After Rehoboam and Jeroboam

INTRODUCTION: From now on out, all the kings of Israel do evil in the sight of the Lord and only some of the kings of Judah do right. Asa is especially interesting. He began strong but ended weak. He clearly illustrated the prophecy to himself and those under him, “The LORD is with you, while ye be with him” (2 Chronicles 15:2). Additional material on Abijam (Abijah) and Asa can be found in 2 Chronicles, chapters 13-16.

1. THE EVIL REIGN OF ABIJAM OVER JUDAH (1 Kings 15:1-8)
1. The Reign of Abijam (1 Kings 15:1-2)
1. Began in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam (1 Kings 15:1)
2. Took the place of Rehoboam over Judah (1 Kings 15:1)
3. Reigned for three years in Jerusalem (1 Kings 15:2)
4. His mother was Maachah (1 Kings 15:2; 2 Chronicles 11:20-22).
1. Comparison of scripture shows her to be the granddaughter of Absalom, the rebellious son of David (2 Samuel 14:27 with 2 Chronicles 13:2). In scripture, the terms mother, daughter, father, and son can skip generations and still be correct usage.
2. She is the grandmother of Asa (1 Kings 15:2, 8, 10).
2. The Evil of Abijam (1 Kings 15:3)
1. He walked in the sins of his father meaning Rehoboam.
2. His heart was not perfect with the Lord unlike David.
3. The Mercy of the Lord (1 Kings 15:4-5)
1. What God did for Davids sake (1 Kings 15:4)
1. He gave him a lamp in Jerusalem.
2. He set up his son after him.
2. What David did for the Lord (1 Kings 15:5)
1. He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord.
2. He turned not aside from the commandments of the Lord.
3. He failed only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
4. The Wars of Abijam (1 Kings 15:6-7)
1. War between Rehoboam and Jeroboam (1 Kings 15:6)
2. War between Abijam and Jeroboam (1 Kings 15:7)
5. The End of His Reign (1 Kings 15:8)
1. He slept with his fathers.
2. He was buried in the city of David.
3. Asa his son reigned in his stead.
2. THE GOOD REIGN OF ASA OVER JUDAH (1 Kings 15:9-15)
1. The Reign of Asa (1 Kings 15:9-10)
1. He began to reign in the twentieth year of Jeroboam (1 Kings 15:9).
2. He reigned for 41 years in Jerusalem (1 Kings 15:10).
3. His mother (see notes above) was Maachah (1 Kings 15:10).
2. The Good of Asa (1 Kings 15:11-15)
1. He did right in the eyes of the Lord (1 Kings 15:11).
2. He removed the sodomites from the land (1 Kings 15:12).
3. He removed the idols his fathers had made (1 Kings 15:12).
4. He removed Maachah from being queen (1 Kings 15:13).
1. She had made an idol in a grove.
2. He destroyed her idol and burned it.
5. He failed only in not removing the high places (1 Kings 15:14).
6. But his heart was perfect with the Lord all his days (1 Kings 15:14).
7. He brought the dedicated things into the house of the Lord (1 Kings 15:15).
3. THE WAR BETWEEN ASA AND BAASHA (1 Kings 15:16-22)
1. Baashas Blockade of Asa (1 Kings 15:16-17)
1. War between Asa and Baasha all their days (1 Kings 15:16)
2. Baasha went up against Judah (1 Kings 15:17).
3. Baasha built Ramah to block passage to Judah (1 Kings 15:17).
2. Asas Bribery of Benhadad (1 Kings 15:18-19)
1. Asa took the treasures of the kingdom (1 Kings 15:18).
1. The treasures of the house of the Lord
2. The treasures of the kings house
2. Asa sent the treasures to Benhadad of Syria (1 Kings 15:18).
3. He bribed Benhadad to break his peace with Baasha (1 Kings 15:19).
3. Baashas War with Benhadad (1 Kings 15:20-21)
1. Benhadad fought against the cities of Israel (1 Kings 15:20).
2. Baasha left off to build Ramah and retreated to Tirzah (1 Kings 15:21).
4. Asas Destruction of Ramah (1 Kings 15:22)
1. Asa took away the building materials of Ramah.
2. Asa built the cities of Geba and Mizpah.
5. Notes on the Bribery of Benhadad by Asa
1. It was a master plan of strategy.
2. It worked to perfection.
3. But God was not pleased (2 Chronicles 16:7-10).
1. Because he did not rely upon the Lord (2 Chronicles 16:7)
2. But he relied on the king of Syria (2 Chronicles 16:7).
3. Even though God had delivered from the Ethiopians (2 Chronicles 16:8; 2 Chronicles 14:9-13)
4. Asa did foolishly and would face continual wars to the end of his reign (2 Chronicles 16:9).
5. Asa responded by putting the prophet who told him this in prison (2 Chronicles 16:10).
4. This brought problems to the remaining years of Asas reign.
1. The bribery took place in the 36th year of Asas 41 years as king (2 Chronicles 16:1).
2. In the 39th year of his reign, Asa had a great disease of his feet (2 Chronicles 16:12).
1. But Asa sought not the Lord.
2. He sought only the doctors.
4. THE END OF THE REIGN OF ASA (1 Kings 15:23-24)
1. The Rest of His Acts (1 Kings 15:23)
2. The Disease of His Feet (1 Kings 15:23; see 2 Chronicles 16:12 and the notes above)
3. His Death and Burial (1 Kings 15:24)
4. The Reign of His Son Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 15:24)
5. THE EVIL REIGN OF NADAB OVER ISRAEL (1 Kings 15:25-26)
1. The Reign of Nadab (1 Kings 15:25)
1. He began in the second year of Asa.
2. He reigned for two years over Israel.
2. The Evil of Nadab (1 Kings 15:26)
1. He did evil in the sight of the Lord.
2. He walked in the ways of his father; in his sin, he made Israel to sin.
6. THE DESTRUCTION OF NADAB BY BAASHA (1 Kings 15:27-31)
1. The Defeat of Nadab (1 Kings 15:27)
1. Baasha of Issachar conspired against Nadab.
2. The army of Israel laid siege to the Philistine city of Gibbethon.
3. Baasha killed Nadab there.
2. The Death of Nadab (1 Kings 15:28)
1. In the third year of Asa
2. Baasha reigned in his stead.
3. The Destruction of the House of Jeroboam (1 Kings 15:29-30)
1. Baasha killed all the house of Jeroboam (1 Kings 15:29).
2. Baasha fulfilled the prophecy against Jeroboam (1 Kings 15:29).
3. The house of Jeroboam fell because of Jeroboams sins against the Lord (1 Kings 15:30).
4. The Record of the Acts of Nadab (1 Kings 15:31)
7. THE EVIL REIGN OF BAASHA OVER ISRAEL (1 Kings 15:32-34)
1. The War Between Asa and Baasha (1 Kings 15:32)
2. The Reign of Baasha (1 Kings 15:33)
1. He began his reign in the third year of Asa.
2. He reigned over Israel from Tirzah for 24 years.
3. The Evil of Baasha (1 Kings 15:34)
1. He did evil in the sight of the Lord.
2. He walked in the way of Jeroboam.

CONCLUSION: The names of those in authority have changed, but the love for sin has not. War and sin are prominent themes in the kingdoms of Judah and Israel.