Tyndale Open Study Notes1 Kings 15

The author of 1 and 2 Kings describes each king of Judah's rule in a set pattern:

1. The date he became king, compared to the current king of the other kingdom (1 Kings 15:1).

2. How long he ruled (1 Kings 15:2).

3. His mother's name (1 Kings 15:2).

4. A spiritual judgment about his character (1 Kings 15:3–5).

5. Important events from his reign (1 Kings 15:6–7).

6. A note about other records where more information could be found (1 Kings 15:7).

7. Where he was buried (1 Kings 15:8).

8. The name of the next king (1 Kings 15:8).

Abijam ruled from 913 to 910 BC (see study note on 2 Chronicles 13:1).

Abijam’s mother was Maacah. Maacah was Rehoboam’s favorite among his eighteen wives. She was the granddaughter of Absalom, likely David’s son. Maacah worshiped idols and negatively influenced Judah's spirituality (1 Kings 15:13).

Even though Abijam was unfaithful, God stayed true to his promise to David (2 Samuel 7:12–16; Psalm 89:19–29) and kept David's descendants on Judah's throne. Each king after David was meant to be a light, sharing God's grace (1 Kings 11:36).

Abijam inherited the conflict between the northern and southern kingdoms. Like Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:30), he went to war with Jeroboam. In one significant battle (2 Chronicles 13:2–20), Abijam's outnumbered forces were surrounded by northern troops. They called out to the Lord, and God helped them defeat Jeroboam decisively.

the rest of the acts: The writer of Chronicles notes that Abijam married fourteen wives and had thirty-eight children (2 Chronicles 13:21).

Asa ruled from 910 to 869 BC.

forty-one years: For the first ten years of Asa's reign, there was peace (2 Chronicles 14:1–7). This peace might be because his father decisively defeated Jeroboam.

• did what was right: Besides the reforms mentioned here, the writer of Chronicles notes the positive spiritual influence of God's prophet Azariah on the king (2 Chronicles 15:1–7). Asa also gathered a large assembly to renew the covenant with the Lord (2 Chronicles 15:9–15).

• shrine prostitutes: See 1 Kings 14:23–24. Asa worked to limit idolatry and pagan fertility rituals, even removing Maacah from her powerful position as queen mother (1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 15:16).

• The Kidron Valley was where reforming kings of Judah destroyed pagan idols (2 Kings 23:4–15; 2 Chronicles 29:16; 30:14).

Even though he let the pagan shrines stay, Asa stayed faithful to the Lord. People seemed to use these shrines to worship the Lord. In his later years, Asa's spiritual enthusiasm seemed to weaken (2 Chronicles 16:7–12).

Baasha started his rule in Asa’s third year (1 Kings 15:33). Once Baasha was in power, Judah faced new conflicts with Israel. Asa also defended against an attack by Zerah the Ethiopian (2 Chronicles 14:9–12), likely a commander for Pharaoh Osorkon I, who ruled from 924 to 889 BC. Asa and his troops achieved a major victory and seized a large amount of loot from Zerah’s forces and towns in the Negev, which likely initiated the Egyptian invasion.

Baasha moved south and recaptured towns that Abijam had lost (2 Chronicles 13:19), including Ramah in Judah, about four miles north of Jerusalem. This action closed the border, stopping Israelites from joining Judah and keeping Asa within his territory. Ramah controlled key north-south and east-west routes in Canaan (Judges 4:5; Isaiah 10:29; Jeremiah 31:15; 40:1).

Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, and his successors played a key role in Aramean-Israelite relations for many years. Asa asked Ben-hadad for help and offered valuable gifts from the temple treasury. Although the Arameans and Israel had been enemies before (1 Kings 11:23–25; 2 Samuel 8:3–12; 2 Chronicles 8:3–4), Ben-hadad and Baasha had formed a treaty. Asa knew he could buy the Aramean king's help for the right price (1 Kings 15:20). When God's prophet Hanani delivered the Lord's rebuke to Asa for seeking Ben-hadad's help, Asa reacted unusually and imprisoned him (2 Chronicles 16:7–10). Asa seemed to forget God's earlier help against Zerah's large army (2 Chronicles 14:7–8).

Because King Asa asked for help, the war with Baasha soon favored Asa. Ben-hadad quickly took over parts of northern Israel and secured key trade routes. This forced Baasha to stop his activities in Ramah to address the crisis in the north. Asa reclaimed Ramah and used its materials to strengthen other important border towns against Baasha's future actions.

he became diseased in his feet: We do not know the exact nature of Asa’s sickness. The Jewish Talmud suggests it may have been gout (a painful disease of the joints). During his severe illness, Asa trusted only in his doctors and did not seek the Lord’s help (2 Chronicles 16:12).

The writer of 1 Kings tells Nadab’s life story using a common format (see study note on 1 Kings 15:1–8).

Baasha killed Nadab and all of Jeroboam's descendants, ending Israel's first family line of kings. Baasha's father was Ahijah, not to be confused with the prophet who predicted Jeroboam's family line of kings would end (1 Kings 11:29–39). Baasha's takeover was the first of several in Israel's history (for example, 1 Kings 16:9–10).

Jeroboam brought on the Lord’s condemnation and judgment. His son Nadab continued in the same sins. Then Baasha became king and began a new dynasty (family line of rulers). This dynasty pushed Israel even further into spiritual weakness (1 Kings 15:34).

Baasha made Tirzah his capital, which was a royal retreat for earlier kings (1 Kings 14:17).