1 Reis 15
G. Campbell Morgan · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Reis 15
Morgan - 1 Kings 15.14. Rehoboam was succeeded as King of Judah by his son, Abijam, who for three years continued the evil courses of his father, and the process of national deterioration went forward. Then, with the accession and long reign (of fifty-one years) of Asa, there was in a measure a halt in the downward progress. The partial reform under his influence preserved Judah from the speedy spread of corruption which occurred in the case of Israel. The statement of the chronicler, that his heart "was perfect with Jehovah," is a revelation of the fact that his purpose and intention were right. His will and power were not equal to his purpose, and consequently the reforms were not radical. He went a long way when he removed his mother Maacah from being queen, and cut down the abominable image which she had erected; but he left the high places still standing. It is the record of a faulty life, but one in which the deepest thing, that of desire, was right; and so it is the record of a life, the influence of which was a blessing rather than a curse. It is a revealing story. While it is necessarily true that the higher form of life is that in which will completely answers desire, and at all costs carries out high purpose, it is a great source of encouragement thus to discover that God accepts, values, and makes use of those whose desires are in harmony with His will, even though they do not attain to the .fulness of realization. QUESTION - What is the significance of high places in the Bible? ANSWER - High places, very simply, were places of worship on elevated pieces of ground. High places were originally dedicated to idol worship (Numbers 33:52; Leviticus 26:30), especially among the Moabites (Isaiah 16:12). These shrines often included an altar and a sacred object such as a stone pillar or wooden pole in various shapes identified with the object of worship (animals, constellations, goddesses, and fertility deities). It seems that, at times, high places were set up in a spot that had been artificially elevated; 2 Kings 16:4 seems to differentiate the “high places” from the “hills.” The Israelites, forever turning away from God, practiced Molech worship and built high places for Baal (Jeremiah 32:35). Although Solomon built the temple of God in Jerusalem, he later established idolatrous high places for his foreign wives outside of Jerusalem and worshiped with them, causing him the loss of the kingdom (1 Kings 11:11). The people were still sacrificing at the pagan high places before the temple was built, and Solomon joined them. After the Lord appeared to him in a dream at Gibeon, the king returned to Jerusalem and sacrificed offerings; however, he continued to waver between the two places of worship. Not all high places were dedicated to idol worship. They played a major role in Israelite worship, and the earliest biblical mention of a site of worship, later called a “high place,” is found in Genesis 12:6–8 where Abram built altars to the Lord at Shechem and Hebron. Abraham built an altar in the region of Moriah and was willing to sacrifice his son there (Genesis 22:1–2). This site is traditionally believed to be the same high place where the temple of Jerusalem was built. Jacob set up a stone pillar to the Lord at Bethel (Genesis 28:18–19), and Moses met God on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:1–3). Joshua set up stone pillars after crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4:20) and considered this a high place of worship because the Israelites “came up from” the Jordan onto higher ground. The high places were visited regularly by the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 7:16). High places as sites of Canaanite idol worship (Judges 3:19) extended into the period of Elijah (1 Kings 18:16–40). God would name only one high place where sacrifice was authorized, and that was the temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 3:1). God commanded that all other high places be destroyed. King Josiah destroyed them in 2 Kings 22—23. GotQuestions.org 1 Kings 15:15 He brought into the house of the LORD the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils. KJV 1 Kings 15:15 And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels. BGT 1 Kings 15:15 καὶ εἰσήνεγκεν τοὺς κίονας τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς κίονας αὐτοῦ εἰσήνεγκεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον κυρίου ἀργυροῦς καὶ χρυσοῦς καὶ σκεύη LXE 1 Kings 15:15 And he brought in the pillars of his father, he even brought in his gold and silver pillars into the house of the Lord, and his vessels. NET 1 Kings 15:15 He brought the holy items that he and his father had made into the LORD's temple, including the silver, gold, and other articles. CSB 1 Kings 15:15 He brought his father's consecrated gifts and his own consecrated gifts into the LORD's temple: silver, gold, and utensils. ESV 1 Kings 15:15 And he brought into the house of the LORD the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. NIV 1 Kings 15:15 He brought into the temple of the LORD the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated. NLT 1 Kings 15:15 He brought into the Temple of the LORD the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated. NRS 1 Kings 15:15 He brought into the house of the LORD the votive gifts of his father and his own votive gifts-- silver, gold, and utensils. NJB 1 Kings 15:15 He deposited his father's and his own dedicated gifts of silver, gold and sacred vessels in the Temple of Yahweh. NAB 1 Kings 15:15 He brought into the temple of the LORD his father's and his own votive offerings of silver, gold, and various utensils. YLT 1 Kings 15:15 and he bringeth in the sanctified things of his father, and his own sanctified things, to the house of Jehovah, silver, and gold, and vessels. GWN 1 Kings 15:15 He brought into the LORD's temple the silver, the gold, and the utensils he and his father had set apart as holy. he brought: 1Ki 7:51 1Ch 26:26-28 2Ch 14:13 15:18 1 Kings 15 Resources - multiple sermons and commentaries ASA RESTORES SOME VESSELS IN TEMPLE He brought into the house of the LORD the dedicated