Lesson 26: Abijam & Asa of Judah
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1 Kings 15:1-8; 2 Chronicles 13-16
Here we see an interesting duo. While they are connected they actually contrast each other. While one does well, one does not. One king was good and the other wasn’t.
We also see lessons of being right with God and still becoming bitter and be wrong with Gond and still having something right.
The passages concerning both of these kings are found in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. While we will stay primarily in 1 Kings we will be looking at some Scripture in both.
I. THE REIGN OF ABIJAM
I. THE REIGN OF ABIJAM
As we get started tonight realize that the 2nd king of Judah was called by two renderings of his name. You will often find this in the Old Testament - and at times in the New Testament. You might say, well why doesn’t someone make it easier. Well, I appreciate translators were more interested in translating the Word of God correctly and faithfully rather than changing it to read in a way that they thought would be easier.
So, Abijam is known by both Abijam and Abijah.
A. His Lineage
A. His Lineage
Lineage, family history, and family trees were very important in Israel’s history and still in the nation of Israel today. It matters greatly especially in concerning our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, so it was important that these records were kept. It is proof of the veracity of the Word of God.
It is interesting that the mothers of the kings of Judah are often mentioned in the Bible. This either gave them a good name or told how bad they were perhaps. But we see a bit of the lineage of Abijam in this passage, and it tells, in a round about way, a story of possible bitterness and resentment. We know his father’s lineage already, but it tells his mother’s lineage.
1. His mother was Maachah - Oppression
1. His mother was Maachah - Oppression
This was Abjiam’s mother. Of course his father was Rehoboam. She is also called Michaiah in 2 Chronicles 13:2.
And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)
2. His grandfathers
2. His grandfathers
On the maternal side, there was Uriel:
a. Uriel
a. Uriel
And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,
He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
b. Absalom
b. Absalom
We see this in our text tonight: v.1 …the daughter of Abishalom.
She was Abishalom’s daughter. This is another rendering of Absalom’s name.
As I said at the beginning. Perhaps there was bitterness and resentment in her heart toward’s God. Perhaps she thought it was to be her place to the be the daughter of the king. To marry into the kingdom.
If you remember, this, Absalom did not have a son.
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place.
Perhaps Maacha sat at Absalom’s place wishing she were queen. And perhaps she found her way back into the kings palace by marrying Rehoboam, being the granddaughter of Absalom, his daughters daughter. The only daughter that Absalom had was Tamar, so Tamar must have married Uriel, an Maacha was born to them.
B. His days as king
B. His days as king
There is not a lot about his kingdom, but it is not near the least either.
1. It lasted only three years
1. It lasted only three years
It was a short-lived reign. There is not a lot known about his reign - but we will study a few things that we do know about him, and can learn from him.
2. He was at war with Jeroboam
2. He was at war with Jeroboam
This is recorded mainly in 2 Chronicles 13.
Abijam’s verbal attack
2 Chron 13:4-12
Abijam was trying to bring Israel back into his kingdom by force. I think the war was was out of God’s will because it was God that appointed Jeroboam to power.
So for Abijam, who throughout that chapter claimed their rebellious ways - really was overlooking his own sin.
Jeroboam sets a trap but God delivers
2 Chron 13:13-18
But God, by his own mercy and according to His own purposes delivered Abijam.
The key verse is certainly
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.
C. The Take-aways from his kingdom
C. The Take-aways from his kingdom
There are a few things we have learned. He walked in the sins of Rehoboam.
1. He sinned as his father
1. He sinned as his father
His father was Rehoboam, nothing good was said of him. Nothing good was the result of his life.
His son was no better. Usually the Word of God says that a king was good or wicked, but for both of these kings Rehoboam and Abijah, it doesn’t say either of these things.
There is significance of course in all that God’s says in His Word, I think things that are not there in one place while mentioned parts are things to ponder as well. Why was it not mentioned whether they were good or bad?
Well, they were the first two kings of Judah - perhaps God was waiting for something to develop that was good. Maybe it was enough that God said that he sinned just like his father - that this was enough evidence that he was not a good king.
2. He was there because of David
2. He was there because of David
David was his great grandfather.
God left a lamp in Jerusalem and He would keep that lamp on for David’s sake for many generations.
3. God can still answer prayers according to His will from unrighteous people
3. God can still answer prayers according to His will from unrighteous people
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.
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.
II. Revival Under Asa
II. Revival Under Asa
1 Ki. 15:8–14; 2 Chron. 14:1–16:14
If things went wrong under Abijam, we can see that things went right under Asa.
A. The first right king of Judah
A. The first right king of Judah
Can I remind everyone of what right is;
It is not what you think or what I think but right is defined by God and what is right in his eyes.
And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.
And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God:
B. The right changes he made
B. The right changes he made
1. Drove out the sodomites
1. Drove out the sodomites
I thing it is interesting that the Bible calls them sodomites. This is a biblical term that describes a person by the sin that they do. A sodomite is someone that commits homosexual sin.
2. Removed the idols
2. Removed the idols
Like a sodomite so is an idolater. God hates idolatry in all its forms. He removed them.
3. He dealt with Maachah
3. He dealt with Maachah
This was his grandmother, the grandaugther of Absalom and daughter of URIEL. She got aback int
C. He warred with Baasha, Israel’s king
C. He warred with Baasha, Israel’s king
15:16-22
Baasha
D. He battled against the Ethiopians
D. He battled against the Ethiopians
2 Chron 14:9-15
I love the prayer that Asa offers up in
And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.
So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
F. He had a perfect heart with God
F. He had a perfect heart with God
But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.
But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
He led Judah in a revival and was a great builder.
G. Asa rejects a prophet
G. Asa rejects a prophet
2 Chr 16:7-11
1. The prophet pointed out his sin
1. The prophet pointed out his sin
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2. Asa became enraged
2. Asa became enraged
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
3. He imprisons and oppresses
3. He imprisons and oppresses
v.10
He imprisons the prophet and oppresses others as well.
When people become embittered or enraged they also end up hurting more than just the one they are upset with.
Can I remind everyone of a simple biblical truth.
The very best thing to do when rebuked by God, even when it is through a preacher or a friend is to receive it, consider it, apply it if needed.
4. He dies blessed but bitter
4. He dies blessed but bitter
He dies with a disease in his feet. The reason we know he was blessed is because we can objectively say from his life and how he lived and what God said in His Word that - he was blessed.
But a blessed man can still be bitter over one small thing.