TH1040: I KINGS

As we begin our study tonight, keep in mind that the nation of Israel has now been divided into two kingdoms. The Northern Kingdom, Israel, was under the reign of king Jeroboam. The Southern Kingdom, Judah, was under the reign of king Rehoboam. And we are told that "There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days." And so tonight we are going to be looking at the succeeding kings in both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, and for the most part, it is not a pretty picture, as we shall see. And so if you would, please turn to I Kings chapter 15.

I KINGS 15

VERSES 1-2

1. Abijam was the son of Rehoboam, and was thus king over the Southern Kingdom of Judah. And Abijam began his reign 4 years prior to the death of Jeroboam, who was ruling over the Northern Kingdom of Israel. And Abijam's reign only lasted 3 years.

VERSES 3-5

1. Abijam also fell into idolatry and his heart was not loyal to the Lord. Basically, he was "double minded" or not wholly devoted to the Lord, as David was. David was not perfect, God points that out, but his heart was sold out to the Lord. And it is interesting to me that God is blessing the great grandson of David, even though he was wicked, because of David's sake. Are the unsaved members of your family being blessed because your heart is right with the Lord? God does bless that way!

VERSES 6-8

1. In three short years the reign of Abijam is over. Back in verse 4 God speaks of a lamp, which is a picturesque way of describing a descendant who will dispel the darkness that has come upon the land. That man is Asa, the son of Abijam, who will bring reform to the Southern Kingdom.

VERSES 9-11

1. As we look at the kings that succeeded David, Solomon started out strong and then backslid big time. It was not till the end of his life that he recognized the folly of his actions. Both Rehoboam and Abijam were wicked kings, into idolatry. But now Asa comes on the scene, and we get a brief description of his reign here in I Kings, but a more detailed look will come as we get to II Chronicles.

VERSE 12

1. Asa began his reform by removing the "perverted persons" or sodomites, those practicing homosexuality, from the land. This included a large number of temple prostitutes that were homosexuals and used in pagan worship.

VERSE 13

1. Here is a young king who is very serious about his relationship with God. In fact, he puts this relationship far above family ties. You see, his grandmother, Maacah, was into idolatry and made this Asherah pole, which was nothing more than a phallic symbol, that she worshiped. Here comes her grandson, removes her from being queen and burns this image to the ground. Probably not a popular thing to do, and yet it was the right thing to do. That should be the desire of our heart, to do what is right before God, be it popular or not. Asa had his priorities right and did what was right, which was so important as the people looked to their king for direction and leadership.

2. In Matthew chapter 10, verses 34-37, Jesus puts it this way regarding our relationship with the Lord. He said "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to `Set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.' And `A man's foes will be those of his own household.' He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." Matthew 10:34-37. You see, to follow the Lord will bring division, sometimes within your own family. Jesus is asking each of us, is our heart loyal to Him, even more than our own family? Asa's was and he showed it by his actions!

VERSES 14-15

1. Asa brought great reform to the land, reform that was badly needed, and yet he did not go far enough. But Asa's heart was loyal to the Lord and God honored that.

VERSES 16-17

1. According to II Chronicles chapter 15, many people living in the Northern Kingdom heard of the Godly reforms done by Asa, and they started moving down to the Southern Kingdom. Ramah was located about 5 miles north of Jerusalem and was the dividing line or boarder between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. When Baasha heard that there were defectors from His kingdom, he blocked the way so that no one else could enter the Southern Kingdom, thus, he built Ramah to prevent this defection.

VERSES 18-21

1. When Asa heard that Baasha had moved down to the boarder city of Ramah, he gathered some of his wealth and sent it to the king of Syria. He wanted this Syrian king to break any tieshe had made with Baasha and fight for him. And that is exactly what this king did. He attacked the northern cities of Israel, causing Baasha to leave Ramah, and defend his kingdom.

2. You never make an alliance with an enemy to assist you, no matter how bad the situation is. Asa started out strong, his reforms were good, but he faded at the end of his life. That tells me that it doesn't really matter how long you have walked with the Lord, the enemy never gives up, and thus, we can not let our guard down, even at the end of our life.

VERSE 22

1. As Asa takes the city of Ramah, he dismantles it and uses those resources to fortify a few other cities.

VERSE 23

1. This is an interesting little foot note about Asa. Towards the end of his life he was diseased in his feet. Now we don't know what was wrong, but according to II Chronicles 16:12-14, he was judged for not seeking the Lord regarding this condition, instead he sought help from physicians, and within 2 years he was dead. Now God is not saying don't go to physicians, for He uses them to help us, but He is saying that we need to bring things to Him first, before you rely on man.

