Today’s passage: 1 Kings 16:21-34
Helpful thoughts:
- The conflict between supporters of Omri and Tibni lasted about four years.
- King after king, line after line, the same sins continue to abound in Israel.
- With Ahab’s reign, Israel went into the worship of Baal, with Jezebel as it’s worship leader. Baal was a false god who had been worshipped in and around Canaan since before Israel arrived out of their bondage in Egypt.
- The rebuilding of Jericho fulfilled the curse of Joshua 6:26. It also serves to illustrate Israel’s abandonment of God.
- Builders of cities who worshiped these false gods would give their infants up as sacrifices to appease the gods to provide safety to their new cities. These children who died were probably sacrificed and laid in the foundation of the city.
Questions to consider:
- If kings are being killed and replaced, and if the people of the nation were desiring to follow God, what kind of king do you think would eventually prevail? What are we learning about the nation of Israel as a whole within this continuing narrative?
- The loss of Hiel’s sons was a curse from God. If Hiel saw these deaths as sacrifices for the benefit of the city, would their deaths have been mourned or celebrated by the people? What has to happen for a people to celebrate what God calls a curse (Romans 1:18-32)?
- The reign of Ahab was a financially prosperous time in the kingdom of Israel. How should this serve as a warning to us today? Does financial prosperity always equal blessing from God? How does Christ bring contentment regardless of our financial standing?