# 1 Kings 15 đź“–: Abijam and Asa Reign
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
## Abijah’s Reign over Judah
[[#Verse 01.]] In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king over Judah.
[[#Verse 02.]]Â He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom.Â
[[#Verse 03.]] He followed all the sinful practices of his father before him. He was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had been.Â
[[#Verse 04.]] 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.Â
[[#Verse 05.]] He did this because David had done what he approved and had not disregarded any of his commandments his entire lifetime, except for the incident involving Uriah the Hittite.Â
[[#Verse 06.]] Rehoboam and Jeroboam were continually at war with each other throughout Abijah’s lifetime.Â
[[#Verse 07.]] The rest of the events of Abijah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. Abijah and Jeroboam had been at war with each other.
[[#Verse 08.]] Abijah passed away and was buried in the City of David. His son Asa replaced him as king.
## Asa’s Reign over Judah
[[#Verse 09.]] In the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Asa became the king of Judah.
[[#Verse 10.]] He ruled for forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.Â
[[#Verse 11.]] Asa did what the Lord approved as his ancestor David had done.Â
[[#Verse 12.]] He removed the male cultic prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the disgusting idols his ancestors had made.Â
[[#Verse 13.]] He also removed Maacah his grandmother from her position as queen mother because she had made a loathsome Asherah pole. Asa cut down her loathsome pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.Â
[[#Verse 14.]] The high places were not eliminated, yet Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord throughout his lifetime.Â
[[#Verse 15.]] He brought the holy items that he and his father had made into the Lord’s temple, including the silver, gold, and other articles.
[[#Verse 16.]]Â Now Asa and King Baasha of Israel were continually at war with each other.Â
[[#Verse 17.]]Â King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah and established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah.Â
[[#Verse 18.]] Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace and handed it to his servants. He then told them to deliver it to Ben Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message:Â
[[#Verse 19.]] “I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made. See, I have sent you silver and gold as a present. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he will retreat from my land.”Â
[[#Verse 20.]] Ben Hadad accepted King Asa’s offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and all the territory of Naphtali, including the region of Kinnereth.Â
[[#Verse 21.]] When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifying Ramah and settled down in Tirzah.Â
[[#Verse 22.]] King Asa ordered all the men of Judah (no exemptions were granted) to carry away the stones and wood that Baasha had used to build Ramah. King Asa used the materials to build up Geba (in Benjamin) and Mizpah.
[[#Verse 23.]] The rest of the events of Asa’s reign, including all his successes and accomplishments, as well as a record of the cities he built, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. Yet when he was very old he developed a foot disease.Â
[[#Verse 24.]] Asa passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoshaphat replaced him as king.
## Nadab’s Reign over Israel
[[#Verse 25.]] In the second year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Jeroboam’s son Nadab became the king of Israel; he ruled Israel for two years.Â
[[#Verse 26.]] He did evil in the sight of the Lord. He followed in his father’s footsteps and encouraged Israel to sin.
[[#Verse 27.]] Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, conspired against Nadab and assassinated him in Gibbethon, which was in Philistine territory. This happened while Nadab and all the Israelite army were besieging Gibbethon.Â
[[#Verse 28.]] Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa’s reign over Judah and replaced him as king.Â
[[#Verse 29.]] When he became king, he executed Jeroboam’s entire family. He wiped out everyone who breathed, in keeping with the Lord’s message that he had spoken through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite.Â
[[#Verse 30.]] This happened because of the sins which Jeroboam committed and which he made Israel commit. These sins angered the Lord God of Israel.
[[#Verse 31.]] The rest of the events of Nadab’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.Â
[[#Verse 32.]]Â Asa and King Baasha of Israel were continually at war with each other.
## Baasha’s Reign over Israel
[[#Verse 33.]] In the third year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king over all Israel in Tirzah; he ruled for twenty-four years.Â
[[#Verse 34.]] He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps and encouraged Israel to sin.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
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###### Verse 05.
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###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
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###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
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###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
###### Verse 23.
###### Verse 24.
###### Verse 25.
###### Verse 26.
###### Verse 27.
###### Verse 28.
###### Verse 29.
###### Verse 30.
###### Verse 31.
###### Verse 32.
###### Verse 33.
###### Verse 34.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Abijam reigned only three years in Jerusalem (15:2).
2. David's life is summarized as right in God's eyes except for the matter of Uriah the Hittite (15:5).
3. Asa reigned 41 years in Jerusalem (15:10).
4. Asa removed Maacah from her position as queen mother because she made an Asherah image, and he burned it in the Kidron Valley (15:13).
5. Baasha fortified Ramah (15:17), only a few miles north of Jerusalem, to block travel in and out of Judah.
6. Asa sent the temple and palace silver and gold to Ben-Hadad of Damascus to break his treaty with Baasha (15:18-19).
7. The prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for relying on the king of Aram instead of the Lord (2 Chronicles 16:7).
8. Asa used the stones from Ramah to build up Geba and Mizpah (15:22).
9. In his old age Asa had a disease in his feet (15:23).
10. Baasha killed Nadab at Gibbethon and wiped out Jeroboam's family, fulfilling Ahijah's prophecy (15:27-30).
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the Son of David for whose sake God kept a lamp burning in Jerusalem (15:4). God raised up a mighty Savior from the house of His servant David (Luke 1:69).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. Asa removed idols, even when it meant demoting his own grandmother (15:12-13). What does courageous obedience cost in family relationships?
2. Asa did much that was right, but the high places stayed (15:14). What areas of your life have not yet been fully surrendered?
3. Under pressure from Baasha, Asa paid a foreign king with temple treasures instead of seeking the Lord (15:18-19). Where are we tempted to trust human solutions first?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 4: For David's sake the Lord keeps a lamp burning in Jerusalem.
- đź“– verse 11: Asa does what is right in the Lord's sight like David.
- đź“– verse 14: The high places were not removed, yet Asa's heart was devoted to the Lord.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[2 Chronicles 14#Verse 02.|2 Chronicles 14:2-5]] - Asa removes foreign altars.
- đź”— [[2 Chronicles 16#Verse 07.|2 Chronicles 16:7-9]] - Hanani rebukes Asa for trusting Aram.
- đź”— [[2 Samuel 11#Verse 14.|2 Samuel 11:14-17]] - The matter of Uriah the Hittite.
- đź”— [[1 Kings 14#Verse 10.|1 Kings 14:10-11]] - Ahijah's prophecy against Jeroboam's house.
- đź”— [[Luke 01#Verse 68.|Luke 1:68-69]] - A horn of salvation in the house of David.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[1 Kings 15 - SOAP|The Danger of Not Going All The Way]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes