The Conclusion the Matters

1 Kings 22:37-53

READ: 1 Kings 22:37-40

Today, we come to the end of the book of 1 Kings.

We’ve been on this journey for so long – this is our 27thweek - I wonder if you remember all the people we’ve come across, along the way. There was old King David – lost all of his youthful vitality – couldn’t even keep himself warm at night and almost allowed a pretentious self-promoter and schemer named Adonijah to grab the throne away from the one it was promised to.

Oh, but Nathan the prophet and Bathsheba stepped forward and David was roused back to life to make sure that Solomon, the rightful heir, did get the throne.

You remember Solomon – humble Solomon – when God comes to him at the beginning of his reign to offer him anything he wanted … Solomon asks for wisdom. And God answered. Oh how he answered. God gives more wisdom than anyone had ever had … and, just for good measure, God ALSO throws in wealth and honour. They were the golden years of Israel. The nation makes its mark on the world stage …

The temple is built …. That picture of the Garden of Eden, where God comes – the Infinite God of the universe, chooses to move into the neighborhood and live with HIS people?! It is almost too amazing to believe.

And the riches and wealth that the nation enjoys – In Solomon’s court – there’s so much gold that silver is like paper-towels … almost disposable. God’s favor is clearly shining down on God’s people.

Oh but you remember how the glory didn’t last. Solomon doesn’t end well – He gives his heart to foreign wives, who lead his heart away from God. He doesn’t root out the weeds of selfishness in his own life and ends up glorying in his riches rather than in God.

Rehoboam, his son, rises to the throne and continues the failings of his dad, without the good qualities. He won’t take wise advice – listens to his buddies instead – and ends up with the nation split in two with a rival king on the throne up north.

Then the kings start coming fast and furious – Jeroboam in the north, who God promises to make into a dynasty – but this king chooses to copy Aaron’s folly from the Exodus and build golden calves to worship God with. The right God, worshiped in the wrong way. And the LORD will not be mocked.

We start seeing the formula in the book: “So and so began to reign. He reigned for ‘x’ number of years.” And then comes the judgment – Either he did right – walked in the ways of David his father …. OR He did ‘evil’ in the sight of the Lord.

And there were plenty of names for the formula to be used on: Abijam, Asa, Nadab, Baasha, Elah …on and on goes the list of kings. Some were great, others … not so much. They drink themselves drunk and get themselves killed or they stage a coup and kill everyone else.

But I hope you have seen a golden thread running with unbroken consistency throughout this entire book: That no matter which king is sitting on the throne of Israel or Judah … GOD RULES. And He will not let His purposes be thwarted or hindered.

Okay, well, this book that has been filled with stories of exciting, humorous stories that have captivated our attention … now it comes to the end and there is no dramatic story to wrap it up … just some information about a few kings sitting on the thrones of Judah and Israel.

But before you turn me off and tune me out - let me reassure you - this is important stuff. Remember back to school days when you come to the end of a unit of study - a good teacher always prepared you for the coming test by going over the main themes of the material you had just waded through, to make sure you understood - and could answer questions about it.

The narrator of 1 Kings is just like that good teacher. And I want to finish our time in this book by making sure you get what you need to.

But before I go any further, let me also say that 1 and 2 Kings are intended to be 1 book. If you keep reading past the break and into 2 Kings, you’ll see that the story just carries right on. The only reason that the 2 books are TWO books, isn’t because of a new theme or subject matter - it’s because of writing material. When Kings was originally written, long before the days of books bound together with a spine, so that hundreds of pages could be piled on top of each other and carried around in your hand … it was written in the days of scrolls - rolled around and around - the longer the book, the thicker the scroll. With writing material like that - there comes a point where only a weight-lifter can carry the book around. People tended to try and keep the scroll a little shorter than that. So, with books like Kings - where the material won’t fit all on 1 manageable scroll - the material is usually divided into 2, roughly-equal parts. That’s what’s going on here. Technically, this isn’t the ultimate end of the book of Kings.

But, there’s more going on here than just scroll size - God is so amazing in his sovereignty - He always seems to be doing a whole lot of things at the very same time. And I believe that the ending of 1 Kings is more than just the halfway point of the book … it’s also a chance to put a FRAME around the story. We have read about king after king after king. There are all so many different names, so many different activities and lengths of their reigns and you can get lost in the variety. But - There’s a king who begins the book - - and a king who ends the book. And they stand for every other king in the book.

Solomon begins the book:

1 Kings 3:28, “And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.”

And Ahab and his son end the book:

21:25, “There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab …”

1 AHAB’S LEGACY.

Our text today begins with Ahab’s end, in Verses 37-38. See the focus on the shame of this king’s end: He was buried in his capitol city, sure. He was given full royal burial honours, sure … but his closest companions in death - were dogs, licking up his blood - and prostitutes washing up after a night of selling themselves.

