kings you've probably never heard of... (the North, part one)

Eden,

For the Bible class that I currently teach, much of the material covers 39 rulers of Israel and Judah that are rarely spoken of in churches or mentioned in devotional books.

Here are some descriptions of their lives.

Kings of the North during its Divided Kingdom period
(following Rehoboam, son of Solomon, last king of United Israel)

Jeroboam - despite great potential for God's blessing at the outset of his reign, Jeroboam instituted golden calf worship because he put the Glorious God "behind his back" in order to establish his own controlled reign his own way. He created a religious downfall that was more convenient and instantly gratifying than the true Way to the Creator God. He robbed the Lord of His rightly deserved glory by saying that the golden calves he created brought the Israelites out of Egypt. He created a dynasty of destruction instead of a comparable David-type dynasty that the Lord had offered to him if he would walk the path of obedience. His personality and direction knowingly led the whole nation into the shadow of sin and he became notorious for his evil establishment.

Nadab- son of Jeroboam; walks in his father's ways and follows in his destruction. He is killed by Baasha in the midst of a battle, betrayed by his own general. The rest of Jeroboam's family is totally destroyed as well, the fall-out of their patriarch's spiritual leadership.

Baasha - takes out Jeroboam's family and yet walks in the same ways as Jeroboam, hypocrisy taken to a murderous level; Baasha too brings a dynasty of destruction on his future generations.

Elah - son of Baasha; killed while drunk by Zimri, in the vulnerability and danger of intoxication. The rest of Baasha's family was killed as well.

Zimri - through cut-throat tactics, reigned for one week before being pursued by the angry Omri who came to avenge the death of Baasha's line. While Omri was approaching the royal gates with an army, Zimri fell to the inevitable hopelessness of his situation and burned the castle down upon himself. He lived by the sword, and died by the sword with only a pitiful week of getting what he wanted.

Omri - proclaimed the most evil king yet, Omri walked in the idolatry of Jeroboam but apparently to a new level and raised up the most wicked king of the North as his heir.

What applications can you draw from these, my dear?

More king lessons to come!