Ungodly kings reign in Israel, but Asa is a bright light for Judah
Although Jeroboam died his sin lived on in Israel through future kings. A godly king, Asa reigns over Judah
1 Kings 15: Abijam Reigns in Judah
1 Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah.
2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
3 And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
4 Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem,
5 because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
6 Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
7 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.
8 And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place.
Asa Reigns In Judah
9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah,
10 and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
11 And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as David his father had done.
12 He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
13 He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.
14 But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the LORD all his days.
15 And he brought into the house of the LORD the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.
16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying,
19 "Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me."
20 And 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, with all the land of Naphtali.
21 And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah.
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 been building, and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.
23 Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet.
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.
Nadab Reigns in Israel
25 Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.
26 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.
27 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, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.
28 So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place.
29 And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite.
30 It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel.
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?
32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
Baasha Reigns in Israel
33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years.
34 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.
1 Kings 16:
1 And the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,
2 "Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins,
3 behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
4 Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat."
5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
6 And Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried at Tirzah, and Elah his son reigned in his place.
7 Moreover, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he destroyed it.
Elah Reigns in Israel
8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned two years.
9 But his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. When he was at Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah,
10 Zimri came in and struck him down and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.
11 When he began to reign, as soon as he had seated himself on his throne, he struck down all the house of Baasha. He did not leave him a single male of his relatives or his friends.
12 Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,
13 for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel to sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their idols.
14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
Zimri Reigns in Israel
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines,
16 and the troops who were encamped heard it said, "Zimri has conspired, and he has killed the king." Therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp.
17 So Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.
18 And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house and burned the king's house over him with fire and died,
19 because of his sins that he committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin.
20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the conspiracy that he made, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
Omri Reigns in Israel
21 Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts. Half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri.
22 But the people who followed Omri overcame the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king.
23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for twelve years; six years he reigned in Tirzah.
24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and he fortified the hill and called the name of the city that he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.
25 Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did more evil than all who were before him.
26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in the sins that he made Israel to sin, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols.
27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri that he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
28 And Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son reigned in his place.
Ahab Reigns in Israel
29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.
30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.
31 And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him.
32 He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria.
33 And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
34 In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.
Things to think about…
1. We now follow two lines of kings. Those who rule over Judah and those who rule over the ten northern tribes – Israel. Judah is where true worship was still being practised although it waxes and wanes depending on the godliness or lack thereof of the king who is ruling at the time. We read the difference between the two when the description is given as their names are introduced, eg “he did what was right before the Lord” or “he did evil in the site of the Lord” and there is generally a reference to David in both cases. Abijam did not do what was right 1Kings15:1-8 but Asa did do what was right, 1 Kings15:9-24. Note that even those that did what was right before the Lord are still displayed as those who sinned – just as David did. The only difference was God’s grace. The same is true for us. Hallelujah!
2. We see the Lord’s word proclaimed by Ahijah the prophet was fulfilled against the house of Jeroboam when Baasha killed all in the household of Jeroboam, 1 Kings 15:29. Some doubt both the promises and the judgements of the Lord ever being fulfilled. Patience and faithfulness for the Christian however should remain constant as we trust in His word.
3. Nadab the son of Jeroboam reigns over Israel and follows the heart of his father, he did “evil in the site of the Lord”, 1Kings15:26. This provoked the Lord’s anger, vs 30. We then see the list of Israel’s kings and their reigns in quick succession in from Nadab 1Kings15:32 to Ahab 1Kings16:34. All these kings were marked with doing evil in the sight of the Lord often with the description of “walking in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat”. Our Lord Jesus tells us that we reap what we sow. In the case of the heirs of Israel this was evil because they had rejected the God of Israel. Instead of worshipping at Jerusalem at the temple with the priesthood established by God, they worship at the gold calves, at Bethel or Dan.
4. We see judgement also coming upon the house of Baasha because he also walked in the ways of Jeroboam, 1Kings 16:1-7. What is interesting is the last line in verse 7 referring to Baasha’s execution of the house of Jeroboam. God’s anger was not only aroused against Baasha because he walked in the ways of Jeroboam but also “because he destroyed it.” The Lord had ordained the destruction of the house of Jeroboam by the hands of Baasha, but Baasha was still accountable for murder of Jeroboam’s household. Here we see again that God’s sovereignty does not mitigate against the requirement for man being accountable for his actions. Judgement would come through a conspiracy, vs11 as it had for Baasha against the house of Jeroboam. We reap what we sow.
5. We see the apostacy of Israel about to grow with the reign of Ahab, 1Kings 16:29-33. He would be the king that would cement Israel’s judgement in 722BC by the hand of the Babylonians. We hear that behind every great man is a great woman. The reverse may also be true as Ahab took as wife, Jezebel, who served Baal, vs 31. She would be used to lead the morally and mentally weak Ahab in destroying the worship of the Lord in Israel.
6. The rebellion of man is epitomized in the character of Hiel as he would sacrifice his sons, fulfilling the prophecy spoken by Joshua the son of Nun, 1Kings16:34 (Josh 6:26). Let’s never sacrifice our kids on the altar of our own ambition. Pray our children are led by the Holy Spirit and are free to listen to Him for counsel.
7. A circuit breaker in Israel’s apostasy needed to happen to show them the power of the true and living God. The Lord provides the answer by raising up a strong prophet – Elijah. The interactions between Elijah and the new king of Israel begins and is representative of the believer’s struggle against the flesh and worldly ambition.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Groups on break over the school holidays
Prayer Points
1. Families away on holidays. Pray for rest and safe return
2. Pray for testimonies that people will be doing every second week. Please consider when you would like to do yours when the pastor asks you to share yours.
3. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
4. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points.
1. Testimony of Murray Aitchison.
2. Doug’s preaching the last two Sunday’s. Thanks Doug.
3. Thanks to Rod and the worship team as well as sound and computer techs over the last two weeks.
4. New volunteers stepping forward to help out.
5. The unity and grace on display at CBC.
Announcements
1. PlayPatch for toddlers on break for 2 weeks.
2. Kids@church on break for 2 weeks.
3. Recharge Youth – on break for 2 weeks.
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