YEAR 2, WEEK 39, Day 1, Monday, 22 September 2025

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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Monday, 22 September 2025:

1 Kings 15:1-8 — Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. Nevertheless, for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem, because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

Abijam’s brief reign is a painful portrait of divided devotion: he repeats his father’s failures and is judged for them, yet God’s covenant faithfulness shines through even in judgment — the dynasty is preserved for David’s sake, not because of Abijam’s merit. This tension, human unfaithfulness alongside divine fidelity, is a theme that runs through Scripture and points us forward to Christ, the true and final Son of David whose throne is established not by human perfection but by God’s irrevocable promise (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Romans 8:28). The phrase “his heart was not wholly true” ought to arrest us: God does not want partial allegiance. A life that is split between God and competing loves will always produce compromised worship, poor leadership, and spiritual decline. Yet the mercy shown, God preserving a lamp in Jerusalem, reminds us that God’s covenants anchor history even when people fail, and that grace can coexist with consequence.

1 Kings 15:3 – And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him.

The Bible continually reminds us of how important parenting is to the development of our future leaders. Leaders know the way, show the way, and go the way. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. Only by following Jesus can parents lead their children well.

1 Kings 15:3 — His heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God.

God desires “wholehearted” disciples. You cannot follow God half-heartedly. By definition, this would dishonor Him as God and would cause you to stray from His perfect will. Jesus warned, you cannot serve two masters.

1 Kings 15:9-15 — In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah, and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as David his father had done. He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the LORD all his days. And he brought into the house of the LORD the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.

Asa’s reign presents a crucial contrast to Abijam: here is decisive reform motivated by holiness. Removing Maacah and the cultic practices from the royal household shows that genuine devotion often costs us relationships and comfort; holiness sometimes requires painful, loving confrontation even within family. Yet the line about the high places not being fully removed is a sober reminder that reforms can be courageous and incomplete at the same time: heart fidelity does not erase the cultural and structural footholds of sin overnight. Asa models faithful beginning and earnest reform; the remainder of his story will warn us that fidelity must be sustained and deepened, not merely initiated.

1 Kings 15:13 — He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.

People aren’t helpless victims of their childhood upbringing and experiences. You can overcome the character flaws that were ingrained in you from childhood, and you can reject the sinful practices you were taught. Many people have had rough upbringings, but, through the power of the Holy Spirit, they can create a new legacy for future generations.

“He also removed Maacah his mother.” We should allow no other relationship compromise our fidelity to God.

“But the high places were not taken away.” We must be very careful to remove anything from our lives that might cause ourselves or others to sin. Even if we can handle a temptation, we don’t want to cause others to stumble. Do you still have ‘high places’ in your life?

1 Kings 15:16-24 — And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, ‘Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.’ And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel …. Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

At this critical moment Asa faced opposition from Baasha of Israel, who fortified Ramah to choke Judah’s movement and trade. Rather than seeking God’s counsel, Asa seized the treasures that had been dedicated to the Lord, offerings meant for worship, sacrifice, and the glory of God, and diverted them into a political bribe to secure an alliance with Ben-hadad, king of Syria. The very resources consecrated for God’s house were repurposed for ungodly relationships and worldly schemes, a vivid picture of robbing the temple to appease the world. In doing so, Asa shifted from dependence on God to dependence on human strength, trading eternal trust for temporary expedience. His decision achieved short-term relief, but at the expense of his relationship with God, and it earned him the rebuke of the prophet Hanani later recorded in 2 Chronicles 16:7-9: “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you…. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”

This same pattern is dangerously alive in us today. God gives us time, talent, and treasure to be consecrated for His purposes, to grow in Christ, to make disciples, and to minister to the needs of others (Matthew 28:18–20; Galatians 6:9–10; 1 Peter 4:10). Yet too often, instead of offering our best to Him, we divert what belongs to God into schemes of self-protection, self-promotion, and worldly pursuits. We rob the temple when we spend our hours chasing riches and anxieties while neglecting prayer, Scripture, and fellowship. We rob the temple when we hoard our money or talents for self-security instead of investing them in the kingdom. Jesus warned about this in Matthew 6:19–21: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Paul echoes this in Colossians 3:1–2: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above…. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

The tragedy is that what we think secures us actually enslaves us. When we give to the world what belongs to God, we only deepen our anxieties. Jesus warned, “Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’…. For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:31–33). Asa’s mistake mirrors our tendency to take matters into our own hands rather than trust God’s provision. Expediency feels urgent, but it always comes at the cost of intimacy with God and often damages the very relationships we are called to cherish. In truth, the only thing we can carry with us into eternity is our relationship with God and with people. All else fades, but “the one who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).

This is why Sabbath rest and devotion are so essential. God commands us to rest in Him not simply for our health, but to reorient our hearts toward eternal priorities. Yet how often do we violate this, wearing ourselves out “to get rich” (Proverbs 23:4), running after “many schemes” (Ecclesiastes 7:29), and in the process letting our love for God and for others grow cold? Asa robbed the temple to buy worldly security, and we repeat the same folly when we rob God of our time, our affection, and our consecrated gifts to serve the idols of success, wealth, fear, or control. The call of Christ is clear: “You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). We are either devoted to the Lord wholeheartedly, or we scatter our devotion across worldly alliances that will always betray us in the end.

So, the lesson of Asa is simple and sobering: don’t rob the temple to appease the world. What belongs to God must remain devoted to Him. Your time, your talent, your treasure, your heart — keep them wholly for the Lord, trusting Him to establish your security, your provision, and your peace.

