How did Nadab's actions "do evil in the sight of the LORD"? Verse Under Discussion “And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.” — 1 Kings 15:26 Setting the Scene • Nadab, son of Jeroboam I, ruled Israel for just two years (1 Kings 15:25). • He inherited a kingdom already steeped in idolatry and rebellion against the covenant worship centered in Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:28-33). • Rather than reform, he chose duplication—continuing every practice that provoked God’s anger against his father. Tracing the Roots: Jeroboam’s Pattern Jeroboam’s “sin … which he had caused Israel to commit” (1 Kings 14:16) included: • Setting up golden calves at Bethel and Dan, declaring them Israel’s gods (1 Kings 12:28-29; cf. Exodus 20:3-5). • Building high places and unauthorized shrines (1 Kings 12:31). • Inventing a rival priesthood not descended from Levi (1 Kings 12:31-32; Numbers 3:10). • Instituting a counterfeit festival in the eighth month to replace the God-appointed Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh month (1 Kings 12:32-33; Leviticus 23:34). • Deliberately preventing the people from worshiping in the temple at Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:27). Specific Ways Nadab Did Evil • He “walked in the way of his father”—embracing the same golden-calf worship instead of abolishing it. • He maintained the unauthorized high places and priesthood, ignoring clear commands about the place and personnel of worship (Deuteronomy 12:5-7; 18:1-5). • He actively “caused Israel to commit” idolatry—leadership influence multiplying national guilt (Hosea 4:9). • He rejected prophetic warnings already delivered to Jeroboam (1 Kings 13:1-3; 14:6-16), demonstrating willful hardness of heart. • By staying in rebellion, he despised God’s covenant promises and threatening judgments alike (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). Consequences God Brought • Nadab’s reign abruptly ended when Baasha assassinated him at Gibbethon (1 Kings 15:27-28). • The entire house of Jeroboam was wiped out “because of the sins that Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit” (1 Kings 15:29-30). • God’s faithfulness to His word was underscored—He had foretold this judgment through the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 14:10-11; Isaiah 55:11). Lessons for Believers Today • Sin tolerated in one generation often escalates in the next (Exodus 34:7). • Leadership carries amplified accountability; “like people, like priest” cuts both ways (Luke 12:48; Hosea 4:9). • Selective obedience is still disobedience; God’s instructions about worship are not suggestions (John 4:23-24). • God always keeps His promises—both blessings for faithfulness and judgment for rebellion (Numbers 23:19). By choosing continuity with idolatry instead of repentance, Nadab “did evil in the sight of the LORD,” perpetuating and deepening the very sins that had doomed his father’s dynasty. |
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