That dying description is especially important because there is a whole lot more to Ahab’s reign that isn’t mentioned.

Verse 39: “Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all he did and the ivory house that he built and the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the king of Israel?”

Did you catch those references buried in v. 39? King Ahab built a HOUSE made of IVORY - He built entire cities.

Ivory may not be as valuable as gold, but in Ahab’s world - it was a prized symbol of wealth. Archaeologists have found all sorts of ivory pieces in that part of the world, from that time of history - pieces decorated with intricate images of lions, bulls, lotus flowers, scenes from mythology and sure enough, just like any period of history it seems - some were decorated with images of women. Having a carved piece of ivory is a big deal.

If you have enough money, in the Ancient Near East - you can maybe afford a comb made of ivory. If you are wealthy - perhaps you can buy a cosmetic box made of ivory … maybe even an ivory inlay in a special piece of furniture.

But to have a PALACE, covered with ivory paneled walls - well that shows an opulence and indulgence that’s off the charts. That’s what Ahab had. And he built entire cities - many of them. “ALL the cities he built”, the text says. But God doesn’t care about any of that. If you want to read about those things - you’ll have to go somewhere else, because all of the these accomplishments are dismissed in one, single sentence.

What’s God’s verdict? He did all of these things … but he died. In fact, as verse 28 puts it: “He died according to the word of the LORD.”

What’s God’s verdict on Ahab’s reign? Go back to 1 Kings 16:30, “And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.”

Then flip to 1 Kings 21:25, “There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab ...”.

In other words, this king who was recognized in the world of his day - he had wealth - he had built new cities and expanded his reign. This king may not have been liked - may have been hated even. But in the world of his day - he wasn’t seen as the indecisive, bumbling baby that we see him as - he was King Ahab, with the ivory palace.

That’s humbling, isn’t it? Doesn’t it put into sharp perspective what really matters in this life? What are the things you’re living for right now? Now, what does God think of them?

So what’s Ahab’s legacy? Well, in v. 51, his son takes the throne. READ vv. 51-53.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it? Ahaziah follows right along in his father’s footsteps; he follows in the footsteps of his mom- notorious Queen Jezebel; He follows in the footsteps of Jeroboam, the first king of the north - who led the people away from worshiping the right God in the right way … to worshiping the same God - but in their own way. In fact, he took the route of do-it-yourself religion to its logical conclusion - and teh king of the people of the Living God of the universe … chooses to follow mom and dad’s example and gives up on God altogether to worship a god with no power.

Ahaziah is still living in the palace that dad built - paneled in ivory and reeking of opulence. But God cares not a whit about any of that. God’s verdict brings the book of Kings to a conclusion in v. 53, “(Ahaziah) provoked the LORD, the God of Israel to anger in every way that his father had done.”

Another humbling thought hits as I read those words: Our lives - your life and mine - will make an impact - - YOU WILL leave a legacy after you die … your name will live on, somehow. The only question is - WHAT will my legacy be?

2 JEHOSHAPHAT

King Ahaziah brings 1 Kings to a close. But between his dad’s death in v. 40 and the mention of his rise to power in v. 51, the focus moves to another king - the king ruling in the southern Kingdom of Judah.

READ, vv. 41-42.

Jehoshaphat. He appeared out of nowhere when Ahab invited him to come and form an alliance to fight against Syria. He just disappeared after he escaped death on the battlefield. But now, he takes center stage.

Verse 41 tells us that he begins to reign in Ahab’s 4th year and that he reigned 25 years in Jerusalem. If you’ve been with us along this journey in 1 Kings, then maybe it’s suddenly hitting you: “Hang on - we were introduced to this Jehoshaphat when his father Asa died and he took the throne. But we’ve barely seen or heard from him since!”

We were introduced to Ahab just after that - in 16:29, and for SIX whole chapters, he has been on center stage, in the spotlight. Ahab reigned for 22 years. Jehoshaphat reigns 25 years - and he doesn’t get 6 chapters - he doesn’t even get 1 whole chapter here - he gets a grand total of 10 verses of concentrated attention. What’s going on here? I mean, Ahaziah only reigns 2 years and he gets 3 verses here - and all of chapter 1 in the next book.

So, what’s God trying to tell us? What are we supposed to learn here for our own lives?

Well, let’s take a look at Jehoshaphat’s life and see what the text has to say.

READ vv. 43-50.

The first thing that stands out in this short biography is the verdict. “Jehoshaphat walked in ALL the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD.”

Ahhh … isn’t this a breath of fresh air, after the raw septic tank that was Ahab’s kingdom? Prophet after prophet warns Ahab to get back on track - TURN BACK, TURN BACK … he sees God’s work in miraculous power in fire from heaven, in rescue and victory in battles he has no business winning - and STILL he lets his wife slaughter the prophets of the LORD … STILL he runs after impotent Baal.

