1 Kings 15 & 2 Chronicles 13–16

Have you ever felt discouraged by slow spiritual growth—in your own life or in the lives of your children?

In this episode of The Dwelling Place, we're studying 1 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 13–16, where we encounter both faithful and unfaithful kings during the early years of Israel's divided kingdom. As we sort through the historical details, one truth shines brightly: God remains patient, available, and faithful to those who seek Him.

We'll examine the contrasting examples of King Asa and the kings of Israel, discover why faithfulness today doesn't mean we can coast tomorrow, and learn how our choices can either remove obstacles or create stumbling blocks for the next generation.

Most importantly, these chapters remind us that while no earthly leader is perfect, there is a perfect King we can trust completely—Jesus Christ.

In This Episode

• Understanding the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah
• Why God's patience with His people offers hope for parents today
• The powerful promise that God can be found by those who seek Him
• King Asa's example of courage, reform, and spiritual leadership
• Why long-term faithfulness requires continual dependence on God
• How spiritual compromise impacts future generations
• The difference between relying on God and relying on our own strength
• Encouragement for moms seeking to leave a godly legacy

Key Scriptures

• 1 Kings 15
• 2 Chronicles 13–16
• 2 Chronicles 13:18
• 2 Chronicles 15:2
• 2 Chronicles 15:12–15
• 2 Chronicles 16:9

A Truth to Remember

"The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you." (2 Chronicles 15:2)

What a comfort for weary believers. The same God who patiently pursued His people throughout Israel's history is still available today. He invites us to seek Him, trust Him, and depend upon Him—not just at the beginning of our walk with Christ, but all the way to the finish line.

Resources

Entrusted Ministries exists to encourage moms to know God through His Word and faithfully pass biblical truth to the next generation. Join us as we read through Scripture, pray together, and discover that God Himself is our dwelling place.

Resources Mentioned

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary, Spurgeon's Treasury of David

About The Dwelling Place

The Dwelling Place is a daily Bible-reading podcast from Entrusted Ministries, helping women grow in their knowledge of Scripture, deepen their prayer lives, and faithfully pass God's truth to the next generation. Join Stephanie Hickox as we read through the Bible together and discover that God Himself is our dwelling place.

This is The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

2

I'm Stephanie Hickox.

3

Today, we're working through

I Kings chapter 15 and II

4

Chronicles 13 through 16.

5

There's definitely overlap, and while

I mentioned that Chronicles follows

6

the Davidic line and tells us about the

southern kingdom of Judah, there's a lot

7

of conflict between the northern kingdom

and the southern kingdom so Chronicles

8

will let us into those situations as well

9

because of just a few sentences I'm

going to say today, you might want to

10

be cautious about listening with kids.

11

Before we begin, I'm gonna give

you just a little background on

12

my process with this podcast.

13

I prayed for a long time about whether

this should be audio or video, and

14

I came to the conclusion that I

never want it to be a distraction

15

from you meeting with the Lord.

16

I wanna help you meet with Him through

His Word and pray over you, but I didn't

17

want the visual to distract from that.

18

But this is the first episode where

I've really had to wrestle with how

19

I communicate all of this information

to you These kings that are reigning

20

concurrently in the northern and

southern kingdoms, and then also we have

21

corresponding passages in 1 Kings and 2

Chronicles, and I've thought if I could

22

just have a whiteboard behind me or

show you a visual, it would really help

23

in order to bring the most clarity

possible, this is another one of those

24

episodes that needs to be a little

bit longer Betsy Corning, the founder

25

and director of our ministry, has been

working on a timeline of how the kings

26

of the Bible and the prophets line up.

27

This will be so helpful to you,

but it's not available yet.

28

Your Bible might have a timeline

of these kings to help you keep

29

this straight And that would be

really helpful for you, to consult

30

In today's reading, we will cover four

different kings, two from the northern

31

kingdom, two from the southern kingdom

Remember the northern kingdom starts with

32

no, meaning no, no, no Israel, and the

southern kingdom of Judah points to Jesus

33

and just because the southern kingdom

of Judah will be the line that Jesus

34

comes through, my tip for remembering

was that these kings are just sorta good.

35

Like pastors often do in a sermon,

I'm gonna tell you the main points of

36

application and the main principles I

derive from these scriptures so we can

37

keep our eyes on the character of God

amidst all these details And on how his

38

character should transform and sustain us.

39

First, we can marvel at God's patience,

involvement, and availability to these

40

kings, and He's the same God today.

