INTRODUCTION: Asa, king of Judah, had a long reign of forty-one years. During this time, the northern kingdom of Israel had several kings. This chapter tells the story of those kings.
- THE REIGN OF BAASHA (1 Kings 16:1-7)
- The Prophecy Against Baasha (1 Kings 16:1-4)
- His promotion (1 Kings 16:1-2)
- He was exalted out of the dust (1 Kings 16:2).
- He was made prince over Israel (1 Kings 16:2).
- His sin (1 Kings 16:2)
- He walked in the way of Jeroboam.
- He made Israel sin.
- He provoked the Lord to anger.
- His punishment (1 Kings 16:3-4)
- His posterity will be taken away (1 Kings 16:3).
- Their bodies will be dishonoured (1 Kings 16:4).
- Him that dieth in the city shall the dogs eat.
- Him that dieth in the fields shall the fowls eat.
- The End of Baashas Reign (1 Kings 16:5-7)
- The chronicles of his life (1 Kings 16:5)
- The place of his burial (1 Kings 16:6)
- The choice of his successor (1 Kings 16:6)
- The fulfillment of his punishment (1 Kings 16:7)
- THE REIGN OF ELAH (1 Kings 16:8-14)
- The Time of His Reign (1 Kings 16:8)
- He began in the twenty and sixth year of Asa.
- He reigned two years.
- The Conspiracy of His Reign (1 Kings 16:9-13)
- The source of the conspiracy (1 Kings 16:9)
- His servant Zimri
- Captain of half his chariots
- The act of conspiracy (1 Kings 16:9-10)
- Elah was drinking himself drunk in the house of his steward (1 Kings 16:9).
- Zimri entered the house and killed Elah and reigned in his stead (1 Kings 16:10).
- The completion of the conspiracy (1 Kings 16:11)
- Zimri slew the house of Baasha.
- He killed all the men associated with Baasha including all his kinfolks and his friends.
- The conspiracy fulfilled prophecy (1 Kings 16:12-13).
- The Chronicle of His Life (1 Kings 16:14)
- THE REIGN OF ZIMRI (1 Kings 16:15-20)
- The Time of His Reign (1 Kings 16:15)
- He began in the twenty and seventh year of Asa.
- He reigned seven days.
- The Downfall of His Reign (1 Kings 16:15-19)
- Israel was prepared to battle against the Philistines (1 Kings 16:15).
- The troops heard of Zimris conspiracy (1 Kings 16:16).
- They made Omri, captain of the host, king (1 Kings 16:16).
- The troops, under the leadership of Omri, left off fighting against the Philistines and besieged Tirzah, the city of Zimri (1 Kings 16:17).
- Zimri burned himself with the kings house (1 Kings 16:18).
- He walked in the sins of Jeroboam (1 Kings 16:19).
- The Chronicle of His Life (1 Kings 16:20)
- THE REIGN OF TIBNI (1 Kings 16:21-22)
- The Division of His Reign (1 Kings 16:21)
- Half of the people followed Tibni.
- Half of the people followed Omri.
- The Defeat of His Reign (1 Kings 16:22)
- THE REIGN OF OMRI (1 Kings 16:23-28)
- The Time of His Reign (1 Kings 16:23)
- He began in the thirty and first year of Asa.
- He reigned a total of twelve years, six of which were in Tirzah.
- His Purchase of Samaria (1 Kings 16:24)
- He purchased the hill for two talents of silver.
- He built a city on the hill.
- He named the city after the previous owner.
- His Sins (1 Kings 16:25-26)
- He wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD (1 Kings 16:25).
- He did worse than all that were before him (1 Kings 16:25).
- He walked in the way of Jeroboam (1 Kings 16:26).
- The Chronicle of His Life (1 Kings 16:27-28)
- THE REIGN OF AHAB (1 Kings 16:29-34)
- The Time of His Reign (1 Kings 16:29)
- He began in the thirty and eighth year of Asa.
- He reigned in Samaria twenty and two years.
- The Sins of His Reign (1 Kings 16:30-34)
- He did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him (1 Kings 16:30).
- He took Jezebel to be his wife (1 Kings 16:31).
- He became engrossed in idolatry (1 Kings 16:31-33).
- He worshipped and served Baal (1 Kings 16:31).
- He built Baal a house in Samaria (1 Kings 16:32).
- He reared up an altar for Baal (1 Kings 16:32).
- He made a grove (1 Kings 16:33).
- The rebuilding of Jericho (1 Kings 16:34; see Joshua 6:26)
- Hiel, the Bethelite, built Jericho.
- He laid the foundation at the expense of the life of Abiram his firstborn.
- He set up the gates at the expense of the life of his youngest son Segub.
- The punishment was in line with what was promised by the word of the Lord.
CONCLUSION: Righteousness brings stability. The absence of righteousness brings division and chaos. Gone were the days of the godly king who had a heart for God. Truly, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).