Kings
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How do we build a life of faith?
How do we avoid a life of idolatry?
Our passage, more specifically, the chapters before us today, 14-16 of 1 Kings… exist in part for that purpose
These chapters take us from King Jeroboam and Rehoboam in 931 BC to the start of Ahab’s reign over Israel in 874 BC and Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah in 872 BC
These 60 years in three chapters, cover 7 kings of Israel, and 4 kings of Judah… with Ahab and Jehoshaphat being merely introduced.
We go from King Jeroboam who, as we will see sets the standard for bad kings… and we end with the focus on King Ahab, who out of the 11 kings we’ll discuss, is by far the worst.
King Ahab is also a key figure in the time of Elijah and Elisha.
Beyond the kings, we have two prophets, Ahijah and Jehu...
Ahijah the Shilohnite - passed judgment on Jeroboam - fulfilled 1 Kgs 15:29-30
Jehu son of Hanani - passed judgment on Baasha (same type of judgment as Jeroboam’s) fulfilled 1 Kgs 16:11-12
We won’t read the full three chapters…
We’ll read bits and pieces so keep your Bibles open and I will guide you along so you can keep up and be a good Berean by examining the text itself.
The purpose of these chapters is primarily theological, rather than historical. They are meant to highlight the faithfulness or lack thereof of the kings, thus explaining to those in Exile, in the 6th century BC, why they are in exile.
Open to 1 Kings 14:1… we’ll read through v. 20… and this will be the bulk of our reading.
We start with Jeroboam…
Consider what has just happened in chapter 13 and note the end of chapter 13… v. 34
Judged for his idolatrous sin
v. 8, was not like David, did not follow wholeheartedly after Yahweh
For Jeroboam’s sin all of Israel was judged v. 15… a judgment that ends in Exile, 200 years later in 722 by the hands of Assyria
Rehoboam (14.21) - Judah
Reigned 17 years, began age 41
Note. v. 22-23 - did evil in the sight of Yahweh
King Shishak from Egypt invades, plunders Jerusalem (v. 25-26)
Note v. 30 - him and Jeroboam continually at war
Abijam (sometimes read as Abijah) (1 Kings 15:1) - Judah
Begin in the 18th year of Jeroboam
Reigned for 3 years
note v. 3 - was not wholeheartedly devoted to Yahweh
Asa (son of Abijam)- Judah (v. 9)
20th year of Jeroboam
Reigned 41 years (one of 8 of the good kings)
v. 11 did what was right, did as his ancestor David did… (then specific examples given 12-13)
Destroyed the idols and their practices even his mother was removed from her royal position
Only Hezekiah and Josiah get commended to a greater degree.
During his reign, he was continually at war with King Baasha (not yet introduced formally)
Dies of some kind of foot disease and Jehoshaphat replaces him… read more about him in the coming weeks.
Nadab (Jeroboam’s son) - Israel (v. 25)
Began 2nd year of Asa
Reigned for two years
Did evil in the eyes of Yahweh - v. 26
Was killed by Baasha… who wiped out Jeroboam’s family and fulfilling the prophecy of Ahijah the prophet (v. 29)
Again, we’re reminded in v. 30 the suffering was a consequence of Jeroboam’s sin
Baasha (dynasty change) - Israel (v. 33)
Reigned 24 years, started in 3rd year of Asa - Tirzah was his capital
v. 34 - he did evil in the sight of Yahweh
Since he killed Jeroboam’s family, Baasha is judged by Yahweh
Jehu brings the word of judgment to Baasha… (16:1-4)
Same judgment Jeroboam’s family faced
Elah (son of Baasha) - Israel v. 8
26th year of Asa’s reign
reigned 2 years - a drinker (v. 10)
Killed by Zimri (v. 10)
Who then killed off Baasha’s family bringing Jehu’s prophecy to completion
Again, reminded in v. 13 that this happened because of their sin
Zimri (dynasty change) - Israel
27 year of Asa
Reigned a mere 7 days
Israel wasn’t happy about it and Omri was made king by the army (v. 16)
Holds up in the palace in the capital of Tirzah and burns it down with him inside
And again, note v. 19… all because of the sins he committed.
