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The Book of 2 Chronicles Like You_ve Never Seen Before · truthunedited

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Speaker 1: When King David died, his son Solomon, stepped into one
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Speaker 1: of the most challenging positions in ancient history. The young
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Speaker 1: man didn't just inherit a throne. He inherited the responsibility
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Speaker 1: of building something that had never been built before, a
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Speaker 1: permanent house for the God of Israel. What happened next
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Speaker 1: would become one of the most incredible construction projects the
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Speaker 1: world had ever seen, filled with divine encounters, international partnerships,
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Speaker 1: and materials so precious they seemed almost impossible to gather.
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Speaker 1: After David's death, Solomon found himself as the new king
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Speaker 1: of Israel. But being young and inexperienced, he knew he
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Speaker 1: needed help. So Solomon went to Gibeon, where the most
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Speaker 1: important altar stood. In Chapter one, verse three, we read
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Speaker 1: that Solomon and all the congregation with him went to
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Speaker 1: the high place that was at Gibeon, for there was
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Speaker 1: the tabernacle of the Congregation of God. This wasn't just
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Speaker 1: a casual visit. Solomon came here with a specific purpose.
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Speaker 1: At Gibeon, Solomon did something that would change everything. He
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Speaker 1: offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar. Think about
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Speaker 1: that number, A thousand sacrifices This wasn't a small gesture.
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Speaker 1: Solomon was showing God just how serious he was about
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Speaker 1: seeking divine guidance. And that night something amazing happened. God
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Speaker 1: appeared to Solomon in a dream. In Chapter one, verse seven,
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Speaker 1: God said to him, ask what I shall give thee
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Speaker 1: Imagine being in Solomon's position. The creator of the universe
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Speaker 1: just told you to ask for anything you want. What
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Speaker 1: would you choose? Riches, long life, victory over enemies. Solomon's
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Speaker 1: answer revealed the kind of heart he had. Solomon replied
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Speaker 1: with words that showed incredible wisdom even before he received it.
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Speaker 1: In verses eight to ten, he said, thou hast showed
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Speaker 1: great mercy unto day my father, and hast made me
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Speaker 1: to reign in his stead. Now, o Lord God, let
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Speaker 1: thy promise unto David my father, be established. For thou
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Speaker 1: hast made me king over a people like the dust
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Speaker 1: of the earth in multitude. Give me now wisdom and
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Speaker 1: knowledge that I may go out and come in before
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Speaker 1: this people. For who can judge this thy people? That
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Speaker 1: is so great? God was pleased with Solomon's request. Instead
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Speaker 1: of asking for personal gain, Solomon asked for wisdom to
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Speaker 1: lead God's people well in verses eleven to twelve. God responded,
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Speaker 1: because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not
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Speaker 1: asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of thine enemies.
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Speaker 1: Neither yet hast asked long life, but hast asked wisdom
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Speaker 1: and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people
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Speaker 1: over whom I have made THEE king. Wisdom and knowledge
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Speaker 1: is granted unto THEE, and I will give THEE riches
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Speaker 1: and wealth and honor such as none of the kings
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Speaker 1: have had that have been before THEE, neither shall there
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Speaker 1: any after THEE have the like. This divine encounter changed
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Speaker 1: everything for Solomon. God didn't just give him what he
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Speaker 1: asked for, He gave him much more. Solomon would become
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Speaker 1: the wisest man who ever lived, but he would also
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Speaker 1: become incredibly wealthy and honored throughout the world. When Solomon
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Speaker 1: returned to Jerusalem, he began to establish his kingdom. Chapter one,
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Speaker 1: verse fourteen tells us that Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen,
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Speaker 1: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots and
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Speaker 1: twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities,
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Speaker 1: and with the king at Jerusalem. His military strength was growing,
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Speaker 1: but Solomon had something much bigger on his mind. David,
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Speaker 1: Solomon's father had wanted to build a temple for God,
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Speaker 1: but God had told him that his son would be
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Speaker 1: the one to do it. Now that time had come,
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Speaker 1: Solomon began making prepperations for the most important building project
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Speaker 1: in Israel's history. But this wasn't something he could do alone.
