The Lord told my father David, ‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me.

He did what the Lord approved, but not with wholehearted devotion.

Now my father David had a strong desire to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel.

They solemnly agreed to seek the Lord God of their ancestors with their whole heart and being.

The high places were not eliminated from Israel, yet Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord throughout his lifetime.

He commanded them: “Carry out your duties with respect for the Lord, with honesty, and with pure motives.

However, the high places were not eliminated; the people were still not devoted to the God of their ancestors.

Now I intend to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, so that he may relent from his raging anger.

everyone who has determined to follow God, the Lord God of his ancestors, even if he is not ceremonially clean according to the standards of the temple.”

then listen from your heavenly dwelling place, forgive their sin, and act favorably toward each one based on your evaluation of their motives. (Indeed you are the only one who can correctly evaluate the motives of all people.)

When your people come to their senses in the land where they are held prisoner, they will repent and beg for your mercy in the land of their imprisonment, admitting, ‘We have sinned and gone astray, we have done evil!’

Those among all the Israelite tribes who were determined to worship the Lord God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their ancestors.

All Judah was happy about the oath, because they made the vow with their whole heart. They willingly sought the Lord and he responded to them. He made them secure on every side.

Nevertheless you have done some good things; you removed the Asherah poles from the land and you were determined to follow the Lord.”

He wholeheartedly and successfully reinstituted service in God’s temple and obedience to the law, in order to follow his God.

He appointed military officers over the army and assembled them in the square at the city gate. He encouraged them, saying,

So when the envoys arrived from the Babylonian officials to visit him and inquire about the sign that occurred in the land, God left him alone to test him, in order to know his true motives.

He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him vow allegiance in the name of God. He was stubborn and obstinate, and refused to return to the Lord God of Israel.

Lawless good-for-nothing men gathered around him and conspired against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was an inexperienced young man and could not resist them.

Certainly the Lord watches the whole earth carefully and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him. You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war.