In this Bible Story, Abijah rules with a brutal fist and sinful arrogance. His son, Asa, rules with the fear of God and a righteous heart and is able to topple the idols in Judah and bring the people of God back to their first love. This story is inspired by 1 Kings 15 & 2 Chronicles 13-16. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is 1 Kings 15:12 from the King James Version.
Episode 121: Abijah was harsh, like his father Rehoboam, and his reign was filled with war and strife. Constantly fighting against his brothers in Israel. Yet in all this despair God was faithful to His promise to David that there would always be a king from his line on the throne. After Abijah died, his son Asa came to rule. His heart was turned toward rescuing the people from the idolatry in Judah and with God’s help, he galvanized the people of Judah into a spirit of unity.
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Let it us pray, and he took away the Sodomites out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made First Kings fifteen twelve. Dear Lord, more than ever, I desire to be a change agent in the world to day. I desire to make a difference wherever I go, because I know that I am a world changer whenever I enter a room or a new place I have not yet been. Give me the ability to be a physician to the hearts of others. Give me the right words to speak at just the right time if there are any ungodly idols and limiting beliefs, like a skilled surgeon with a scalpel. Allow me to operate in the areas of their lives that hinder them so they are free to experience the full life you desire to bring to and through them, Give me the boldness of asa to do what's right at the perfect time. Thank you that, through you and your power, I can bring restoration and reconciliation to a broken world filled with limitless potential. In Jesus's name, Amen, listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing from the Lord by listening to today's Bible in a Year, brought to you by Bible in a Year dot.
Com Abaijah and his son Atha. In our last story, we learned about the downward spiral of Judah and Israel. They're kings, Riaboum and Jeroboem led their people into an era of idle world worship, war, and cynicism. The past glory of David and Solomon seemed like a distant memory, and the people of Israel grew accustomed to sin and shame. In this story, we witness the next generation of kings rise up. They too seemed to be lost in the unhealthy patterns of idolatry and sin, just as their fathers. However, small glimpses of future hope emerge in the midst of suffering. Inspired by the Book of First Kings.
Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible in a Year. In our previous time together, we heard about the descent of Judah and Israel into idolatry and wickedness and therefore judgment under kings Jeroboam and Raaboam. God's people moved further and further away from the commandments of God. And the two nations suffered greatly because of it. These days were a far cry from the former glory of the unified nation of Israel under David and Solomon. Today we'll learn of the kings that follow Jeroboam and Reebaam, and tragically it will be more and more of the same, more evil and more judgment. But even in the midst of such unfaithfulness, we will see how God remains faithful to the descendants of David, to his spiritual family Israel. And even in the presence of great suffering, there is a promise of hope for his people. A king will rise up in Judah who will have a heart for God. So let's listen now to today's reading.
The sun set on the painful empire of King Rio Boham, the tyrant son of Solomon, ruled the nation of Judah with harshness, arrogance, and ignorance. There was a hopelessness that permeated the streets of Jerusalem. Men who did not die in battle were destined to die in the hot sun. King for the king. When Riebauam died, his sin did not die with him. Out of his line came Abaijum the next King of Judah. He was harsh like his father and filled with a pompous spirit. His rule was marked with war and suffering. He fought against Israel constantly and only lived to rule three years. Yet even in the sadness and despair, God continued to allow David's grandchildren to rule. God had made a promise to David that his descendants would bring about peace to the world. The evil of Riaboam and Abijah was but a small stain on the vast tapestry of God's story. Redemption would come, just not yet. When Abaijem died, his son Aetha became king. One day, Atha was walking the city streets. As new King of Judah. He desired to truly know who was ruling. He watched as shrine prostitutes lured men and women into their arms. He smelled the incense burning at altars dedicated to false gods. He heard the screams and cries of women and children being taken advantage of. Unlike his father and grandfather before him, Aitha looked at these things with sadness in his soul. Ather was gifted with a righteous heart and looked to God as a source of strength and wisdom. The heart of David was still alive and well in him. Aitha knew he had to take a hard stance against the evil that gripped Judah's heart. While his father saw the enemy as Israel, Athos saw the true enemy as idols. Aitha waved a righteous hand through the streets of Jerusalem. He called for his men to banish the shrine prostitutes and topple the idols of foreign gods. Aitha even banished his own grandmother, who was responsible for leading hundreds of people astray with the worship of Asherah. Aitha desired for Judah's heart to be cleansed with the refreshing wave of God's presence. He knew that this would be no easy task. He restored riches back into the Temple of God. However, conflict still knocked on Atha's door. The nation of Israel was still in a season of wickedness. King Basha of Israel launched attack after attack against Judah. Arrows and steel penetrated the walls of Jerusalem. Atha remained calm before he launched a counter attack. He took some of the riches from the temple and put it to good use. He used it to form an alliance with the nation of Damascus. Together, they formed a treaty and fortified Judah to withstand the onslaught of Israel. Israel had been building fortification within the borders of Judah. However, when they heard that Judah had gained an ally, they abandoned their project and left. Atha was a thoughtful man and wise beyond his years. Like Solomon, he knew that the people needed to take care of their land. He believed strongly that if the people of Judah banned together, they would be stronger and closer. So Atha sent a royal decree throughout the land, having every citizen cleaned the wreckage that had been caused by Israel's armies. Together, the people galvanized under the leadership of Atha. His reign was marked with growth in many ways. Atho worked as a physician over the sick hearts of Judah. He cleansed them of the disease of idolatry. He strengthened them with the presence of God. When Aitha died, his son Jehusaphat became king over Judah.