things (qodesh) of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils - Asa restores some of the gold vessels to the Temple. Where did he get this gold? We cannot be absolutely certain but 2Ch 14:13-14 says when Asa defeated the Ethiopians (2Ch 14:12) they carried away "much plunder." In this act we see Asa's heart being wholly devoted to God and this restoration serving as an act of worship of Yahweh. Dedicated (holy holy things) (06944) qodesh is a masculine noun which means set apart, distinct, unique. Qodesh describes that which has been consecrated or set apart for sacred use and was not to be used for common or profane tasks. If it were used for profane things, in simple terms, it became "not holy." 1 Kings 15:16 Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 1Ki 15:6,7,32 1Ki 14:30 2Ch 16:1-6 1 Kings 15 Resources - multiple sermons and commentaries BROTHERS CONTINUALLY AT WAR Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days - 1Ki 15:32 repeats "There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days." The 10 northern tribes continually fought with the 2 southern tribes during the reign of these kings. Baasha began his reign around the 3rd year of Asa’s accession and reigned 24 years. The ESV note says Asa began his reign 912/911 BC (ended 871/870) and Baasha began his reign about 910/909 BC (ended 887/886). WARRING BRETHREN 1 Kings 15:16-34 We obtain a fuller view of the events described in the earlier part of this passage by reference to 2 Chronicles 16:1-6. Asa’s early piety, which shone out in his drastic purging of idolatry and the corruptions which sprang up like fungi on a damp soil, cannot be questioned. Strange that such a man, who, by faith in God, had driven back Zerah’s formidable invasion, should in later years succumb to the craven methods of mere expediency in his conflict with Baasha. This league with Ben-hadad arose from unbelief. Even true believers are sometimes hard pressed to maintain their integrity, because the trials of faith tend to increase. When Peter looked at the rising billows, his heart became troubled and he began to sink. To Asa’s alliance with this heathen king may be traced the beginning of the downfall of both kingdoms-of the ten tribes and of Judah. Palestine was no longer a neutral state, but became involved in the political combinations of the time. Those that honor God are honored, 1 Samuel 2:30; those that put their trust elsewhere rue it all their days. 1 Kings 15:17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. Baasha: 1Ki 15:27 2Ch 16:1-6 Ramah: By building Ramah is here meant fortifying it, in order to prevent all intercourse with the kingdom of Judah, lest his subjects should cleave to the house of David: for Ramah was a city of Benjamin, situated on the confines of both kingdoms, probably on a hill, as the name imports, commanding a narrow defile between the mountains, through which lay the principal road to Jerusalem; so that a fortification being erected here, no communication could be held between the people of Israel and Judah, without Baasha's permission. 1Ki 15:21 Jos 18:25 1Sa 15:34 Jer 31:15 he might not suffer: 1Ki 12:27 2Ch 11:13-17 1 Kings 15 Resources - multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: 2 Chronicles 15:9+ He gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who resided with them, for MANY defected to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. Source: ESV Study Bible p. 762 LIMITING YOUR LOSSES Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah - King Baasha crossed the north/south dividing border, invaded Judah and took possession of Judah's city of Ramah. On the map above note that Ramah is about 5 miles north of Jerusalem in the territory of Judah (actually a city of the tribe of Benjamin) just south of the border between the northern and southern kingdoms. Ramah is strategically located between Bethel (north) and Jerusalem (south) and thus effectively blocks the main route into the Southern Kingdom. In order to (term of purpose) - What was the purpose of fortifying Ramah? Prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah - Basically Baasha was trying to keep Israelites in the north from "defecting" to the Southern Kingdom, for 2Ch 15:9+ says MANY had defected to King Asa's rule. And why would they want to defect? The most obvious reason is that the religion of the northern kingdom was completely godless and some of those in the north still desired to worship the true and living God rather than idols. And given the location of Ramah (which means "hill"), it would be a strategic site to prevent defection to Judah. Bob
1 Reis 15
Morgan writes that King Asa "is the record of a faulty life, but one in which the deepest thing, that of desire, was right; and so it is the record of a life, the influence of which was a blessing rather than a curse. It is a revealing story." Tony Merida - Asa, the wonderful king, fails to trust in God, turns against the seer, inflicts cruelties, and doesn’t seek the Lord. What a warning to us! A person may seek the Lord and command others to seek the Lord for many years but then fall at the end of life. God is looking for, in the words of Eugene Peterson’s book title, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Every day we must begin afresh with God, repenting of sin, reading His Word, and asking for His help. Let us pursue a life of faithfulness. We also learn that success in the eyes of the world may be unfaithfulness to God. Asa won a victory but not the way God desired. (See Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings) Philip Ryken - Asa was also guilty of tragic spiritual compromise. This is “why we find the Bible so disturbing,” writes Dale Ralph Davis, because “it tells us that success is no authentication of fidelity. Circumstantial success and covenantal failure can exist side-by-side.” Was Asa a hero or a villain, a saint or a sinner? It is impossible to put him in only one category. He wanted to follow God, and sometimes he did, but he also made spiritual compromises that went against everything his heavenly kingdom stood for. In other words, Asa was a lot like us: called to be a saint, but still struggling as a sinner. (Philip Ryken - 1 Kings)