1 Kings 15:18, commentary and pictures

This verse belongs to the history of the separate kingdoms of Judah and Israel after the division of Solomon's kingdom. It falls within the record of Asa's reign in Judah, which followed that of Abijah, at the time when Israel was ruled successively by Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab. Asa's reign was largely for the better, and Judah prospered under his rule. Ben-hadad was the king of Syria who dwelt at Damascus, and the name was common to Syrian kings.

Asa took all the silver and gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD and in the treasures of the king's house and sent them by his servants to the king of Syria. He did this to persuade him to break his league with Baasha of Israel and to help Asa against him. After the division the kingdoms never regained their former financial strength, and the loss of treasure to Egypt together with Asa's use of temple wealth was part of a continuing decline that lasted until they ceased to be independent nations. The removal of treasures from the temple and the royal palace was punishment for idolatry.

The wider account in 1 Kings 15 and 16 is that of the apostasy of Israel, in which the kings led the nation to forsake the worship of the living God. They turned away from the God-given plan of worship which pointed to Christ and revealed the way of salvation from sin, and forsook all that was pure and true and uplifting for the impure, untrue, and degrading worship of Baal and Ashtoreth, the worship of the creature instead of the Creator. The historical record of this period is sad but full of important lessons, showing a general moral decline in Judah and Israel with times of revival in which, when the people sought God, He worked for them and through them. It shows that the faithfulness of leaders shaped the people, with faithful kings and priests guiding them toward God, while leaders who failed to lead rightly contributed to the people's failure.