A Divided Kingdom: The Books of I & II Kings Early History of the Kingdoms 1 Kings Chapter 15-16

Announcements

I Kings WeekDateTopic 105 Sep 12Introduction 212 Sep 12Fight For the Kingdom: I Ki Sep 12Solomon Begins His Reign: I Ki Sep 12Solomon Builds The Temple: I Ki Oct 12Splendor of Solomon’s Kingdom: I Ki Oct 12Solomon’s Demise: I Ki Oct 12Division of the Kingdom: I Ki: Oct 12Early History of the Kingdoms, Pt 1: I Ki 12:25-16: Oct 12Early History of the Kingdoms, Pt 2: I Ki 12:25-16: Nov 12Stories of Elijah: I Ki 17:1-19: Nov 12War with Syria: I Ki 20: Nov 12More Stories of Elijah: I Ki 21:1-21: Nov 12Ahab’s Final Battle: I Ki 22:1-53

Today’s Objectives Review last weeks lesson Review historical maps of Israel and the region Study about how and why kingdoms rise and fall Learn about two kings who ruled Judah: Abijah and Asa Learn why Asa was considered a good king and allowed to rule 41 years Learn about the six kings of Israel who followed Jeroboam Learn how the kings of Israel delivered economic and political success but spiritual failure to Israel

Last Week’s Lesson Covered 1 Kings Reviewed historical maps of Israel and the region Learned about the message to Jeroboam from the man of God Learned about the fate of the man of God Learned about the further decline of Israel under Jeroboam and how he establishes the pattern that other kings of Israel will follow Learned about the attack of Egypt into Jerusalem during the reign of Rehoboam Learned about the demise of Rehoboam

Overview of I and II Kings Originally one book –Early Greek manuscripts of the OT combined the books of Samuel and Kings under the title of "kingdoms," or "reigns" –Kings was broken into two books for convenience sake because of its length (Greek translation) Authorship –Some portions of the book identical to the book of Jeremiah –Jeremiah would have personal knowledge of some contents –Evidence that Ezra was the author after the Babylonian captivity Timeline –Approximately 400 years, written between 560 B.C. and 538 B.C. –Start: Death of David in 971 B.C. –End: Jehoiachin's release from a Babylonian prison in 562 B.C.

Overview of I and II Kings Books of Samuel and Kings cover Israel's period as a nation under a king: –I Samuel: Life of Saul –II Samuel: Life of David –I Kings: Solomon and the divided kingdom –II Kings: The fall of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah Content of I and II Kings –47 chapters (I Ki – 22 chapters, II Ki – 25 chapters) –History of the Jewish commonwealth –Death of David to subjugation to Babylonians

Purpose –Imparting of great moral lessons backed up by well- known illustrations –Religious history –Focused upon kings rather than prophets Key Lesson –God does not fail His people; His people, led by their kings, have failed God –God’s covenant has the contingency of Israel’s faithfulness –Covenant also promises a return from exile those that return to God Overview of I and II Kings

Main Characters of Chapters Ahijah – prophet, delivered four critical prophecies Abijam (Abijah) – ruled three years in Judah Asa – ruled 41 years in Judah, good king Nadab – ruled two years in Israel Baasha – ruled 24 years in Israel Elah – ruled two years in Israel Zimri – ruled seven days in Israel Omri – ruled 12 years in Israel Ahab – ruled 24 years in Israel

The reign of King Abijam (1 Kings 15:1-8) Abijam became king over Judah –Son of Rehoboam –Reigned three years –Shows that God did not bless his reign Abijam’s heart was not loyal God –Lack of a real personal relationship with God –David sinned during his reign, but his heart stayed loyal –See 2 Chron 13:21 God preserved the dynasty of David in Jerusalem –For the sake of David, not because of the character or quality of his descendants. –Chronicles is Abijah, which means “Yahweh is my father.” Kings is Abijam, which means “my father is Yam” a Canaanite sea-god

Reign and Reforms of Asa (1 Kings 15:9-15) Asa became king over Judah –Great-grandson of Solomon –At end of Jeroboam's reign in Israel –After father's brief reign, reigns 41 years Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord –In contrast to his father Abijah –Asa followed in the same heart as David Reforms of King Asa of Judah. –He banished the perverted persons from the land –Removed all the idols that his fathers had made –He removed Maachah from being queen mother things

