FBC Morning Light (6/15/2024)

Good Saturday morning people of faith this weekend. We're looking at 1st Kings chapters 15 through 20 and so chapters 15 and 16 deal with the progression of the kings of Judah and the kings of Israel For a time and then it switches to the story of Elijah in his relationship with Ahab and So let's let's go ahead let me

I'm gonna give you just a little bit of an overview and then we're gonna focus on one thing at the end of chapter 16 so in chapter 15

Talks about Abijam is raging is reigning in Judah and so he's one of the kings of Judah and the thing about Judah is

Every once in a while Judah would have a good king Israel Never had a good king

Israel being the northern tribe Judah being the southern or the the northern tribes and Judah being the the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

All right so Abijam Reigned for a short time, but he did evil in the sight of the

Lord and then he was replaced with Asa Asa did Did good in the sight of the

Lord and even to the point of his grandmother had made a an idol and he tore that aisle down and and did good and so he reigned a long time in in Judah and then it switches to Israel and in verse 25

Says now Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah and he reigned over Israel for two years and he did evil in the sight of the

Lord and Walked in the way of his father who was his father Jeroboam who was

Jeroboam Jeroboam was that was the one who led the rebellion against the against Judah's leadership and established

Places of worship Outside of the temple. All right, so that was idolatry and so we see that all these these kings of Israel keep walking in the path of Jeroboam says and the next one is

Basha He reigned he he walks it says and in at the end of verse chapter 15

It says he did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin by which he made

Israel Sin and it goes on chapter 16 we see

Elah and we see Ziri and Amri and Ahab finally and There's there's treachery.

There's drunkenness. There's there's murders. There's Assassinations some of the

Kings reigned for a year or two some of those Kings reigned for just a matter of days

Then it says in verse 29 of chapter 16 says in 38th year of it's a king of Judah Ahab the son of Amri Became king over Israel and Ahab the son of Amri reigned over Israel in Samaria 22 years now

Ahab the son of Amri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him and it came past as Though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat that he took as wife

Jezebel the daughter of Ethel Bel king of the Sidonians, so So we get this progression and it's just this downward downward downward spiral of Until we get to Ahab to the point where he considers the wrong that Jeroboam does

He walks in those sins as if it's trivial as if it's nothing as it's as if it's an easy thing to do and we come upon this the fulfillment of What I consider to be one of the darkest prophecies in all of scripture and and to show you that prophecy we're gonna go back to Joshua and Joshua chapter 6 in Joshua chapter 6

Jericho has just been conquered and it's laying in ruins and Joshua says the following in verse 26 of chapter 6 of the book of Joshua He says then

Joshua charged them at that time saying Cursed be the man before the

Lord who rises up and builds this city Jericho He shall lay its foundation with his firstborn and with his youngest he shall set up its gates and Then we go back to chapter chapter 16 of the book of first Kings and the very last the very last part of it it says

It says In his days that is in the days of Ahab Hiel of Bethel built

Jericho he laid its foundations with a Byram his firstborn and With his youngest son

Seagub he set up its gates according to the word of the Lord Which it which he had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun I don't understand this

At all what how could a man? Sacrifice his own children to build a city.

I guess metaphorically We sacrifice relationships to do things and build things and build our own little kingdoms, but but this is

Sacrificing your own children to build a city That is tragic

Let's pray Heavenly Father let us not be like Hiel Let us not sacrifice

Our children or any of our relationships just to build a city or or whatever little

Temporary thing that we want to build Let us walk faithfully with you let us

Not consider the things that we do but consider the things of you as what is most important It's in your son's name