Meet a friend...

The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin…” When Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage... 2 Chronicles 15

I suspect that, since you are reading this Bible-based blog, you will know quite a bit about many Bible characters – Old Testament figures such as Abraham and Moses, Hannah, Elijah and Isaiah, David and Solomon, and New Testament ones like Mary, Peter, Paul and Stephen.

But I wonder if the name of Azariah son of Oded means anything to you?

To be honest, Bible figures don’t come much more obscure than him. He pops up out of nowhere, appears for just seven verses, and then sinks back into the mists of time. We know his father’s name – Oded – but that’s about it. To add insult to injury, he is just one of some twenty (!) Azariahs in the Old Testament.

But I like him. He has been like a friend to me for many years. So, just in case you have never met him before, I want to introduce him to you. (To get the full story it doesn’t take long to read the whole of 2 Chronicles 15 – just nineteen verses.)

He was a prophet who spoke to Asa King of Judah when he was returning from victory in battle. In essence, he gave Asa a threefold message, each aspect of which we can still take and apply to ourselves.

First, there is a challenge and a warning (verse 2): “The Lord is with you when you are with him…”. Note that “when”… implying: only make sure you stay close to God, Asa, or it will be the worse for you!

Second, there is a potted history lesson in verses 3-6: Learn from the past, Asa, because even though God loves you, he is not to be trifled with!

And third, there is a word of encouragement (verse 7): “Be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded”. Again, note the proviso. No resting on your laurels, Asa.

There are two main reasons I warm to Azariah son of Oded.

First, he shows great courage.

Prophets who dared to confront kings could come to a sticky end, and often did. But see how bold Azariah is in addressing Asa: “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Jerusalem…” There’s no mincing of words there, is there? The Spirit of God was in his heart, and the word of God was on his lips – and that’s a pretty powerful combination.

Whether we are prophets or preachers or neither, God needs people like that today in a world where so many are indifferent to him at best and hostile to him at worst. He needs men and women of stature and authority, people who are like that not because they hold any particular position in life, but simply because of their Christlike character. Is that you? Is it me? In our workplaces? In our neighbourhoods?

The message is simple: get to know God and his word well, and be filled daily with the Holy Spirit. The spiritual stature and authority will follow.

And let’s never forget the many thousands of such people around the world today who don’t get such a favourable response as Azariah got from Asa; people  who are stuck in prisons, or made to suffer in other ways (take a look at Hebrews 13:3). They need our daily prayers.

Second, I like Azariah because his obscurity didn’t limit his usefulness.

He reminds us that even “little” people – people who might be dismissed as anonymous non-entities – can make a great impact. It’s not too much to say that Azariah changed the course of history. Even though Asa was basically a good king, there was still a lot for him to do. And after the encounter with Azariah didn’t he just do it!

He initiated what I can only call a spiritual spring-clean (verse 8) – he brought about a revival in the nation of Judah. This is beautifully summed up in verse 12: the whole nation “entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.” Granted, later on the nation slipped back into their bad old ways, and even Asa, sadly, rather lost his way. But that wasn’t Azariah’s fault.

What matters is this: Azariah did what God called him to do, and he did it without fear or favour. I hope the same can be said of us.

So… I invite you to reflect on the ministry of this little-known man; may he be an inspiration to you, as he has been to me.

Father, thank you for the immense variety of people who make up your church – not only the few whose names we know, but also the “little people” who make such a massive contribution. Whatever the role you have for me, help me to fulfil it with discipline, faith and courage – even in the spirit of Azariah son of Oded. Amen.