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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
December 9, 2007
Of Kings & Prophets
1 & 2 Kings; 1 & 2 Chronicles & Pre-exilic Prophets
Introduction
Last week we studied 1 & 2 Samuel and the establishment of the kingdom (See: The Kingdom is Established 12/02/07). The people cried out for a king so they could be like all the other nations, and though the Lord gave them thorough warning about the negative consequences of having a king, they demanded one anyway, so God had Samuel, the last of the judges, appoint Saul as the king (1 Samuel 8 & 9). This was a rejection of God as their king, but it was also within God’s plan, for in Deuteronomy 17 the Lord had Moses predict it and give instructions to the future kings. In addition, the period of the judges demonstrated the necessity of a strong national leader, for the people would stray away from God without one. The would disobey God, turn to idolatry leading to God’s chastisement of them and oppression. When that got to be too bad, they would cry out to God and repent resulting in God sending a judge to deliver them. They would do relatively well while the judge was alive, but the cycle would begin again when the judge died. A system of kings gave the potential of breaking this cycle by at least forcing the people to keep the rudimentary aspects of God’s law. However, that would depend on the spiritual and moral nature of the king.
Last week we saw that there was quite a contrast between the first two kings. Saul started off well as a humble man and leader of Israel to military victory over their enemies, but it did not take all that long before his true character began to reveal itself by his unwillingness to follow God’s instructions. This resulted first in his throne not being established as an enduring kingdom (1 Samuel 13) and then being rejected as king (1 Samuel 15). The Lord was seeking a man who was after his own heart, and that man turned out to be David. All future kings would be compared to David.
The key differences between the two men were repentance and humility. Saul became increasingly proud and stubborn so that he professed to have obeyed the Lord when he had not, then when confronted about his sin, he blamed others, gave feigned repentance, tried to bargain and still demanded to be honored. In complete contrast to him was David who never became boastful but freely expressed in his Psalms both his fears and need for God. When David sinned and was confronted about it, he simply confessed his guilt and threw himself upon the mercies of God as he clearly expresses in Psalm 51. Saul’s focus was his own glory while David’s focus was the glory of God. The spiritual condition of each king would have direct consequences for the whole nation. Israel had victory while Saul was humble, but after he became proud they had continual defensive wars with the surrounding nations for the rest of his reign. The wars Israel experienced under David continually expanded the borders of his kingdom and brought peace with successive nations, so that by the time his reign came to an end, there was peace with all the surrounding nations.
We will find in our survey of the various kings of Israel and Judah that good kings would lead the nation into godliness and result in God’s blessings while evil kings would lead the people astray and into trouble and God’s curses. The spiritual condition of the king would set the course for the nation. There were kings that would start well but end badly, and a few that would start as evil but repent and become good. All along the way God would send prophets to both encourage and to warn the kings as needed.
Solomon – 1 Kings 1-12
Before David died he appointed Solomon as king. Solomon was his son by Bathsheba and he had promised her that among all his many sons, Solomon would be the one that would reign on his throne. There was rivalry for the throne, so this appointment was extremely important to prevent a civil war (1 Kings 1). Solomon showed much wisdom from the beginning of his reign by consolidating his power by showing mercy but still upholding righteousness and justice (1 Kings 2). He showed even greater wisdom and humility when the Lord revealed Himself in a dream and asked Solomon what he wanted God to give him. Solomon’s answer was full of humility and awe that God had made him king so he asked for “an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil” (1 Kings 3:9). God granted him a wise and discerning heart so that there would be no one like him before or after (vs. 12). The Lord also gave him good things he did not ask for including riches and honor so that there no kings like him all his days (vs. 13), and he would have a long life if he would walk in the ways of the Lord (vs. 14).
Solomon’s wisdom became legendary so much so that people came all over to hear his wisdom which surpassed all of those in the east, in Egypt and those that had been previously notable for their wisdom (1 Kings 4:29-31). It did not matter the subject for the Lord gave Solomon breadth of mind to understand even plants, animals, birds, creeping things and fish (vs. 33). He also spoke 3,000 proverbs and composed 1,005 songs (vs. 32). When the Queen of Sheba visited (1 Kings 10) he “answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not explain to her” (vs. 4). Her response after talking with Solomon and observing his kingdom was “I did not believe the reports until I came and my eyes have seen it. And behold, the half was not told to me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard” (vs. 7).
