Old Testament Walk Through: I and II Kings and II Chronicles

Kings of Judah and Israel

The True King

God Himself is the true King of Israel. It was very much evident even to Prophet Balaam who was hired by Balak king of Moab to “to put a curse” on Israel when they came out of Egypt. But Balaam could only bless Israel and he said: “The Lord their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them” (Numbers 23:21b NIV).

Life Lesson:

Who is your king? Is He the one born the king of the Jews? Does He have your worship (Matthew 2:2, 11)? Is He the one who was crucified (Matthew 27:37)? As Peter said in his first sermon, “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36b NIV). Know that Jesus is Lord [“Lord” is Kyrios in Greek, a term equivalent to Yahweh in Hebrew.]

If He is truly king and Lord of your life, how seriously do you submit to Him? Remember He is coming again as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:16b NIV).

 

The Book of Kings and II Chronicles

“Because the author of 1 and 2 Kings was interested in Israel’s faithfulness to God and his covenant he wrote about each king showing how he/she was faithful or unfaithful to God. The author often used the phrase, “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,” or “did evil in the eyes of the Lord,” to describe the goodness or wickedness of the king.

Like Judges the author records that when Israel was obedient God brought peace to the land, but when the people were disobedient and worshipped idols the land of Israel suffered wars and other disasters” ­­ Taken from Introduction to 1 Kings, New International Version of the Bible.

Life Lesson:
If you happen to read the final commentary of your life (your epitaph) how would it read. Will it read that “_______ did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,” or will it read “_______ did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.” The choice is yours. And you’ve only one life.

It is said that a newspaper accidentally published the obituary of a man who was living at that time. It shocked the man to read of his own death. In the news report he was described as “the merchant of death.” He decided that day that he did not want to be known like that and decided to do something useful. The name of the man was Alfred Nobel. What do you want to be said of you in relation to your God when He calls you to glory?

“Although the books of Chronicles seem like a repeat of Samuel and Kings they aren’t. The Chronicles were written for the exiles who had returned to Israel after the Babylonian captivity to remind them they were from the royal line of David and were God’s chosen people. The main them is that God is always faithful to his covenant” ­­ Taken from Introduction to 1 Chronicles, NIV.

Why Were Chronicles Written?

“The history to be found in Chronicles is written from a particular point of view, not just recording the facts of history, but also spelling out the meaning of what happened. It is history written from God’s viewpoint. It was written when God’s people were living in a very secular environment. Their nation had been destroyed by war, and consequently many lost faith. They could neither see God’s hand in their affairs nor believe that he was a God who kept his promises.

Chronicles explains why their history took the course it did, and why belief was still possible. The Chronicler is loyal to the house of David and shows how, despite every reason not to do so, God is faithful in keeping his promise that David’s throne would be secure (e.g. 2 Chron. 21:7).

The events of history are used in a very selective way in order that their full spiritual significance may stand out. The Chronicler neither invents nor twists history; he is not inaccurate. I and II Kings give a much fuller picture of the story of both Israel and Judah but they do not show the same concern to use history to teach spiritual lessons.” ­­– Taken from Introductions to I and II Chronicles, from The Bible in Outline, published by Scripture Union.

A Book of Revivals:

“Great Revivals under:
1. Asa—2 Chronicles 15
2. Jehoshaphat—2 Chronicles 20
3. Joash—2 Chronicles 23—24
4. Hezekiah—2 Chronicles 29—31
5. Josiah—2 Chronicles 35” ­­
Taken from What the Bible Is All About by Dr. Henrietta C. Mears

General Principles Found in the Book of Kings and Chronicles
● In many places we find the author summing up an incident with the words, “this was to fulfil the word of the Lord spoken through . . .”

● The second thing we find is that God was patient with the people even when they rebelled against Him. And God maintained a lamp for the sake of David (a king from the line of David) in Jerusalem.

● We find pride leading to the downfall of godly kings. This often happened after they had become strong or after God worked a miracle for them.

● Another thing is that God heard the prayers of kings (even wicked ones) when they humbled themselves and sought His face earnestly. [Read also 2 Chronicles 7:14]

● We find special mention of names of the “mothers” of kings who ruled the land. At least in one instance the negative influence of the mother is specifically mentioned.

● The Book of Chronicles is interested only in the house of Judah through whom the Messiah was to come. The author generally shows all kings of Israel as evil.

Solomon—the third and last king of Undivided Israel
1 Kings 1—11 and 2 Chronicles 1—9

In many ways, the reign of Solomon prefigures the peaceful rule of Jesus Christ on earth in future. He was clearly told by David to walk in the ways of God so that he may prosper and have God keep His promise to David to never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel (1 Kings 2:1—4).

When Solomon had asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3), God also told him that IF he walked in God’s ways as David did God would give him long life. God repeated the IF when He appeared to him again (1 Kings 9:2) after he had completed all building the temple and the palace saying, if he obeyed God then God would establish his throne forever as promised to David. But if he or his sons turned away from God, God would also cut off Israel and reject the temple that was consecrated for His name.

But Solomon, though he began well and built a magnificent temple for God’s name and governed with wisdom and administered justice and wrote many proverbs, turned away from God in his later years. This was mainly because he married many foreign women all of whom worshipped idols and “his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been” (1 Kings 11:4 NIV/see also Nehemiah 13:26, 27).

The Bible records, “The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice” (1 Kings 11:9 NIV).

Life Lesson:
A marriage relationship can make you move closer to God or take you away from Him. If you marry a person who has no relationship with God; surely he or she will turn you away from God. Only in rare cases does it happen the other way. So if you are not married already, pray for a godly husband or wife, even from now.

Another lesson is that special experiences with God are no guarantee for right living. God had appeared to Solomon twice.