Asa’s actions should have been unthinkable: Not only did he essentially sell out God’s people to Damascus, but he used the Temple Treasury to do it — Wow! At this point, however, the people of Israel and Judah had drifted so far away from God that the “good” leaders are nowhere near God’s standards. Asa may have seemed “great” compared to the rest, but he was still leading the people down the path of destruction.

The statement made earlier about Abijah is probably the most ominous statement in our readings today: “His heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God.” This statement stands in stark contrast with what is said of Joshua and Caleb who “followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.” Partial obedience is disobedience, and partial commitment and compromise leads to destruction and ruin. As a people move farther and farther away from God, the “smaller” God appears in their eyes and the more irrelevant sin becomes in their eyes — but God’s perspective remains unchanged. Rather than placing his trust in God, Asa placed his trust in armies, economies, treaties, alliances, and politics. He did what was “right” from his perspective rather than from God’s standard. He was building a kingdom upon a foundation of sand rather than the Rock. Our Kingdom is not of this world. Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven.

1 Kings 15:23 – Now the rest of [his] acts, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

How do you measure life success? What will be your legacy? For what do you want to be remembered, and what contribution will you leave behind? Consider how the Bible records the legacies of the kings about which we read today and will read tomorrow:

• Abijam: “And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father…. The rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?” (1 Kings 15:3, 7)
• Asa: “And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done…. the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days…. Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?” (1 Kings 15:11, 14, 23)
• Nadab: “He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin…. Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?” (1 Kings 15:26, 31)
• Baasha: “He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin…. Now the rest of the acts of Baasha and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?” (1 Kings 15:34, 16:5)
• Elah: “When he was at Tirzah, drinking himself drunk… Zimri came in and struck him down and killed him… for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel to sin, provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their idols. Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?” (1 Kings 16:9, 10, 13, 14)
• Zimri: “When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house over him with fire and died, because of his sins that he committed, doing evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin. Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the conspiracy that he made, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?” (1 Kings 16:18-29)
• Omri: “Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more evil than all who were before him…. Now the rest of the acts of Omri that he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?” (1 Kings 16:25, 27)
• Ahab: “Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him…. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.” (1 Kings 16:30, 33)

Notice that the measure of life success is fidelity to God, as viewed by God (“in the sight of the Lord”), rather than by worldly accomplishments, “the rest of the acts.” Legacy is measured by the example of faith and fidelity (or lack thereof) passed down to the succeeding generations – “Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done.” When Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous,” it speaks to the imperishable riches of knowing God – “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal…. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:19, 20, 33)

• Psalm 61:5 — For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
• Psalm 145:4 — One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
• Psalm 102:18 — Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:
• Psalm 71:18 — So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.
• Proverbs 4:10-27 — Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.
• Proverbs 22:6 — Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
• Deuteronomy 4:9 — “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children….”
• 2 Timothy 1:5 — I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

Among the kings mentioned today, only Asa was accredited with doing what was right in the sight of the Lord (though he was far from perfect as discussed above). An important point here is that, in order to step up and out in faith, Asa had to break the cycle of sin within his own family and challenge the traditional sins of his community – “He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.” (1 Kings 15:12, 13) It takes great courage and commitment to be a leader in faith and fidelity in order to bring glory God, and it may even cost you important relationships. If only Asa had finished the job. True leaders live “Semper Fidelis Coram Deo” – “Always Faithful Before the Face of God,” regardless of what others might think, say, or do.

What will be your legacy?

1 Kings 15:25-34 — Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. Baasha the son of Ahijah … conspired against him. … He killed him and reigned in his place. And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. … In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.

The northern kingdom’s narrative here is a relentless downward spiral: idolatry and violence beget more idolatry and violence. Political coups replace covenant fidelity; kings secure thrones by blood while the people pay the price. The pattern is devastatingly clear: when idolatry becomes the organizing principle of a nation, instability and cruelty follow. The north’s tragedy contrasts with Judah’s precarious continuity, which itself depended on God’s mercy toward David’s line. The text forces us to ask hard questions about the consequences of collective sin and the moral cost of power gained apart from God.

1 Kings 15:30 — It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel.

Your sins can have a terrible influence on many people and many generations. We take sin far too lightly.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 22 September 2025: 1 Kings 15 presses a single urgent test for the Christian life: is your heart wholly true to the LORD, or is it divided? Abijam shows the danger of half-hearted devotion; Asa shows that decisive reform born of a faithful heart is possible and necessary; Baasha and the northern succession show how idolatry and violence multiply when leaders choose expediency over obedience. Today, identify one “high place” in your life, not necessarily a literal altar, but an area where you have tacitly tolerated compromise (a habit, a relationship, a trust in resources or reputation), and take one tangible step to remove it. That step might be a specific confession to a trusted believer, a boundary you put in place, or a concrete refrain (stop a habit, give away a source of temptation, refuse an ungodly shortcut at work). Do not wait for “perfect conditions”; remove the foothold for sin now and replace it with a practice of dependence (prayer, Scripture, accountability).

Pray:  “Lord God, thank You that Your covenant mercy endures even when I fail.  Forgive me for a divided heart and for seeking help where I should have sought You.  Give me courage to remove hidden altars from my life, wisdom to trust You instead of political or material expedients, and steadiness to finish well.  Make my devotion wholehearted; let my reforms be deep, not merely cosmetic.  Establish my heart in Jesus, the faithful Son of David, and by Your Spirit empower me to walk in integrity, holy courage, and humble dependence.  In Christ’s name, Amen.”