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One-sentence summary: King Ahab does more evil than all the kings of Israel before him, and King Jehoshaphat of Judah follows the Lord and prospers.
The word of the Lord comes to a prophet against Baasha, saying that He lifted him out of the dust and made him rule Israel, but he walked in the way of Jeroboam and made Israel sin, and so, the Lord will take away his posterity and his house's and make his house like Jeroboam: the dogs will eat whoever dies in the city, and the birds whoever dies in the fields. Then, he dies, and his son Elah reigns in his place for two years. His servant, commander of half his chariots, conspires against him as he is drunk in the house of his steward, and he goes in and kills him and reigns in his place. As soon as he is seated, he kills all the household of Baasha, leaving no male friend or relative alive. This is according to the word of the Lord. The man, named Zimri, reigns seven days, and the people are camped against the Philistines, and they hear he has killed the king, so they make Omri the commander of the army king over Israel that day in the camp. They go up and besiege Tirzah. When Zimri sees the city is taken, he goes to the citadel of the kings house and burns it down upon himself and dies because of the sins he committed in walking in the way of Jeroboam and his sin of making Israel sin. And it says that he committed treason. The people are divided into two parts, half following one man to make him king, and the other half following Amri, but the people who followed Amri prevail, so the other man dies and Amri reigns. In the 31st year of Asa king of Judah, Amri becomes king over Israel and reigns 12 years. He builds Samaria and does evil in the sight of the Lord, doing worse than all who were before him, walking in the ways of Jeroboam and the sin by which he made Israel to sin, provoking God to anger with their idols. He dies and is buried in Samaria, and Ahab, his son, reigns in his place, in the 38th year of King Asa of Judah. He reigns in Samaria 22 years, and he does evil in the Lord's sight more than all who were before him. It says that as if it were a trivial thing to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, he yet takes as wife Jezebel, the daughter of the king of the Sidonians, and he serves Baal and worships him and sets up an altar in the temple of Baal he had built in Samaria. He makes a wooden image and does more to provoke God to anger than all the kings before him. In his days, a man of Bethel builds Jericho and sets up its gates with his son, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through Joshua.
Asa's son Jehoshaphat reigns and strengthens himself against Israel and sets garrisons in Judah and Ephraim, and the Lord is with him because he walks in the ways of David and seeks the Lord and walks in His commandments, so the Lord establishes the kingdom in his hand. All Judah gives presents to him, and he has riches and honor in abundance, and his heart takes delight in the ways of the Lord. He also removes the high places and wooden images of Judah. In the third year of his reign, he sends his leaders to teach in the cities of Judah, sending Levites with them. They have the book of the law of the Lord with them, going throughout all the cities of Judah and teaching the people. The fear of the Lord falls on all the kingdoms of the lands around them so that they do not war against Jehoshaphat. Also, some of the Philistines bring him presents and silver, and the Arabians bring him flocks: 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats, and he becomes increasingly powerful, building fortresses and storage cities in Judah. And the mighty men of valor are also in Jerusalem.
Thoughts/discussion questions:
The Lord was so touched by David's heart that He preserved a remnant for his sake. There will always be a remnant of those who truly love the Lord.