We, living in today’s Christian world of emphasis on miracles and the supernatural, would consider that a big thing; wouldn’t we? But what a sad thing to note that unless we take the effort to live righteously before God, great spiritual experiences are of no value. So do no try to seek spiritual experiences; instead seek the face of God (Psalm 27:8; 105:4; 119:58).

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
(1 Kings 8:22—61, 2 Chron. 6:12—42)

In many ways, Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple (interestingly the temple was built on Mount Moriah where God had appeared to his father David and also the scene where God provided the ram for sacrifice—see 2 Chron. 3:1 and Genesis 22:2) is an ideal Old Testament prayer. Listed here are some of its characteristics.

1. Solomon affirms who God is.
2. It is based on God’s promises.
3. It acknowledges human sinfulness.
4. It includes intercession for the people.
5. It concludes with a blessing on Israel.
6. It calls the people to commitment.
7. It received an answer from God.

Life Lesson:
“Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple is one of the longest prayers in the whole of Scripture. It is preserved, however, not just because of its length, but because of its breadth. Solomon’s prayer is a prayer with wide horizons. Is your prayer life as broad as it is long” ­­ Taken from Character by Character by Selwyn Hughes and Trevor J. Partridge.

Queen of Sheba’s Visit
Comment: “In answering the well­-thought­out questions of the Queen of Sheba, Solomon becomes the embodiment of God’s intention for Israel, and why he raised her [Israel] up as a “special” person— namely, to take the hand of the pagan nations and lead them to the light and knowledge of the one and only true God.”

“God’s original intention of making Israel a “shop window” through which other nations could look and observe the benefits of serving the Lord was greatly hindered by the sin and wilfulness of the people. Today God’s “shop window” is His Church—and the world is looking in. What, we wonder, do they see?” ­­ –Taken from Character by Character by Selwyn Hughes and Trevor J. Partridge.

Life Lesson:
Look at these three quotes and ask yourself what is your response to them?
● “If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today” ­­– Mahatma Gandhi.
● “Where one man reads the Bible, a hundred read you and me” ­­– Dwight L. Moody
● “Be careful how you live; you will be the only Bible some people ever read” ­­ — William J. Toms.

Let us think how can we make it easy for others to find God through our lives; like the star that shone and guided the wise men from the east to Jesus, the child born king of the Jews.

What were the reasons for Solomon’s failure?
1. He clearly did not follow the commands of the Lord. Read Deuteronomy 17:14—20. Possibly the greatest command he would have violated would have been vv. 18, 19.

2. He was preoccupied with projects more than people.

3. He did not make an effort to get back to God.

4. He began well but did not take steps to continue in it and finish well.

Life Lesson:
“How could one so wise turn away from following the Lord and become an idol worshipper? One thing is sure—it didn’t happen overnight. All spiritual backsliding takes place by degrees. Be careful about the first step away from God—for one step soon leads to another” ­­ Taken from Character by Character by Selwyn Hughes and Trevor J. Partridge.

KINGS OF JUDAH

 

Rehoboam
2 Chronicles 10—12 and 1 Kings 12:1—24, 14:21—31
Rehoboam became king after Solomon’s death. He rejected the good advice of elders and answered people harshly. So the people deserted the king and crowned Jeroboam king over all Israel. Thus the united nation under David and Solomon became a divided kingdom under Rehoboam. He is now king only over the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The rest 10 tribes were under Jeroboam.

When the people rebelled against him, king Rehoboam prepared to go to war against Jeroboam. But God sent a message to him saying. “Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing” (1 Kings 12:24 NIV/see also 2 Chron. 11:4). Then they
obeyed God and went home.

Life Lesson:
“This is my doing.” Recognizing the hand of God in the affairs of your life is very important. Even when circumstances seem to go against you, you need to have a listening ear to what God is trying to tell you. Often it might be that God is trying to get your attention through difficulties that come your way. And when you understand that God is saying, “This is my doing,” do not rebel against what He says, but obey.

After Rehoboam established himself as king and he had become strong, he and all Israel abandoned the law of the Lord (2 Chron. 12:1). So God gave delivered them to Shishak king of Egypt. Within five years of Solomon’s death the Egyptian king carried off the treasures of the temple and the royal palace.

When God’s message came that He was abandoning the people to Shishak because they had abandoned Him, the king and the people humbled themselves before God. So God did not destroy them through Shishak. But God said that the people will become subject to him, “so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands” (2 Chron. 12;8b NIV).

Life Lesson:
There is always a tendency in us to abandon all rules to live life our own way. We do so in the assumption that our way is best. But when we abandon the laws of God, then there are always consequences. Sometimes God allows us to be oppressed by our enemies so that we will learn the difference between joyfully serving God and unhappily serving others.

Abijah
2 Chronicles 13 and 1 Kings 15

He was at war with Jeroboam, king of Israel. Abijah, in contrast to Jeroboam who instituted worship of golden calves in Israel, trusted in God and recognized Him as their leader (2 Chron. 13:12). When the battle was joined Jeroboam set up an ambush behind Judah’s army. The men of Judah cried out to God, and God routed the armies of Israel. The Bible records that “the men of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers” (2 Chron. 13:18b NIV).

Life Lesson:
Reliance on God, recognizing Him as your leader and crying out to Him when you’re surrounded by difficulties is the sure road to victory in life.

Asa
2 Chronicles 14—16 and 1 Kings 15:9—24

Prayer
He was a good king. There was peace during most of his reign. He commanded his people to seek God. So God gave him rest on every side. After 10 years Zerah the Cushite march against him with a vast army. Then Asa, in spite of having an army of five lakh eighty thousand men with him, prayed: “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O Lord, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you” (2 Chron. 14:11, 12 NIV).

Life Lesson:
Asa recognized the fact that armies cannot save if God was not with them. He knew that without God on their side they were powerless. So He sought God’s help. Being powerless is not having no resources at your command; instead it is recognizing the need for God’s help in spite of having the advantage of all your resources. Then you’ll experience the victory that God gives. In this case the Cushites “were crushed before the Lord.”

