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High Places, Asheroth, Asherah poles and the awkward repentance

Even Maacah, his mother, King 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. But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true all his days. (2 Chronicles 15:16-17)

I think I first read this passage when I was around 16-17. The language of the text is extremely military and it can be easy to get caught up in the narrative and read it as if you were reading WWII history. The war against the idols were not fully triumphant. It was emphatic but not complete. The language can captivate, what is going to happen next in this war? How will this war turn out?

And so I got caught up in the narrative, missing out on what the text is trying to tell me.

That the incomplete battle against idolatry is taking place right in my heart. 

If read in the light of the idolatry I have been struggling against, some for a very very long time, the high places, the Asheroth and Asherah poles of my heart were never fully destroyed.

Today Yee Kiat will be going to church to worship his Lord, but the idolatry of finding joy in created things were not taken out of his heart. 

 Today Yee Kiat will be coming to the Lord in prayer, but the idolatry of security has not been taken out of his heart.

 Today Yee Kiat will be grateful for a merciful God that forgives his sins, but the idolatry of self-worship has not been taken out of his heart.

It is uncomfortable when the Lord displays the sins out in the open. Sometimes at the weirdest moments. But I am eternally grateful for a God who is relentless in pointing out the error of my ways.

My repentance is awkward. Left on my own I cannot fight this. And I am grateful that He the One who should be punishing and pouring out His wrath because of my sins is interested in helping me fight them.

And so Lord I pray, that you continue this work in me. It is to You indeed that I cry, and plea:

To you, O Lord, I cry,

   and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
“What profit is there in my death,
   if I go down to the pit?[e]
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it tell of your faithfulness?
Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
    O Lord, be my helper!”

(Psalms 30:8-10)

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

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