Kingdom Divided Lesson 17 – 2 Kings 21-25; 2 Chronicles 33-36

 

Note:  For clarity the Kings of Israel are coded in Orange and Kings of Judah are coded in Blue.

2 Kings 21; 2 Chronicles 33 – King Manasseh of Judah

When Hezekiah passed, his son Manasseh succeeded him as king of Judah when he was 12 years old and reigned for 55 years.  Like so many other kings, he did evil in the eyes of the Lord.  He rebuilt the high places for idol worship that his father had destroyed.  He led the people into idolatry and sin.  He sacrificed his own son, practiced sorcery and divination and consulted mediums and spiritists.  He did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.  The people found themselves like the northern kingdom of Israel who rejected God.  Because of this, God was angered and brought the Assyria army against him and took him prisoner.

2 Chronicles 33 tell us that in Manasseh’s destress he sought the favor of the Lord and he humbled himself and turned to God.  God responded by listening to his pleas and brought him back to Jerusalem to rule his kingdom.  Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.  He received God’s forgiveness and changed his life.  He destroyed the foreign gods and altars and restored the Lord’s altars.  He told the people to serve the Lord.  But the people still continued sacrifices at the high places, but only to the Lord.

Principle:  God forgives when we humbled ourselves and turn to Him.

After Manasseh’s death his son, Amon became king.  He refused to follow his father’s example of repentance and he did evil in the eyes of the Lord.  He worshipped idols and bowed before them.  His officials plotted against him and assassinated him.  Then the people killed all those who plotted against King Amon and made Josiah his son king.

2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chronicles 34-35 – King Josiah of Judah

Josiah’s heart for God brought reformation and restoration to Judah.  He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of David.  He purged Judah and Jerusalem of high places where idols were worshipped.  He restored the temple of the Lord. (2 Chronicles 34:1-8)

The book of the law of the Lord was recovered by Hilkiah the high priest.  When the book was read, they were aware that they had sinned against God.   When Josiah heard the words of the law, he was humbled because they had broken every commandment.

Josiah sent word to the prophetess, Huldah to inquire more of the Lord.  She described the unrepentant Judah and the disaster awaiting the nation.  Josiah destroyed anything and anyone who was against the Lord.  He destroyed images of other gods, places of worship, the sacrificial altar to Baal and Asherah.  He tore down buildings, temples, and anything that offended God.  He got rid of the mediums and spiritists.  After he had done all these things, He gave orders to celebrate the Passover.  The Passover hadn’t been observed since the days of the judges.

Principle:  God’s Word can convict our hearts.

The Lord was pleased with Josiah and all he had done, but not with the people of Judah.  There was judgment awaiting Judah because of all Manasseh had done.  He still decided to remove them from the land in the next few generations.

Josiah battled with the king Assyria and king of Egypt, Pharaoh Neco.  Josiah was defeated in battle and was killed by Neco.  Then Josiah’s son Jehoahaz was anointed king.  Josiah’s reforms didn’t last long.  Jehoahaz did evil in the sight of the Lord.  He reigned only three months. 

Neco dominated Judah.  He put Jehoahaz in chains and imposed a levy on Judah.  Neco made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king and changed his name to Jehoiakim.  Jehoahaz was taken to Egypt and there he died.

2 Kings 24; 2 Chronicles 35:1-14 – King Jehoiakim of Judah

Jehoiakim taxed the land according to the command of Pharaoh Neco.  He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and didn’t follow the ways of Josiah.  Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land of Judah and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years.  Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.  The Lord sent Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite and ammonite raiders against him to destroy Judah. 

Then Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin became king of Judah and reigned for three months.  He also did evil in the eyes of the Lord.  When Nebuchadnezzar laid siege on Jerusalem, Jehoiachin was taken prisoner along with his mother, wives, princes, servants, and other officials.  The temple treasures and all the gold articles were removed from the royal palace.  The prophecy against Jerusalem was taking form.