An Encouraging Word
God sent an encouraging word to Asa after this victory: “The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded” (2 Chron. 15:1). And he gave this message: “The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if your forsake him, he will forsake you. . . . But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded” (2 Chron 15:2—7). Encouraged by this prophecy Asa went on to do considerable acts of spiritual reform in the nation.

Life Lesson:
God will be found by you when you seek Him (see also Jeremiah 29:13). When you forsake Him, He too will forsake you. That means you’ve to actively seek God.

Practically it means spending much time reading the Bible, meditating on its message, spending time alone with God in prayer and also meeting together with fellow believers and telling others about God and your relationship with Him.

The result of all this is that, God wants you to be strong and not give up the good work you’re doing for He will surely reward what you do.

Asa’s Mistakes
In the thirty-­fifth year of his reign, Baasha king of Israel came up against him. Asa then took the treasuries of the temple of the Lord and sent it to the Aramean king, Ben­-Hadad. So Ben­-Hadad broke his treaty with the king of Israel and attacked the towns of Israel. Thus Asa and Judah escaped. But what Asa had done was a huge mistake because He did not rely on God this time.

So Hanani the seer came to the king and told him that since he had relied on the king of Aram and not on God, the army of Aram had escaped. He cited the earlier instance when he had relied on God to win the battle against a much greater army of the Cushites. Now he added, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war” (2 Chron. 16:9 NIV).

Life Lesson:
Is your heart fully committed to the Lord? That means you have to depend on God when each new crisis develops. Just because you relied on God and won a great victory in the past is not a licence to not trust Him today.

The encouragement is that if your heart is fully committed to the Lord, His eyes are ranging throughout the earth to strengthen your heart. It simply means that He is always watching over you and ready to help you, if your heart is fully committed to Him.

Asa was angry when the message reached him and he put the seer in prison. And in the thirty-­ninth year of his reign he was afflicted with a disease in his feet. In spite of him having been a godly king for the most part of his reign, the Bible records a sad statement about him at this time: “Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians” (2 Chron. 16:12b NIV).

Life Lesson:
To finish your race well should be your goal in life. This was Paul’s goal for he wrote of his desire to finish his race with joy and also of its accomplishment (Acts 20:24, 2 Timothy 4:7). Just because you lived most of your life for God (Asa/ 2 Chron. 15:17 and 1 Kings 15:14) is no guarantee that you will finish well. So prayerfully determine to finish well in life.

Jehoshaphat
2 Chronicles 17—20 and1 Kings 22:1—50

Jehoshaphat was a king who walked in the ways of God and his heart was devoted to his God. He also set his heart to destroy evil from the land. God established the kingdom under his control. He had great wealth and honour (2 Chron. 17:3—6). He sent officials and levites to the towns of Judah with the Book of the Law to teach the people. While this was happening the fear of the Lord fell on all the surrounding kingdoms so that nobody attacked them (2 Chron. 17:7—10).

In Trouble, and the Lord’s Deliverance
Now Jehoshaphat the godly king allied himself with the wicked king Ahab by marriage. Some years later he went to visit Ahab. Ahab was getting ready to attack Ramoth Gilead at this time and urged Jehoshaphat to go with him. Jehoshaphat wholeheartedly agreed but said to Ahab, “First seek the counsel of the Lord” (2 Chron. 18:4/1 Kings 22;5).

Some four hundred prophets were brought together and all of them predicted success in this mission. But Jehoshaphat, whose heart was sensitive to God, sensed that these prophets were lying. So he kept asking for a prophet through whom they could inquire of God.

Ahab then brings Micaiah saying that he hated him because he always prophesied bad about him, and never good. But Jehoshaphat disagrees. Micaiah is asked by the messenger to speak favourably, but the prophet replies, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what my God says” (2 Chron. 18:13/1 Kings 22;14).

Finally, Micaiah tells them that God had put a lying spirit in the mouths of all the prophets who were predicting success for the king and he predicted the sure death of Ahab. For this he was put in prison.

Jehoshaphat is advised by Ahab to enter battle in royal robes while he himself would go in disguise. Jehoshaphat is surrounded by chariot commanders thinking that he was the king of Israel and they turned to attack him. “But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him” (2 Chron. 18:31b NIV). Ahab was killed as Micaiah had prophesied.

And when Jehoshaphat returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem he was chided by Jehu the seer saying, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?” (2 Chron. 19:2) because he had gone to help Ahab. He added that because of this act God’s wrath was upon him. But a note of hope was sounded when the seer said that there was some good in him because he had set his heart on seeking God.

Micaiah
A Courageous Prophet
Micaiah is an example of a lone voice of truth in the midst of plenty of lying voices. He was a courageous prophet who did not care for honour from the king but sought only to speak the truth for God’s glory. In doing so, he put his life in danger. Such prophets are very rare these days; their tribe has almost become extinct.

“Our Eyes Are Upon You”
Jehoshaphat was told that a vast army was coming against him. He was alarmed. He decided to inquire and seek help from God and proclaimed a fast for all Judah. In his prayer he said, “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you” (2 Chron. 20:12b NIV).

All the people stood before the Lord and then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel who gave a great message of encouragement saying, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . .You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you” (Read in full in 2 Chron. 20:15—17).

Life Lesson:
When we face trouble in the form of opposition it is quite natural to be afraid. This happens especially when the opposition is really strong. But Jehoshaphat’s example teaches us something more. It teaches us to have our eyes focussed on God. And seek Him in prayer.

Our battle stance should be preparedness in prayer and waiting quietly for God to act on our behalf. Then God will fight our battles when we stand firm in Him, for the battle is God’s!