(ASV) And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. (BBE) Those used for sex purposes in the worship of the gods he sent out of the country, and he took away all the images which his fathers had made. (CEV) He forced the prostitutes at the shrines to leave the country, and he got rid of the idols his ancestors had made. (Geneva) And he tooke away the Sodomites out of the lande, and put away all the idoles that his fathers had made. (GNB) He expelled from the country all the male and female prostitutes serving at the pagan places of worship, and he removed all the idols his predecessors had made. (HOT+) ויעברH5674 הקדשׁיםH6945 מןH4480 הארץH776 ויסרH5493 אתH853 כלH3605 הגלליםH1544 אשׁרH834 עשׂוH6213 אבתיו׃H1 (NIV) He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made. (KJV+) And he took awayH5674 the sodomitesH6945 out ofH4480 the land,H776 and removedH5493 (H853) allH3605 the idolsH1544 thatH834 his fathersH1 had made.H6213 (LXX) κα ὶ ἀ φε ῖ λεν τ ὰ ς τελετ ὰ ς ἀ π ὸ τ ῆ ς γ ῆ ς κα ὶ ἐ ξαπ έ στειλεν π ά ντα τ ὰ ἐ πιτηδε ύ ματα, ἃ ἐ πο ί ησαν ο ἱ πατ έ ρες α ὐ το ῦ. (MKJV) And he took away the sodomites out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

H6945 קדשׁ qa ̂ de ̂ sh kaw-dashe' From H6942; a (quasi) sacred person, that is, (technically) a (male) devotee (by prostitution) to licentious idolatry: - sodomite, unclean. Main Entry: li·cen·tious Etymology: Latin licentiosus, from licentia Date: : lacking legal or moral restraints ; especially : disregarding sexual restraints 2: marked by disregard for strict rules of correctness — li·cen·tious·ly adverb — li·cen·tious·ness noun

Asa buys the favor of King of Syria (1 Kings 15:16-24) Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah –Continues the struggle for dominance –Baasha gained the upper hand, blocked main routes Asa used treasures to buy the favor of Ben- Hadad (son of Hadad) of Syria –Entice Syria to withdraw support of Israel –God was not please by this action Asa still led a national re-commitment to the covenant (2 Chronicles 15:10-15)

Two Kings of Israel (1 Kings 15:25-34) Short reign of Nadab, king of Israel. –Son of Jeroboam, reigned two years –Second year of Asa king of Judah –Did evil in the sight of the Lord Baasha the son of Ahijah conspired against Nadab –Killed Nadab at Gibbethon –Baasha and reigned in his place and killed all the house of Jeroboam –Had been spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite –Did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father Ahijah

Judgment Against Baasha (1 Kings 16:1-7) Jehu’s prophecy against Baasha –Some 50 years after this word to Baasha, Jehu spoke to Jehoshaphat the King of Judah –God would take away the posterity of Baasha –Destruction of the house of Baasha like that of Jeroboam –Because Baasha was a wicked king after the pattern of Jeroboam he will face the same judgment as Jeroboam and his house The death of Baasha –Baasha dies and was buried in Tirzah –Elah, his son, reigned in his place

Reign of Elah in Israel (1 Kings 16:8-14) The two year reign of Elah –Son of Baasha, reigned two years in Tirzah –Gained the throne through assassination –Zimri, an officer in the army, went in and struck him and killed Elah –Twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah Zimri killed all the household of Baasha –Common practice in the ancient world –Exactly what Baasha did to the house of Jeroboam –Fulfillment of God’s word through Jehu, the son of Hanani (1 Kings 16:2-4)

Reign of Zimri (1 Kings 16:15-20) Zimri had reigned in Tirzah seven days –All Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day –The people - especially it would seem the army - simply did not want Zimri to reign as king over them –They therefore rejected his authority and appointed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel Zimri kills himself –He saw that the city was taken –Goes into the citadel of the king's house and burned the king's house down upon himself

House of Omri (1 Kings 16:21-28) People of Israel falls into civil war –Twenty-seventh year of Asa –Omri defeated the forces loyal to Tibni –Tibni dies - presumably, killed by Omri –Sixth king of the Northern Kingdom Omri builds Samaria –Becomes the capital city of the Northern Kingdom –Politically neutral (being a new city with no previous tribal associations) –Strong defensive position (on top of a hill)

Reign of Ahab (1 Kings 16:29-34) Ahab begins his reign –Thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah –Did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than before –Worse than Jeroboam. Like Omri was a political and economic success for Israel but a spiritual failure –Ahab picked up where his father left off –Ahab introduced the worship of completely new, pagan gods, while taking Jezebel as his wife –Jezebel was a Sidonian, who served Baal

Review Review last weeks lesson Review historical maps of Israel and the region Learn about two kings who ruled Judah: Abijah and Asa Learn why Asa was considered a good king and allowed to rule 41 years Learn about the six kings of Israel who followed Jeroboam Learn how the kings of Israel delivered economic and political success but spiritual failure to Israel