1 Kings 16
Today's Passage: 1 Kings 16
In this historical chapter, we are told about five different kings of Israel. Five different men, and five different stories of failure, disobedience, and ruin. The first three kings did “what was evil in the Lord’s sight,” and the last two did “even more [evil] than any of the kings before [them.]” Failure after failure from the leader of God’s people.
This chapter is a humbling reminder of the depth of sin that lurks within our hearts. The office of the king didn’t exclude them from the temptation to sin. We are born with broken hearts — fully depraved and in desperate need of salvation. Our rulers, leaders, pastors, spouses, and friends all have one dark commonality — we need Jesus to create in us a clean (new) heart (Ps 51:10). And without divine intervention, we get worse. We invent new ways to do evil (Rom 1:30).
Thankfully, we have been made alive and given new hearts through Jesus. All past failures and all future sins have been paid for by Christ. We have been given the Spirit to free us from our slavery to sin, and even when we do sin, we have an advocate with the Father who intercedes for us (1 Jn 2:1). All this should drive us to our knees. If not for God’s abundant grace towards us, we would still be like these kings - enslaved to our sins.
The chapter ends with a sad story of Hiel, who rebuilt the city of Jericho at the cost of his two sons. Why? “This all happened according to the message from the Lord…spoken by Joshua (v. 34). God is faithful to His Word. God’s people had lost their way. Their kings were failures. Their kingdom was divided. They had forgotten God’s Word. But God remained faithful — to His word to Joshua and His promise to David.
He would send a King who would live and rule with righteousness, who would unite God’s people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. This King would obey God’s word perfectly, and then bear upon his sacrificial shoulders the evil all mankind. This King would conquer death and make it possible for you and me to be forgiven and freed from sin.
Be encouraged. The King has come. Even though we still fight against the evil within our hearts, Christ has won! Cling to him.
Written By: Joe Weaver
In this historical chapter, we are told about five different kings of Israel. Five different men, and five different stories of failure, disobedience, and ruin. The first three kings did “what was evil in the Lord’s sight,” and the last two did “even more [evil] than any of the kings before [them.]” Failure after failure from the leader of God’s people.
This chapter is a humbling reminder of the depth of sin that lurks within our hearts. The office of the king didn’t exclude them from the temptation to sin. We are born with broken hearts — fully depraved and in desperate need of salvation. Our rulers, leaders, pastors, spouses, and friends all have one dark commonality — we need Jesus to create in us a clean (new) heart (Ps 51:10). And without divine intervention, we get worse. We invent new ways to do evil (Rom 1:30).
Thankfully, we have been made alive and given new hearts through Jesus. All past failures and all future sins have been paid for by Christ. We have been given the Spirit to free us from our slavery to sin, and even when we do sin, we have an advocate with the Father who intercedes for us (1 Jn 2:1). All this should drive us to our knees. If not for God’s abundant grace towards us, we would still be like these kings - enslaved to our sins.
The chapter ends with a sad story of Hiel, who rebuilt the city of Jericho at the cost of his two sons. Why? “This all happened according to the message from the Lord…spoken by Joshua (v. 34). God is faithful to His Word. God’s people had lost their way. Their kings were failures. Their kingdom was divided. They had forgotten God’s Word. But God remained faithful — to His word to Joshua and His promise to David.
He would send a King who would live and rule with righteousness, who would unite God’s people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. This King would obey God’s word perfectly, and then bear upon his sacrificial shoulders the evil all mankind. This King would conquer death and make it possible for you and me to be forgiven and freed from sin.
Be encouraged. The King has come. Even though we still fight against the evil within our hearts, Christ has won! Cling to him.
Written By: Joe Weaver
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