1 Kings - Lesson 15

• In our last session, we came across the sobering consequences of Jeroboam’s ways and rule as king in Israel.

  • It was because of his failure to return to Torah and the Mosaic Covenant in repentance and walk away from idolatry that led to the ending of his dynasty.

    • What once was a promising opportunity to have the Lord establish an enduring house for him, now turned into a complete elimination of his line.

  • The Lord had provided opportunity after opportunity for a turning of Jeroboam’s heart back to the Lord.

    • However, every offer of mercy was met with hostility and arrogance.

    • Therefore, the Lord returned to Jeroboam what he had shown the Lord.

  • It was in Chapter 14, that a prophecy was given to Ahijah regarding Jeroboam’s son who fell sick.

    • Jeroboam, seeking to find a way to heal his son, sent his wife to Ahijah that the Lord would heal the boy.

    • However, Jeroboam has the wife disguise herself as someone else in an attempt to trick the prophet.

  • The Lord informs Ahijah of Jeroboam’s trickery and lays down a heavy pronouncement of judgement.

    • And within that pronouncement came the announcement of the ending of Jeroboam’s lineage through the raising of another king.

    • And this king would kill every male child and descendent of the line of Jeroboam.

  • We also witnessed another tragedy in the South where Rehoboam began to operate in the ways of idolatry just like their fellow countrymen of the north.

    • This theme of defecting from the Mosaic Law and turning towards idolatry began to spread throughout the entire nation.

  • So as the kings die and their sons or others ascend to the throne, we will find that there is a constant revolving door of failed kings with the exception of a few.

    • If I were to put an outline together, we will see the following:

      • 1. Abijam’s Reign (vv.1-8)

      • 2. Asa’s Reign (vv.9-24)

      • 3. Nadab’s Reign (vv.25-32)

      • 4. Baasha’s Reign (vv.33-34

  • And if I were to put a tag on our text tonight, it would simply be: More of the Same.

    • With that being said, meet me in 1 Kings 15, beginning with verses 1-8 for the reading of the word of the Lord.

1 Kings 15:1 Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah.
1 Kings 15:2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
1 Kings 15:3 He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father David.
1 Kings 15:4 But for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem;
1 Kings 15:5 because David did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.
1 Kings 15:6 There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
1 Kings 15:7 Now the rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
1 Kings 15:8 And Abijam slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son became king in his place.

• The spotlight now shifts towards Rehoboam’s son, Abijam, who will now be the new king of Judah.

  • And to establish timelines of the king’s reign, you will notice the writer identifying the reign of a particular king during the reign of the opposing king’s reign.

    • So, in this instance, we find that while Jeroboam was still reigning in his 18th year as king in the North, that Rehoboam’s son began his reign.

    • These dates would be approximately 913-911 BC, which gives a total of three years in which Abijam reigned in Jerusalem.

  • You might notice that the writer picks up on the same identifying language as he did in the previous chapter regarding the mother of the king.

    • This detail still plays a significant role as it relates to the king’s behavior in his rule overall and giving into the worship of idols.

  • We’re told that Abijam’s mother is Maacah, the daughter of Absolam.

    • You will also see a little later that Asa’s “mother” was Maacah. So we will address this confusion soon. Check out verse 3.

  • We’re told that Abijam “walked in the sins of his father”. In other words, the rule of the son did not depart far from the rule of the father.

    • Where Abijam has the opportunity to turn things around regarding his rule as King, he continues in the ways of idolatry as did Rehoboam.

    • The text tells us that Abijam’s heart was not “wholly devoted” to the Lord.

    • Plainly put, the interest of his heart was pulled due to something or someone else taking priority over that of Yahweh Himself.

  • So, we are seeing that there is this defection with the kings and their ability to obey Torah.

    • And as a result, they concede to the ways of their nature, seeking to make idols as if they are gods.

    • But despite the ways of the king of Judah and the people, there is a promise connected to both the people and the place – the Davidic Covenant.

