CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
1 Kings 15
Chapter 15 of 22
Chapter Overview
What happens in 1 Kings 15
This chapter covers several kings of both Judah and Israel. In Judah, the wicked Abijam is followed by the faithful King Asa. In Israel, Nadab's brief reign ends when Baasha assassinates him and wipes out Jeroboam's entire family.
Scripture
1 Kings 15
Abijam Reigns in Judah
Study note
Abijam ruled Judah for just three years. He followed the sinful ways of his father Rehoboam. But God preserved the dynasty for David's sake, because David had been faithful except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
1 Abijam became king of Judah. This was in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam son of Nebat. Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.
2 He ruled from Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Maacah, granddaughter of Abishalom. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
3 He repeated all the sins his father had committed. His heart was not fully given to the Lord his God the way his ancestor David's had been. And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
4 Even so, for David's sake, the Lord gave Abijam a son to rule after him in Jerusalem. He kept the city strong. Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:
5 David did what the Lord called right. He never strayed from the Lord's commands his whole life. The one case was the matter with Uriah the Hittite. Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
6 The fighting between Rehoboam and Jeroboam lasted all through Abijam's life. And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
7 All else about Abijam's rule is in the records of Judah's kings. There was always fighting between Abijam and Jeroboam. Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
8 Abijam died and was buried in the City of David. His son Asa succeeded him as king. And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
Asa's Faithful Reign in Judah
Study note
Asa was a good king who reigned forty-one years. He removed the shrine prostitutes, took away the idols his ancestors had made, and even removed his own grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a disgusting Asherah pole. When King Baasha of Israel fortified Ramah to block travel to Judah, Asa used silver and gold from the temple to bribe Ben-hadad of Syria into attacking Israel. The plan worked, and Asa used the abandoned building materials to fortify his own border cities.
9 Asa became king of Judah. This was in the twentieth year of King Jeroboam of Israel. And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.
10 He ruled in Jerusalem for forty-one years. His grandmother was Maacah, granddaughter of Abishalom. And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
11 Asa did what the Lord saw as right. He followed the example of his ancestor David. And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.
12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and destroyed all the idols his ancestors had set up. And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
13 He even stripped his own grandmother Maacah of her title as queen mother because she had made a disgusting Asherah idol. Asa chopped it down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.
14 The hilltop worship places were not removed. But Asa's heart stayed fully loyal to the Lord for his whole life. But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.
15 He brought into the Lord's temple all the silver, gold, and other items that he and his father had set apart for God. And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.
16 Asa and King Baasha of Israel fought each other throughout their entire reigns. And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
17 King Baasha of Israel went into Judah. He built up Ramah as a fort. He did this to block all travel in and out of King Asa's land. And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
18 Asa gathered all the remaining silver and gold from the treasuries of the Lord's temple and the royal palace. He handed it to his servants and sent them to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, grandson of Hezion, the king of Aram ruling from Damascus. His message said, Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
19 "Let us make an alliance, the way our fathers did. I am sending you silver and gold as a gift. Please break off your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so he will pull back from my borders." There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
20 Ben-hadad agreed and sent his commanders to attack Israelite cities. They captured Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all of Chinneroth, plus the whole region of Naphtali. So Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.
21 When Baasha heard about the attacks, he abandoned his construction at Ramah and retreated to Tirzah. And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.
22 King Asa then drafted every available man in Judah, with no exceptions. They hauled away all the building stones and timber that Baasha had been using at Ramah. Asa used those materials to fortify Geba in Benjamin and Mizpah. Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
23 Everything else about Asa's reign — his successes and the cities he built — is written in the official records of Judah's kings. In his old age, though, he got a disease in his feet. The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.
24 Asa died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Jehoshaphat became king after him. And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.
Nadab and Baasha in Israel
Study note
Nadab ruled Israel for two years and continued his father Jeroboam's sins. Baasha from the tribe of Issachar conspired against him and killed him at the Philistine city of Gibbethon. Baasha then wiped out Jeroboam's entire family, fulfilling Ahijah's prophecy. But Baasha himself also did evil, following the same sinful path as Jeroboam.
25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of King Asa of Judah. He ruled over Israel for two years. And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years.
26 He did what the Lord considered evil. He followed his father's sinful path and kept leading Israel into sin. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
27 Baasha son of Ahijah was from Issachar's tribe. He plotted against Nadab and killed him at Gibbethon. Nadab and Israel's army were attacking that Philistine town. And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.
28 Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of King Asa of Judah and took over the throne. Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.
29 The moment Baasha became king, he murdered every member of Jeroboam's family. He did not leave a single one alive, just as the Lord had predicted through his servant Ahijah from Shiloh. And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:
30 This happened because of Jeroboam's sins. He sinned and made Israel sin. This made the Lord, Israel's God, very angry. Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.
31 The rest of Nadab's reign is recorded in the official chronicles of Israel's kings. Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
32 There was constant warfare between Asa and Baasha of Israel throughout their reigns. And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
33 Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel in the third year of King Asa of Judah. He ruled from Tirzah for twenty-four years. In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.
34 He did what the Lord called evil. He followed Jeroboam's sinful path. He kept leading Israel into sin. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
Key Themes
Themes in 1 Kings 15
God's faithfulness to david's covenant despite unworthy descendantsThe courage to remove idolatry even from family membersThe cycle of sin and judgment in the northern kingdomPartial obedience and its limitations
Apply This Today
Living 1 Kings 15
Asa had the courage to remove his own grandmother from power because of her idolatry. Following God sometimes requires making painful decisions about the people closest to us. True devotion to God may cost us relationships, status, or comfort, but it is always worth the price.
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