Solomon’s prosperity & kingdom were also legendary. 1 Kings 4, 5 & 10 detail his wealth and alliances with other nations. His trade with other nations was so immense that valuable products became common with silver being considered as the stones in Jerusalem. His palace was approximately 150 ft by 75 ft by 45 ft high and made of costly stones and paneled with cedar (1 Kings 7) – huge for its time.
But Solomon’s greatest work was the Temple. David had already gathered many materials and Solomon added to it with over 180,000 men working just to get the materials of cedar and stone and transport them to Jerusalem. It was approximately 90 ft by 30 ft by 45 ft high with a 30 ft extension on the back. It had flooring of cypress and was paneled with cedar which was then overlaid with gold. The outside of the Temple was also overlaid with gold. There were intricate carvings in the walls and doors of cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. Then there was the courtyard and porch that surrounded the temple with their pillars and intricately carved capitals. Added to this were all the utensils that would be used including the bronze basin which was about 7 ½ ft high and had a circumference of over 45 feet. It was elaborately decorated and sitting on top of 12 bronze oxen. There were polished bronze pails, shovels and basins for use with the sacrifices. Then there was the gold furniture inside the temple and all the gold utensils and decorations. It was one of the wonders of the ancient world. (See 1 Kings 5-7; 2Chronicles 2-5).
(1 Kings 8) After 7 years of construction the temple was completed and the ark was brought into it resulting in the glory of the Lord filling the temple with a cloud so that the priests could not stand to minister because of it. Solomon then dedicated the Temple with an address to the people, a prayer and sacrifices of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. The prayer exalts God for His character, His faithfulness and His promises and then petitions God to listen to the prayers and supplications that would be made to Him from the temple that His people would find in Him forgiveness when they sinned and hope in Him when they faced various troubles in the future. They then celebrated the feast for seven days and then extended it another seven days before the people returned to their homes “joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David His servant and Israel His people” (vs. 66).
(1 Kings 9) The Lord appeared to Solomon a second time in answered to His prayer. The Lord would fulfill all His promises and would dwell in their midst in the Temple, but if Solomon or his descendants would ever turn from the Lord to serve and worship other gods, then the Lord would cut off Israel from the land and would cast the Temple out of His sight so that it would become a heap of ruins.
Solomon started well and continued well for awhile. The nation was at peace. The empire was strong and vast and trading with nations far away. The people were following the Lord and worshiping Him in the new temple. However, Solomon’s heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord as was the heart of David his father (1 Kings 11:4). His downfall began when he did not follow the commands for kings in Deuteronomy 17:17 and he multiplied wives, and just as the passage warned, they turned his heart away from the Lord. (1 Kings 11) Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines of which many were foreign women for whom Solomon built places for them to worship their false gods and he would join them (vs. 1-8). This resulted in the Lord doing two things. First, He told Solomon that because he had not kept the Lord’s covenant and statutes, the kingdom would be torn away from him, though for the sake of David, it would not occur until the reign of Solomon’s son, and one tribe would be left to him as a remnant (vs. 9-13). Second, the Lord sent adversaries against Solomon the rest of his reign including Jeroboam to whom the Lord sent Ahijah the prophet to announce that he would be king over the northern 10 tribes after Solomon’s death (vs. 14-40).
Rehoboam & Jeroboam – the Kingdom Divides (1 Kings 12-14)
(1 Kings 12) After Solomon’s death all these prophecies came true at the beginning of the reign of his son, Rehoboam. Jeroboam came with the assembly of Israel to ask the new king for relief from the yoke that Solomon had placed upon them, but Rehoboam listened to the counsel of his peers instead of that of the elders that had served with Solomon and threatened to make their yoke even harder (vs. 1-15). At that answer the people rejected being under Rehoboam and called Jeroboam to be their king. Only the tribe of Judah followed Rehoboam (vs. 16-20). Rehoboam assembled his army to fight Israel but the Lord sent Shemaiah the man of God to tell them to return to their homes for the division had come from the Lord (vs. 22-24).
