WHAT WILL BE YOUR LEGACY?

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done. He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made. He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

Although he did not remove the high places, Asa's heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.

He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.

There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord's temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. "Let there be a treaty between me and you," he said, "as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me."

Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah — no one was exempt — and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.

As for all the other events of Asa's reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. Then Asa rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king.

Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, walking in the ways of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.

Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it. Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king.

As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam's whole family. He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the Lord given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite - because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger.

As for the other events of Nadab's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.

In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha: "I lifted you up from the dust and made you leader of my people Israel, but you walked in the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to provoke me to anger by their sins. So I am about to consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country."

As for the other events of Baasha's reign, what he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Baasha rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. And Elah his son succeeded him as king.

Moreover, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger by the things he did, and becoming like the house of Jeroboam—and also because he destroyed it.

In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years.

Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the man in charge of the palace at Tirzah. Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king.

As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha's whole family. He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend. So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu - because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols.

As for the other events of Elah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town. When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp. Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died, because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in the sin he had committed and had caused Israel to commit.

As for the other events of Zimri's reign, and the rebellion he carried out, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri. But Omri's followers proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.

In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.

But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him. He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols.

As for the other events of Omri's reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.

In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.

In Ahab's time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

1 Kings 15:9-34, 16:1-34

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

There’s a reason why this book is called the Book of 1st Kings because as we read it, we learn about the kings who reigned over Israel and Judah…good and bad. And after David and Solomon, we can see that most of the kings were bad.

We know that because of the accounts we read. In just this passage alone, we find out the following concerning certain kings:

King Asa...the only one in this passage that was good.

Scripture tells us that he “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done”, expelling “the male shrine prostitutes from the land” and getting “rid of all the idols his fathers had made”. We read where he “even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole”, cutting the pole down and burning it in the Kidron Valley.

Indeed, God’s word tells us good things about Asa…whose heart was “fully committed to the Lord all his life”.

So what about the others? Well…they weren’t so good.

King Nadab? He “reigned over Israel two years” and “did evil in the eyes of the Lord, walking in the ways of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit”. He ended up killed by Baasha who then became king.

So how did King Baasha grade out?

He was as bad if not worse than Nadab. For we read that “he killed Jeroboam's whole family”…”as soon as he began to reign”…not leaving “Jeroboam anyone that breathed” but rather destroying them all”. This fulfilled “the word of the Lord given through his servant Ahijah…because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger”.

Baasha “reigned twenty-four years” and “did evil in the eyes of the Lord, walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit”.

Would the next king be good? Well, we didn’t get much of a chance to know because he didn’t rule very long. Scripture tells us that Elah became king of Israel and reigned for two years before he was struck down and killed by one of his officials, Zimri…who would assume Elah’s place on the throne of Israel.

So how was Zimri?

Well, we read where he “killed off Baasha's whole family”, not sparing “a single male, whether relative or friend” and doing so “in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols”.

As word spread that Zimri had plotted against Baasha and killed him, it reached the Israelite army encamped near the Philistine town of Gibbethon, a Philistine town. And “when the Israelites in the camp heard” this, “they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp”. In turn, Omri and the Israelites left Gibbethon and went after Zimri, laying siege to Tirzah.

When “Zimri saw that the city was taken”, he knew he was in big trouble. And so he “went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him”, essentially committing suicide rather than fall into the hands of the Israelites, dying because of the “sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in the sin he had committed and had caused Israel to commit”.

OK…so we have yet to find a good king after Asa.

And now there were more problems.

Because it was bad enough that the kingdom of Israel had divided into two parts…but now even the people of the Northern Kingdom became divided. For we read where “half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri” who ended up winning because his “followers proved stronger than those of Tibni”.

How was King Omri remembered?

During his twelve year reign, we read where he “did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him” as he “walked in all the ways of Jeroboam…and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols”.

Not good to be known as one who sinned more than any other king before. That’s called a bad reputation.

Would his son Ahab be better?

Not according to the scriptures which tell us that Ahab “did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him”, even outdoing his evil father. In fact, he “not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam…but he also married Jezebel…and began to serve Baal and worship him”, setting “up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria”. And if that wasn’t enough, Ahab “also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him”.

And so the scorecard reads like this:

Evil Kings – 5 (Nadab, Baasha, Zimri, Omri, Ahab)
Good Kings – 1 (Asa)
Unknown – 1 (Elah)

Life had been better in Israel, that’s for sure. But it was going to get much worse. More on that later.

I want to focus on the excerpts we have just studied. In each of them, we get just a short discussion on the life and reign of a number of kings who either ended up with a reputation of being good or evil.

In other words, each of them left behind a legacy…for better or worse. And the same thing is happening today as we walk this Christian walk called life. Each and every day that the Lord blesses us with provides us opportunity to build our reputation in the world…for better or worse.

So what will be your legacy? What will you be remembered most for? If someone were to write a short summation, chronicling the way you lived, what would it say about you?

I don’t know about you but I know what I would want people to say or write about me. It would go like this:

Mark was an ordinary man who God used in extraordinary ways to achieve His awesome purpose.

For me, that would be about as good as it would get. How about you?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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