He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 2 Chron. 15:2
Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.” 2 Chron. 34: 18-21
Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.’ ” So they took her answer back to the king. 2 Chron. 34:26-28
Wow! What a powerful verse and word from the Lord! He was moved because the king was humbled before Him and tore his robes weeping in His presence. Though we’ve read verses like these many times in scripture, this prompted me to look a little further. Why the significance of the tearing of robes? Sure this is not our custom today, but why was it so important then? The king was moved and wept before God, but He also pointed out the tearing of His robe showing this act meant something. I googled it to find that this was an old Hebrew custom in the time of sorrow…, but I wanted to know more. Why was this set apart?
Well, as I googled further, I found this act to take on more significance at different times and understand that it was important here because of the king’s great humility alone. Because he was sorrowful and grieved to the point of being willing to do so; rather than, follow the paths of those who rejected God, and how God wants us to rend our hearts in the same likeness and return to Him today.
What, then, would be the outcome should we choose to do so… ?
Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. Joel 2:12-14