Jeroboam had been told that if he would listen to the Lord’s commands and walk in them, then the Lord would establish an enduring house for him as the Lord had done for David (1 Kings 11:37-38). But Jeroboam did not follow the Lord’s commands. After Jeroboam was king he feared that if the people continued to return to Jerusalem to worship the Lord at the Temple as was commanded, then they might eventually return to following the house of David. This resulted in him disobeying the Lord’s command and setting up alternative places for sacrifices. One in Bethel at the southern end of his kingdom and one in Dan at the northern end of his kingdom. Both of these places became centers for idolatry in Israel (1 Kings 12:25-33)
(1 Kings 13) The Lord sent a man of God to prophesy against the altar at Bethel while Jeroboam was standing before it offering incense. The prophet cried out, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'” 3 Then he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken, ‘Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the ashes which are on it shall be poured out.'” At this Jeroboam reached out to seize the man of God, but his hand dried up so that he could not draw it back to himself, and the altar then split apart just as the prophet said it would. Jeroboam asked the man of God to entreat the Lord to restore his hand, which he did, and the Lord did restore his hand, but Jeroboam continued in his disobedience. 2 Kings 23 records that about 300 years later King Josiah would do exactly has had been prophesied.
(1 Kings 14) The Lord had Ahijah the prophet (the same one that had told Jeroboam that he would be king), deliver a message of condemnation against the house of Jeroboam because of he had done more evil than all who were before him because he had made for Israel other gods and molten images to be worshiped (vs. 1-10). The Lord would raise up another king over Israel that would cut off the house of Jeroboam. In addition, only one son of his would be buried, all others in his household would be eaten either by dogs or birds (vs. 11-16). All future kings of Israel would be compared to the sins of Jeroboam.
The Kings of Israel
The rest of the history of Israel followed the same basic pattern of Jeroboam. All of them were at least as evil as Jeroboam because they continued the false worship of the true God at Bethel and Dan. Many of the kings of Israel were much worse because they also instituted the worship of many false gods. Some of them had long reigns up to 41 years, and some had extremely short reigns as little as 7 days. Some of them inherited the kingdom from their father, some were directed by the Lord to become king and destroy the previous royal line, some were usurpers that grasped for power for themselves. All along the way the Lord sent prophets to warn them about their evil and its consequences. The chart below gives the name of each king of Israel, their years of reign, how they gained power and whether they were only as evil as Jeroboam or worse. There is some overlap of dates because of either co-regency or competing kings.
| King of Israel – Years of Reign, (Total years), How he came to power, Moral nature | Prophet |
| Jeroboam 931-910 (22 yrs), by the Lord; evil – set the standard | man of God Ahijah the Shilonite |
| Nadab 910-909 (2 yr), Inherited ; evil like Jeroboam | |
| Baasha 909-886 (24 yr), Usurper, evil like Jeroboam | Jehu, son of Hanani |
| Elah 886-885 (2 yr), Inherited, evil like Jeroboam | |
| Zimri 885 (7 days), Usurper; Evil | |
| Omri 885-874 (12 yr). Usurper, More Evil than all before him | |
| Ahab 874-853 (22 yr), Inherited, More Evil than all before him | Elijah the Tishbite The prophets Micaiah, son of Imlah |
| Ahaziah 853-852 (2 yr), Inherited, Evil like Ahab & Jeroboam | Elijah the Tishbite |
| Jehoram 852-841(12 yr), Inherited, Evil like Jeroboam | Elijah the Tishbite Elisha, son of Shaphat |
| Jehu 841-814 (28 yr), by the Lord, Evil like Jeroboam | Elisha, son of Shaphat |
| Jehoahaz 814-798 (17 yr), Inherited, Evil like Jeroboam | Elisha, son of Shaphat |
| Jehoash 798-782 (16 yr), Inherited, Evil like Jeroboam | Elisha, son of Shaphat |
| Jeroboam II 793-753 (41 yr), Inherited, Evil like Jeroboam | Jonah, son of Amittai Amos of Tekoa Hosea, son of Beeri |
| Zechariah 783-752 (6 mo), Inherited, Evil like Jeroboam | Hosea, son of Beeri |
| Shallum 752 (1 mo), Usurper, Evil like Jeroboam | Hosea, son of Beeri |
| Menahem 752-742 (10 yr), Usurper, Evil like Jeroboam | Hosea, son of Beeri |
| Pekahiah 742-740 (2 yr), Inherited, Evil like Jeroboam | Hosea, son of Beeri |
| Pekah 752-732 (20 yr), Usurper, Evil like Jeroboam | Hosea, son of Beeri |
| Hoshea 732-722 (9 yr), Usurper, Evil like Jeroboam | Hosea, son of Beeri |
2 Kings 17 records that Israel finally fell to Assyrians and they carried the people away in 722 B.C. The chapter is also very clear that the reason Israel fell was because they refused to listen to the many prophets the Lord sent them and turn from their evil ways to keep the Lord’s commandments (2 Kings 17:13-14,23). This was in fulfillment of the Lord’s warnings going all the way back to even Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28 & Joshua 23. There were no good kings in Israel’s history, only a few that were not quite as evil as others and some that were much worse. The Lord was patient and longsuffering with them, but His judgement finally came upon them just as He had warned them over and over again.