  • The writer reminds us that despite the frailties and idolatry of the people playing the harlot, that God was not going to forsake His promise according to 2 Samuel 7.

    • God’s promise was that there would arise from Judah a king.

    • A descendant of David who would indeed be the lamp in Jerusalem and ultimately the world.

    • And knowing that this rule was based upon the obedience of the king begged a question: “Who would be the ideal King of Judah?”

    • David, although a man after God’s own heart, still fell short.

    • Therefore this promised King would have to be someone that not only knew Torah but fulfilled it!

  • Furthermore, this rule of the ideal king would also bring about peace!

    • The people understood this reality and anticipated this Royal outcome through the scriptures and partially experienced in Solomon’s rule.

    • Therefore, the constant failure of the kings was to draw great anticipation  for this promised King (2 Sam. 7).

  • We find in verse 6 that war was a constant between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.

    • We will see this mentioning of war appear 4 times regarding civil war.

    • And as the narrative unfolds, we will see that this civil war centered around border territory.

  • Ideally, what makes a nation-state a nation-state is the clear identification and claims of its borders.

    • For when a nation lacks in their establishment of proper borders, it leaves them vulnerable to others.

  • And as we witnessed in last week’s teaching, it was King Shishak who had invaded Judah because of Judah’s disobedience to the Lord. (1 Kings 14:25)

    • And it just so happened that Shishak was also an ally of Jeroboam.

  • If that wasn’t enough, war continued between Rehoboam’s son, Abijam and Jeroboam as well.

    • And if you are interested in learning more about this war between Abijam (Rehoboam’s son) and Jeroboam, check out 2 Chronicles 13.

    • And as a quick note to clarify confusion, Abijam in 1 Kings and Abijah in 2 Chronicles are the same person – it is simply a variant spelling with the translators.

  • So, the writer then sums up Abijam’s reign in the typical concluding manner as before.

    • He provides the historical book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah where the acts of Abijam is documented.

    • It’s then in verse 8 that we see that Abijam dies and is buried with his father and is succeeded by his son, Asa. Check out verses 9-24.

1 Kings 15:9 So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king of Judah.
1 Kings 15:10 He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
1 Kings 15:11 Asa did what was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father.
1 Kings 15:12 He also put away the male cult prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols which his fathers had made.
1 Kings 15:13 He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image and burned it at the brook Kidron.
1 Kings 15:14 But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the Lord all his days.
1 Kings 15:15 He brought into the house of the Lord the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils.
1 Kings 15:16 Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
1 Kings 15:17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.
1 Kings 15:18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold which were left in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the treasuries of the king’s house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying,
1 Kings 15:19 “Let there be a treaty between you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a present of silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.”
1 Kings 15:20 So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah and all Chinneroth, besides all the land of Naphtali.
1 Kings 15:21 When Baasha heard of it, he ceased fortifying Ramah and remained in Tirzah.
1 Kings 15:22 Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah—none was exempt—and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had built. And King Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.
1 Kings 15:23 Now the rest of all the acts of Asa and all his might and all that he did and the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.
1 Kings 15:24 And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

• The writer now chooses, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, to focus his attention on the reign of King Asa, son of Abijam.

  • And we’re told that his reign lasted a total of 41 years. His reign went from 911-870 B.C.

    • The writer mentions that Maacah was also Asa’s mother who is the granddaughter of Absalom.

    • You may find in your text some variance of wording between the NIV and the NASB.

  • The NIV records that Maacah was the grandmother whereas the NASB mentions she is his mother.

    • However, it is best understood to be that Maacah was the grandmother.

    • Nelson’s Study Bible mentions that the mothers of the kings of Judah established legitimacy to the throne.

    • Furthermore, what we find is that depending upon who the mother/grandmother is, that they carried quite a bit of weight in the administration.

    • You’ll see what I mean by this in a minute.