The Babylonian king appointed Mattaniah as king of Judah.  His name was changed to Zedekiah.  He was the uncle of Jehoiachin.  He ruled for eleven years before he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.   

Principle:  When God’s promises of salvation are ignored, His promises of judgment will be fulfilled.

2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 36:15-23 – The Fall of Jerusalem

Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon.  Nebuchadnezzar marched against Jerusalem and encamped outside the city.  For two years there was no traffic going into and coming out of the city.  Because of this, famine became severe.  Finally, King Zedekiah of Judah was able to break through.  Zedekiah fled at night with his guards, but he was captured and put in prison.  The Babylonian army emptied and burned the city, destroying any major structures and buildings.  They burned the house of the Lord, Solomon’s great temple.

Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah as governor of Judah.  Then a royal family member named Ishmael killed Gedaliah which made everyone flee to Egypt in fear of the Chaldeans response.  Chaldeans is another name for Babylonians.  Most of the people were killed, but a captured remnant was taken to Babylon to serve as slaves for 70 years.

Jehoiachin as set free by the new rule of Babylon, Evil-Merodach.   He was shown kindness by the new king and was provided for all his days.

Judah’s final four kings led the nation’s to its final fall.  Jehoahaz did evil in the eyes of the Lord.  Jehoiakim did evil in the eyes of the Lord and taxed the people to pay Neco what he had demanded.  Jehoiachin did evil in the eyes of the Lord.  Zedekiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord and didn’t humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah.  He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and wouldn’t turn to the Lord.  He as well as the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful.

The Lord tried to reach the people by sending messengers to warn them.  He brought consequences down on them for their sins.  Then He took their kings away in captivity and gradually He took them, too.  The people responded by mocking the messengers while they continued in sin and followed other gods. 

We have learned God’s righteous ways in Jerusalem’s fall.  He was patient and postponed judgment for hundreds of years giving them every chance to repent.  His righteousness always prevails.  He requires judgment of sin.  We should worship God in times of grief, uncertainty, change, instability, joy or celebration.  We have no hope without God.  He created you and he knows what’s best for you.  Only God is worthy of our worship.

Principle:  God’s righteousness always prevails.

What is keeping you from worshipping the one true God?

What in your life do you put in front of God?

Do you seek Him only in the bad times?

This week attribute of God is He is Righteous.  Everything He is and does is right.  He never lies.  He is fair, just and faithful in all He does.  He expects us to be righteous.  God’s righteousness requires judgment of sin.  We can’t be perfectly righteous, but He sees us as clothed with Christ’s righteousness.  “The Lord is righteous in all His ways” – Psalm 145:17a

Next time we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided with Isaiah.  Hope to see you here. – I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Kingdom Divided Lesson 16 – 2 Kings 15-22; 2 Chronicles 26-32

 

Note:  For clarity the Kings of Israel are coded in Orange and Kings of Judah are coded in Blue.

2 Kings 15-17 – Israel Exiled

Azariah (AKA Uzziah) was 16 when he became king of Judah and reigned for 52 years.  In the last years of his life the Lord gave him leprosy and when he died his son, Jotham ruled Judah.  They both did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  They obeyed God, but neglected to remove the idolatrous shrines and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.  

Then Jotham’s son, Ahaz became king of Judah and reigned for 16 years.  He did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  He led Judah in acts of idolatry and rejected God.  God allowed attacks on Judah by Syria and Israel.  Ahaz sacrificed his own children, which was an abomination in God’s sight.  God brought suffering to Judah to provide an opportunity for Judah to repent.

There was a series of five kings who reigned over Israel - Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah and Pekah ruled.  They all did evil and continued with idolatry in Israel.  King Hosea was the last king of Israel. 

God allowed the king of Assyria to capture much of the northern part of the kingdom of Israel, because they had sinned against the Lord.  They were rebellious and refused to listen to the Lord’s prophets and continued to worship idols.  Because of their stubbornness the Lord was done with them.  He expelled them from the land by the Assyrian king.  God was compassionate and delayed His judgment, but His promise stood firm.  Just as God had promised, Assyria defeated Israel and took them into exile.