The Kings of Judah
The southern kingdom of Judah did better and lasted longer than the northern kingdom of Israel because there were good kings at various times. A good king would lead the nation in repentance and revival in following the Lord. A bad king would lead the people away from the Lord and they would suffer the consequences. The chart below gives the name of each king of Judah, their years of reign, and whether they were good or evil. Of those that were good, they were either good, but not like David, good like David and one that did better than David. Some changed in their moral character over the course of their reign. There is some overlap of dates because of co-regency. Also noted are the various prophets the Lord sent as needed to either encourage or warn.
|
King of Judah – Years of Reign, (Total years) Moral nature |
Prophet |
| Rehoboam 931-913 (17 yrs), Evil | |
| Abijam 913-911 (3 yrs), Evil | |
| Asa 911-870 (41 yrs) , Good, like David, then proud | Hanani the seer |
| Jehoshaphat 873-848 (25 yrs), Good, like Asa, He brought evil upon Judah because he had his son marry the daughter of Ahab (2 Chron. 17-20) |
Micaiah son of Imlah Jehu, son of Hanani Jahaziel, son of Zechariah Eliezer, son of Dodavahu |
| Jehoram 853-841 (8 yrs), Evil – son-in-law to Ahab | Elijah the Tishbite |
| Ahaziah 841 (1 year), Evil – grandson of Ahab | |
| Athaliah 841-835 (6 yrs) – Usurper, Great Evil, Daughter of Ahab. Murdered all rivals except infant Joash who had been hidden. |
|
| Joash 835-796 (40 yrs) Good, then evil (son of Ahaziah). When Joash was seven, Jehoiada the priest overthrew Athaliah and restored him to the throne. Joash did well all the days of Jehoiada the priest and even repaired the Temple, but he turned evil after the death of Jehoiada (2 Chron. 22-24). |
Joel, son of Pethuel Zechariah, son of Jehoiada |
| Amaziah 796-767 (29 yrs), Good, but not like David, then evil | |
| Uzziah 790-740 (52 yrs), Good, then proud, then humbled | Azariah the priest |
| Jotham 750-731 (16 yrs), Good | Isaiah, son of Amoz Micah of Moresheth |
| Ahaz 735-715 (16 yrs), Evil like kings of Israel | Isaiah, son of Amoz Micah of Moresheth |
| Hezekiah 715-686 (29 yrs), Good, like David He restored temple worship and the celebration of Passover, and then with the help of Isaiah, he withstood the Assyrian assault that had taken away Israel (2 Chron. 29-32) |
Isaiah, son of Amoz Micah of Moresheth |
| Manasseh 695-642 (55 yrs), Very evil king He led Judah to do more evil than the nations which the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel. The Lord condemned Judah, but Manasseh later repented, so judgement would not come until a later time(2 Kings 21; 2 Chron. 33) |
Isaiah, son of Amoz |
| Amon 642-640 (2 yrs), Evil | |
| Josiah 640-609 (31 yrs), Very good, the most righteous of all the kings. Brought revival during his reign. Hilkiah the priest found the book of the Law of Moses while repairing the Temple. Josiah restored the Passover celebration (2 Chron. 34-35) |
Zephaniah, son of Cushi Habakkuk Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah |
| Jehoahaz 609 (3 months), Evil | Habakkuk Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah |
| Jehoiakim 609-597 (11 yrs), Evil (Jehoahaz’ brother) Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, first defeated Judah in 605 B.C. and Jehoiakim became his vassal |
Habakkuk Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah |
| Jehoiachin 597 (3 months), Evil Nebuchadnezzar returned in 597 and recaptured Jerusalem. This time he carried away the treasures of the temple and all the leaders and skilled people. |
Habakkuk Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah |
| Zedekiah 597-586 (11 yrs), Evil (Jehoiakim’s brother) Nebuchadnezzar made Zedekiah the king, but nine years later he rebelled so in 586 Nebuchadnezzar returned and captured Jerusalem again.This time he burned and plundered the city including the temple. |
Habakkuk Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah |
The Lord sent many prophets to Judah just has He had Israel to warn them about their coming destruction because of their sin. However, other than the brief revival under Josiah, the last 110 years of the Judah’s existence was continual evil. What had been foretold and warned about over and over again had come true when Babylon conquered & destroyed Jerusalem and deported its people. They were now scattered among the nations as had been prophesied (Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 4:27, 28).