  • You’ll notice in verse 11, that unlike the other kings in Judah, that Asa did “what was right in the sight of the Lord.”

    • And this “doing right” in the sight of the Lord didn’t mean that he was perfect, rather it demonstrated his sense of reform to the former ways.

    • Asa desired to get Judah back to the Mosaic Covenant and is the first of four of the Kings of Judah who would accomplish this.

    • The remaining three kings would be Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah.

  • Notice the ways in which Asa reformed Judah’s ways back to Torah and the Mosaic Covenant:

    • 1. He put away male cult prostitutes from the land

    • 2. Removed idols which his father Abijam had made

    • 3. He removed Maacah his mother from being “queen mother”

  • “Queen Mother” was an office of authority that the mother (matriarch) of the king held, therefore it carried some weight in the land.

    • And what we find here is that Asa sees the idolatrous images that his grandmother established, and both removes her from authority and cuts down the idols.

    • John Whitcomb notes in his book, “A History of Israel” that the queen mother was “a sort of Jezebel”.

  • So, this type of reform required boldness and courage because to remove his grandmother from position, one can assume, wasn’t the easiest of tasks.

    • So, he takes every idol and horrid image that defiled the Lord and he burns it all in the brook Kidron which is often noted as a constant place of burning.

  • There becomes a point in this section of the text: That no matter the relationship of a person, wrong is wrong and truth is truth.

    • We all must have the boldness to correct where needed and not simply compromise for the sake of “peace” for peace sake.

  • However, it’s in verse 14 that we notice that not “every high place was removed.”

    • Well that begs a question: If Asa is the King who is reforming the ways of the people back to the Lord, why not tear down all things that are against the Lord?

    • We aren’t completely told the full story in 1 Kings, however, 2 Chronicles 14 gives us a bit more information to have a clearer picture.

    • Check out the texts.

2 Chronicles 14:1 So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days.
2 Chronicles 14:2 Asa did good and right in the sight of the Lord his God,
2 Chronicles 14:3 for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim,
2 Chronicles 14:4 and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment.
2 Chronicles 14:5 He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him.
2 Chronicles 14:6 He built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was undisturbed, and there was no one at war with him during those years, because the Lord had given him rest.
2 Chronicles 14:7 For he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.

• So according to 2 Chronicles we are given a period of the first 10 years of Asa’s reign which consisted of strict reform in the land.

  • This becomes the reason why Asa was right in the sight of the Lord.

  • So all in all, the majority of the high places were torn down but not all – the text doesn’t provide much clarity beyond that point.

    • But what we do know is that Asa’s heart was “wholly devoted” to the Lord all his days.

    • So whether there were places Asa did not know the high places were stored, his heart sought to please the Lord and to follow His ordinances.

    • And this is further perpetuated in his dedication of possessions and items of gold and silver to the storehouse of the house of the Lord.

• You might have noticed a slight pivot in the scene now because at verse 16, the writer documents that Asa and Baasha were at war all their days.

  • As I mentioned in the previous teachings, there seemed to have been an issue on territory between the North and the South.

    • This is confirmed because in verse 16b and 17, we are abruptly introduced to a character, almost a bit prematurely.

  • We are introduced to a man named Baasha who is said to be the King of Israel.

    • However, we just read in verse 9 that it was the 20th year of Jeroboam king of Israel’s reign. So what’s going on here?

  • Well remember, Jeroboam reigned a total of 22 years, so at this point in the writer’s narrative, there are two more years left of his reign.

    • This might seem a bit confusing but we need to keep at the forefront of our minds the author’s point:

      • He is giving us a summary view of these Kings, their reign, but most importantly their positive or negative response to God’s promises.

    • So the writer is expressing some overlay within the reigns, but most importantly this war will lead to a fulfilment of God’s word to Jeroboam.

• So, within this war Baasha seeks to establish Ramah as a territory of Israel and fortifies the city as if building a wall of sorts.