2. Remember we said that Asa kind of faded at the end of his life, he was not walking with the Lord. Why? Because his feet were diseased. He allowed his faith to be placed in his own strength, his military alliances, his physicians, instead of the Lord. And thus, his walk with the Lord was hampered.

VERSE 24

1. Asa's son, Jehoshaphat was another good king in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and we will pick up more about him in II Chronicles.

VERSES 25-26

1. Our focus now is on the Northern Kingdom and King Nadab, who was also a wicked king and lead the nation into idolatry. His reign was only two years.

VERSES 27-31 1. This Ahijah, spoken of in verse 27, is not the same Ahijah we saw in I Kings chapter 11, who was the prophet of God that told Jeroboam he would be king over 10 tribes in Israel. Also, this prophet was from Ephraim, while the Ahijah here in I Kings 15 is from Issachar.

2. Here, Baasha, the son of Ahijah, becomes king by killing Nadab. That is what God said would happen to the descendants of Jeroboam back in I Kings 14:10-16, as Ahijah the prophet spoke words of Judgment to Jeroboam's wife.

VERSES 32-34

1. Baasha's reign lasted 24 years, and it was as wicked as the way he obtained the throne. And by his actions the people followed along in his sin.

I KINGS 16

VERSES 1-5

1. Because of his wickedness, God pronounces judgment upon Baasha and his descendants, as he did upon Jeroboam. He was going to wipe them out because of their idolatry.

VERSES 6-7

1. As we look at the kings from the Northern Kingdom, do you see a progression? They are not getting better, but it seems that each succeeding king is getting worse.

VERSES 8-10

1. Elah, Baasha's son, reigns only two short years over the Northern Kingdom before he was assassinated by Zimri, who was in charge of half his chariots. It is interesting when Elah was killed, it happened while he was "drinking himself drunk." You see, he let his defenses down, his senses were dulled, he was the most vulnerable at this time. And during this weakened condition, when he was not alert, the enemy came in and struck him dead.

2. The Bible does not say that we should not drink, only that we should not get drunk. The problem is that when people drink, they like to get a "buzz" or to feel good, and the reality is, they get drunk. And we see the large numbers of people today that are in bondage to alcohol. I think Paul makes it clear in what we as Christians should do regarding drinking. He says in I Corinthians 6:12 "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful [profitable]. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." Don't let alcohol put you into bondage or cause anyone to stumble. It would be far better to avoid it than to be brought under the power of it.

VERSES 11-14

1. The judgment pronounced against Baasha and his descendants comes to pass as his son Elah and all his male family and friends were killed, wiped out by Zimri. See the downward spiral in which the Northern Kingdom is heading, and it just gets worse.

VERSES 15-16

1. The reign of Zimri lasts 7 days before some of the people revolt and make Omri, the commander of the army, also king over Israel. For some reason they did not appreciate Zimri killing king Elah.

VERSES 17-20

1. So Omri brings his forces against Zimri, and Zimri recognizes that he does not stand a chance fighting against Omri and his army. So he burns his house down upon himself, commits suicide, rather than dying at the hands of Omri.

VERSES 21-22

1. We have seen the nation divide into Northern and Southern Kingdoms, but now, for a very short period of time, the Northern Kingdom is divided into two. Some of the people followed after Tibni, and some Omri. But Tibni dies and Omri reigns over the Northern Kingdom for 12 years, and he too was a wicked king.

VERSES 23-24

1. Here we see Omri buy Samaria and build it up, and then, under the reign of king Ahab, Samaria is made the capitol of the Northern Kingdom.

VERSES 25-28

1. From Jeroboam down through Omri, things get progressively worse. And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse than it already is, here comes Ahab, one of the most wicked kings in the history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Wickedness is growing like a cancer in the Northern Kingdom.

VERSES 29-33

1. For 22 years Ahab spread his wickedness throughout the land. He was worse than all the previous kings before him. And his wife, Jezebel, the daughter of a priest of Baal, was just as bad. We have all heard of the dynamic duo, well Ahab and Jezebel might be called the DEMONIC DUO, for the things they are going to do!

2. Notice the downward progression that Ahab entered. He first married Jezebel who lead him in the worship of Baal. He not only worshiped Baal, but he served Baal. He had completely turned his back to the true and living God. Thus, he built an altar in Samaria to worship Baal and set up a Asherah pole or phallic symbol to worship also. And to say the least, God was not pleased with the actions of Ahab, and the idolatry he was leading the nation in.