All worshipped God as they heard the encouraging message. Early the next morning, Jehoshaphat appointed a choir to go in front of the army “to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendour of his holiness” (2 Chron. 20:21). And when they did so, God caused destruction in the enemy camp. So when Jehoshaphat and his army reached the enemy camp, they found only dead bodies.

They collected all the plunder, which took three days. They gathered in the Valley of Beracah on the fourth day and praised the Lord. (Beracah means Praise). The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms when they heard how God had fought against the enemies of Israel.

Life Lesson: Singing to God and praising Him when we are in trouble is an excellent way to open the way for God to act on our behalf. This is not to be practised as a technique; but it should come from our heart. Then we can expect God’s deliverance. Paul and Silas also experienced this in a wonderful way resulting in the salvation of the Jailer’s household in Philippi (Acts 16:25).

It seems that Jehoshaphat did not learn his lesson after his near loss of life when he went to battle with Ahab and the seer’s warning following it. He later made an alliance with Ahaziah (son of Ahab), king of Israel, “who was guilty of wickedness” (2 Chron. 20:35). They agreed to make a fleet of trading ships. Then Eliezer prophesied against Jehoshaphat, “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made” (2 Chron. 20:37b NIV). The ships never set sail because they were wrecked at Ezion Geber.

Life Lesson:
It is dangerous to have close business relationships with those who are guilty of wickedness. You are “children of light” (Ephesians 5:8) and do not have anything to do with darkness and wickedness (2 Corinthians 6:14). Seek God’s help and guidance, therefore, before you make any business associations.

Jehoram
2 Chronicles 21:4—20 and 2 Kings 8:16—29

The Introduction:
“He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Chron. 21:6 NIV).
The Warning:
Elijah sent him a letter in which he predicted his death because of the evil he was doing: “You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out” (2 Chron. 21:15 NIV).
The Exit:
“The Lord inflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels . . . and he died in great pain . . . He passed away, to no one’s regret” (2 Chron. 21:18—20).

Life Lesson:
Look at the way he went: “He passed away, to no one’s regret.” Think about it.

Ahaziah
2 Chronicles 22:9 and 2 Kings 8:25—29; 9:14—29

We are introduced to his mother Athaliah here and her influence on her son: “He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong” (2 Chron. 22:3 NIV) [emphasis added]. Then we are introduced to his advisers: “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing” (2 Chron. 22:4 NIV).

Then we are told of his downfall: “Through Ahaziah’s visit ot Joram (king of Israel and son of Ahab who was then wounded in battle/2 Kings 8:29b), God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall” (2 Chron. 22:7 NIV).

Life Lesson:
Influences play an important role in shaping individuals. It was a tragedy in Ahaziah’s life to have a mother who encouraged him in doing wrong. How big a contrast is this to a godly mother like Hannah who prayed for and brought up Samuel in the fear of the Lord.

Again we find the influence of his advisers “after his father’s death.” Perhaps Ahaziah might have scripted a different story in his life if he had had good and godly influences in his early years. Pray that God will give you godly influences in life. May you have an open ear to godly influences and a closed heart to ungodly advisers.

Athaliah, Jehosheba, Joash, Jehoiada and Zechariah
2 Chronicles 22:10—27 and 2 Kings 11—12:21

When Ahaziah died, Athaliah his mother went ahead to destroy the entire royal family of the house of Judah. Why? Did she want a kingdom for herself? Or was it a scheme the devil had attempted through this wicked woman to destroy the royal line of David and thus cut off the possibility of the Messiah coming through David’s descendants? Anyway, we don’t know what her real motive was.

But courageously, Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash son of Ahaziah and hid him and his nurse in a bedroom and thus saved the child. Jehosheba was the wife of the priest Jehoiada. They both hid the child in the temple for six years.

The Bible records: “In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength” (2 Chron. 23:1 NIV). He made an agreement with the military leaders as well as the levites and heads of Israelite families and called them together at the temple, “showed them the king’s son” (son of Ahaziah) and said to them: “The king’s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David” (2 Chron. 23:3 NIV).

Think About This: Some 800 years later, King Herod also proceeded to destroy all the boys below two years in Bethlehem to make sure that the child born the king of the Jews might be killed. Athaliah’s attempt therefore could be seen as a very early attempt to cut off David’s royal line so that the Messiah could not be born.

The birth of the Messiah the King in any heart is thus resisted. That is why even today we find the gospel resisted. But the king’s son (the Messiah the King) shall reign as the Lord promised.

We know that Jesus came to “proclaim freedom for the prisoners” (Luke 4:18). In that sense He is a deliverer. Centuries before Jesus’ birth the people of Israel were in bondage to Pharaoh. When God was about to sent them a deliverer in the form of Moses, we find Pharaoh ordering the newborn male children to be thrown into the Nile. But God kept the baby safe and Moses’ name means “drawn out” of water.

Meditate on why these kind of devilish attacks occurred. Is God’s plan of salvation being resisted? Can you find Satanic inspiration behind these attacks?

Life Lesson: Kindly take time to read the life stories of people who tried to save others. One amazing story is that of Corrie Ten Boom and her family (all of them lost their lives except Corrie) who went through Nazi concentration camps because they tried to hide and save Jewish people in their home in the Netherlands. Her life story is told in The Hiding Place.

Likewise, Jehosheba should inspire each one of us to act courageously in times of crisis to do what God wants us to do. Her act helped the royal line to continue and, with Jehoiada coming into the scene, put an end to the wicked queen Athaliah’s reign. Your one act of courage can further God’s purposes on earth.

Note: Jehoiada “was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple” (2 Chron. 24:16 NIV).

Joash became king when he was 7 years old. He “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest” (2 Chron. 24:2/see also 24:14b). His achievement was that he rebuilt and restored the temple “according to its original design and reinforced it” (2 Chron. 24:13b). But after Jehoiada’s death Joash listened to the officials and abandoned God and the temple and worshipped idols. He did not listen to the warning message of the prophets that God sent.

