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Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture
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2014 August 13



Portrait of Catherine II (1794)
Johann Baptist Lampi the Elder (1751-1830)
Rococo Style
The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art


     Explanation: 1 Kings 15 focuses on the reigns of four kings -- Abijam (or Abijah) and Asa in Judah, and Nadab and Baasha in Israel. The account of Baasha's reign continues into the next chapter. Twenty kings reigned in each kingdom. The kings of Judah generally had longer reigns than the kings in Israel; and the kingdom of Judah lasted longer than Israel before it fell. The Scriptures evaluate the twenty Kings of Israel in a wholly negative light. About half of the twenty Kings of Judah receive a favorable rating from the sacred writers. The painting above, illustrates (by way of contrast) one of the key parts of chapter 15. In verse 13 Asa removed his mother from her position as queen mother because of her idolatry. In the painting above we see Catherine the Great, whose reign was considered a golden age of Russia. Her converse, Maachah, in the account below, was partially responsible for the abasement of Judah, as it moved deeper and deeper into the kind of idolatry which she practiced. [Chronologically and Thematically Related Scriptures: 1 Kings 14:30; 2 Chronicles 12:15; 1 Kings 14:31; 2 Chronicles 12:16; 2 Chronicles 13:1-2; 2 Chronicles 13:2-21; 2 Chronicles 13:22; 2 Chronicles 14:1; 1 Kings 14:19-20; 2 Chronicles 13:20; 2 Chronicles 14:2-5; 2 Chronicles 14:6-8; 1 Kings 14:20; 1 Kings 15:25-26; 1 Kings 15:31, 27; 2 Chronicles 14:9-15; 2 Chronicles 15:1-7; 2 Chronicles 15:19; 2 Chronicles 15:8, 17-18; 2 Chronicles 15:9-15; 2 Chronicles 15:16; 2 Chronicles 16:1-6; 2 Chronicles 16:7-9; 2 Chronicles 16:10; 2 Chronicles 16:11-14; 2 Chronicles 17:1; 2 Chronicles 20:31].
     Abijam began to reign over Judah while Jeroboam of Israel was in his eighteenth year of rule. Abijam walked in the sins of his father Rehoboam; and he had war with Jeroboam. He reigned three years (1-8). Abijam's son Asa came to the throne of Judah during the twentieth year of Jeroboam's reign. In contrast to his unrighteous father, Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. He removed the sodomites from the land; he removed the idols that his fathers had made; and, because of her idolatry, he removed Maachah from her position as queen mother and burned her idol in the brook Kidron. He did not remove the high places, but his"heart was perfect with the LORD all his days." Also, he brought silver, gold, and vessels which he and his father had dedicated into the Tabernacle (9-15). Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, had war all of their days. Baasha tried to restrict Asa's movements and to restrict access to Judah from the outside by fortifying Ramah. However, Asa took the silver and gold from the Temple and used it to induce Benhadad to break his league with Asa and to drive Baasha out of Ramah. Benhadad did so; and Asa tore down Ramah and used the stones and timber to build Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. In his old age he was diseased in his feet. He reigned forty-one years (16-24). In Israel, Nadab began to reign after Jeroboam, in the second year of Asa king of Judah. He did evil, as his father did. He reigned over Israel for two years; and Baasha of the tribe of Issachar killed him and reigned in his stead. Baasha also killed all of the rest of Jeroboam's household in fulfillment of the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite (25-30). Baasha reigned twenty-four years in Israel, in the city of Tirzah. He did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam (31-34).


1 Kings 15

     1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. 2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. 3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. 4 Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem: 5 Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. 6 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. 7 Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
     9 And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah. 10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. 11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father. 12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. 14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days. 15 And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.
     16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 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. 18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Benhadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, 19 There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. 20 So Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelbethmaachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah. 22 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. 23 The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. 24 And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.
     25 And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years. 26 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. 27 And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon. 28 Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead. 29 And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite: 30 Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.
     31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
     33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years. 34 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.




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