1 KINGS 15
A flickering lamp. God blessed Judah for David’s sake, just as He blesses us for the sake of His beloved Son (Eph. 1:3) and because of the faithfulness of those who have gone before us. “Except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite”—and what a costly exception that was! Even a man who sinned greatly can be restored and become a blessing to others. But the lamp of truth was flickering, and Judah’s sins would one day be judged.
An inconsistent ruler. Asa had a wonderful beginning to his reign but a disappointing ending. He was courageous enough to cleanse the temple of religious prostitutes and purge the land of idols, and he even dethroned his own grandmother. But instead of trusting the Lord for victory, he robbed the temple and bribed a pagan king to assist him in a war.
A certain judgment. God had promised that the house of Jeroboam would be destroyed, and Baasha was the instrument of that judgment. But Baasha repeated the sins of Jeroboam! Did he think that he would escape punishment? F. von Logau commented, “Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small.”