Context No. 2490 of 4322 · 1 Kings

1 Kings 15:1-8: in context

1Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 3He walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. 4Nevertheless for David’s sake, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem; 5because David did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, and didn’t turn away from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. 6Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. 7The rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in David’s city; and Asa his son reigned in his place.

Abijam becomes king of Judah and is no improvement: he walked in all the sins of his father, and his heart was not wholly the LORD's. And yet, the writer adds, for David's sake the LORD gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, keeping his line and the city, because David had done what was right. The unworthy king is preserved not for anything in himself, but on account of a promise God had made to another.

The phrase to hold is for David's sake. Abijam earned nothing; his reign is judged a failure. But God kept a lamp burning for him because of his loyalty to David and the covenant sworn long before. Mercy reached the undeserving heir on account of someone else's faithfulness. Christians cannot read this without seeing where it points: the mercies we receive come not for our sake, but for the sake of Another, the true Son whose obedience secures what our record never could. Much of what keeps my lamp lit was promised on account of someone other than me.

Do I recognize that the mercies keeping my lamp lit come not from my own merit, but for the sake of Another?

Sources

1 Kings 15:4: Nevertheless for David's sake, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem.
1 Kings 15:3: his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
Ephesians 4:32: being kind to one another... forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.