What can the mistakes of Israel's kings teach us?

by Barbara Latta

Mistakes of Israel's kings

The Old Testament provides us with multitudes of instances where Israel fell into idol worship. What can the mistakes of Israel’s kings teach us? lf we will read their history with open eyes we can be illuminated by their examples and our lives can benefit from these lessons.

Why was their history given to us? Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come (1 Corinthians 10:11).

Saul lost his kingdom because of disobedience. He took it upon himself to offer a sacrifice that only the priests were allowed to do. He decided what to do rather than listening to the Lord.

What should we learn?


Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

David’s sin with Bathsheba is recorded in 2 Samuel chapter 11. He repented and God forgave him, but he paid a heavy price. The child Bathsheba bore died, the sword never left David’s house and his children were in turmoil. One of his sons raped a daughter of David and his son Absalom attempted a coup against his kingdom. But because of David’s repentant heart, God made a promise that David’s descendant would always be on the throne.

What should we receive? As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12).

Solomon started out right. He was the wisest man who ever lived. He penned hundreds of proverbs and songs and his wisdom was known throughout the world. Yet because of his marriage to multiple women from heathen countries, his heart was turned away from God and toward the idols of his wives (which God forbade His people to do for this reason). God preserved one tribe because of his promise to David but the remaining tribes were torn from Solomon’s line and after his death given to his servant Jeroboam.

Who should we fellowship with? Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Solomon’s son Rehoboam reigned in Judah after his father’s death. He rejected the advice of the elders who had advised Solomon and instead he listened to his friends. He fell to peer pressure.

Who should we listen to? Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ (Colossians 2:8).

Asa, the son of Abijah, did what was right in the eyes of the Lord but later relied on the king of Syria instead of the Lord and he was diseased in his feet the rest of his life.

Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, walked in the ways of David his father but he did not take away the high places. He later allied himself with the evil king of Israel, Ahaziah, to make ships to go to Tarshish.  Because of this the ships they made were wrecked.

When Joash became king of Judah, at the age of seven, he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Yet when Jehoiada the priest died, Joash listened to the leaders of Judah and they bowed down to worship wooden idols. After years of the kindness of Jehoiada into Joash’s life, Joash still killed that prophet’s son. Because of this act, judgment was executed against Joash and his own servants conspired against him and killed him.

And the most famous evil king of Israel was Ahab. He died in battle and the dogs licked his blood from the chariot where he fell.

A divided heart makes us unstable.

How should we live? If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned (John 15:6).

In 2 Kings 10 Jehu destroyed the worshippers of Baal yet in verse 31 it says, But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart; for he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin.

Jehu destroyed the elements of Baal but did not totally dedicate himself to the Lord. He had a divided heart and a divided heart will make us unstable in all our ways (James 1:8).

We live under a new covenant and we are not judged for sin the way these Old Testament kings were. But there is still a consequence to sin and the lessons the lives of these kings left behind can show us what happens when we abandon God and go our own way.

What have you observed about the lives of these kings? Share your thoughts.

What can the mistakes and sins of Israel’s kings teach us(click to tweet)

A divided heart will make us unstable in all our ways (clickto tweet)