BAD KING, GOOD KING
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, I come to you today with praise and thanksgiving. As I live out this day, please keep me focused on you, ready to do your will.
Read 1 KINGS 15:1–32
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Abijah King of Judah
15 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah[a] became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.[b]
3 He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. 4 Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. 5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.
6 There was war between Abijah[c] and Jeroboam throughout Abijah’s lifetime. 7 As for the other events of Abijah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king.
Asa King of Judah
9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.
11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done. 12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. 13 He even deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14 Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. 15 He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.
16 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
18 Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 19 “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”
20 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.
23 As for all the other events of Asa’s reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. 24 Then Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king.
Nadab King of Israel
25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of his father and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit.
27 Baasha son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it. 28 Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king.
29 As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family. He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the Lord given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 This happened because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel.
31 As for the other events of Nadab’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 32 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 15:1 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Chron. 12:16); most Hebrew manuscripts Abijam; also in verses 7 and 8
- 1 Kings 15:2 A variant of Absalom; also in verse 10
- 1 Kings 15:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac Abijam (that is, Abijah); most Hebrew manuscripts Rehoboam
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
‘God is working his purpose out, as year succeeds to year.’1
Think Further
Now, the writer gets going on the chronicle of kings of Judah and Israel. Snapshots of their reigns interweave, telling parallel stories of God’s people. Today, we hear about the contrasting rules of two kings of Judah (Abijah and Asa) and then, Nadab, king of Israel. From our twenty-first-century perspective, such passages might seem far-removed, historical tales. But pause – notice how these accounts are written from God’s point of view, reflecting on the behavior of his people. How might his prophets write about us today?
For both Abijah and Asa, we are reminded of their special ancestry as descendants of King David, through Maakah (vv. 2, 10). Abijah’s sins and lack of devotion to God do not bring peace to the land (v. 6) and his reign is short. Yet, there is forbearance on God’s part because of David’s faithfulness (v. 4) and the special role of Jerusalem (a lamp, v. 4).2 Unlike his father, Asa ‘did what was right in the eyes of the Lord’ (v. 11). Doing ‘right’ for forty-one years (vv. 10, 11) could not have been easy! Imagine the opposition he would have encountered in acting to rid God’s people of their idolatry, even deposing the Queen Mother (vv. 11–13). Despite his faults, his ‘heart was fully committed to the Lord’ (v. 14). The rest of his reign was taken up with proactive work, establishing a prosperous land for God’s people (vv. 16–22).
Back in the northern kingdom of Israel, the evil influence of King Jeroboam persists (v. 26) and God’s Word is fulfilled.3 Nadab, his son, is killed by Baasha, another pretender to the throne, who goes on to kill all of Jeroboam’s family (v. 29). God is faithful and working his purposes out in mysterious ways.
Apply
How do you think God is working out his purposes through your life? Ask God to help you to be persistent and courageous in leadership.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, I want to live a life of obedience to you, the One that is a source of blessing to those around me. Help my walk with you be a testimony that draws others to you.
1 Arthur C Ainger, 1841–1919 2 See also 1 Kings 11:36 3 1 Kings 14:14
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