Omri (dynasty change) - Israel (v. 21) one of the longer lasting dynasties of Israel’s history
After a brief civil war of about 4-5 years between him and Tibni takes full reign
31st year of Asa
Reigned 12 years - 6 in Tirzah and 6 in Samaria
Did more evil than ALL before him (25)
Ahab (son of Omri) - Israel (v. 29)
38th Year of Asa
Reigned 22 years
Did more evil than ALL before him (30) (includes Omri)
Married Jezebel (Rev. 2.20 church of Thyatira) a greater sin than the others… v. 31 “as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam… he married Jezebel”
20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
Did more to provoke Yahweh than any before him (33)
Jericho was rebuilt in his days… v. 34… and note the mention of the curse of Josh 6.26 being fulfilled
26 Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, “Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. “At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.”
You notice a pattern here?
We have 11 kings… and only one was spoken well of...
The other ten are mentioned as evil in a variety of ways…
But none of the evil kings reign as long as Asa...
The idolatrous behaviors of the evil kings led to violent and unstable reigns
The faithful reign of Asa, though not perfect, led to a long and stable reign
Jeroboam was the prime example of evil for the bad kings… but who was the prime example of good for the good kings?
David was… Asa, in v. 11 of chapter 15… did as David did...
Jeroboam did not do as David did… and neither did any of the other kings of Judah or Israel outside of Asa
What was it that David did that was so important?
In Jeroboam’s judgment, Ahijah the prophet tells us… v. 8… David was wholeheartedly devoted
Not perfect… but devoted
David may have sinned… but David didn’t cast Yahweh behind him, and serve other idols, as Jeroboam did v. 9
If you’re wondering - “Is there a hierarchy of sin, yes there is...”
And idolatry tops the list… David may have sinned, but Yahweh was the one to whom he always turned to…
Jeroboam… Ahab… Rehoboam… the others and the nation did otherwise… turned to other gods… to other ways
This is what Israel is guilty of Ezekiel 23:35… a verse in the middle of perhaps the most explicit description of sin in all of Scriptures… and that sin is focused on idolatry…
35 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you yourself must bear the consequences of your lewdness and whoring.”
And in Nehemiah 9:26… they were guilty of utterly disregarding God’s law...
26 “Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.
So.... how do we ensure we do as David did and not as Jeroboam did? How do we ensure we do what the few do, and not what the majority do?
But maybe you think the acts of all these kings don’t apply to you...
Maybe you’re thinking… God didn’t make me a king… God didn’t exalt me like He did David, Jeroboam, and the other kings… therefor
You’re right… He didn’t make you a king… but He has exalted you, He has offered you a greater thing than to be a king on this earth, in this age… He has made you a son of God (Gal 3.26)… a co-heir with His Son, Jesus (Rom 8:17)… you can be made no greater, no richer in eternity, than who God has made you in Christ.
26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
So, let us not be ungrateful as Jeroboam and Baasha were accused of by Yahweh through His prophets Ahijah and Jehu...
And let us consider how we might be wholeheartedly devoted to Yahweh as David was wholeheartedly devoted to Yahweh.
So, let’s look at how David did it… he’s the paragon, the prime example in our text today, so let us consider his ways on this matter...
Psalm 37.... a psalm about how God will not forsake His saints and how He will vindicate and deliver them… thus we are not to fret, not to get all worked up, or panicked about the acts of sinners.
Psalm 37:3-5...
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
v. 7-8...
v. 23-24...
v. 27-28
v. 31...
v. 34...
v.39-40...
David may be the prime example in our text today, but David, in the scope of history and eternity, as people look to him, he points us to another… to his Son, the Son of David, Jesus Christ…
The perfect king, the good shepherd, the great high priest, the anticipated prophet of Moses… even good King Asa let the high places remain in Judah…
What the people of Israel needed and what we need today is this Son of David, Jesus Christ...
So, let us find our refuge there…
Let us live with Christ ever before us...
May we not cast Him behind us...
May we not cast His Word behind us...
When temptation turns the heat up let us press forward, striving ahead, reaching always for Christ… and if need be falling into Him…
And if you have disregarded Him, if you have walked with him behind you and not in front of you… repent, turn from your idolatry and get Christ in front of you again… may Him and His blood ever be before you…
Let us pray as we prepare ourselves for communion...