May 26th | 1 Kings 16

How has God blessed you? Do you have a roof over your head, food in the pantry, etc? You likely have received blessings from God. We might not see these things as blessings, but they are! And if we would stop for a moment, we would likely see many other ways God has blessed us. What do you do with those blessings? Do you walk in gratitude toward God or take these blessings for granted?

1 Kings 16:1-2, “And the word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 2 “Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins,” 

Baasha was made king of Israel. I love how the Scriptures say the Lord “exalted you out of the dust and made you a leader.” Baasha was not deserving of being king over God’s people, but God blessed him in that role anyway. We often don’t deserve the blessings God gives us in our lives, but God is steadfast in His love and gives us gifts graciously! 

What did Baasha do with this incredible gift of kingship? He turned against God and caused His people to turn away from Him. What an unbelievable tragedy. Yet, Baasha’s sin isn’t unlike our own. I have been blessed with family and friends. Yet, do my actions consistently point these people toward or away from God? Too often, I take the blessings of God for granted, and insist on serving my own sins rather than serving the Lord. What was the result of this for Baasha?

1 Kings 16:3, “3 behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.”

God brought destruction on Baasha and his house. After Baasha was gone, God raised up another. But repeatedly in 1 Kings God remembered His covenant with David and the promise that He would restore Israel in spite of the sins of the kings. For us, we can remember that even though we fail, Jesus has come to be the perfect king. We don’t have to live in fear of being destroyed because Christ has borne our sins on the cross. However, this love of Christ must compel us to live our lives in gratitude for the gifts God has given us! The Gospel is available, but our actions matter. Baasha was destroyed, but the people who came after him walked in sin just like Baasha had done. 

1 Kings 16:25;30, “Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more evil than all who were before him. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him.”

The sins of Baasha continued down the line, and sin begets more sin. Consider how your obedience and gratitude to Christ for the Gospel might impact future generations to live and walk in gratitude for the gifts God has given us.