He commanded the people of Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments.
Parallel translations
- WEB and commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and to obey his law and command.
- KJV And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.
- NKJV He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment.
- NASB and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to comply with the Law and the commandment.
- NLT He commanded the people of Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his law and his commands.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Asa commands all Judah to seek the Lord and keep His law. Reform is not only removing evil but positively pursuing God.
Overview
Beyond tearing down idols, Asa directs the nation toward obedience to the God of their fathers. 'Seeking Yahweh' is a key Chronicles theme: wholehearted pursuit of God that brings life and blessing. This call to seek God and obey His word finds its fullest answer in the gospel, where God is sought and found through Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- 2 Chr 33:16Then he restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and he told Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.
- Gen 18:19For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”
- Neh 13:9Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.
- Ps 119:10With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me stray from Your commandments.
- 1 Sam 3:13I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.
- Josh 24:15But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
- 2 Chr 29:21They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And the king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.
- Isa 55:6–7Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
- Amos 5:4For this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live!
- Ps 101:2–8I will ponder the way that is blameless—when will You come to me? I will walk in my house with integrity of heart.
- 2 Chr 30:19who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.”
- 2 Chr 11:16Those from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
- 2 Chr 34:32–33Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand in agreement to it. So all the people of Jerusalem carried out the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
- 2 Chr 30:12Moreover, the power of God was on the people in Judah to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and his officials according to the word of the LORD.
- Ezra 10:7–12And a proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather at Jerusalem.
- Neh 10:29–39hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord.
- 2 Chr 29:30Then King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD in the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped.
- 2 Chr 29:27And Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be sacrificed on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD and the trumpets began as well, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel.
- Neh 13:19–22When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem, just before the Sabbath, I ordered that the gates be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my servants at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day.
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Christ at the center
Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.
How 2 Chronicles 14:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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