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada who prophesied against the king (2 Chron. 24:20). They in turn stoned him to death. The Bible records, “King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son” (2 Chron. 24:22). For this his officials killed Joash in his bed.

Life Lesson: Think about the life of Joash. He served God in his early years. But as soon as the godly influence of Jehoiada was gone, he forsook God. Not only that he forgot the kindness shown to him by Jehoiada. Are you someone like Joash who forgets the good that people have done for you in the past?

Amaziah
2 Chronicles 25 and 2 Kings 14:1—22

“He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly” (2 Chron. 25:2 NIV). He executed the officials who had murdered his father the king but spared their sons in accordance with the Law that God gave through Moses (see Deut. 24:16). He hired one lakh men from Israel to fight with him in battle.

But a man of God warned him and said that “these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel . . . Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to to help or to overthrow” (2 Chron. 25:7b, 8 NIV).

Immediately Amaziah’s concern turned to the money he had paid to hire these soldiers: “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?” [emphasis added] The man of God answered, “The Lord can give you much more than that.” So Amaziah dismissed those troops.

Life Lesson:
Doing the right thing is not enough in God’s eyes. You need to do it with a right heart and right motive before God. Amaziah did what was right, but not wholeheartedly. So seek to love and serve God with ALL your heart. Again, if you have gone ahead and invested in something that God does not approve, STOP and PULL­OUT. Whatever loss that might come out of that decision, God will make good.

Amaziah then defeated ten thousand Edomites in the valley of Salt. But when he came back from there he brought back their gods and set them up as his own gods and bowed down and burned sacrifices to them. God in anger sent a prophet to him to ask why he was consulting those gods who could not deliver their own people from his hands?

In his pride Amaziah then tried to engage Jehoash the king of Israel in battle. Jehoash told him the story of a thistle sending a message to a cedar in Lebanon, and advised him to stay at home instead of fighting against him. Amaziah did not listen for it was God’s plan to hand him over to the king of Israel (2 Chron. 25:20).

Life Lesson:
Pride always brings downfall (Proverbs 16:18) (as you also see in the life of the next king, the powerful Uzziah). Serving other gods always brings downfall.

Uzziah (Azariah)
2 Chronicles 26, 2 Kings 15:1—6 and Isaiah 6:1

A fifty-­two year long reign
He sought God earnestly during the days of Zechariah who instructed him in the fear of God. The Bible records, “As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success” (2 Chron. 26:5b NIV). He became very powerful because God helped him. He was a king who loved the soil, had a well-­trained army and was very advanced in his use of skilfully­designed machines for warfare. His fame spread far and wide.

But the Bible records, “But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense” (2 Chron. 26:16 NIV). He was confronted by Azariah the priest with eighty other priests. While Uzziah was raging angrily at the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead. He was hurried out the temple and had leprosy till the day he died.

Life Lesson:
You can have success when you seek God. When you seek Him, God Himself will help you succeed. But always learn to depend on God. Because fame that comes from success can easily make you proud and turn your attitude to one of self­-sufficiency.

Please understand that God is not against success but He wants you to be careful not to become proud when you have achieved success with His help. Pride, as already stated, brings about quick downfall.

Jotham
2 Chronicles 27 and 2 Kings 15:32—38

Noteworthy Mention: “Jothan grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God” (2 Chron. 27:6 NIV). “So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God” (KJV).

Life Lesson:
Several Scripture portions point out the wisdom of submitting to God and having Him direct your plans for success. Some of them are Proverbs 3:5, 6; 16:3.

Ahaz
2 Chronicles 28, 2 Kings 16 and Isaiah 7

The wickedness of Ahaz is seen in the fact that he “burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, following the detestable ways of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites” (2 Chronicles 28:3 NIV). [emphasis added]

Life Lesson:
Kindly turn to Deuteronomy 18:9—13. In this passage God had clearly warned not to learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations. Today, there is an increase of devilish and occult practices; all of which have been condemned by God.

Palm reading, Ouija Board, Feng Shui, Horoscopes, Charms of various kinds all are part of this. Youngsters indulge in all this today thinking that it is fun and some sort of games.

Of course, you can’t expect Satan to come with two horns and a horrible face and a tail (as he is popularly thought about) and have youngsters follow him gladly. So he, masquerading as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), has given harmless looking games to the youth. Be warned. You walk out of God’s protecting hand when you indulge in any of these detestable practices.

You might ask why it is wrong. Perhaps three quick reasons can be suggested:

First and foremost God commanded that it is wrong.

Second, all these make you captive to fear. Fear does not come from God. That is why in the Bible you find so many times the message “Do not fear” being repeated . And the Bible also speaks of God’s love driving away fear (1 John 4:18).

Third, people indulge in it in an attempt to be prosperous and to know the future. Of course Satan too can give you prosperity if you worship him (see Matthew 4:8, 9).. But as Jesus said worship belongs to God alone. And about the future, Jesus said, do not worry about tomorrow.

Are you afraid to trust in the One who has all the hairs of your head numbered? Are you hesitant to trust in the One without whose knowledge not even a sparrow that is given free of cost falls to the ground (some scholars of Greek think that it refers to each hop of the sparrow!

“In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord” and “offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus” (vv. 22, 23) (Ahaz had made the replica of an altar that he found in Damascus and put it in the temple of the Lord by replacing the original altar). But his sacrifices were his downfall. He was not buried in the tombs of the kings.

Life Lesson: Human help has limitations. Yet how often we delight to trust in human help. The sad part is that we often turn to the enemies of God for help like Ahaz did.

Memorize passages like the following so that you’ll always put your trust in God: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7 NIV) and “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31 NIV).

Hezekiah
2 Chronicles 29—32, 2 Kings 18—20, and Isaiah 36—39

Hezekiah was a godly king: “Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was none like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses.

