1 Kings 15:21

_AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN BAASHA HEARD THEREOF, THAT HE LEFT OFF BUILDING OF RAMAH, AND DWELT IN TIRZAH._ No JFB commentary on this verse....

9-24 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. That is right indeed which is so in God's eyes. Asa's times were times of reformation. He removed that which was evil; there reformation begins, and a great deal he found to do. When Asa found idolatry in the court, he rooted it out thence. Reformation must begin at home. Asa honours and respects his mother; he loves her well, but he loves God better. Those that have power are happy when thus they have hearts to use it well. We must not only cease to do evil, but learn to do well; not only cast away the idols of our iniquity, but dedicate ourselves and our all to God's honour and glory. Asa was cordially devoted to the service of God, his sins not arising from presumption. But his league with Benhadad arose from unbelief. Even true believers find it hard, in times of urgent danger, to trust in the Lord with all their heart. Unbelief m...

Verse 1 Kings 15:21. _DWELT IN TIRZAH._] This seems to have been the _royal_ _city_; see 1 Kings 15:33, and 1 Kings 14:17; and in this Baasha was probably obliged to shut himself up....

EXPOSITION THE REIGNS OF ABIJAM AND ASA, KINGS OF JUDAH. _The Reign of Abijam_. 1 KINGS 15:1 NOW IN THE EIGHTEENTH YEAR OF KING JEROBOAM, THE SON OF NEBAT, REIGNED ABIJAM [see note on 1 Kings 14:31. It is implied in 2 Chronicles 11:20-14 that he was not the firstborn among Rehoboam's twenty-eight sons, but the eldest son of the favourite wife. As he left behind him thirty-eight children ...

AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN BAASHA HEARD THEREOF,.... What was doing in the northern part of his kingdom: THAT HE LEFT OFF BUILDING OF RAMAH; which was the thing designed to be answered by this diversion: AND DWELT IN TIRZAH; in the tribe of Manasseh, nearer at hand, to observe and stop the motions of the Syrian king....

3. ABIJAM AND ASA, KINGS OF JUDAH CHAPTER 15 _ 1. Abijam of Judah (1 Kings 15:1; 2 Chronicles 13)_ 2. Asa of Judah (1 Kings 15:9; 1 Kings 2 Chronicles 14-16) Abijam is called in Chronicles Abijah; in 2 Chronicles 13:21 he is called Abijahu. Abijam was undoubtedly the older form. It is possible that on account of his great address of rebuke to Jeroboam (2 Chronicles 13:4) they may have called him Abijah (Jehovah is my fat

ABIJAM AND ASA OF JUDAH, AND NADAB AND BAASHA OF ISRAEL. Abijam, called Abijah (2 Chronicles 13:1), had a short and evil reign. It would appear, notwithstanding 1 Kings 15:8, that he was succeeded by his brother Asa, as both are said to have had the same mother, Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. Josephus says the granddaughter of Absalom; see 2 Chronicles 11:20). Except that Asa could not remove the high places he is said to have done right during his long reign of forty-one years. Asa deposed Maacah from the position of queen-mother for her idolatry. She had made (1 Kings 15:13) an abominable image (Heb. a horror o

DWELT IN. Septuagint and Vulg, read "returned to". See note on 1 Kings 14:17....

_he left off building of Ramah_ Thus releasing Jerusalem from its blockade, as Asa desired. In Chronicles it is said -he let his work cease." _Tirzah_ A royal residence before this time. See on 1 Kings 14:17....

C. THE REFORMATION UNDER ASA 15:9-24 At the outset of his reign, Asa launched a national movement to bring his people back to the old paths of fidelity to God. But as time went on, Asa's religious fervor cooled. The text here briefly alludes to these two aspects of his reign: (1) Asa's exercise of faith (1 Kings 15:9-15); and (2) Asa's failure of faith (1 Kings 15:16-22). To these two major themes the historian adds (3) his customary concluding statement regarding this king (1 Kings 15:23-24). _1. ASA'S EXERCISE OF FAITH_ (1 Kings 15:9-15) TRANSLATION (9) And in the twenti