Today was ultimately a timeline of the kings that reigned over Israel and Judah. The last chapter was about Elijah and telling some of his stories. It took a while to get to that part due to all the unknown and difficult names, and trying to follow what was actually going on. So here it goes…
Abijam reigns in Judah
He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. He was very sinful and walked in all the sins of his father before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord. Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything the Lord commanded him, except once.
Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life, and there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. Abijam died and they buried him in the city of David, and Asa reigned in his place.
Asa reigns in Judah
In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah. He reigned for forty-one years in Jerusalem. Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done. He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. He also removed his mother from being queen because she had made and abominable image, and Asa cut it down and burned it. But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days.
There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. Asa took gold and silver and gave it as a gift to make a covenant with an ally to keep Baasha in check.
In his old age he was diseased in his feet. When he died he was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.
Nadab reigns in Israel
Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father, and in his sin which made Israel sin.
Baasha the son of Ahijah, conspired against him and struck him down and killed him, and he reigned in his place. As soon as he was king he killed all the house of Jeroboam. There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
Baasha reigns in Israel
In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah. He reigned twenty-four years. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of Jeroboam and his sins made Israel sin.
The word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and said that him and his house would be swept away for angering the Lord. Anyone who died in the city the dogs would eat and in the country the birds. Baasha died and was buried at Tirzah, and Elah his son reigned in his place.
Elah reigns in Israel
In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah. He reigned for two years. But his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. One night when Elah was getting drunk, Zimri came in and struck him down and killed him, and reigned in his place.
When he began to reign, as soon as he seated himself on the throne, he struck down all the house of Baasha. There was not a single male of his relatives or friends left.
Zimri reigns in Israel
In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. When the troops heard what Zimri had done to the king, all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp.
So Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned it over him with fire, and died.
Omri reigns in Israel
Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts. Half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and the other half followed Omri. But the people who followed Omri overcame the people who followed Tibni. So Tibni died, and Omri became king.
In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to rule over Israel. He reigned for twelve years; six years he reigned in Tirzah. He bought the hill of Samaria.
Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more evil than all who were before him. Omri died and was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son reigned in his place.
Ahab reigns in Israel
In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel. He reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. He walked in the sinful ways of Jeroboam and took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of the Sidonian king. He served and worshiped Baal. He erected an altar for Baal, which he built in Samaria.
Ahab did more to provoke the Lord to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke to Joshua the son of Nun.
Elijah the Tishbite said to Ahab that there would be a drought, “Neither dew nor rain these years.” The word of the Lord came to him and told him to depart from there and turn eastward and to hide himself by the brook of Cherith, which was east of the Jordan.
He would drink from the brook, and the Lord had commanded ravens to feed him there. So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook and the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. After a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
Then the word of the Lord came to him and told him to go to Zaraphath, which belonged to Sidon, and dwell there. The Lord had commanded a widow there to feed him. He did what was commanded and when he got to the city, there was indeed a widow there who was gathering sticks.
He called to her and asked her to bring him a little water to drink and a morsel of bread. She said that she could not provide any food, for she only had a little and her and her son needed it to survive. She had nothing baked and only a little flour and oil.
Elijah told her not to fear. She was to make him a little cake and then something for herself and son. For the Lord the God of Israel would keep the jar of flour and jug of oil as is and not emptied until the day the Lord sends rain upon the earth.
She went and did as Elijah said and she and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither had the jug of oil became empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.
After that, the woman’s son became ill. His illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him and he died. The woman asked Elijah what he had against her since he came to bring her sins to remembrance and her son died.
He took her son in his arms and carried him to the upper chamber of the house where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. He cried out to the Lord to bring life into the child, and he was revived.
Elijah took the child down to his mother and showed her that her son lived. She knew then that he was indeed a man of God, and that the word of the Lord he spoke was the truth.