22. Then king Asa made a proclamation—The fortifications which Baasha had erected at Ramah were demolished, and with the materials were built other defenses, where Asa thought they were needed—at Geba (now Jeba) and Mizpeh (now Neby Samuil), about two hours' travelling north of Jerusalem. read more
5. Asa’s good reign in Judah 15:9-24Asa was the first of eight kings of Judah whom the writer of Kings judged as good. Four of them were reformers who sought to bring the nation back to the Mosaic Covenant, and Asa was the first of these. The other reformers were Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah. The writer of Chronicles described Asa’s reforms more fully in 2 Chronicles 14-16. read more
Asa’s victory over Israel 15:16-22Antagonism continued between Israel and Judah in Asa’s day. Ramah was a border town just north of Judah. Many Israelites were leaving Israel to live in Judah, an indication of God’s blessing on the Southern Kingdom (cf. 2 Chronicles 11:13-17). Baasha may have been building a Berlin wall type of structure at Ramah. Asa’s plan to divert Baasha’s attention to Ben-Hadad (ca. 900-860 B.C.) worked. His treaty evidenced some lack of trust in Yahweh (2 Chronicles... read more
The Reigns of Abijam and Asa, Nadab and Baasha2. Abishalom] i.e. Absalom. In 2 Chronicles 13:2 his mother is called Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel, and if this is correct, Absalom was probably her grandfather, and her mother the Tamar mentioned in 2 Samuel 14:27. 4. A lamp] see on 1 Kings 11:36. The divine promise made to David prevented Abijam’s sins from being punished by the transfer of the throne to another line.6. There was war.. life] a repetition of 1 Kings 14:30. 2 Chronicles 13:2 has... read more
(22) Throughout all Judah.—Asa was not content to destroy or occupy the hostile fortress, but pushed his own fortifications further on. Geba, named in Joshua 21:17 as a city of the priests, in the territory of Benjamin, the scene of Jonathan’s victory over a Philistine garrison in the days of Samuel (1 Samuel 13:3)—identified with the modern Jeba—lies on the edge of a valley some distance to the north. It is noted in 2 Kings 23:8 as still the northern outpost of the kingdom of Judah. The Mizpah... read more
1THE EARLIER KINGS OF JUDAH1 Kings 14:21-31; 1 Kings 15:1-24THE history of "the Jews" begins, properly speaking, from the reign of Rehoboam, and for four centuries it is mainly the history of the Davidic dynasty.The only records of the son of Solomon are meager records of disaster and disgrace. He reigned seventeen years, and his mother, the Ammonitess Naamah, occupied the position of queen-mother. She was, doubtless, a worshipper in the shrine which Solomon had built for her national god,... read more
3. Abijam and Asa, Kings of Judah CHAPTER 15 1. Abijam of Judah (1 Kings 15:1-8 ; 2 Chronicles 13:0 ) 2. Asa of Judah (1 Kings 15:9-24 ; 1 Kings 2:0 Chronicles 14-16) Abijam is called in Chronicles Abijah; in 2 Chronicles 13:21 he is called Abijahu. Abijam was undoubtedly the older form. It is possible that on account of his great address of rebuke to Jeroboam (2 Chronicles 13:4-12 ) they may have called him Abijah (Jehovah is my father). He ascended the throne in the eighteenth year of... read more
4. Kings of Israel CHAPTERS 15:25-16 1. Nadab, King of Israel (1 Kings 15:25-32 ) 2. Baasha, King of Israel (1 Kings 15:34 ; 1 Kings 16:1-7 ) 3. Elah, King of Israel (1 Kings 16:8-14 ) 4. Zimri, King of Israel (1 Kings 16:15-20 ) 5. Divisions (1 Kings 16:21-22 ) 6. Omri, King of Israel (1 Kings 16:23-28 ) 7. Ahab (1 Kings 16:29-34 ) Six kings of Israel are now mentioned. Asa saw them all ascending the throne of Israel. The first mentioned is Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, who... read more
ABIJAM'S MUCH SHORTER REIGN (vs.1-8) Though Rehoboam's reign was short, that of Abijam was much shorter, only three years (v.2). His mother's name was Maacah, who must have had no good influence over him, for Abijam followed his father's example in practicing the same sins of disobedience to God (v.3). In spite of the sins of Abijam, however, the Lord honored his great grandfather David by allowing Abijam to reign this short time in Judah (v.4). Thus, though the Lord often visits the... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 15:9-24
Asa’s reformation in Judah (15:9-24)Judah’s new king, Asa, spent the first ten years of his reign getting rid of Canaanite religious practices and strengthening the nation’s defences. Strong faith and a strong fighting force enabled him to defeat a huge army that invaded Judah from the south. Plunder seized at the time enriched Judah considerably (2 Chronicles 14:1-15).A prophet pointed out how this victory proved that, as in the time of the judges, God blessed those who trusted in him in their... read more