The Prophets
While it is important to note that the Lord sent prophets through out the history of Judah & Israel to warn the nations about the consequences of their evil in turning from the Lord, those same prophets also gave them hope. They expanded on the promise given in Deuteronomy 4:28-31 & 30:1-6 that even after they had been taken captive, if they would return to the Lord and obey Him, then He would have compassion on them and restore them from captivity. The prophets followed their warnings and condemnations with a consistent message of a future restoration. This was more than just a return to the land and prosperity, for it also included that the Lord would circumcise their hearts and those of their descendants to love the Lord with all their heart and soul (Deut. 30:5-6).
For example, Jeremiah 25:11-12 states that the Babylonian captivity would last for seventy years. Daniel 9 records that he took great encouragement when he read that for he realized that the time was almost completed, and Cyrus did allow the first exiles to return in 538 B.C. But Jeremiah predicted much more than this in Jeremiah 31 where he speaks of a new covenant in which the Lord declared that He would put His law into the hearts of His people so that they would know the Lord, be forgiven their iniquity, and have their sins remembered no more. Ezekiel 37:26-28 would speak of the same thing at a later time calling it an “everlasting covenant” in which the Lord would dwell among them again with His sanctuary in their midst forever.
The other prophets carry similar themes speaking of an eventual return that would be permanent in nature. Joel speaks of a future Day of the Lord in which the Lord would judge the nations, show signs in the heavens and bring about an unprecedented prosperity to Judah in which Judah would be inhabited forever and Jerusalem for all generations (chapter 3). That same message can also be found in the other prophets that lived prior to the captivity including Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, Micah and Zephaniah. We will see next week that the prophets living after the captivity also said the same thing (Ezekiel, Zechariah, Haggai and Malachi). In addition, intertwined within these messages of hope is the prediction of the coming of Messiah, the greater son of David who would occupy His throne forever. The one of whom Isaiah 9:6,7 says will have “the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of [His] government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.” The one described in Isaiah 53 as the suffering servant that would take away our sins.
Conclusions
The difference between the cycle of judges and the period of the kings is simply that the people would follow the king. A good king would bring God’s blessing to the nation. The sins of a bad king would bring God’s curses. People have not changed any since those ancient times. When leaders are evil those under them tend to follow their example and also slide into evil. A good leader that seeks to follow God can prevent those under him from falling into evil and can even bring them to at least outward conformity to God’s moral laws.
However, every individual will choose whether they will or will not follow the example of those in authority over them. While people who are committed to following the Lord are of course in danger of being led astray by their leaders, they will not knowingly follow into evil. Such people can be used by the Lord in a similar manner as the prophets of old to encourage good leaders while correcting and warning bad leaders. At the same time, those who are rebellious will seek after evil regardless of the moral qualities of their leaders.
The question left for you is what is your own personal commitment to following the Lord? Are you willing to stand up like the prophets of old for what is right and speak out even when your leaders and the rest of society are going the opposite direction? Or will you go with the flow and follow then into evil?
KIDS CORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help.
Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Do one or more of the following: 1) Write down all the verses mentioned in the sermon and look them up later. 2) Count how many kings were good and how many were bad. Talk with your parents about those who are leaders in your life and whose example you should follow.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. What difference did it make to the nation whether they had a series of judges or system of kings? What were the major differences between Saul and David? How did Solomon show wisdom even before the Lord first appeared to him in 1 Kings 3? How did he show wisdom after the Lord had granted it to him? Describe the vast wealth that the Lord granted to Solomon. What was Solomon’s greatest accomplishment? Describe it. What led to Solomon turning away from the Lord? What were the consequences? Why did the kingdom split under Rehoboam? What were Jeroboam’s great sins? What was the Lord’s response to them? What is the importance of 1 Kings 13:1-3 being fulfilled in 1 Kings 23? What was the moral nature of all the kings of Israel and why were they that way? What made Ahab more evil than all the previous kings? Name some of the major prophets sent to Israel? To Judah? Why did the Lord allow Assyria to conquer and deport Israel in 722 B.C.? Why did Judah last longer than the kingdom of Israel? Jehoshaphat was a good king himself, but what did he do that set up the kingdom to become evil after his reign? What were some of the good things Joash did? Why did he latter turn against the Lord? What happened to Uzziah that humbled him after his heart became proud? What reforms did Hezekiah make in his reign? What was his greatest threat & victory? Why is Josiah declared to be the best of the kings of Judah (1 Kings 23:25)? Describe the three stages by which Babylon conquered, deported, plundered, and destroyed Jerusalem? For what temporal purposes did the Lord send His prophets to Israel and Judah? What hope did the prophets give for future national restoration? Describe the nature of that restoration(s)? What were some of the prophecies about the future Messiah? What effect can a leader have on the moral direction of a nation? What is your own commitment in following the Lord?
