1 Kings 15

Four Kings - (3 bad/1 good)

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijam became king of Judah and reigned for three years in Jerusalem. Like his father, he also committed many sins. Yet for David's sake, the Lord allowed Jerusalem to endure. There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

In the twentieth year of Jeroboam, Asa, king of Judah, began his 41 year reign. Asa pleased the LORD like his forefather David, banishing the temple prostitutes and removing all the idols his father had made. He also deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made an outrageous object for Asherah. Asa cut down this object and burned it in the Kidron Valley. There was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel. Asa took all the silver and gold remaining in the treasuries of the temple of the LORD and of the royal palace. He entrusted them to his ministers, sent them to Ben-hadad (son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, king of Aram, resident in Damascus) and made a treaty, and he in turn broke his treaty with Baasha, king of Israel, that he withdrew from Asa. When Baasha heard of it, he left off fortifying Ramah, and stayed in Tirzah. Then with carried away the stones and beams with which Baasha was fortifying Ramah King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpeh.

In the second year of Asa, Nadab, son of Jeroboam, became king of Israel for 2 years. He did evil in the Lord's sight, plottin gwith Baasha. Once he was king, he killed off the entire house of Jeroboam, not leaving a single soul to Jeroboam but destroying him utterly.

In the third year of Asa, king of Judah, Baasha, son of Ahijah, began his twenty-four-year reign over Israel in Tirzah. He did evil in the Lord's sight.

1 Kings 14

Jeraboam's son Abijah got sick. He tells his wife to disguise herself and take some goodies to to the prophet Ahijah in Shiloh to find out what will happen to him. The Lord speaks through Ahijah, saying that He exalted him above all and made him ruler of Israel, but because he made for strange gods and molten images, He will bring evil on the house of Jeroboam's line, ending the male line, and when one dies, dogs will devour him in the street. He tells him to go home and when she returns, he will die "and all Israel will mourn him and bury him, for he alone of Jeroboam's line will be laid in the grave, since in him alone of Jeroboam's house has something pleasing to the LORD, the God of Israel, been found." This happens; Jeroboam's reign was 22 years. Rehoboam, son of Solomon, reigned in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem.

Judah was evil in the Lord's sight as well. They built high places, pillars, and sacred poles, upon every high hill and under every green tree, and there was a cult of prostitutes.

In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem, and he took everything. The gold shields had to be replaced with bronze (not as pretty, but sturdier, I'm sure). There was constant warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. When Rehoboam died, his son Abijam succeeded him as king.