  • Baasha is the boarder czar if you will of Ramah and his presence there would prohibit any threat of the king of Judah to make his way through.

    • At this point it becomes a chess match between that of Asa and Baasha.

    • However, in verses 18-20, we see that Asa has a plan to thwart Baasha’s plan of establishing Ramah as Israel territory.

  • His plan is to establish a treaty between Judah and Ben-hadad the king of Aram (a pagan king) as an effort to drawback Baasha and his men.

    • This plan on the onset seemed quite strategic and well thought out, and it was.

    • However, there was one small thing – it lacked any consultation with the Lord.

    • This was similar to what both David and Solomon did when they got beside themselves with pride.

  • As a matter of fact, this arrangement demonstrated a lack of trust in the Lord’s ability to defend and uphold Judah as a nation.

    • And resulted in Judah seeking external partnerships to further solidify their stance geo-politically.

    • We find this reality played out in 2 Chronicles 16:1-9. Check out the text:

2 Chronicles 16:1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.
2 Chronicles 16:2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the king’s house, and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying,
2 Chronicles 16:3 “Let there be a treaty between you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.”
2 Chronicles 16:4 So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim and all the store cities of Naphtali.
2 Chronicles 16:5 When Baasha heard of it, he ceased fortifying Ramah and stopped his work.
2 Chronicles 16:6 Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he fortified Geba and Mizpah.
2 Chronicles 16:7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand.
2 Chronicles 16:8 “Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand.
2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.”

• The writer of Chronicles brings up a powerful point. He reminds them that the Lord has been faithful to them before.

  • The Lord had made a way for them when numerically, the battle made no sense – Judah was outnumbered.

  • But because they had trusted in the Lord and His might, they came out victorious over a ravaging enemy.

  • Yet now, they find themselves in another pickle but have developed amnesia and seek to rely upon another nation to be their strength.

    • And before we are too quick to judge Judah for their downfall, it really becomes a picture of the believer today.

    • We are quicker to find strength and refuge in our own abilities and resources rather than relying on the Lord.

    • Because at the end of the day, it really boils down to control and humanity wanting to be in charge of our own outcomes.

  • This ultimately resulted in the King of Aram backstabbing King Baasha for a better deal with King Asa – potentially more money it would seem.

    • So with the now increased manpower and strength, King Asa takes the material of the North to construct their fortresses for the Southern border.

• It’s then in verses 23-24 that we find the same pattern of the writer of 1 Kings.

  • The documented location of the remaining acts of the King in the book of the Chronicles.

    • One thing that should stand out to us is verse 23b where it says, “But in the time of old age he was diseased in his feet”.

    • This becomes a huge indicator of the concluding reign of King Asa.

  • It’s in 2 Chronicles 16:12 that we find the answer to this abrupt conjunction at the end of verse 23. Check out the text:

2 Chronicles 16:12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.

• Once again, the repeated theme is the defection from trusting in the Lord and dependence upon man.

  • This is the very antithesis of the Creator/created distinction. Man is always seeking to make their own path.

  • Jeremiah makes note of this very reality in Jeremiah 17:5.

Jeremiah 17:5 Thus says the Lord, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the Lord.

• • It’s like the old adage: You give someone an inch and they’ll take a mile!

    • We desire to have the freedom to be in control or have authority, yet we fail to realize that we are simply stewards of what God has graciously provided

  • So where Asa had the opportunity to be made well had he sought the Lord with this diseased foot, he once again seeks the counsel of men rather than the one who heals!

    • This section of the text serves as a reminder to me and hopefully to you: May we never get beside ourselves.

    • I desire to remain like a child with their father – ever dependent upon the Lord for all that I need!

  • We’re told that Asa dies and is buried in the city of David along with his father, and the next in line to rule over Judah is his son, Jehosaphat.

    • We will cover more of Jehosaphat’s reign in Chapter 22.

    • Let’s move on to verses 25-32.