VERSE 34

1. This fulfills the prophecy that Joshua made after destroying the city of Jericho. In Joshua 6:26 we read "Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, `Cursed be the man before the Lord who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.'"

2. Joshua is saying that whoever tries to rebuild Jericho, as they lay its foundation, their firstborn will die, and as they set up its gates, their youngest shall die also. In the days of Ahab, Hiel attempted to do this, some 500 years after Joshua spoke these words, and Abiram, his firstborn and Segub, his youngest die, just as Joshua said would happen.

3. Things were looking as black as night in the Northern Kingdom. There seemed to be no light at all. But as black, as dark as things seemed, God was getting ready to send a light into this area by the name of Elijah!

I KINGS 17

VERSE 1

1. Onto the scene bursts this light of God to expel the darkness which the Northern Kingdom was living in. Elijah came from the area of Gad, in the Trans-Jordan area on the east side of the Jordan River. And as he comes to this apostate kingdom, he comes with words of judgment as he tells Ahab that the rain would cease to come from the sky till Elijah called for it. And, according to James 5:17, there was no rain for 3 ½ years.

2. To understand why the focus was the ceasing of rain from falling, you have to understand what god they were serving and worshiping. Baal was a nature god who controlled the weather. He brought rain upon the crops to those who worshiped him. The worship of the true and living God had almost been exterminated in the Northern Kingdom, and now Elijah comes on the scene to tell them, "God is not dead!" He does this by silencing Baal by stopping the rain, and showing that there is only one God, and He is in control. Elijah took a stand for God when everyone else seemed to ignore God. He tells them God is alive. And at end of this short message of judgment, he leaves the area.

VERSES 2-7

1. We don't know for how long, but for a period of time, Elijah spends time in the desert. God is using this time to work in Elijah so that He might work through him. We all need those times of growth. And God feeds Elijah by the raven bringing him food and the brook giving him water. God is a God of miracles, and he is still a God of miracles today.

2. Notice that as the brook dries up, Elijah does not move on or become anxious. He remains in this location, without water, waiting upon God for direction. What a lesson to learn. With our minds we find ways of providing for ourself, and God is saying "Wait on the LORD; be ofgood courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, wait, I say, on the LORD!" Psalm 27:14. We are to wait in faith upon the Lord to direct us and provide for us. That is what Elijah was doing.

VERSES 8-9

1. Now God instructs Elijah to leave Israel, and go to Lebanon. Not only that, but a widow will now take care of you. Of all people, a widow was the one who needed help, and now she was going to care for Elijah!

VERSES 10-11

1. Elijah calls to this widow to bring him some water, and in a place where water is scarce, she does not refuse to bring him some water. But before she even gets the water, he asks for some bread also. Times were tough, as we are going to find out, and water was easier to get than bread.

VERSE 12

1. This widow and her son were preparing to starve to death. They were going to eat their last piece of food and then wait for starvation to lead to death. What a hopeless situation they were in. VERSE 13 1. Elijah tells this widow to go and make some bread for him, then when she is done, go and take care of yourself and your son. Here lies a great spiritual principle. The first fruits belong to God, and the rest is ours. He must be the priority in your life and He will supply your needs. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." And in Luke 6:38, Jesus said "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

2. If you seek God first, all your needs will be met. Think of it this way, God is the vertical axis and our relationship with man is our horizontal plane. If your vertical axis is off, your relationship with God, then so will be your horizontal plane, or your relationship with man. We try to fix our relationship with man without first fixing our relationship with God, and that does not work as we can see today.

VERSES 14-16

1. There was always enough to meet their needs, as Paul said in Philippians 4:19, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

VERSES 17-18

1. This woman blames the death of her son on her own sinful ways. It is quite possible that she had this son out of wedlock and now that the light of God is exposing her sinful ways, she feels that she is being judged. Not always. God does bless the just and the unjust. Sometimes you canbe living right and difficult times come your way. It does not mean you are in sin, but God is going to use these times to draw you closer to Him.

VERSES 19-22

1. How was this dead boy brought back to life? By physical contact and prayer. How are the spiritually dead brought back to life? By physical contact, knowing them and loving them and praying for them.

VERSES 22-24

1. This woman witnessed daily the miracles of God, as food was provided for her and her son, besides for Elijah. And yet that did not bring her to the faith. It did not show her God in a way she needed to see Him. What changed her heart? The miracle of RESURRECTION! It is ultimately seen in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and it is also seen in us, as God has taken these dead spiritual bodies and made them alive again in Christ. Our lives have changed and that is a witness to those around us. They see the resurrection working in us. Salvation, living the resurrected life, is one of the greatest testimonies of our faith, share it with others.