The Book of first kings

Chapter 15

[1] Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.
[2] Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
[3] And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
[4] Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:
[5] Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
[6] And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
[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.
[8] And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.

1) The Throne of Judah

A. Abijam

1. Reign (vs1)

After 17 yr (1K14:21) Rehoboam the king of Judah died and Abijam, his son, reigned in his stead

2. Rulership

2 Chr 13:3 And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four

hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight

hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour.

Abijam warred against Israel & Jeroboam (brother against brother)

Abijam challenged Israel on merits of righteousness & judgment

2 Chr 13:8 And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.
[9] Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.
[10] But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:
[11] And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him.
[12] And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.
[13] But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.

3. Reliance

Judah was almost defeated but prevailed as they cried unto the Lord

God smote Jeroboam

2 Chr 13:14 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.
[15] Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
[16] And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.
[17] And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

Judah prevailed because they relied upon the Lord

2 Chr 13:18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of

Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.

4. Ruin

Abijam waxed mighty in prosperity and got prideful

2 Chr 13:19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns

thereof,and Jeshnah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.

(I Kings 15:2-8) Was king 3 yrs in Judah ruling in the sinful ways of his father

Yet, for David’s sake, God allowed him to live, have children and rule 3 yrs

[9] And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.
[10] And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
[11] And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.
[12] And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
[13] And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.
[14] But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.

[15] And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.

B. Asa

1. Reform (Vs 9-14)

Asa was the son of Abijam, took the throne of Judah after his fathers brief reign

Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord (God allowed him to reign 41 yrs)

Banished sodomites, removed idols made by his father, removed queen his grandma & her idols

(2 Chr 15:1,2,7,8,17) [1] And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:

[2] 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.

[7] Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be

rewarded.

[8] And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage,

and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the

cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was

before the porch of the LORD.

[17] But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

It was not complete reform though as some high places were not removed

Nevertheless his heart was perfect (Vs 14)

2. Restoration (Vs 15)

He brought the proper things back into the house of the Lord and proper worship is restored

[16] And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
[17] And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any 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 delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
[19] There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
[20] So Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.
[21] And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.
[22] Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
[23] 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? Nevertheless in the time of 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 stead.

2) The Thrust of War Between Judah & Israel (Vs 16-24)

Baasha and Israel blocked a main route into and out of Judah at Ramah (military & economic pressure)

This was the 36^th yr of King Asa’a reign (and he had been a good king)

BUT King Asa took gold (from house of Lord & kings house) to buy Benhadad king of Syria’s favor

Asa thought that he could bribe Syria to stop them from helping Israel

Benhadad and Syria did accept the bribe and responded by helping Asa thus turning on Israel

Asa then took his people and removed the blockade & then claimed some of Israel’s land

2Chr 16:7-10 [7] And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou

hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria

escaped out of thine hand.

[8] Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because

thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand.

[9] For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
[10] Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

God was not pleased by Asa turning to Syria for help and not turning to the Lord

God sent Hanani to proclaim to King Asa that he had done wrong

King Asa responded in rage and imprisoned the man of God & others too

King Asa was a good king who, in a challenge to his faith, refused God and God’s correction

1. Asa compromised the things consecrated to the Lord’s House

2. Asa gave into fear and made a covenant with Syria (man) and distrusted the Lord in unbelief

3. Asa in the time of correction hardened his heart to the message of God

For this reason God sent disease in Asa’s feet in his 39^th yr

2 Chr 16:12,13 [12] And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease

was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.

[13] And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.) Asa would not seek the

Lord but turned to physicians and died

1 K 15:24 King Asa (after 41 yrs) died and his son Jehoshaphat reigned in his stead

[25] And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years.
[26] And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
[27] And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.
[28] Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.
[29] And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:
[30] Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.
[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.
[33] In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.
[34] And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.

3) The Throne of Israel

1. Nadab (Vs 25-27)

After 22 yr (I K14:20) Jeroboam the king of Israel died and his son Nadab reigned in his stead

He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the sinful ways of his father

In the second yr of his reign there was a conspiracy led by Baasha and Nadab was assassinated

2. Baasha (Vs 28-34)

When Baasha murdered the king he took the throne

He also killed any heir or rival to the throne by murdering all of the royal family

This was actually the fulfillment of the word of God to Jeroboam (I K 14:9-11)

This new king just continued the warfare with Judah and King Asa

This new king just continued the evil reign of other kings in Israel in the sight of the Lord

He also continued the sinful practices of Jeroboam (not a physical decedent but a spiritual descendent)