Saturday, August 14, 2010

Day 20

Ahijah welcomed Jeroboam's wife, but asked her why she felt she needed to hide her identity. He told her God was very angry with the evil her husband was doing. God ripped the kingdom from David's hands and gave it to Jeroboam, but he pushed God aside and did his own thing. Ahijah went on to say that God would bring doom to their household; ridding of people as if they were garbage. The people in the city who died would be eaten by stray dogs and those out in the country would be eaten by carrion crows. Jeroboam's wife was told her son would die as soon as she entered her village and would be the only one to receive a proper burial. god was going to completely wash his hands of Israel because of Jeroboam's hideous sin.

Rehoboam was 41 years old when he started ruling Judah and ruled for 17 years in the City of David. The people of Judah also majorly sinned before God. They too built Asherah sex and religion shrines. There were male sacred prostitutes. Shishak of Egypt went to war w/ Jerusalem in Rehoboam's 5th year of ruling. He completely cleaned out the Temple of God. For the rest of Rehoboam's life, he was in battle with Jeroboam. Abijah, Rehoboam's son, ruled as king over Judah in the 18th year of the rule of Jeroboam. Some versions of the bible refer to him as Abijam. Jeroboam only ruled 22 years and his son, Nadab, became king when he died. Abijah ruled Jerusalem three years and carried on in his father's footsteps. Even though he was nothing like David, his great grandfather, God gave him a son to succeed him and keep Jerusalem secure. His son's name was Asa. Asa ruled for 41 years in Jerusalem and he was more like David and completely cleaned out the filth that his father and grandfather let into the city. All of the sacred prostitutes and idols were thrown out. Asa even went as far as removing his grandma, Maacah, from her position as queen mother because she built a horribly obscene Asherah pole. It was torn down and burned. I don't know why, but Asa allowed the sex and religion shrines to stay.

Baasha was king of Israel at the time and was at war with Asa. A fort at Ramah was built by Baasha that closed the border of Israel and Judah, forcing people to stay and strangers to stay out. All the silver and gold from the Temple and Asa's palace were given to his servants. He sent them to Beh-Hadad in Damascus with this message, "Let's make a treaty like the one between our fathers. I'm showing my good faith with this gift of silver and gold. Break your deal with Baasha King of Israel so he'll quit fighting against me." Ben-Hadad honored this request and formed an alliance with Asa. His troops were sent to Israel. Baasha pulled back to Tirzah. Asa Ordered everyone is Israel to remove the fort and use the materials to fortify Geba in Bejamin and Mizpah. Asa lived a very long time and gout is what ended his life. Jehoshaphat ruled as king after him.

Back to Nadab, who was king over Israel for 2 years. Baasha son of Ahijah ganged up on him in Gibbethon. The way Baasha became king was by killing Nadab. He then proceeded to kill all of Jeroboam's family. Baasha because king of Tirzah over all of Israel and openly sinned and made Israel sin.

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