Day 109 of the podcast, reading 1 Kings 15-17 NET, read along at:
https://netbible.org/bible/1+Kings+15-17/
This is day 109 of our journey.
Today, we begin to study the long procession of kings in Judah and Israel. Abijah, king of Judah, leads the Southern kingdom further astray, but his son Asa returns to the Lord and destroys many of the idols his father put up. Meanwhile, in Israel, a chaotic and bloody progression of kings rise and fall from power. Nadab succeeds his father Jeroboam, but is assassinated by a man named Baasha who seizes the throne and wipes out the entire family of Jeroboam. Baasha dies and leaves the throne to his son Elah, until Zimri, one of the kings most trusted military commanders, assassinates King Elah and purges his family line from Israel. In response to the coup, a soldier named Omri takes control of the military and marches against Zimri only 7 days later. Upon seeing that he was defeated, King Zimri commits suicide and Omri claims the throne for himself. Thus, the most evil dynasty in Israel begins. Our final king discussed in this chapter is Ahab, the son of Omri, who marries Jezebel from Sidon.
Though all these kings of Israel are walking away from God, God is NOT absent in Israel. In the final part of our reading we are introduced to Elijah the prophet. He foretells the coming of a drought and famine on the land as punishment for the evil, then he miraculously provides food for a Sidonian widow and her son, and even raises the son back to life after he dies.
Join me in 1 Kings 15-17 to see God at work in the lives of his people.
Key verses:
1 Kings 15:4
Nevertheless for David’s sake the Lord his God maintained his dynasty in Jerusalem by giving him a son to succeed him and by protecting Jerusalem.
1 Kings 16:33
Ahab also made an Asherah pole; he did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
1 Kings 17:15
She went and did as Elijah told her; there was always enough food for Elijah and for her and her family.
All Scriptures are from the NET.