1 Kings 16

God was still working in the northern kingdom of Israel. He was sending His Word through His prophets. He was raising up leaders “out of the dust” and then pronouncing His judgment against them for their disobedience. He had not utterly abandoned His people.

During the long reign of Asa in Judah, God brought several kings to Israel in the north. One served for only seven days. All of them were evil in the sight of the Lord.

The names of these kings are easily forgotten. As a whole we can remember that they walked in the way of Jeroboam, the king of Israel after the split between the north and the south in the days of Rehoboam of Judah, the son of Solomon. Rather than encouraging what was good, they not only sinned themselves, but they made Israel sin.

Through all of this, God still called Israel “My people.” As His people, they were supposed to worship Him and to go to the place that He had appointed in Jerusalem in accord with the festivals that He had established. Instead they gave themselves to idols, provoking the Lord to anger.

We observe their disobedience in the brief words preserved about the days of these kings. They created societal instability that was passed down to the next generation. They took their places in history through deception and murder. Yet through all of these disturbing events, the Lord was working out His will according to the words He had spoken through His prophets.

At the end of 1 Kings 16 we come to two names that we will remember, Ahab and his wife Jezebel. Their lives intersected with the stories of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Ahab was worse than those who came before him. But God's Word would prevail and would endure long after Ahab and Jezebel were gone.

Our focus in the history of Israel now turns to the prophets who confronted Ahab. Chapters like 1 Kings 16 are distressing to read. But these disappointing accounts prepare us for a better day that is coming. The true King of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth, is reigning even now at the right hand of the Father in heaven. He is a perfect King. He is also a true Prophet. His Word will endure forever, and His Kingdom is stable and good.

There are times in the life of the church throughout the world when we may wonder whether we are back to the evil of the earlier days recorded in this book. Yet with the eyes of faith we know that Jesus is reigning. His Word speaks peace to our hearts. His Spirit reigns in our lives.