1 Kings 16-18

What I Noticed Today (1 Kings 16-18)

1 Kings 16

1 Kings 16 opens with God’s strong rebuke against Baasha for making the people of Israel sin as Jeroboam had done.

In verses 1-4, the Lord spoke a word of rebuke to Baasha through Jehu the prophet.

• The Lord said He had lifted Baasha up and made him ruler over Israel, but Baasha had behaved like Jeroboam causing the people to sin against the Lord.
• Therefore, the Lord promised to sweep away the house of Baasha

In verses 5-7, Baasha died and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah became king and reigned for two years.

In verses 8-14, in the 26^th year of Judah’s King Asa, Elah became king over Israel and reigned for two years (886-885 B.C.).

• Elah’s chariot commander, Zimri, rose up against Elah.
• Zimri killed Elah and became king in his place.
• Zimri killed the entire house of Baasha. This fulfilled God’s judgment (1 Kings 16:3).

In verses 15-22, in the 27^th years of Asa king of Judah, Zimri became king over Israel and reigned for 7-days (in 885 B.C.).

• Because Zimri had killed Elah, others in the nation of Israel appointed Omri to be king.
• Omri went up against Zimri to attack Zimri at Tirzah. They besieged the city, and when Zimri realized the city had been surrounded, he went into the royal palace and committed suicide by burning his house down.

In verses 20-22, the nation of Israel divided yet again with some of the people following Tibni and the rest following Omri.

• Tibni and Omri reigned over portions of Israel for 6-years (885-880 B.C.)
• Omri’s army killed Tibni, and he became king over Israel.
• Omri reigned over all Israel for 6-years (880-874 B.C.).

In verses 23-28, in the 36^th year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel and reigned for 12 years from Tirzah.

• But Omri was also an evil king, worse than all the kings that came before him.
• He died, and his son Ahab reigned in his place.

In verses 29-34, in the 38^th year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab became king over Israel, and he reigned from Samaria for 22 years (874-853 B.C.).

• Ahab was also an evil king who followed in the ways of Jeroboam, leading the people to sin against the Lord.
• Ahab married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, a Canaanite.
• Ahab built an altar to Baal, and he and Jezebel worshipped Baal.
• Ahab also set up an Asherah pole to worship Baal
• Ahab provoked the Lord more than all the kings of Israel who went before him.

1 Kings 17

1 Kings 17 provides some welcome relief from the warring kings!

In verses 1-7, Elijah, the Tishbite, a prophet, suddenly appeared to Ahab, proclaiming a three-year drought.

• The Lord told Elisha to leave Samaria and go to the Wadi Kerith.

• During that time, God miraculously cared for Elijah, feeding him and providing a source of water.

In verses 8-16, when the brook dried up, the Lord told Elijah to go to Zarephath, where he lived with a Gentile widow and her son.

• God miraculously provided for them through oil and flour that never ran out.

In verses 17-24, when the woman’s son died, Elijah cried out to the Lord and was able to bring the boy back to life.

• The woman declared that Elijah was a man of God and that what Elijah spoke was the truth.

1 Kings 18

Elijah brings a message to Ahab.

In verses 1-19, at the end of the three years, God told Elijah to go to Ahab.

• Elijah’s message to Ahab was that the Lord was about to send rain upon the land of Samaria.

• Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Ahab and Obadiah went throughout the land looking for water.
• Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, had tried to kill off all of the prophets of God, but Obadiah had hidden 100 of them and cared for them in caves.

• Obadiah encountered Elijah on the road while he was out looking for water.
• Elijah told Obadiah to return to Ahab and tell him that Elijah would present himself to Ahab that day.
• Obadiah went and told Ahab about Elijah, and Ahab went out to meet Elijah.
• When Ahab saw Elijah, he called him the “destroyer of Israel.”
• Elijah told Ahab it was he and his household who had destroyed Israel.
• Then Elijah ordered Ahab to bring all the prophets of Baal and Asherah and meet him at Mount Carmel.

In verses 20-46, Elijah invited Ahab and the prophets of Baal and Asherah to Mt Carmel (the most important site for Baal worship).

• Elijah challenged them not to have divided loyalty, either worship Baal or God.
• He set up a contest to see which God really was God.
• The Baals killed a bull and placed it on the altar and called out to Baal all day to bring down fire, but nothing happened.
• Eventually, Elijah prepared a bull on God’s altar. He dug a trench around the altar and had water poured on the wood so much that it filled the trench.
• Elijah called on God to send fire. The fire that God sent burned the entire offering, the wood, the stones, and consume the water in the trench.
• The people fell face down, worshipping the Lord.
• Then Elijah ordered the people to seize the prophets of Baal. They were taken to the Wadi Kishon, where Elijah killed them all.

• After that, God sent rain to the land.
• Ahab got in his chariot and went to Jezreel (about 25 miles).
• Elijah ran ahead of Ahab to Jezreel.

Some thoughts for additional consideration:

• Ahab had allowed Baal worship to take over in the land, and despite the three-year drought, he never repented and returned to God. Ahab even refused to repent after the contest between Baal and God. The widow and her son witnessed the miracle of the flour and oil, yet she did not recognize Elijah as an honorable man of God until he brought her son back to life.
• How stubborn our hearts can be! We can be so set in our ways and false beliefs that we do not recognize the truth of God and His miracles when they are right before us. My prayer is that we will have open hearts to see and understand God’s truth!

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.

Tomorrow: 1 Kings 19-20