Sermon Notes – December 9, 2007
Of Kings & Prophets – 1 & 2 Kings and Pre-Exilic Prophets
Introduction
The people rejected the theocracy and cried out for a _________ to be like the other nations
A system of kings could force continued ____________ to at least the rudimentary aspects of the law
The main differences between Saul & David were ___________ and _______________
Good kings would lead to godliness and ____________ ; Evil kings would lead to sin and ___________
Solomon – 1 Kings 1-12
Solomon began well asking the Lord for __________ to lead instead of riches, honor or long life
Solomon was the ___________ man that has ever lived
Solomon’s greatest work was the construction of the ______________
When the ark was brought into the temple, the ____________ of the Lord filled it – driving the priests out
The dedication of the temple included the sacrifice of __________ oxen and _________ sheep
Solomon turned from the Lord because of his many _________ _________ – Deut. 17:17; 1 Kings 11
The Lord would ___________ the kingdom in the reign of Solomon’s Son
The Lord sent _________ __________ Solomon the rest of the days of his reign
Rehoboam & Jeroboam – the Kingdom Divides (1 Kings 12-14)
Rehoboam did not follow the counsel of ____________ and Israel abandoned him
It was the Lord that made ______________ king of Israel (1 Kings 11)
Jeroboam was offered an enduring house if he would ___________ the Lord, but he did not
Jeroboam set up altars at Bethel and at Dan for ______________ of the true God
A prophet predicted the exact nature of the destruction of ___________ and who would do it (1 Kings 13)
About 300 years later, Josiah destroyed the __________ just as had been prophesied (1 Kings 23)
The Lord would cut off ____________ and raise up another king.
All future kings of Israel would be compared to _________________
The Kings of Israel
All the kings of Israel were at least as _________ as Jeroboam, some were much, much worse
The Lord sent prophets to warn the kings and the people about their _______ and coming ___________
King Ahab was more ___________ than all the kings prior to him
Among the prophets sent to Israel were Elijah, _________, Amos and ___________
Israel fell to the ________________ in 722 B.C. because they refused to listen to the prophets
Israel was carried away into captivity according to the warnings of Lev. _____ , Deut. _____ & Joshua 23
The Kings of Judah – 2 Chronicles 10-36
The Kingdom of Judah had both _______ kings and _______ kings
Jehoshaphat was good, but brought evil upon Judah because he had his son marry a daughter of _______
Athaliah, the daughter Ahab, was an usurper that tried to __________ all rivals to the throne
Joash began well and even repaired the Temple, but ____________ after the death of Jehoiada the priest
Hezekiah was a good king that with the help of Isaiah withstood the _____________ assault.
Manasseh was very evil and brought condemnation upon Judah, but he himself ______________
Josiah was the most __________ of all the kings and brought revival to Judah during his reign
Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah & Jerusalem in ________ B.C.
Nebuchadnezzar plundered the Temple and deported the leaders and skilled workman in __________ B.C.
Nebuchadnezzar plundered and burned Jerusalem and the Temple down in _________ B.C.
The Prophets
The prophets were sent to encourage righteousness and warn about sin and its consequences
The prophets also spoke of a future restoration that would occur after captivity
Jeremiah prophesied a 70 year captivity (ch. 25), but also a new covenant (31)
Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, Micah and Zephaniah also said similar things about a future _________ kingdom
A future Messiah would come and sit on David’s throne ________ (Isa. 9) and take away their sin (Isa. 53)
Conclusions
Leaders can set the _____________ of a nation for either good or evil
Each individual must choose whom they will follow, either the _______ or those that cater to their _____
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