41

we'll read that He will be found by

those who seek Him, and that His eyes

42

look to and fro throughout the earth

that He may strongly support those

43

whose hearts are blameless before Him.

44

However, you might be surprised

to hear exactly the context

45

that verse was given in

46

Next, we'll receive a

caution not to coast.

47

just because we've been faithful

to the Lord for a long time isn't a

48

reason to take our eyes off the goal.

49

And Finally, when we look at these

kings, we'll see that we can either be

50

a barrier or a blessing to our families.

51

We can be the ones to tear down the

high places and confront sin in our

52

lives, or we can let them remain,

continuing to be a barrier for the

53

generations that come after us.

54

When you and I choose to do the hard work

of putting sin to death by the power of

55

the Holy Spirit, we can set our kids up

56

for more likely spiritual success.

57

Now, they'll certainly have their own

choices to make, but instead of putting

58

a stumbling block in their path, we can

remove some of these hurdles and clear

59

the track for them to pursue Christ

60

The first king we'll cover today is

from the southern kingdom of Judah.

61

His name is Abijam or Abijah, depending

on where you're reading in scripture.

62

Abijam means father of the sea, and

Abijah means my father is a lord.

63

It's possible he changed his name after

he sinned At this point, Jeroboam is

64

still reigning over the northern kingdom,

but Abijam comes to power over Judah

65

near the end of his reign First

Kings 15 tells us he reigned

66

for three years in Jerusalem.

67

His mother's name was Maachah,

the daughter of Abishalom.

68

Because it's in the southern kingdom,

you're wondering, is this going

69

to be a good king or a bad king?

70

And verse three tells us, "And he

walked in all the sins that his father

71

did before him, and his heart was

not wholly true to the Lord his God,

72

as the heart of David his father."

73

Ugh, I know we didn't want to read

that, but listen to God's faithfulness.

74

" Nevertheless, for David's sake the

Lord his God gave him a lamp in

75

Jerusalem, setting up his son after

him and establishing Jerusalem, because

76

David did what was right in the eyes

of the Lord, and did not turn aside

77

from anything that He commanded him

all the days of his life, except in

78

the matter of Uriah the Hittite."

79

And though Abijah is not individually

committed to the ways of the Lord, we do

80

get a really compelling speech from him

claiming that the nation of Judah is.

81

In 2 Chronicles 13, there's a battle going

on between the northern and the southern

82

kingdom Abijah enters the battle with

only half as many men as Jeroboam had.

83

And though he's completely

outnumbered, confronts the

84

counterfeit northern kingdom.

85

" Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Jerusalem.

86

Ought you not to know that the Lord

God of Israel gave the kingship

87

over Israel forever to David and

his sons by a covenant of salt?

88

Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a

servant of Solomon, the son of David,

89

rose up and rebelled against his lord.

90

And certain worthless scoundrels gathered

about him and defiled Rehoboam the son

91

of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and

irresolute and could not withstand them.

92

And now you think to withstand the

kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the

93

sons of David because you are a great

multitude and have with you the golden

94

calves that Jeroboam made you for gods?

95

Have you not driven out the priests

of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and

96

Levites, and made priests for yourselves

like the peoples of other lands?

97

Whoever comes for ordination with a young

bull or seven rams what are not gods.

98

But as for us, the Lord is our

God, and we have not forsaken him.

99

We have priests ministering to

the Lord who are sons of Aaron

100

and Levites for their service.

101

They offer to the Lord every morning

and every evening burnt sacrifices

102

and incense of sweet spices.

103

Set out the showbread on the table of pure

gold and care for the golden lampstand

104

that its lamps may burn every evening.

105

For we keep the charge of the Lord

our God, but you have forsaken him.

106

Behold, God is with us at our head

and his priests with their battle

107

trumpets to sound the call to battle

against you, O sons of Israel.

108

Do not fight against the Lord, the God

of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.

109

When he refers to the Davidic covenant

being a covenant of salt, this is probably

110

recalling Numbers 18 because salt is

a preservative, and that refers to the

111

permanence of a covenant Instead of

being convicted by this powerful speech,

112

Jeroboam's army surrounds Judah's army.

113

And in 2 Chronicles 13:14, " And

when Judah looked, behold, the battle

114

was in front of and behind them.

115

And they cried to the Lord, and

the priests blew the trumpets.

116

Then the men of Judah

raised the battle shout.

