin, parents are preventing them
from dying.
Exhibit love toward the children
It is the responsibility of the parent to show love to his or
her children. The show of love is able to satisfy their psychological and
emotional needs. This also prevent them from walking into bad company.
Adequate healthcare
A child could be killed by any of the six childhood killer
diseases. A child may also die as a result so many factors. Therefore the
parent must fulfill his or her need for medical care.
Good values
The parent’s responsibility is to ensure that the child
imbibes a lot of good morals from their parents. All the norms and values of
the society must taught to the person to ensure that he grows into a
responsible adult.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. a. Recount the reign of King Asa.
b. What three
virtues must a child exhibit to show that he has learned from his parents.
2. a. Examine the reign of King Asa.
b. How did his son,
Jehoshaphat copy him?
3. To what extent would you say that Jehoshaphat’s was reign
influenced the reign of his father?
