April 24, 2024

Chapter 15 of 1 Kings begins to get a little sticky because of several different kings being included. It covers Abijam, king of Judah, who was Abijah; his name was changed because he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so "Jah," the name of God, was taken away to disgrace him (not to be confused with the prophet Ahijah.) His mother, Maachah, was Absolom's daughter. Then there was Asa, Abijam's son, who did right in the eyes of God and began dismantling the worship of the fake gods, even going as far as to take away his grandmother Maachah's idols and burning them by the Kidron brook in public shaming. The only thing he didn't do was remove the high places, which were for burnt offerings. He had replaced some of the finer treasures of gold and silver in the Lord's house and the king's house; however, during a war against Israel, he offered the Syrian king those particular things to help him with that war. Here is where things get confusing: Baasha, king of Israel during that time, had started building Ramah, a city to stop his people from going up to Jerusalem to worship God. However, Asa began dismantling it and used the materials to create different cities, Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. There was another king of Israel before Baasha, Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, but Baasha conspired to take him out and did! God promised to remove all of Jeroboam's family, and Baasha fulfilled that promise.

Kings of Judah: Abijam, and Asa

Kings of Israel: Nadab, and Baasha

An interesting lesson is that God will only allow the enemy to go so far in keeping his people from their worship of Him before he makes way for their destruction, which is good news for us if there ever came a time when an unreasonable government might try to prohibit our worship of God. 

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. 1 Kings 15:17

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. 1 Kings 15:22