1 Kings 15:25 Now Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.
1 Kings 15:26 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father and in his sin which he made Israel sin.
1 Kings 15:27 Then Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.
1 Kings 15:28 So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place.
1 Kings 15:29 It came about as soon as he was king, he struck down all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam any persons alive, until he had destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,
1 Kings 15:30 and because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger.
1 Kings 15:31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
1 Kings 15:32 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

• The writer now goes back in time to the 2nd year of King Asa’s reign where Nadab, the son of Jeroboam becomes king over Israel.

  • And what we find is that Nadab’s reign is very short lived and for good reason.

    • We are told that he reigned over Israel for two years and while reigning it was very similar to that of his father.

    • We see that phrase again, “He walked in the ways of his father”, meaning that idolatrous worship continued on with Jeroboam’s descendant.

  • Now if you remember, it was in Chapter 14 that the Lord had sent a young prophet from Judah to prophecy against Jeroboam.

    • There was an opportunity for Jeroboam to repent and turn away from his idolatry and return to the worship of Yahweh.

    • However, that opportunity for mercy was continually rejected and because it was, the Lord brought down a heavy verdict.

  • He mentioned that there would be a king to arise who would kill every descendant of Jeroboam as a consequence of the sins of Jeroboam.

    • It’s in verses 27-30 that we find the background story as to how Jeroboam’s entire lineage was eradicated.

    • It was through a battle with the Philistines that Baasha kills Jeroboam in Gibbethon and takes the throne from him.

    • And to top off this assassination, Baasha makes the extra effort of removing any and all threats to his rule on the throne by killing Jeroboam’s male descendants.

  • All of this fulfilled what the Lord spoke to Ahijah the prophet regarding Jeroboam.

    • Once again, a testimony to the word of the Lord not returning to Him void!

    • Verse 31 quickly concludes the short-lived reign of Nadab as King regarding his remaining acts written in the Book of the Chronicles.

• One would think that this change in leadership from Nadab to Baasha would have been better, however as we saw some verses prior Baasha wasn’t any better.

  • Check out verses 33-34.

1 Kings 15:33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king over all Israel at Tirzah, and reigned twenty-four years.
1 Kings 15:34 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel sin.

• As a matter of fact, within his 24 years of reign throughout Israel he continued to “walk in the ways of Jeroboam” as if Jeroboam’s example of leadership wasn’t example enough of what NOT to do!

  • However, what we are seeing is how power, control, and prestige can get the best of someone and drive them to independence from God.

  • This pattern continues throughout the remaining chapters of 1 Kings which results in even further judgement and consequences upon the King and the Nation.

  • Therefore, you can bet your bottom that come Chapter 16, Baasha will be addressed regarding his ways.

    • Because the reality is, although Baasha’s means of rise to power was by ill-will, the Lord in His sovereignty allowed that to play out for His purposes.

    • And although he uses those instruments of judgement, because He alone is the justifier, He will respond accordingly to the means of their use of injustice.

• What we are seeing more and more is how the Lord deals with both the North and the South Kingdoms regarding His word!

  • The blessings are contingent upon the King’s obedience and the curses are a result of his disobedience as outlined in Deuteronomy.

    • And if the people are to prosper in the land it comes with the requirement to uphold the Mosaic Covenant.

    • And what is to be realized is that man is incapable of upholding the Law.

  • That where the Law is to shine a light on our sins, it cannot serve as our mediator. It only serves as a tutor.

    • And the reality is there is only one who could be able to fulfill the law perfectly and His name is Jesus Christ, the true Messiah and Son of David.

    • Israel, the church, and the world is awaiting a true ruler who does not look to the interest of himself but to the service of those in whom are in His care.

  • These kings we have covered lack in humility, lack in leadership, and lack in faithfulness to the word of God.

    • However, when Christ returns, our eyes will be able to gaze upon the glory of the one true King who will reign supreme and victoriously.

    • Let’s Pray.

Citation:

• The Nelson Study Bible, p. 589.