Lesson 14 I Kings 16-22 Israel and Judah Follow Separate Paths Introduction Civil war between Judah and Israel continued for many years. As chapter 15 drew to a close Asa was the king of Judah and Baasha was king over Israel. Baasha was the son of Ahijah, of the tribe of Issachar, did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of the previous king, Jeroboam. Chapter 16 A succession of evil leaders in Israel Vs. 1-7 After many years of reigning in evil, God sent a young prophet to Baasha, Jehu son of Hanani. God’s message was, “Inasmuch as I exalted you from the dust and made you leader over My people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made My people Israel sin, provoking Me to anger with their sins, behold, I will consume Baasha and his house and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Anyone of Baasha who dies in the city the dogs will eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of heaven will eat”. Dogs of that day were not pets but wild animals that scavenged wherever they might find food. The birds of heaven spoken of here were vultures and ravens, scavengers. It was a great dishonor in Israel to not be buried after death, but to be consumed by the animals of the wild. This is a way of God saying that Baasha and his entire household would be dishonored for all time because of the sinful way he lead the country. Baasha died and was himself buried with his fathers while the rest of his family was dishonored by being eaten by wild animals. Vs. 8-14 While Asa was still reigning over Judah, Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel at Tizrah. He reigned for just two years when Zimri, commander of half his chariots conspired against him. As Elah was drinking and became drunk, Zimri entered the house and struck the king, killing him and became king himself. When he assumed the throne over all Israel, Zimri killed all the household of Baasha, leaving not a single male descendent of Elah, nor any male friends of Elah alive. Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha according to the word Of God as spoken by the prophet Jehu (verse 3). When God speaks, He follows through with His word, whether a blessing or a curse. His son Elah was as evil as his father. Their great sin was in leading Israel in the worship of pagan gods. Vs. 15-20 Yet Zimri’s reign was very short lived. As Zimri was taking the throne in Tirzah, the army was camped in Gibbethon which was in the area of the Philistines. When news came !1 that Baasha was dead, the people of the army united under Omri, commander of the army, and declared Omri as king over Israel. This was after only seven days that Zimri sat on the throne. Omri led the people up against Tirzah to confront Zimri in battle. When Zimri learned of the approaching armies of Omri, he entered the citadel of the king’s house and burned the house down on top of himself, committing certain suicide, and perished that day. Yet, in his life leading up to the taking of the throne and the seven days he sat on the throne, Zimri did evil in the sight of the LORD. Vs. 21-28 Over the next four years Israel itself was divided with half of the people following Omri and the other half following Tibni, son of Gibnath. After four years of conflict Tibni died, whether by natural causes or in defeat of battle, and Omri became secure on the throne and reigned over Israel for twelve years. He reigned for six years from Tirzah, and then moved his throne to the hill of Samaria. An interesting article by Norma Franklin of the Zinman Institute of Archeology, located in Haifa, Israel, reports that the selection of Samaria (Shomron), was most likely based on the fact that this area was quite wealthy in olive oil and wine production. In some ways the choice to move here seemed odd as Shomron is not well suited militaristically, not is it located on a major trade route as would typically be the case for a site for the capitol of a nation. It is suggested that Omri may have had some familial ties to Shemer from whom he purchased Shomron. Omri was more wicked than all the kings of Israel before him. He walked in the ways of Jeroboam meaning he lead the people into pagan worship and cared very little for the ways of God. Have you noticed how many of the kings are described as “walking in the ways of Jeroboam”? It is clear that the meaning of this is they led the people into pagan idolatry, were not righteous before God, and pursued their own interest above the people. How sad to be remembered so well beyond your death that all that follow you who are evil, are linked to you in their evil ways! Vs. 29-34 Asa is in his thirty-eighth year as king over Judah when Ahab, the son of Omri assumed the throne of Israel. Ahab reigned over Israel for twenty-two years and did evil in the sight of the LORD. Ahab surpassed his father, Omri, in doing evil by marrying Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and Ahab went to worship and serve Baal. Ahab erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria. He also made the Asherah, a shrine to worship the fertility goddess Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke God than all the kings of Israel before him. Each king is more corrupt and evil than the one before. !2 In the reign of Ahab a man named Hiel of Bethel began to rebuild the city of Jericho, destroyed by God as Israel began to take the land of Canaan. Joshua 6:26 records the curse placed on Jericho and any man who would rebuild it in the future. “Cursed is the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his first born he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates”. True to the curse from the days of Joshua, Abiram, Hiel’s first born son died as the foundation was being laid, and Segub, Hiel’s youngest son died as the gates were being set. God is faithful in His word whether in blessing or curses! Chapter 17 Elijah and Ahab Vs. 1-16 Here we are introduced to one of the greatest prophets of the entire scripture, Elijah. Elijah is from Gilead, the tribe of Gad, from east of the Jordan River. John the Baptist and even Jesus of Nazareth are compared to Elijah the prophet. God sends Elijah to Ahab to bring this word, “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand; surely there will be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word”. After delivering this prophetic message to Ahab, God called Elijah to live by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan river. He would drink water from the brook and ravens would provide food for Elijah. Ravens brought Elijah bread and meat in the morning and evening and Elijah drank water from the brook, until it dried up because there was no rain in the land. When the brook dried up God sent Elijah to Zarephath, located in Phoenicia in the area of Tyre and Sidon. There God had selected a widow to take care of Elijah. When Elijah arrived at Zarephath he observed the widow gathering sticks and he called to her and asked for a drink of water. Then he asked her to bring him a piece of bread. She responded that she had only a bit of flour and oil and she was gathering the sticks to make a fire to bake the bread, her and her son’s last meal before they starved to death. Elijah assured her if she would go bake some bread for him she could then bake bread for her and her son, and her flour and her oil would never become exhausted till the rains returned. She did as he had bid her and true enough, she did not run out of flour or oil. Vs. 17-24 It came about that the son of the widow became very ill and died. The distraught mother cried out against Elijah, “What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death”. Elijah took the dead boy from his mother, carried the child upstairs to his own room, prayed to God, then stretched the boy out on his bead and laid on top of the child three times. Elijah prayed to God, “O LORD my God, You also brought calamity to the widow with who I am staying, by causing her son to die? The Elijah stretched himself over the boy three times and called to the LORD, “O LORD my God, I pray You, let this child’s life return to him”. God heard the prayer of Elijah and returned the child’s life to him.