Useful Bible Studies > 1 Kings Commentary > chapter 16
God is the king who rules over all the kings and rulers of the world (Daniel 4:34-35). It is God who chooses some people to rule over other people. He gives them authority, and they must choose whether to use that authority for good or evil purposes. However, God, who gave them that authority, can also take their authority away from them. God, who is the judge of all people, will also issue his judgment against them for their evil deeds.
God appointed Baasha to rule Israel as a judgment against the former royal family, Jeroboam’s family, for its evil deeds. It was therefore Baasha’s duty to direct his people away from their evil behaviour and back to the true God. However, Baasha did not do that. He did not obey God’s commands. Instead, Basha ruled his nation in the same evil way that Jeroboam had done. Baasha had even chosen to follow the same wrong religion that Jeroboam had established. So, God declared that Baasha’s family must also suffer his judgment against them. They would suffer the same terrible punishment that Jeroboam’s family had suffered.
So, none of Baasha’s family would remain alive. Nobody would even respect this powerful family enough to bury their bodies. Wild dogs would tear apart the bodies of those who died in a city. Elsewhere, large wild birds, for example vultures, would eat from their dead bodies. God told Baasha this before it happened, to warn him. God can forgive the wicked person who turns back to him (Ezekiel 18:21-23). However, there is no hope for the wicked person who refuses ever to turn from his evil deeds. God’s judgment is against him.
Next part: The rule and death of Baasha (1 Kings 16:5-7)
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