Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of 2 Chronicles
Chapter 15: If Ye Seek Him, He Will Be Found of You
The Spirit of God moves the prophet Azariah to meet Asa with a word that sums up the whole walk with God: 'The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.' Encouraged, Asa takes courage, purges the idols, renews the altar, and leads the nation into a covenant to seek the LORD with all their heart, and He is found of them, and gives them rest.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of 2 Chronicles chapter 15. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
The LORD Is With You, While Ye Be With Him (2 Chronicles 15:1-7)
The prophet Azariah meets Asa with a promise and a warning: seek God and He will be found.
Be Ye Strong, For Your Work Shall Be Rewarded
"And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity. Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded."
Word Study
"be found," Hebrew matsa (מָצָא), niphal "to be found, let oneself be found." The Spirit of God comes upon Azariah, and his message is the great principle of the walk with God, stated with both promise and warning: "The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." God's fellowship is reciprocal and responsive: draw near to Him and He draws near; seek Him and He lets Himself be found; forsake Him and, solemnly, He forsakes. This is not that God's covenant love is fickle, but that His fellowship cannot be enjoyed by those who turn from Him. Azariah reinforces it with history: when Israel had been "without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law," there was chaos and "great vexations", but "when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD... he was found of them." Seeking God is never in vain. Then comes the exhortation: "Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded." The labor of seeking and serving God is never wasted; it will be rewarded. The whole prophecy urges: be with God, seek Him, do not slack your hands, for He will be found and your work will be repaid.
Explanation
The Spirit of God came upon the prophet Azariah, who met King Asa with a message for all Judah. The core of it was that God would be with them as long as they were with Him: if they sought Him, He would be found by them, but if they forsook Him, He would forsake them. Azariah reminded them of the chaos that had come when Israel abandoned the true God, and how, when people turned back and sought Him in their trouble, He was found by them. He urged Asa and the people to be strong and not grow slack, because their faithful work would be rewarded. It was both an encouragement and a warning to keep seeking the LORD.
Gospel Focus
"If ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you" is one of the clearest statements of how fellowship with God works, and it runs straight through Scripture. God promises, "ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13), and the New Testament echoes, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you" (James 4:8). Seeking God is never fruitless, "he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). The warning side is just as real: those who forsake God forfeit His fellowship, "if we deny him, he also will deny us" (2 Timothy 2:12). This is not works-salvation but the nature of relationship; God will be found by all who truly seek Him through Christ, and cannot be enjoyed by those who turn away. And the closing charge, "Be ye strong... for your work shall be rewarded," strengthens us for the long pursuit, "be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58). Seek God with all your heart and you will surely find Him; keep your hands from hanging down, for the God who is found by the seeking rewards the faithful.
They Sought Him With Their Whole Desire (2 Chronicles 15:12-15)
Asa leads the nation into a covenant to seek God with all their heart, and He is found of them.
He Was Found of Them
"And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about."
Word Study
"with their whole desire," Hebrew bekhol-retsonam (בְּכָל־רְצוֹנָם), with all their will, delight, and longing. Stirred by Azariah's word, Asa leads Judah into a solemn covenant "to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul." This is total commitment, the language of the great command (Deuteronomy 6:5), engaging the whole inner person. So seriously did they take it that they bound the covenant with an oath, sworn "with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets." And the response was joy: "all Judah rejoiced at the oath." Note the beautiful thing, they did not experience wholehearted devotion as a burden but as gladness; true seeking of God brings joy, not gloom. The Chronicler stresses the wholeness of their seeking three ways: "with all their heart," "with their whole desire (ratson, their whole will and delight)." And the promised result follows exactly as Azariah had said: "he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about." The promise of verse 2, "if ye seek him, he will be found of you," is fulfilled here in verse 15, "he was found of them." God keeps His word: wholehearted seeking always finds Him, and finding Him brings rest. When a people give God their whole desire, He gives them Himself and His peace.
Explanation
Responding to the prophet's message, Asa led the people into a covenant to seek the LORD wholeheartedly, with all their heart and soul, so committed that they agreed even the unfaithful should face the severest consequence. They confirmed it with an oath, shouting joyfully with trumpets. The people rejoiced because they had made this vow sincerely and sought God with their whole desire. As a result, God was found by them and gave them peace on every side. Their wholehearted seeking, promised in Azariah's word, brought exactly the result he had foretold: God was found, and rest was given.
Gospel Focus
The covenant to "seek the LORD... with all their heart and with all their soul," and the outcome, "he was found of them," beautifully fulfill the promise of verse 2 and model the wholehearted devotion God calls for. Jesus named this the great commandment: to love the Lord "with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37). Half-hearted seeking does not find God; He is found by those who seek Him "with their whole desire." And notice that such devotion brought not gloom but joy, "all Judah rejoiced," for the service of God is gladness, "in thy presence is fulness of joy" (Psalm 16:11). The world imagines that wholehearted commitment to God is a heavy burden; Scripture reveals it is the path to the deepest joy and rest. When they gave God their whole desire, "he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest." So it is in Christ: those who come to Him wholeheartedly find Him, and finding Him find rest for their souls (Matthew 11:29). Do not settle for a divided, lukewarm pursuit of God; enter a wholehearted covenant to seek Him with all your heart, and you will find Him, and joy, and rest.
Chapter in Review
Second Chronicles 15 records the prophet Azariah's Spirit-given word to Asa and the covenant it inspired. The heart of the prophecy is a promise and a warning: "The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you," with the charge, "Be ye strong... for your work shall be rewarded." Taking courage, Asa purged the idols, renewed the altar, and led Judah into a covenant "to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart," confirmed with a joyful oath. The result fulfilled the promise exactly: "he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about." The chapter teaches the reciprocal nature of fellowship with God, the certainty that wholehearted seeking finds Him, and the joy and rest that follow, pointing to Christ, in whom all who seek God with the whole heart find Him and find rest.
Key Takeaways
- Fellowship with God is responsive. "The LORD is with you, while ye be with him"; draw near and He draws near.
- Seeking God is never in vain. "If ye seek him, he will be found of you"; He rewards those who diligently seek Him.
- Do not let your hands be weak. "Be ye strong... for your work shall be rewarded"; your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
- Seek God with your whole heart. Judah sought Him "with their whole desire," and He was found of them.
- Wholehearted devotion brings joy and rest. "All Judah rejoiced," and God "gave them rest round about."
Questions for Reflection
- Are you "with" God, drawing near to Him so that He draws near to you?
- Do you believe that seeking God wholeheartedly will surely find Him?
- Are your hands hanging down in the work of the Lord, or are you strong and steadfast?
- Do you seek God with "your whole desire," or with a divided heart?
- Have you found that wholehearted devotion to God brings joy and rest, not burden?
References
- Scripture: 2 Chronicles 15:1-19, King James Version (commentary focuses on verses 1-7 and 12-15).
- Cross-references: Deuteronomy 6:5; Psalm 16:11; Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 11:29; 22:37; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Timothy 2:12; Hebrews 11:6; James 4:8.
- Hebrew word meanings: standard lexical sources (Strong's, BDB) for matsa ("be found") and ratson ("whole desire"); background on Azariah's prophecy and Asa's covenant renewal.