Day 98 -1 Kings 14-16, Psalm 98

This is where it gets confusing. Let’s review. There were twelve tribes of Israel. After the kingdom divided, it split into two parts. The northern kingdom, led by Jeroboam, kept the name Israel and was made up of ten tribes. The southern kingdom, led by Rehoboam (Solomon’s son), was called Judah and included the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Although the Levites were originally spread throughout all the tribes, they migrated to the southern kingdom because they were rejected by Jeroboam during his rule in the north.In 1 Kings 14, Jeroboam, the king of Israel, sends his wife in disguise to the prophet Ahijah to learn about his sick son. Ahijah, though blind, receives a prophetic word from God. Jeroboam’s son will die, and eventually, his whole dynasty will be wiped out because of idolatry. (North)Meanwhile, the southern kingdom, under King Rehoboam, is also corrupt, embracing pagan practices and provoking God. (South)Both leaders led their followers into sin. Are you a leader? Where are you leading your followers? (South)In 1 Kings 15, Abijah, Rehoboam’s son, becomes king. He’s mostly wicked, but God preserves Jerusalem for David’s sake. Asa, his son, becomes king and finally brings spiritual reform, removing idols and turning people back to God. Go Asa! We see how much change one person can make. (South)Meanwhile, in Israel, leadership is chaotic. New kings rise through assassination and wipe out Jeroboam’s house. (North)1 Kings 16 focuses only on the Northern Kingdom of Israel. If the Northern Kingdom of Israel had a reality show, this chapter would be peak drama. Baasha kills the king before him and takes over. Elah, his son, rules for two years, then gets assassinated by his own drunk-hating servant, Zimri. Zimri becomes king but only lasts seven days before he panics and burns the palace down—with himself inside. After a messy power struggle, Omri rises and builds Samaria, Israel’s new capital. His son Ahab outdoes everyone in wickedness, marries Jezebel, the Phoenician princess and devoted worshiper of Baal. But hey, the good news is, God always has the last word. (North)Psalm 98, a blessed relief after reading 1 Kings today, is a burst of praise from beginning to end. God deserves our fresh and public praise and worship. Outward expressions of genuine praise can become contagious, in a good way. Let’s find a new way to show God our love today.