READING FOR OCTOBER 13, 2025: 1 KINGS 15, ACTS 26, PSALM 106:32-48 I KINGS 15 After Rehoboam’s not-so-wonderful reign in Judah, his son Abijam became king. He appears to have been a transitional figure from this chapter’s account, reigning only three years and having no accomplishments listed. We find much more about him, however, in 2 Chronicles written many years later. The summary statement here is also not that glowing: “He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God” (vs. 3). How would we like that epitaph written on our tombstone? Still there is a hopeful note struck in verse four: “But for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem.” Isn’t it great that the next generation might be the one to establish God’s kingdom in Yorktown, even if we have not been wholly devoted during our lives. Let’s start praying for them now.
Sure enough Asa, Abijam’s son, reigned for 41 years in Jerusalem and “did what was right in the sight of the Lord.” King Asa is excellent example of putting his devotion to God even before his reverence to his parents. In verse 12, “He also removed the male cult prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols which his fathers had made.” Likely more difficult was what he did in verse 13: “Even his mother Maacah, he also removed her from the position of queen mother, because she had made an abominable image.” Did he go too far in that last step? Consider Jesus’s words: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:26). Still Asa did not achieve the ranking of whol- ly devoted to God because he did not destroy the high places where idol worship occurred.
During Asa’s reign in Judah, there was ongoing war with Israel under King Baasha. Baasha fortified Rama, which somehow blocked off Asa in Judah. Asa took what assets he had, the treasures from the Temple, and gave them to his servants to give to King Ben-hadad Aram. He also suggested to Ben-hadad that he accept these gifts in exchange for breaking his treaty with King Baahsa of Israel. Ben-hadad agreed and then conquered several cities in Israel. This di- verted Basa from defending Rama, leaving it unprotected. Asa and Judah then tore down the fortifications at Rama and used the materials to strengthen Geba and Mizpah. Does anyone else think this was clever maneuvering by Asa, equal to Henry Kissinger’s skillful diplomacy? Lest we be too quick to praise his ingenuity, let’s wait until we read more about this in 2 Chronicles. For now, look at his actions in this episode and see if we can spot his error.
Meanwhile in Israel, Jeroboam’s death brought his son Nadab to the throne for a two-year reign of evil. Baasha from the tribe of Issachar assassinated Nadab and eliminated the entire house of Jeroboam, thus fulfilling the prophecy given earlier to Jeroboam. Baasha then reigned in Israel for 24 years but was no improvement over his predecessors.
READINGS FOR OCTOBER 13, 2025 CONTINUED: ACTS 26, PSALM 106:32-48
Acts 26 King Agrippa invites Paul to share his version of the events. Paul begins with his childhood, his opposition to the followers of Jesus, his conversion experience on the road to Damascus, and ends with his “arrest” upon his trip to Jerusalem. Paul responds to Upon questioning from both King Agrippa and Governor Festus. Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” (Acts 26:29, NIV) Paul is praying for all people to come to faith in Jesus Christ. Even in the midst of being in prison for two years, he is still driven to share the love and grace of Jesus Christ to the world. Even to the King Agrippa and the Roman governor, Festus.
Do you have the same passion? Are you convinced that there are people who need to know Jesus? They need to receive the grace and forgiveness that only a relationship with Jesus can provide. They need to hear how Jesus moved in your life; how you were drawn into a saving faith; and how your life is no longer the same.
Psalm 106:32-48 Psalm 106 is a salvation history hymn. It continues to illustrate that Israel has a history of rebellion against God. The psalm ends with a prayer for God to once again save them from their enemies. This section picks up where the Israelites are grumbling for water in the desert (see Numbers 20 – October 10th). The psalmist blames the people of Israel for the trouble the came to Moses (he would not see the promised land). Their grumbling (rebellion) cause Moses to lose his composure and strike the rock – even though the psalmist attributes it to his harsh words.
Once they began their conquest of Canaan (the Promised Land), the people of Israel did not follow God’s commands. From the moment they appropriated the land, they allowed other nations and tribes to pull them away from God. The Israelites were enticed to worship false gods and to fall victim to vile religious practices. This continued until the time of the Babylonian exile (in 587 BC).
Finally, God allowed Israel’s enemies to conquer and destroy the city of Jerusalem and the nations of Israel and Judah. Because of their sins, the Promised Land was stripped away from them. The people were taken to cities throughout the Assyrian (Israel in 701 BC) and
Babylonian (Judah in 587 BC) Empires. This is where the history ends. It is possible that this psalm was written from the exile.
The psalm ends with a prayer to God to once again save the people. The call is to gather them from all over and bring them back together again. Once they are restored, the people can praise God together for his grace and mercy. Sometimes, God needs to get our attention. Sometimes when we are so engrossed in life, we do not even see that we have strayed. We get corrupted by our culture and our society and may not even realize we have sinned.
When we fall short of God’s plan, we have sinned. When we fall prey to temptation, we have sinned. When we admit our faults; when we seek forgiveness; God forgives. And in that, we can praise God for God is holy and loving. Through Jesus Christ, who paid the price for our sins, we can be restored.