And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook” (2 Kings 18:5—7a NIV). His life and achievements are recorded in full in three different sections of the Bible. So make a study of his life and learn lessons from it.

What stands out in Hezekiah’s life is his attitude towards the temple of God and his celebration of the Passover; which none of the kings preceding him had observed. His reign began like this: “In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the Lord and repaired them” (2 Chron. 29:3). He urged the Levites to consecrate themselves and remove all defilement from the Sanctuary. Thus they purified the temple.

Life Lesson: Hezekiah began well. How are your beginnings in life? Do you bring God into it? Do you take care to remove all defilement from your heart and make it pleasing to God when you make a new beginning in life—beginnings like a new year of study, moving into a new home, entering a new job or getting married? Take care to give God a chance to bless your beginnings; for new beginnings are His gift to you. After all He is the God of beginnings: “In the beginning God . . . .” (Genesis 1:1)!

Another important lesson from the life of Hezekiah is the importance he gave to prayer. He took everything to God in prayer. When he became ill and was at the point of death, he wept bitterly and prayed to the Lord. God heard his prayer and saw his tears and gave him fifteen more years to live.

He was also given a miraculous sign of the sun’s shadow going back ten steps it had gone down. Yet the Bible records, “But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him . . . Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart” (2 Chron. 32:25, 26 NIV).

Life Lesson: Are we not like King Hezekiah? We cry out to God in prayer. When He answers us and delivers us from evil, we simply forget Him. We think that it is some merit on our part that brought our deliverance. His life shows that in spite of being godly and doing good and what is right in the eyes of the Lord, one can become proud.

It is good once in a while to sit in the presence of the Lord and examine our hearts to find out whether we have knowingly or unknowingly become proud. You can use the Psalmist’s prayer for this purpose (Psalm 139:23, 24). Repentance should follow.

There is yet another comment the Chronicler makes about Hezekiah that we would do well to note: “But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart” (2 Chron. 32:31 NIV).

Life Lesson:  All of us have appeared for tests. Most of us have feared examinations at School and even College. Why? It was our fear of failing; our fear of whether we would pass or fail that made us dread the time of exams. Often it is lack of proper preparation that creates the fear. Sometimes it is carelessness during the tests that costs us dearly.

Think about it; sometimes God also tests us. One of the reasons why He does so, as revealed here, is to know everything that is in our heart. Matthew Henry comments: “When Hezekiah had destroyed other idolatries he began to idolize himself.”

So let us be watchful in prayer and walk humbly before our God that we may not fail the test. Most often it is at the time of success that we are tested; for most of us do not know how to handle success by humbling acknowledging the hand of God in it.

Special Mention: Nehushtan (2 Kings 18:4). The bronze serpent made by Moses (Num 21:8­9) had been used by God as a means to bring healing in the desert. But later it became an object of worship, an idol, a snake­god like that of the Canaanites. King Hezekiah destroyed it.

Manasseh
2 Chronicles 33:1—20 and 2 Kings 1—18

A wicked king who became king at the young age of twelve and had a long reign of fifty­–five years. [Some Scholars have pointed out the fact that Manasseh was born during the fifteen year extension God gave Hezekiah. They think that it would have been better had Hezekiah died early than live more years to have fathered such a wicked man.]

His sins were many (2 Chron. 33:2—9). He led the people of Judah and Jerusalem astray. But the greatest of them all was his shedding of so much innocent blood (2 Kings 21:16), which led finally to Judah’s downfall and this sin the Lord was not willing to forgive (2 Kings 24:4; 23:26).

God spoke to Manasseh and the people, but they paid no attention. So God brought against him the army commanders of the king of Assyria who put a hook in his nose and took him prisoner. The Bible records, “In his distress he sought he favour of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.

And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God” (2 Chron. 33:12, 13 NIV). He then attempted a revival in the land by destroying all the idolatrous places and practices he had initiated.

Life Lesson: It is amazing to note how God heard the prayer of such a wicked man when he humbled himself. In the line of the kings of Israel, at an earlier date, we find God showing mercy to Ahab, one of the most wicked kings in Israelite history when he humbled himself before the Lord (1 Kings 21:25 —29). Therefore let us be encouraged. If we have done wrong in the eyes of God, let us humbly confess our sins and greatly humble ourselves in His sight. Surely He will hear, show mercy and restore us to usefulness once again.

Amon
2 Chronicles 33:21—25 and 2 Kings 21:19—26

Only one comment to note about him: “But unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble himself before the Lord; Amon increased his guilt” (2 Chron. 33:23 NIV).

Josiah
2 Chronicles 34, 35 and 2 Kings 22—23:29

Josiah was eight years old when he became king. The Bible records: “In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David” (2 Chron. 34:3).

Life Lesson: Youth is anyone’s best opportunity to serve God. Give Him the best of your love, enthusiasm, creativity, talents, knowledge, time and resources. Someday God will honour you if you do so (see 1 Sam. 2:30). Your youth will never come back; the opportunities you now have will shut its doors on you if you wait long. So give God the best years of your life as the Teacher exhorted: “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come” (Ecclesiastes 12:1a NIV).

Josiah, in his devotion to God, tried his best to destroy evil and idolatrous practices from the land. And in his eighteenth year he sent some officials to repair the temple of the Lord his God. There Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law (the first five books of the Bible). And it was taken to the king.

When he heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes and sent messengers to the prophetess Huldah to inquire of the Lord. He did this because from the Law of the Lord He understood that most of what his fathers had done was evil against God.

The reply from God came: “Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you declares the Lord” (2 Chron. 34:27 NIV).

Life Lesson: Two things need to noted here. One, in today’s “post-­modern world”  everything is relative. There are no absolute standards. That practically means there is no right or wrong. If someone feels something is right; that is right.