117

And when the men of Judah shouted,

God defeated Jeroboam and all

118

Israel before Abijah and Judah.

119

The men of Israel fled before Judah,

and God gave them into their hand."

120

And verse 18 tells us, " And the men

of Judah prevailed because they relied

121

on the Lord, the God of their fathers."

122

What's key is that they took cities back

from Israel, and Bethel was one of them.

123

Remember the two golden

calves that Jeroboam made?

124

He put one in Bethel, and this showed

that the false god could not protect them.

125

And by taking back the city, they could

prevent people from worshiping the

126

idol there Later, Jeroboam is struck

down and he dies, and Nadab takes

127

over the northern kingdom of Israel.

128

Little quiz, is he going to be

an evil king or a good king?

129

This is the northern kingdom we're

talking about so you know the answer

130

before I even read 1 Kings 15:26.

131

" He did what was evil in the sight

of the Lord and walked in the

132

way of his father, and in his

sin which he made Israel to sin."

133

Nadab is going to walk in wickedness

just as his father Jeroboam did.

134

And the Lord will only give him about two

years to reign But his death will come

135

at the hand of someone also walking in

wickedness However, it will fulfill the

136

prophecy that was given to Jeroboam's wife

earlier a man named Baasha rises to power

137

in the Northern Kingdom, becoming king.

138

It was a gruesome but common practice

to kill all the male heirs, but he

139

goes way beyond that and kills every

breathing relative of Jeroboam's.

140

As I said, this is evil, but it does

fulfill the prophecy that God had warned

141

Jeroboam with, that because of his

wickedness, his entire line would be

142

cut off that introduces you to three

evil kings that we'll encounter today,

143

and we'll go back to Baasha later.

144

But first, we need to find out

who took over in the southern

145

kingdom of Judah after Abijah died.

146

And it's going to be our good

king for the day, King Asa

147

He's certainly not perfect, but scripture

says that he did what was good and

148

right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

149

Because Chronicles and Kings give

us different insights into what

150

he did that was so honorable,

I'm going to read from both books

151

And to help me remember that Asa

was a good king, I'm thinking

152

back to how one of my sons just

loved his book of Aesop's Fables.

153

And because Aesop often had good

lessons for life, that will help me

154

remember that Asa was a good king.

155

In 1 Kings 15, Asa comes to power in the

southern kingdom as Jeroboam is wrapping

156

up his reign in the northern kingdom.

157

Asa is king 41 years And then

there's an interesting detail

158

about who his mother was.

159

We know his dad was in the Davidic

line, as his father was Abijah

160

But we're told that his mother's name is

the same as his father's mother's name

161

This could be referring to his grandma, as

sometimes genealogies skip a generation.

162

But the Moody Commentary quotes

Provan that says, "It is highly

163

probable that Asa was the product

of an incestuous relationship

164

Between Abijam and his mother Maachah.

165

I know that's a horrible

idea to even consider.

166

But guess what?

167

Even if it is true, in the Lord,

we can have a new inheritance.

168

Because in verse 11, we read, "And

Asa did what was right in the eyes of

169

the Lord as David his father had done.

170

He put away the male cult prostitutes

of the land and removed all the

171

idols that his fathers had made.

172

He also removed Maachah his mother from

being queen mother, because she had

173

made an abominable image for Asherah.

174

And Asa cut down her image and

burned it at the brook Kidron.

175

But the high places were not taken away.

176

This abominable image that his mother

made, it comes from the verb to shudder

177

And I know this is repulsive

to even think about

178

But some scholars believe

it might have been sexual

179

Asa makes it clear that his loyalty

is to the Lord over his family

180

In 1 Kings it said that the

high places were not taken away

181

but as I'll read next in 2

Chronicles 14, it says he did

182

take down Some of the high places.

183

And then later we read that

he took down the high places

184

of Judah, but not of Israel.

185

Remember, Israel was the northern

kingdom he wasn't reigning over, so

186

perhaps that explains the difference

187

And God gives Asa rest for the beginning

of his reign And Asa did what was good

188

and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

189

He took away the foreign altars and

the high places and broke down the

190

pillars and cut down the Asherim,

and commanded Judah to seek the

191

Lord, the God of their fathers, and

to keep the law and the commandment.

192

He also took out of all the

cities of Judah the high

193

places and the incense altars.

194

And the kingdom had rest under him.

195

He built fortified cities in

Judah, for the land had rest

196

These years of peace are interrupted

when Zerah the Ethiopian comes against

197

him with a million men and 300 chariots.

