Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,
The verse belongs to the history of the divided kingdoms found in the remainder of 1 Kings after the first eleven chapters on Solomon, covering the reigns of several kings of separate Israel and Judah from the revolt of the ten tribes toward the death of Jehoshaphat. It stands within the wholly historical record of 1 Kings 3-21, a sad record full of important lessons that shows the general downward moral tendency in Judah and Israel from the time of David, with times of reviving. It belongs to the history of the divided kingdom after Solomon multiplied wives to himself and his heart was turned away, when the kingdom was divided into Judah and Israel with continuing war and strife between them, with Baasha listed among Israel's kings in the succession of Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and the wicked Ahab while Abijah and Asa reigned in Judah.
It belongs to the account of Baasha, who slew Nadab and reigned twenty-four years before his son Elah succeeded him, and Baasha's dynasty ended with Elah. It belongs to the account in 1 Kings 15-16 of the apostasy of Israel, in which the nation was led by her kings to forsake the worship of the living God and turn to the worship of idols. That turning was a turning away from the God-given plan of worship which pointed to Christ and revealed the way of salvation from sin, a forsaking of all that was pure and true and uplifting to turn to the impure, untrue and degrading worship of Baal and Ashtoreth, to the worship of the creature instead of the Creator. That apostasy comes to a climax in 1 Kings 16 when Ahab son of Omri ascends the throne and provokes God more than all before him by marrying Jezebel and serving Baal. It also belongs to the record of Israel under King Ahab and his Baal-worshiping wife Jezebel, whose idolatry led the nation into apostasy and disobedience to God's commandments.
The verse records the word of the LORD coming by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, with Jehu as a prophet delivering the Lord's message. The prophecy came because Baasha followed the sins and way of Jeroboam and did no better than Jeroboam. It begins the prediction of judgment on Baasha and his house, that they would meet the same violent end that befell the house of Jeroboam, a judgment later fulfilled in the destruction of his house. The verse shows the responsibility resting upon the leaders of God's people: whenever the people sought God He wrought for them and through them abundantly, and whenever king and priest were faithful to God and strong for Him they molded the people immensely, but whenever the leaders failed to lead in right ways the people also failed with them.
The verse belongs to the history of the divided kingdoms found in the remainder of 1 Kings after the first eleven chapters on Solomon, covering the reigns of several kings of separate Israel and Judah from the revolt of the ten tribes toward the death of Jehoshaphat. It stands within the wholly historical record of 1 Kings 3-21, a sad record full of important lessons that shows the general downward moral tendency in Judah and Israel from the time of David, with times of reviving. It belongs to the history of the divided kingdom after Solomon multiplied wives to himself and his heart was turned away, when the kingdom was divided into Judah and Israel with continuing war and strife between them, with Baasha listed among Israel's kings in the succession of Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and the wicked Ahab while Abijah and Asa reigned in Judah.
It belongs to the account of Baasha, who slew Nadab and reigned twenty-four years before his son Elah succeeded him, and Baasha's dynasty ended with Elah. It belongs to the account in 1 Kings 15-16 of the apostasy of Israel, in which the nation was led by her kings to forsake the worship of the living God and turn to the worship of idols. That turning was a turning away from the God-given plan of worship which pointed to Christ and revealed the way of salvation from sin, a forsaking of all that was pure and true and uplifting to turn to the impure, untrue and degrading worship of Baal and Ashtoreth, to the worship of the creature instead of the Creator. That apostasy comes to a climax in 1 Kings 16 when Ahab son of Omri ascends the throne and provokes God more than all before him by marrying Jezebel and serving Baal. It also belongs to the record of Israel under King Ahab and his Baal-worshiping wife Jezebel, whose idolatry led the nation into apostasy and disobedience to God's commandments.
The verse records the word of the LORD coming by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, with Jehu as a prophet delivering the Lord's message. The prophecy came because Baasha followed the sins and way of Jeroboam and did no better than Jeroboam. It begins the prediction of judgment on Baasha and his house, that they would meet the same violent end that befell the house of Jeroboam, a judgment later fulfilled in the destruction of his house. The verse shows the responsibility resting upon the leaders of God's people: whenever the people sought God He wrought for them and through them abundantly, and whenever king and priest were faithful to God and strong for Him they molded the people immensely, but whenever the leaders failed to lead in right ways the people also failed with them.