1 Kings 15–16

New Kings, Old Problems

Chapters 15–16 of 1 Kings tell about the kings in Israel and Judah after Jeroboam and Rehoboam. Only one is mentioned as not being wicked—Asa, king of Judah. During his time he destroyed idols in the land, including his own mother’s idol. Even Asa, however, could not get rid of the “high places” (see Bible Dictionary, “high places,” p. 702).

In 1 Kings 15 we also read about the fulfillment of a prophecy concerning Jeroboam: all his descendants were destroyed and his family line ended.

At the end of 1 Kings 16 we are introduced to a king in Israel named Ahab. Ahab not only allowed idol worship, but he married a non-Israelite woman named Jezebel who was an idol worshiper. The king of Israel began worshiping Baal, one of the most abominable of all false gods in the sight of God.