198

And Asa cried to the Lord his God, " O

Lord, there is none like you to help

199

between the mighty and the weak.

200

Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely

on you, and in your name we have

201

come against this multitude, O Lord.

202

For you are our God.

203

Let not man prevail against you."

204

And because the fear of the

Lord was upon the Egyptians, the

205

nation of Judah was victorious

206

Next, in 2 Chronicles 15,

we're introduced to Azariah.

207

The Spirit of God fills him

208

And comes to Asa with a defining message.

209

" Hear me, Asa, and all Judah

and Benjamin: The Lord is with

210

you while you are with Him.

211

If you seek Him, He will be

found by you, but if you forsake

212

Him, He will forsake you.

213

For a long time Israel was without

the true God, and without a

214

teaching priest and without law.

215

But when in their distress they turned

to the Lord, the God of Israel, and

216

sought Him, He was found by them."

217

Do you see how available God is?

218

And as soon as they repent

and turn to Him, He was found

219

As soon as Asa hears this, he puts away

idols from all of Judah and Benjamin

220

and repairs the altar of the Lord.

221

We also learn that there are some from

the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and

222

Simeon who had deserted from the northern

kingdom to come to the southern kingdom

223

because they saw that God was still with

the nation of Judah and the Davidic line

224

And together 2 Chronicles 15:12 tells

us, " They swore an oath to the Lord

225

with a loud voice and with shouting

and with trumpets and with horns.

226

And all Judah rejoiced over the oath,

for they had sworn with all their heart

227

and had sought Him with their whole

desire, and He was found by them, and

228

the Lord gave them rest all around."

229

We can be so encouraged by these

decades of faithfulness of Asa to

230

the Lord, how he tore down the idols

and reversed pagan worship, returning

231

the nation of Judah to seek the Lord.

232

But none of these earthly

kings is without fault.

233

And toward the end of his reign, Asa

gets intimidated by the threat of

234

King Baasha in the northern kingdom.

235

Instead of seeking help from the

Lord, he goes to the king of Assyria,

236

Ben-Hadad, And he pays him to break his

covenant with Israel and instead make

237

a covenant with his nation of Judah

238

Afterward, Hanani the seer comes to rebuke

Asa And reminds him, " Don't you remember

239

that huge battle against the Egyptians

that the Lord gave you victory in?

240

Why didn't you trust

Him in this small one?"

241

And here's that famous verse, " For the

eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout

242

the whole earth to give strong support to

those whose heart is blameless toward Him.

243

You have done foolishly in this,

for from now on you will have wars."

244

Unfortunately, Asa does not handle

this news with grace or repentance.

245

He's angry at Hanani and puts

him in the stocks in prison.

246

And though we don't have a lot of

detail, he punishes others as well.

247

Then in the last couple years of

his reign He gets a disease in his

248

feet that was quite severe And Moody

suggests that maybe the chronicler

249

focused on his diseased feet because

his inability to stand firm in the Lord.

250

Even in his disease, he did not seek the

Lord, but sought help from physicians.

251

And once again, I'm reminded of the

grace of the Lord As we read in 1 Kings

252

15:14, " Nevertheless, the heart of Asa

was wholly true to the Lord all his days."

253

The Lord, the God of the Bible, knows

that He is the only source of perfection.

254

He's never expected it from you or from

me, but only that we would run to His

255

perfection and to His saving grace.

256

Heavenly Father, we are truly grateful

and humbled by Your mercy, Your

257

availability, and Your willingness to

be involved in our lives Thank you that

258

you will be found by those who seek

you and that you strongly support those

259

whose hearts are blameless before you.

260

We pray that would be true of us and

that you would purify our hearts.

261

We know that our former sacrifices do

not exempt us from future faithfulness.

262

prevent us from becoming comfortable

in our walks that we would never

263

coast or think that we've arrived

264

Give us strength to

continually battle temptation

265

And we humbly rely on your Holy

Spirit to help us bring you glory.

266

We pray that as we seek to defeat any high

places or idols in our hearts, that we

267

would become a blessing to our families

and not a barrier to them following you

268

I ask that as our kids watch the

ways that wickedness and evil is

269

elevated in this world, that their

hearts would be wholly devoted and

270

drawn to your perfection, and beauty.

271

Help us to keep looking to the King

of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.

272

It's in His perfect name that we pray.

273

Amen.