1 Kings 15:1-4 (ESV)
Abijam Reigns in Judah
Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem,
God constrains sin! Throughout this section of the first book of Kings we read over and over those kings that lead Israel to the north and Judah to the south. All the kings in the north are reported by the authors of this history book as being wicked. Most of the kings in the south were wicked, with a few exceptions. Leadership brings nations to their knees before God one way or another. Either to the knees to worship God in true holiness, or to their knees in repentance because of the sin. In the above verses we see one of the early kings of the southern tribes (the two tribes to the south, Juda). Abijam was, like all the northern kings, evil. The northern tribes started by the leadership given to them by God, Jeroboam. But, the southern tribes were lead by Rehoboam, Abijam’s father. The leadership of both tribes goes back and fourth from farther to son, in most cases. In most exchanges of leadership from one generation to the next there was more and more evil perpetuated by the younger version of the father, with a few exceptions. Notice in the above passage that Abijam was evil, but only to the extent that God would allow it. This is not the first time God limited sin. Note:
Genesis 6:3 (ESV)
Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”
God so wanted to limit sin that He limited the age man would live. God limits sin and that is a blessing for mankind.
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