But the Bible is timeless and unchanging. It holds against us God’s Laws like a mirror (see James 1:22—25). where we can see ourselves and correct our behaviour. Imagine a world without God’s Word. Then, how will we ever know what is wrong and what is right?

Secondly, what we find here is a godly king humbling himself. He had done no evil; instead he had taken a strong stand against evil. Yet he humbled himself before God when he realized the holy standards of God as revealed in His Word. So to humble oneself is a deeper experience with God than we have so far understood.

His influence among the people was very great (2 Chron. 34:33). And in the same year (the eighteenth year of his reign) he celebrated the passover. It was unlike any that the land had witnessed before (2 Chron. 35:18, 19). He also purged the land of all evil practices (described in detail in 2 Kings 23).

His mistake was that he went to fight against the king of Egypt who was marching out against someone else. Neco king of Egypt tried to reason with Josiah saying. “What quarrel is there between you and me, O king of Judah? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you” (2 Chron. 35:21 NIV).

But Josiah “would not listen to what Neco had said at God’s command but went to fight him on the plain of Meggido” (2 Chron. 35:34 NIV). Thus he died in battle and Jeremiah composed laments in his honour. He thus died at a very young age of thirty­nine after having done much good.

Why this godly man was not able to discern the voice of God which if he had listened to would have spared his life remains a mystery! Perhaps it shows how weak we humans are and capable of making mistakes in spite of leading a godly life.

Matthew Henry comments:

“In this matter he did not walk in the ways of David his father; for had it been his case, he would have enquired of the Lord, Shall I go up? Will you deliver them into my hands?”

The Last Kings of Judah—Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah
2 Chronicles 36 and 2 Kings 23:31—25:29

Only brief mention has been made of these kings. We will look at the last king Zedekiah. The Bible records that he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord (see 2 Chron. 36:12; Jeremiah 34:1—7). So disaster struck him and Judah. Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. The Babylonian captivity lasted seventy years in fulfilment of Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jeremiah 25:11).

Yet God did not forsake His people. Even in captivity God had three of His great prophets—Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel—to minister words of hope to His people. The Chronicler closes with the decree of Cyrus allowing the captives to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple which was burned down by the Babylonians.

Life Lesson: Look at these comments on the destruction of Jerusalem, once the capital of Israel where David and Solomon reigned and which housed the magnificent temple: “It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence” (2 Kings 24:20, Jeremiah 52:3 NIV).

Also, “But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy” (2 Chron. 36:16 NIV). What is the lesson to be learned for your life from this? Let God’s Word itself give the answer:

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life”­­(Galatians 6:7, 8 NIV).

Kings of Israel/Themes

(Israel in this section refers to the Northern Kingdom of ten tribes with Samaria as its capital which broke away from the southern kingdom of Judah (including the tribe of Benjamin). Most of these kings were very wicked. So we will try to learn a few lessons presented as themes instead of going by the chronology of kings.

Note: Halley points out that in the Northern Kingdom there were 9 dynasties or family lines of kings. 19 kings in all. An average of about 11 years to a reign. 8 of these kings met death by violence. Not one of these kings tried to bring the people back to God but served the golden calves that Jeroboam had made. In the Southern Kingdom there was only 1 Dynasty, that of David; except usurper Athaliah from the Northern kingdom, who by marriage, broke into David’s line and interrupted the succession for 6 years. 20 kings in all. An average about 16 years to a reign.

Opportunities

Jeroboam
(1 Kings 11:26 to 40, 12:12 to 15; 25—14:20)

Jeroboam was a young man of standing who did his work well and was promoted by King Solomon (1 Kings 11:28/see also Proverbs 22:29). Prophet Ahijah met Jeroboam going out of Jerusalem. The prophet in a symbolic and prophetic act tore his own robe into twelve pieces and gave Jeroboam ten pieces telling him that God was going to give him a kingdom with ten tribes.

And God gave Jeroboam the greatest opportunity any man could have got. God told him that if he obeyed His commands and walked in His ways like David did, “I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you” (1 Kings 11:38b NIV).

Yet this man went ahead to make two golden calves which he set up at Dan and Bethel. He appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not levites. This came to be later known as the sin of Jeroboam and the kingdom of Israel never ever escaped from its evil influence.

Life Lesson: Opportunities in life are precious. How much more so when it is God­-given! Jeroboam had the greatest opportunity of a lifetime; i.e. to have a lasting dynasty like that of King David. For that he had to fulfil only one condition. That was to walk in the ways of God. Yet he deviated from it right from the beginning. Take one moment to think of opportunities that God gives you in life. How do you use it?

Greatness

Omri
(1 Kings 16:21—27)
He was the one who built Samaria (confirmed by a Harvard University Expedition in the early part of the 20th century). The Bible records his life like this: “But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him” (1 Kings 16:25 NIV) [emphasis added].

Halley comments that this man “gained such prominence that for a long time after his day Israel was know as the `land of Omri.’ ” Many inscriptions have been found bearing Omri’s name from the neighbouring kingdoms of Israel of those times.

Life Lesson: Even though this man was great in the eyes of the world, God’s Word does not record him as such. That means God’s valuation standards are different. It means that you can be a great success in the eyes of the world (including greatness in the religious field) and yet be a failure in God’s eyes.

Truly, what God had said to Samuel when he was sent to anoint David still holds true today: “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b NIV/see also Luke 16:15 which reads, “. . . but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight” (NIV).

Wrong Perceptions

Ahab
1 Kings 16:29 to 22:40

The wickedest king of Israel. Married Jezebel a princess of Sidon. She was wicked and quite successfully attempted to wipe off the worship of Yahweh from the land. She did this by killing off the Lord’s prophets. Even Elijah the mighty prophet ran way from her for fear of his life.

She also engineered the killing of an innocent man Naboth to get his vineyard (his inherited property) for Ahab. The Bible records, “(There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife)” (1 Kings 21:25 NIV). As for Jezebel it was predicted by Elijah that dogs would devour her and indeed dogs did eat her (2 Kings 9:34—37).

