I Kings Chapter 15
Please read: I Kings 15 –
The beginning verses of this chapter are a summary of the previous chapter. There is an emphasis placed on God keeping His promise to David that we should not miss. God said that He kept His promises because David walked with the LORD and kept all His commandments. God did this for the house of Judah even though Solomon’s son Rehoboam and his son Abijam (or Abijah) did not follow after God. It says that God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem. There was a hand of blessing upon these men that they probably didn’t even recognize.
You will read that there are more details to come in the book of Chronicles. Reading those details as we get into I and II Chronicles will help us learn more of how God orchestrated His purpose despite men who did not turn their heart to Him.
“For David’s sake and in response to his faith, he [Abijam] was allowed a spectacular victory over the encircling Israelites whom he had challenged, for being even more apostate than he… This is an instance of God blessing the unworthy for the sake of the worthy.” [Wiseman]
Abijam’s reign was short, he only reigned for 3 years in the southern kingdom and then his son Asa took the throne and we read that Asa did what was right in the sight of the LORD as his father David had done. (David was actually his great, great grandfather). This was a great statement; Asa was compared to David. Imagine what it would be like to arrive in heaven one day and learn that your lineage walked with the LORD because of the testimony you left behind!
Let's Reflect
1. When Asa began to reign Jeroboam, king of the northern tribe, was still in power. How long did Asa reign in the southern kingdom?
2. Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. What steps did Asa take to purge the house of Judah from the sinful ways of his father?
3. Have you ever noticed that most every religion or cult that there ever was, in some manner they include lewd sexual practices as a part of their worship? But Asa burned down the sexual images and did the opposite because his heart was towards the LORD. What did Asa do as described in verse 15?
4. In order to worship God or to speak to the king of Judah the people needed to be able to freely get there. We read in verse 17 that Baasha, king of Israel, built his house called Ramah. Ramah would have served as somewhat of a “guard shack” that people coming to see the king in Jerusalem would have been stopped and prevented from going there. What did Asa do that caused Baasha to stop building Ramah?
5. Ramah must have been a very big building project because when Baasha stopped building it, Asa used the materials to build what?
6. Asa died after reigning 41 years and his son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place. The story then picks up with the northern kingdom, and we learn that after Jeroboam reigned his son Nadab took the throne. Nadab only reigned for 2 years because something happened to him. What happened to Nadab?
7. Once Baasha got into power (this is the same Baasha mentioned earlier that built Ramah) what did he do to all the household of Jeroboam?
8. Baasha should have been a godly man because he was the son of Abijah the prophet. This is the same prophet that told Jeroboam that God was going to make him king of Israel. Baasha reigned for 24 years but what does the Bible say about him?