As today scripture passage begins Rae Boam's reign has ended, but his legacy endures through his son Avajam. Where David was a humble king and quick to repent when he sinned, and a ruler who truly cared for the souls of his people, Raa Boam had been prideful and cruel. David the Great King was a man who had a vision for God's glory, but Rae Boam had only his own glory in mind, and so the people had suffered and perished under his terrible rule. Abijam followed in his father's footsteps, surely having observed his father. We tend to think of legacies in a positive light, but the truth is that we all leave a legacy for our children and for our families, whether it is good or whether it is bad. And Abijam was left with a legacy of idolatry, pride, and cruelty. And so Judah continued to suffer, and the people gave their hearts to false gods and their own wicked desires. We have to wonder why God continued to allow these evil kings to rule his people. But we also remember from God's word that our Lord had promised David that one of his descendants would one day bring peace to the world. And God always keeps his promises. You can count on the fact that God is always true to his word. He is faithful. And though the time had not yet come for the true and one final Prince of Peace to enter the scene, the Messiah, God did allow David's family to remain on the throne, and sometimes one of those descendants offered just a bit of hope in an otherwise dark time of history for the people of God. When Abajan died, he was succeeded by his son Asa, and this young man was different. Unlike his father and his grandfather, Asa loved the Lord. It really is time for some good news and our reading, isn't it. This man Asa loved the Lord and sought after God. Asa was likened not to his immediate predecessors, but to Israel's great king, First King fifteen eleven says this, and Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done. We should pray that we would leave a godly legacy with our children and our children's children. The fact is that all of our titles, our wealth, our social standing or status, none of those things matter if we do not do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Aesa was a godly king, and he saw the sin in Judah and the suffering of God's people. He understood that the cause was unfaithfulness to God's sin against a holy God. So he tore down the shrines and banished the prostitutes who stood outside the shrines. But Asa did not just clean up the streets and remove the idols from the people. He cleaned his own house, and he banished his own mother because she was leading people astray and into idol worship. Years later, our Lord Jesus would say, you must be willing to leave father and mother if necessary, to follow me. That nothing can be above me, not even the bond of family can be stronger than our commitment to follow Jesus. Ssah understood this about his relationship with God. He not only took down the pagan symbols, but he also honored God by restoring treasures to the temple in Jerusalem. Powerful changes were being made in Judah. Revival was happening as people were turning their hearts back to God, but all was still not well in Judah. From the north, Israel's king Bhatia attacked and began to fortify the city of Rama within Judah's borders, Asa remained focused and calm. Rather than rushing into war and costing many lives in his army, Asa formed an alliance with Damascus. Together they fortified Judah for a potential war, and this alone sent Israel packing fearful of a conflict with Judah and its ally. Because Asad turned back to God and turned his nation from idolatry, he was able to unify the people, and God's powerful presence returned to Judah. Tomorrow we will meet a man whose heart was also on fire for God, and he would become a powerful force in the kingdom, speaking God's truth to a stubborn and sinful people. Dear God, we thank you for the story of King Asa. It's such a positive and hopeful word in the midst of so much judgment and sin and suffering in Israel. We thank you that you raised up this godly man to continue the line of Christ through the Bible. We pray that we, like Asa, will make good decisions in our lives and always turn our lives and our families towards You. May our legacy be a legacy of faith and faithfulness to You. In Jesus' name, Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham of Dallas, Texas. I would encourage you to download the pray dot com app and certainly to make Bible study and prayer a priority in your life. I would encourage you to go to church and be a part of a Bible believing Christ exalting church. If you enjoyed this podcast, tell a friend, let someone else know, because the Word of God changes lives. And if you want more resources as to how you can know and love God and follow Him all the days of your life, be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org as we have many resources available to you as you journey with the Lord. God bless you.