1 Kings 15 - Kings Who Walked in the Way of Their Fathers

LINK: 1 Kings 15
Parallel passage: 2 Chronicles 13

BACKGROUND

In the Book of Kings, the story switches back and forth indiscriminately between the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. It is hard to get them all straight, but one general concept I keep in mind is that ALL the kings of Israel were BAD, and eight out of the twenty kings of Judah were GOOD.

This chapter covers four kings:

Abijah of Judah - 1 Kings 15:1-8

Reigned: 913-911 B.C. for 3 years
Character: Bad mostly 

Overlap with Israel's King: Jeroboam I (931-910 B.C.)
Manner of death: Natural
Parallel Story: 2 Chronicles 13:1-22 

Abijah "walked in the sins of his father" and "his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD" (1 Kings 15:3).

Asa of Judah - 1 Kings 15:9-24

Reigned: 911-870 B.C. for 41 years
Character: Good

Overlap with Israel's Kings: Jeroboam (931-910 B.C.), Nadab (910-909 B.C.), and Baasha (909-886 B.C.)

Manner of death: Natural
Parallel Story: 2 Chronicles 14-16

"Asa did what was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father."

Actions: Removed his idolatrous mother as queen mother and got rid of male prostitutes instituted by his grandfather, Rehoboam. However, he did not get rid of the high places.

Nadab of Israel, son of Jeroboam I - 1 Kings 15:25-31

Reigned: 910-909 BC for 2 years
Character: Bad, walked in the way of Jeroboam
Overlap with Judah's king: Asa (911-870 B.C.)
Manner of death: Murdered by Baasha 

Baasha of Israel (no relation to previous kings) - 1 Kings 15:33-16:7

Reigned: 909-886 BC for 24 years
Character: Bad, walked in the way of Jeroboam
Overlap with Judah's king: Asa (911-870 B.C.)
Manner of death: Natural
Parallel story: 2 Chronicles 16:1-6

REFLECTION

When I read "Walked in the ways of Jeroboam," I wonder what "way" my kids might walk after me. Do my activities model being "wholly devoted to the Lord"?

2014 Update: This post is especially poignant as I send my oldest off for his junior year of college to a very liberal college! Pray for him!

2015 Update: My oldest is thriving, and my youngest is growing. I would appreciate prayer for both of my kids. 

2023 Update: They are both doing great! 

My loves!

APPLICATION

Here is a very good application: 

Using the numbers 1 through 7 only once, rate the following seven influences in the order that you feel that they have affected the lives of your children (or your own life). Use 1 for "most influential," 2 for "next most influential," etc. 

__Television 

__Parents 

__ School 

__Internet 

__Church 

__Friends 

__Brothers/Sisters 

The epitaph, "he walked in the ways of his father," could be penned over almost every king you will read about . . . With surprising regularity the son became a carbon copy of his father, patterning his spiritual and moral actions after those of his parent. 

Parent, if your child walks in your ways, will you be happy or horrified? Tonight before going to bed, give your children the above quiz. Then discuss ways that your family can walk in the ways of the Lord. (The Daily Walk, April 4, 2008)

PRAYER

Lord, draw us to You. Help our hearts to be wholly devoted to You and may that devotion be manifested in our actions that we model to our watching children and the world around us. May Christ shine through us in everything we do because it is for You we live, and move, and have our being. We pray this to the Glory of Christ our King. Amen.