Jehoshaphat? He doesn’t even step off of the pathway. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.

Verse 46 - we see his faithfulness in action: “And from the land, he exterminated the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained after the days of his father, Asa.”

Remember Asa? He was a man of faith. But he let some of the pagan religious practices continue. Not Jehoshaphat - he will not make any truces with sexual perversion (… and there are too many churches that could learn from his example).

Now, when you obey the LORD, you expect some kind of reward, don’t you?

“Whoa - it’s not spiritual to say that. You should just obey the LORD because it’s the right thing to do. You should obey because it brings Him glory.” Well, that’s partly true: we obey God for His glory. But part of God’s glory is to do good for those who seek Him.

That’s what the Bible teaches. Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it’s impossible to please God for whoever would draw near to God MUST believe THAT He exists AND … and what? ..... AND THAT HE REWARDS THOSE WHO SEEK HIM.”

That doesn’t mean money, doesn’t mean you’ll never get sick. What it does mean is a reward of joy and peace, fellowship with the living God who is the source of every good and perfect gift - and a fullness of life that bubbles up for eternity.

So, Jehoshaphat follows the LORD. What’s the blessing? Well, it actually seems like there’s a little recovery of Israel’s golden age, the glory days when great-great grandfather Solomon was on the throne of the unified kingdom.

Look at v. 45 - Jehoshaphat is no wimp … he waged war and flexed his muscles in victory when he did.

Verse 47 tells us that there was no king in the nation of Edom, at the time. Edom - that’s the country that traces its roots back to Esau. Ever since the time of Esau and Jacob - Israel and Edom have been bickering. Well, Jehoshaphat puts a deputy of his in charge of that nation.

Verse 48 tells us that Jehoshaphat made ships - a fleet of ships at Tarshish to go and get gold. Now that is a definite reference back to Solomon’s day. Flip back, in your Bible, to 1 Kings 10:22, “The king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.”

So when we read that Jehoshaphat has this fleet built and ready to go and bring back gold … our hopes rise. The shipbuilding industry is booming, there’s lots of employment for everyone in the maritime industry. We think - maybe … could it be …? Are we on the verge of a return to the people of God as they should be - under a second Solomon who doesn’t make the same mistakes as he did?

Well … the answer comes quickly. Nope.

Verse 48 continues, “Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion -Geber”. The ships sink in port and not an ounce of gold comes back to the king in Jerusalem.

Well, that’s a disappointment. What’s going on? Well, it seems as though Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, has something to do with the whole enterprise and that’s why after the sinkings - Jehoshaphat doesn’t want any more help from him. And that’s the problem in Jehoshaphat’s life … there’s compromise. It isn’t huge - but it’s there. Verse 44- he makes peace with the king of Israel. That’s not a good kind of peace … it’s an alliance with evil.

Verse 43 also tells us that the high places were not taken away and people were still going to these substitute worship centers, instead of the Temple where God commanded His people to worship. That’s compromise.

So in Jehoshaphat we have a king who follows the LORD himself … but he’s letting compromise creep in around the edges … and that’s going to have an effect on the people.

There’s got to be more than this …

And here we are - at the end of the book of 1 Kings. So what are we supposed to take with us? Well - 2 THINGS I want us to grab hold of as we wrap up this part of our journey through God’s Word.

FIRST: There is ONE conclusion - one verdict that matters for your life. Let me ask you - what audience are you playing for right now? Who are you trying to impress? If you lived in the middle of the 9th century BC - and if there was television … if there was internet - then out of the 2 nations: Israel in the north and Judah in the south - the king who would be getting the major air-time on cable news - the one who would be trending on social media? Ahab.

He’s winning wars, building cities, living in an ivory palace. There are 6 chapters of this book devoted to his life. His name is in the headlines and love him or hate him - in his world … people want to BE him.

But notice how God dismisses him, surrounded at his death, by dogs and prostitutes. He sold HIMSELF to do evil.

Jehoshaphat doesn’t get that kind of air-time. He’s got some kind of respect - but he only gets a few verses in this entire book. From a worldly perspective … this guy is no star.

But God’s pronouncement on his life: ‘He did what was right in the sight of the LORD.’ So which verdict - which conclusion matters? Is it the fickle affections of a disinterested crowd - they’ll clap for you today- but tomorrow they’ll just as soon turn on you and want you canceled.

Or -do you play for the applause of ONE - the God who created you and loves you and calls you to Himself and has promised to make all things work out for your good - as He leads you by the hand to your eternal reward?

So, one verdict matters on your life.

The SECOND point I want you to take from our study - is that You NEED A PERFECT KING. Did you get a little sad when we read about Jehoshaphat’s shortcomings? He was so … so close. He did some hard things - He stood alone in some important ways. And I want a hero who wears the white hat and is ALL hero … ALL good. Well, Jehoshaphat is good - but not good enough to save his people completely.

And that’s one of the driving themes of this book. From the time of Solomon himself - at the very pinnacle of Israel’s glory - there was an entropy at work in the nation … a gradual decline into disorder. The glory fades - the human kings show their human weaknesses … sin corrupts, pride rears its ugly head, selfishness builds … You start with a palace lined with gold, hundreds of golden shields hanging on the walls, ships bringing gold by the tonne ....

… and we end the story with a fleet of ships sunk, before they can even get out of port and bring a single ounce of gold. It’s disappointing - but it’s important that it’s here in the text. Because it’s the world we live in.

This is God, reminding us, in His word, that we need more. In Jehoshaphat’s day – the people of Israel were longing for the glory days to come back again. In 2 Kings, it’s the same – “Oh for the Good Old Days”. Through the rest of the centuries that are described in the Old Testament and then the 400 silent years between the Testaments … the people of God are yearning for another king like David and Solomon to climb onto the throne again – and bring back the glory. To make all things right, to bring peace and prosperity to the land again.

And if you’re like me – the older you get, the more you look back wistfully on the decades past and remember how good things were, back then – freedom and care-free living, so few worries and the music was better, the cars were cooler, the fashions were better …

My dad used to always reminisce about the ‘Good Old Days’ … talk about the cars and the music and movies …. I would roll my eyes and think to myself: “Whatever”. Now I’ve come to the realization that I AM MY DAD!

“The Good Old Days!” But the more you probe into the past and the more you reflect honestly – the more you realize that those days weren’t really quite as ‘Good’ as you remember. Life wasn’t actually THAT perfect.

God is telling us, in this book that we need greater than a human king. We need a king without sin and selfishness, who won’t compromise, who can’t be bought. We need a king who sees the big picture – who knows the right way to go and avoids the wrong. We need a king who doesn’t just KNOW what’s best for us – but has the POWER to make sure our best is done.

But all of that means nothing if that king doesn’t love us.

Do you see where I’m going with this? We need a King who is no less than God Himself – who will love us enough to step into this world that we’ve broken and save us.

That’s the point that Kings is making – we need a greater king – and this book points us forward to the King of Kings – the descendant who will come from the line of David and Solomon and Jehoshaphat – the son who is also the LORD of them all – Jesus Christ the Word of John 1 – Who was in the beginning, who was with God and Who was God …

He took on our flesh, stepped into our world, explained what the Kingdom of heaven was all about, even as it invaded this earth in His person. And then, the King of the universe, made sure that all of His people, throughout all of time would be ushered into the unfading, unalterable joy of citizenship in His eternal kingdom … when He died and rose again to rescue them from sin and judgment and death. Oh friend, do you know MY KING?!

We are living in strange times – Covid, an increasing tribalism – people gathering into the groups they identify and hurling anger and hostility at those who don’t belong. It’s tempting to view this time as a nightmare that will soon pass and quickly be forgotten. “We’ll get through this trial and get back to normal again. It will be just like these troubles never happened…”.

Writing for 1517, Chad Bird says, ‘not so fast’. He writes:

Neither this global pandemic, the gross injustices, the racial tensions, the mad riots, the macabre political theatre, not even Tiger King should have shocked anyone, especially those schooled in the Torah and the prophets. All human history, from Cain and Abel onward, has amply demonstrated that destruction and stupidity, navel-gazing and bloodshed, the ubiquity of fools, and the thin veneer between civilization and anarchy is the norm, not the exception.

This year just happens to be a rather colorful sampling of our commonly shared low anthropology. Welcome to Humanity 101. And don’t worry: it won’t get better. […]

And yet …

[W]e are not the Church of Chicken Little but the Church of Jesus Christ. We do not run around screaming that “the sky is falling.” There is no panic in heaven. Over the chaos of this world reigns the King of kings, Jesus the Resurrected, before whom every knee will eventually bow, whether they like it or not. Every governmental authority now — presidents, kings, prime ministers, you name it — are in lame-duck administrations. Their time is ending. Put not your trust in politicians or parties or ballot boxes. Christ and his kingdom are everlasting. And into that kingdom he calls us all to find forgiveness, life, and peace.

Do you feel it? You’re living in a 1 Kings 22 world, longing for the good old days? Hang on brother, Hang on sister. This book is reminding us that we are nowhere new … that God is unstoppably working out His purpose IN this world … and that, one day – we will look back on history from a perch of such glory and delight that we will laugh at how low God had to stoop to give us the pale shadow that we called the ‘glory days’.