1Ki 16:7 | KingComments | STEP | The history of the ten tribes’ realm is tragic. One king after the other is murdered, “bloodshed follows bloodshed” ( ). The murderer becomes the new king. All sin and make Israel sin, but it is getting worse and worse. Baasha hears the prophet Jehu express God’s judgment on him. If kings become unfaithful, God sends prophets. If kings become unfaithful, the people also become unfaithful. The prophet Jehu – so not to be confused with the king who bears this name – is the son of the prophet Hanani ( ). Jehu reminds Baasha that he owes his kingship not to himself, but to God, and that God has exalted him from the dust. Here again we see God’s sovereignty on the one hand and man’s responsibility on the other. We cannot combine these two sides, but God knows how to bring them together, doing perfect justice to both sides. Baasha is a servant who has become king. The earth quakes under such a person ( ). True kings are not only appointed by God, but also formed by Him. He provokes the LORD to anger, as Jeroboam did. He is also judged for the murder of Jeroboam ( ). God had determined that Jeroboam’s house had to be eradicated. He even raised Baasha from the dust to be leader ( ). But the motives Baasha used were not right. He did it for himself and not because the LORD had said it. He also did more than the LORD had said. The judgment was announced on all that was male ( ), but Baasha killed the whole house of Jeroboam. We see more often that an instrument in the hand of God, by whom He executes the judgment on others, is himself punished by God. Jehu brings God’s judgment on the house of Ahab, but is also judged himself for the anger with which he does so. Also the Assyrians who are used by God to discipline His people are in turn judged by God, because of their wicked conduct ( ).

‏ 1 Kings 16:7

Prophecy About and End of Baasha

The history of the ten tribes’ realm is tragic. One king after the other is murdered, “bloodshed follows bloodshed” (Hos 4:2). The murderer becomes the new king. All sin and make Israel sin, but it is getting worse and worse. Baasha hears the prophet Jehu express God’s judgment on him. If kings become unfaithful, God sends prophets. If kings become unfaithful, the people also become unfaithful. The prophet Jehu – so not to be confused with the king who bears this name – is the son of the prophet Hanani (2Chr 16:7).

Jehu reminds Baasha that he owes his kingship not to himself, but to God, and that God has exalted him from the dust. Here again we see God’s sovereignty on the one hand and man’s responsibility on the other. We cannot combine these two sides, but God knows how to bring them together, doing perfect justice to both sides. Baasha is a servant who has become king. The earth quakes under such a person (Pro 30:21-22). True kings are not only appointed by God, but also formed by Him.

He provokes the LORD to anger, as Jeroboam did. He is also judged for the murder of Jeroboam (1Kgs 16:7). God had determined that Jeroboam’s house had to be eradicated. He even raised Baasha from the dust to be leader (1Kgs 16:2). But the motives Baasha used were not right. He did it for himself and not because the LORD had said it. He also did more than the LORD had said. The judgment was announced on all that was male (1Kgs 14:10), but Baasha killed the whole house of Jeroboam.

We see more often that an instrument in the hand of God, by whom He executes the judgment on others, is himself punished by God. Jehu brings God’s judgment on the house of Ahab, but is also judged himself for the anger with which he does so. Also the Assyrians who are used by God to discipline His people are in turn judged by God, because of their wicked conduct (Isa 10:7 ; 12-16).