1 Kings 15-16

Book of First Kings I Kings 15-16

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

This section of 1 Kings gives a brief survey of the kings of Judah and Israel from 913 to 885 B.C. From this point through the rest of 1 Kings, a cross reference is used in introducing each new king of Judah and Israel. When each king begins his reign it is connected to the reigning king of the other kingdom. Eight of Judah’s kings were good, but most were bad kings. Four kings of Judah (Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah) led notable religious revivals at critical times to preserve the nation. All of Israel’s kings were bad, but some were worse than others.

Two Kings of Judah (15:1-24) – One bad king and one good king

1. King Abijam (15:1-8) – He reigned over Judah 3 years (913-911 B.C.). Two bad things are said about him:

A. He walked in the sins for his father – Like father, like son.

B. He was not devoted to the Lord – He was not loyal to God (“his heart was not perfect”) as David had been. The same thing was said about Solomon (11:4). David was mostly faithful to God except in the matter of Uriah. He took Uriah’s wife and then he took Uriah’s life. For the most part, David did what was right in the eyes of God. Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. For David’s sake God did not fully judge Abijam, but allowed his son, Asa, to reign after him. A heritage is what we receive from our forefathers and parents. A legacy is what we leave to our children and other descendants. The defining difference between Judah and Israel was the godly legacy of King David.

2. King Asa (15:9-24) – He reigned over Judah 41 years (911-870 B.C.). His reign lasted while six different kings ruled in Israel. What set him apart was not the duration of his reign, but his devotion to the Lord. He was the first of the good kings of Judah. For more information on Asa see 2 Chron. 14-16. Four good things are said about him:

A. He removed the religious prostitutes (“sodomites”)

B. He removed the idols of his ancestors

C. He removed Maachah as queen mother and destroyed her idol – Apparently she was his grandmother and Abijam’s mother (vs. 2, 10). See Deut. 13:6-11.

D. He brought the dedicated things into the temple

In spite of being loyal to God (not practicing idolatry), he failed in three ways:

A. He tolerated the high places for false worship – These were shrines in the hills.

B. He hired Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, to invade Israel – He used the temple treasures (gold and silver) to finance this attack. God sent Hanani the prophet (seer) to rebuke Asa for relying on the king of Syria (2 Chron. 16:7-10).

C. He sought the help of physicians instead of the Lord (2 Chron. 16:12). There is nothing wrong with using physicians and medicines, but we should first honor the Lord by asking Him to heal and bless. John MacArthur makes these observations on 2 Chron. 16:10-12: During Asa’s last 6 years, he exhibited ungodly behavior in three ways: 1) anger at God’s truth (vs. 10); 2) oppression of God’s prophet and people (vs. 10); and 3) seeking man not God (vs. 12).

Six Kings of Israel (15:25-16:34) – The focus now shifts to the Northern Kingdom until 22:41. All of Israel’s kings were bad and some of them even worse.

1. King Nadab (15:25-31) – He reigned over Israel 2 years (910-909 B.C.). He did evil just like his father, Jeroboam

2. King Baasha (15:27-16:7) – He reigned over Israel 24 years (909-886 B.C.). He killed all of Jeroboam’s family including all men, women, and children. This fulfilled and even went beyond the prophecy of Ahijah against Jeroboam (vs. 29; 14:9-11). Baasha also walked in the wicked ways of Jeroboam (vs. 34). God sent the prophet Jehu to confront the sins of Baasha and announce coming judgment on his family similar to the punishment of Jeroboam. Dogs and birds would eat the dead bodies of his family. This was considered a terrible disgrace to the Jewish people.

3. King Elah (16:8-14) – He reigned over Israel 2 years (886-885 B.C.). He was assassinated by Zimri, one of his servants, while he was drunk (vs. 9-10).

4. King Zimri (16:15-20) – He reigned over Israel only 7 days (885 B.C.), the shortest reign of any king of Israel. God used him to bring judgment on Basha’s family (vs. 12), just as the prophet Jehu had predicted. During his very brief reign he walked in the sinful ways of Jeroboam. He committed suicide by setting his house on fire.

5. King Omri (16:21-28) – He reigned over Israel 12 years (885-874 B.C.). He established Samaria as the capital of the northern kingdom. This continued to be the capital city until the kingdom was destroyed in 722 B.C. He was worse than any king before him. Like his forefather Jeroboam, he sinned and made God very angry because of his idolatry.

6. King Ahab (16:29-34) – He reigned over Israel 22 years (874-853 B.C.). During his reign Israel reached its lowest point. Ahab was worse than Omri who had been worse than those before him. He was married to Jezebel and promoted Baal worship in Israel. He married a heathen woman and worshiped a heathen god. Once again the marriage to a pagan woman led to idolatry. Baal was thought to be the one who fertilized the land with rain, producing abundant crops. King Ahab set up an altar and temple for Baal in Samaria. Baal worship first entered Israel many years earlier (Judg. 2:11-13; 1 Sam. 12:10), but Ahab made it an official religion and an alternative to the worship of the true God. Ahab did not reject worship of the true God or insist that every person worship Baal. He rejected the idea that God was the only true God to be worshiped and served. He made God very angry, more so than any other king. The stage was now set for two of God’s great prophets, Elijah and Elisha, to speak on His behalf. The last six chapters of 1 Kings describes Ahab’s struggle with the prophet Elijah. As a side note to end chapter 16, a man named Hiel attempted to rebuild the city of Jericho, but his two sons were killed in the process. Jericho had been destroyed by God and Joshua had warned that anyone who rebuilt the city would fall under the curse of losing his oldest and youngest sons (Josh. 6:26). This is yet another reminder that God’s Word will not fail.

Book of First Kings I Kings 15-16

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Two Kings of Judah (15:1-24) – There was one bad king and one good king.

1. ______(15:1-8) – He reigned over Judah 3 years (913-911 B.C.). Two bad things are said about him:

A. He______

B. He______Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

2. ______(15:9-24) – He reigned over Judah 41 years (911-870 B.C.). For more information on Asa see 2 Chron. 14-16. Four good things are said about him:

A. He removed______

B. He removed______

C. He removed______

D. He brought______

In spite of being loyal to God (not practicing idolatry), he failed in three ways:

A. He tolerated______

B. He hired______

C. He sought______

Six Kings of Israel (15:25-16:34) – All of the kings were bad and some of them even worse.

1. ______(15:25-31) – He reigned over Israel 2 years (910-909 B.C.).

2. ______(15:27-16:7) – He reigned over Israel 24 years (909-886 B.C.).

3. ______(16:8-14) – He reigned over Israel 2 years (886-885 B.C.).

4. ______(16:15-20) – He reigned over Israel only 7 days (885 B.C.).

5. ______(16:21-28) – He reigned over Israel 12 years (885-874 B.C.).

6. ______(16:29-34) – He reigned over Israel 22 years (874-853 B.C.). The last six chapters of 1 Kings describes Ahab’s struggle with the prophet Elijah.

As a side note to end chapter 16, a man named Hiel attempted to rebuild the city of Jericho, but his two sons were killed in the process. Jericho had been destroyed by God and Joshua had warned that anyone who rebuilt the city would fall under the curse of losing his oldest and youngest sons (Josh. 6:26). This is yet another reminder that God’s Word will not fail.