Even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord.  They followed the same practices of Israel so the Lord rejected them.  But Judah was more faithful to God than the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  Judah saw what had happened to Israel, yet they ignored the lessons and imitated the sins of Israel.

The king of Assyria brought in different people to live in the land in place of the children of Israel.  These people were mega sinners and didn’t fear the Lord so the Lord sent lions in to grab their attention.  God used the lions to convert them.  They were so fearful that a priest was brought in to teach the people what the Lord required.  They gave some respect to the God of Israel, because they didn’t want to be eaten by lions.  They still served their own gods and picked and chose what religious beliefs that pleased them.

It's like that today.  There are many religions.  Romans 1:19-20 gives us an explanation for why there are so any religions.  The truth of God is seen and known by every human because God has made it so.  Instead of accepting the truth about God and submitting to it, many reject it and seek their own way to understand God.  People pick and choose what pleases them.  They follow meaningless religious practices because it makes them feel good about themselves. 

Even if they read their Bible, some choose to believe only the parts of it.  They let their feelings, desires and emotions override what Scripture says.  They are stiffed-necked and stubborn just like Israel.  They ignore and reject the one true Sovereign God and are following themselves.  Believing in our Creator God and all of the Bible means that you have put your trust in a message that is greater than you.

Principle:  God’s allows difficulties in life so we can recognize our lack of control and the need to depend on Him.

2 Kings 18-20 – King Hezekiah

Ahaz’s son, Hezekiah became king of Judah.  He reigned for 29 years and was one of the better kings.  He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  There was none like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.  The first thing he did was to remove the high places where idols were worshipped, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He led Judah in the worship and honoring of  God. God worked through him to preserve the royal line of King David.

Hezekiah stopped paying a tribute to King Sennacherib of Assyria so Sennacherib decided to invade Judah.  Then Hezekiah paid the tribute and Sennacherib decided against going to war.  Hezekiah sent silver and gold, but Sennacherib wanted more.  He demanded Hezekiah bow down to him.  The people were threatened and scared because of what the Assyria had done to other nations.  Judah listened but remained silent.  King Hezekiah and the people went to the Lord in prayer.

God answered his prayer through the prophet Isaiah.  Isaiah foretold that Sennacherib would be defeated and Judah would have victory.  Hezekiah fortified Jerusalem and Isaiah’s words came true.  That night an angel of the Lord came out and put to death 185,000 Assyrian soldiers.  Sennacherib fled back to Assyria.

Hezekiah became ill and Isaiah went to him with a message from the Lord to set his house in order because he was about to die.  Once again Hezekiah went to the Lord and prayed for healing.  The Lord listened and immediately had Isaiah return and report that the Lord heard his petition and had added 15 years to his life.

When the Babylonian king heard of Hezekiah illness, he sent his son and messengers with gifts.  Hezekiah was happy about this and showed them all the things and the people within his kingdom.  The Lord sent Isaiah to Hezekiah again, this time he condemned his behavior.  He told him that everything and everyone he had showed to Babylon would be carried off into captivity in the future.  However, there was peace during Hezekiah’s lifetime.  When Hezekiah died, his son Manasseh became king.

Principle:  God alone is the Lord and He is the one that determines our destiny.

Lessons from 2 Kings 20:

The nature of life is unpredictable.

Keep your house in order.

Prayer changes things.

God can turn any situation around.

Leave the impossible to God.

God can turn back the clock for you.

The Lord is your Restorer.

Key verse:  “For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.” – 2 Chronicles 30:9b

This week’s attribute of God is He is Jealous.  He is jealous when His children devote their time and attention to unrighteous things.  He wants us to be devoted to Him and Him alone.  God deserves our worship.  “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” - Exodus 34:14

Next time we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided - 2 Kings 21.  Hope to see you here. – I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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