Life Lesson: After having done much evil, Ahab when he saw Elijah said, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” (1 Kings 18:17). The truth was that it was Ahab who had created trouble for Israel by abandoning the Lord’s commands and following the Baals. Yet he found fault with Elijah who spoke truth in the name of the Lord.

Are we not like Ahab many times in our life? We do not want to listen to the truth. We try to think of others who tell us the truth as troublers. If we, instead of calling others who point out our faults as troublers, can instead humble ourselves before God, then great good will result.

Seeking Guidance at the Wrong Place

Ahaziah
(1 Kings 22:51—53 and 2 Kings 1:1—18)

Ahaziah the son of Ahab, had fallen through the lattice of his upper room and injured himself. So he sent messengers to consult the god of Ekron to see if he would recover from this injury. By command of the Lord Elijah confronts the messengers asking whether it was because there was no God in Israel that the king was consulting idols. The judgement of death was pronounced on the king.

Life Lesson: Today there are so many gurus who come up with popular teachings. There is a growing tendency to seek their guidance. In Christian circles, this is as seen as going to a preacher to seek God’s will for one’s life. Of course, there are occasions in life when the counsel of godly people who are elder to us and have a close walk God is useful. But primarily we need to learn to seek God at all times in our life.

Our first response in a crisis should always be to cry out, “My God, Abba Father” rather than the option of rushing out to seek out a man of God.
A Chosen Instrument Jehu (2 Kings 9—10) He was anointed by Elisha to be king. He was given the commission to destroy the house of Ahab.

The main purpose of this was to destroy Baalism that had taken deep root in the heart of the Israelites because of Ahab and Jezebel. Moreover God wanted to avenge the shedding of blood of His prophets. Jehu took to his task immediately. He had zeal for God (2 Kings 10:16). Thus he was able to accomplish the task for which he was anointed.

So God promised that his descendants would sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation. Then the Bible records, “Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit” (2 Kings 10:31 NIV).

Life Lesson: “If we wonder at God’s use of an agent like Jehu, let us remember that Baalism was an unspeakable vile. God sometimes uses men and nations who are far from what they ought to be to execute His judgements on the wicked” –­­ Halley’s Bible Handbook.

Only a man with such a pitiless temperament could perhaps do such a bloody work and get rid of the wicked queen Jezebel who was busy painting her eyes and arranging her hair in the face of impending death. The lesson is that God’s choice of instruments are as varied, unexpected and different from how we think they ought to be.

Another lesson is that zeal for God is not alone enough; a right heart before God is a must. Jehu did great things for God; but not out of a right heart!

Unenthusiastic Faith

Jehoash
(2 Kings 13:10—25)

He was a king who did evil like the earlier kings of Israel. During his time prophet Elisha was dying. So he went to meet Elisha.

In a symbolic act, Elisha ordered the king to shoot an arrow through the open window. Then it was told the king that it was the Lord’s arrow of victory over Aram and that he would completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.

Again Elisha asked this man to strike the ground with the arrows. The king struck three times and stopped. Elisha was angry and told the king that he should have struck the ground five or six times so that he would have defeated Aram completely; but now he would be able to defeat them only three times.

Because of the wickedness of Israel, God had given the Arameans power over Israel. From the time of previous kings itself they had starting eating into Israelite territory. Of late, their power had become very oppressive. Through Elisha God had now given an opportunity to the king to defeat Aram.

Though the king was assured that the arrow he shot represented the Lord’s victory over Aram, he was unenthusiastic in hitting the arrows many times on the ground.

Life Lesson: The lesson to be learned is that we need to take hold of God’s promises boldly and act enthusiastically in faith to experience the victory that God gives. Otherwise the scope of the victory will be limited as had happened in this case.

The Fall

Israel Exiled Because of Sin
(2 Kings 17:7—22)
The above passage is a summary of all the evil that Israel did. They sinned against the Lord greatly. They did not listen to God and were as stiff-­necked as their fathers. Finally God brought in the Assyrians to conquer Israel and carry off the people into exile.

Life Lesson: No one can survive for long by rejecting God and going on doing evil. The day of judgement will surely come.

2 Kings 9:30 Jezebel!
2 Kings 10:32 In Those Days the Lord Began to Reduce the Size
2 Kings 13:17b The Lord’s Arrow of Victory Over Aram
2 Kings 19:3, 4z As When Children Come to the Point of Birth
2 Kings 19:31b The Zeal of the Lord Almighty Will Accomplish This
2 Kings 22:19 Because Your Heart Was Responsive
2 Kings 25:29 Put Aside His Prison Clothes

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:1–3 Adam, Seth, Enosh, … Noah
1 Chronicles 10:13, 14a Saul Died Because
1 Chronicles 11:11 David’s Mighty Men
1 Chronicles 11:14 They Took Their Stand in the Middle
1 Chronicles 12:1 While David Was Restricted by Saul
1 Chronicles 14:2 And David Knew that the Lord Had Established
1 Chronicles 21:24 Sacrifice that Costs Nothing!
1 Chronicles 27:33b The King’s Friend

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:13b, 14 Then the Temple of the Lord
2 Chronicles 6:10 The Lord Has Kept the Promise He Made
2 Chronicles 15:7 Be Strong and Do Not Give Up
2 Chronicles 16:9 For the Eyes of the Lord
2 Chronicles 18:4 First Seek the Counsel of the Lord
2 Chronicles 18:21 A Lying Spirit
2 Chronicles 30:9b God Will not Turn His Face Away from You
2 Chronicles 21:20 Jehoram, to No One’s Regret
2 Chronicles 24:24 Although
2 Chronicles 32:1a After All that Was Faithfully Done
2 Chronicles 32:31 God Left Him to Test Him

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