1 Kings 15:1-15

We move into some changes in leadership in the kingdoms now.  Abijah took over the throne of Judah.  “He continued to sin” and was a descendent of Absalom so was like his father in that way.  Catch this – “but despite that, out of respect for David, God graciously…”  The power of an “exemplary life before God” carried down to Abijah from David’s heritage even though Abijah was not walking with God.  I don’t think we really understand the impact our lives will have on those who follow us guys.  We have the ability, as David did, to avoid “willful defiance of God’s clear direction” and provide a legacy that will impact our descendents for a long, long time.  Asa followed his father Abijah’s rule which was only three years.  Asa “conducted himself well”.  Look at the list of things he did which pleased God:

1. Cleaned house
2. Got rid of the sacred prostitutes
3. Threw out all the idols
4. Spared nothing
5. Removed the queen

He only failed in one area – “he didn’t get rid of the local sex and religion shrines but he was well intentioned – his heart was in the right place, in tune with God”.  So Asa makes a return to walking with God.  He doesn’t make it to 100% but is lined up pretty well with the Father.  It took some pretty big changes that were not popular.  Throwing out the queen would have been one of them.  Queen Maacah appears to be Asa’s grandma the way I read it.  That would be a rather difficult discussion to have – sorry grandma you have to go.  The key here is that Asa gets things back on track with God.  He returns to his heritage and comes back to the God of David who would have been his great grandfather.  We need to leave that kind of legacy for future generations to live with!

1 Kings 14

Jeroboam has a sick son.  You may recall this is the man who God allowed to take over as king of 10 of the tribes after Solomon screwed up.  Jeroboam has his wife disguise herself and go to the old blind prophet Ahijah to find out what was wrong with their son.  God told Ahijah that she was coming and when she arrived, the prophet let her have it – both barrels loaded with God’s truth.  God’s message was that he had “raised Jeroboam up from obscurity….ripped the kingdom from the hands of David’s family….gave it to you…weren’t at all like my servant David”.  Jeroboam is described as “set a new record in works of evil…made God so angry with sex-and-religion shrines….led Israel into a life of sin”.  God is more than upset with Jeroboam.  Here is a guy who he anointed as king from nowhere and now he has “pushed God aside…turned his back” on the Father of the Universe.  He quickly lost sight of how he became king and replaced worship of God with worship of manmade idols.  The message was that Jeroboams entire family would be destroyed.  His son died as soon as she “stepped through the door” just like the prophet had said.  The rest of the family is doomed – “right down to the last male wretch”.  God is irritated.  He does not allow people to push Him aside for their own purposes.