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Speaker 1: He would need help from neighboring kingdoms. Solomon reached out
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Speaker 1: to Huram, the king of Tire. In Chapter two, verse three,
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Speaker 1: Solomon sent messengers to Hurum, saying, as thou didst deal
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Speaker 1: with David my father, and didst send him cedars to
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Speaker 1: build him an house to dwell Therein even so deal
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Speaker 1: with me. Solomon knew that Tire had the best cedar
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Speaker 1: would in the region, and he would need lots of
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Speaker 1: it for the temple. Solomon explained his vision to Hurahm
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Speaker 1: in verses four to six. Behold, I build an house
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Speaker 1: to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate
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Speaker 1: it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense,
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Speaker 1: and for the continual shoe bread, and for the burnt
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Speaker 1: offerings morning and evening on the Sabbaths. And on the
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Speaker 1: new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the Lord
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Speaker 1: our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel. And
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Speaker 1: the house which I build is great, for great is
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Speaker 1: our God above all gods. But who is able to
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Speaker 1: build him a house? Seeing the heaven and heaven of
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Speaker 1: heavens cannot contain him? Who am I then, that I
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Speaker 1: should build him in house, save only to burn sacrifice
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Speaker 1: before him. Solomon wasn't just asking for materials, He was
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Speaker 1: asking for skilled workers too. In verse seven, he requested,
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Speaker 1: send me now, therefore a man cunning to work in
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Speaker 1: gold and in silver, and in brass, and in iron,
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Speaker 1: and in purple and crimson and blue, and that can
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Speaker 1: skill to grave with the cunning men that are with
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Speaker 1: me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father
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Speaker 1: did provide. Hurram's response was enthusiastic. In verses eleven to twelve,
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Speaker 1: Hurram wrote back, because the Lord hath loved his people,
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Speaker 1: he hath made thee king over them. Hooram said. Moreover,
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Speaker 1: blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that made heaven
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Speaker 1: and earth, who hath given to David the King a
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Speaker 1: wise son, endued with prudence and understanding that might build
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Speaker 1: an house for the Lord and an house for his kingdom.
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Speaker 1: Oram sent Solomon exactly what he needed. In verses thirteen
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Speaker 1: to fourteen, he provided a cunning man endued with understanding
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Speaker 1: of Huram, my father's the son of a woman of
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Speaker 1: the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man
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Speaker 1: of tire, skillful to work in gold and in silver,
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Speaker 1: in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple,
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Speaker 1: in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson, also
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Speaker 1: to grave any manner of graving, and to find out
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Speaker 1: every device which shall be put to him. But Solomon
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Speaker 1: needed more than just skilled craftsmen. He needed workers, lots
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Speaker 1: of them. In verse seventeen, we learned that Solomon numbered
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Speaker 1: all the strangers that were in the land of Israel
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Speaker 1: after the numbering wherewith David, his father had numbered them,
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Speaker 1: and they were found one hundred and fifty and three
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Speaker 1: thousand and six hundred. These weren't israel Lights, but foreigners
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Speaker 1: living in Israel who would help with the construction. Solomon
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Speaker 1: organized these workers carefully. Verse eighteen tells us and he
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Speaker 1: set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers
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Speaker 1: of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain,
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Speaker 1: and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the
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Speaker 1: people a work. That's seventy thousand people carrying materials, eighty
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Speaker 1: thousand cutting stone in the mountains, and three thousand, six
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Speaker 1: hundred supervisors, a massive work force for a massive project.
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Speaker 1: Now came the moment everyone had been waiting for. In
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Speaker 1: chapter three, verse one, we read, then Solomon began to
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Speaker 1: build the House of the Lord at Jerusalem in Mount Moriah,
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Speaker 1: where the Lord appeared unto David, his father, in the
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Speaker 1: place that David had prepared in the threshing floor of
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Speaker 1: Hoorn and the Jebusite. This location wasn't chosen randomly. It
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Speaker 1: was the exact spot where God had appeared to David
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Speaker 1: and where Abrah had been willing to sacrifice Isaac's centuries before.
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Speaker 1: The timing was specific two. Verse two tells us and
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Speaker 1: he began to build in the second day of the
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Speaker 1: second month, in the fourth year of his reign. Solomon
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Speaker 1: had been preparing for years, and now the actual construction
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Speaker 1: could begin. The temple Solomon built was unlike anything the
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Speaker 1: world had ever seen. The dimensions were impressive, Verse three
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Speaker 1: describes the length by cubits after the first measure was
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Speaker 1: three score cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. But it
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Speaker 1: wasn't just the size that made it special. It was
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Speaker 1: the materials and craftsmanship. Gold was everywhere. Verse four mentions
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Speaker 1: the porch that was in the front of the house.
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Speaker 1: The length of it was, according to the breadth of
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Speaker 1: the house, twenty cubits, and the height was one hundred
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Speaker 1: and twenty. And he overlaid it within with pure gold.
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Speaker 1: Pure gold, not just a thin co uting, but substantial
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Speaker 1: amounts of the most precious metal available. The main hall
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Speaker 1: was even more spectacular. Verse five tells us and the
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Speaker 1: greater house he sealed with fir tree, which he overlaid
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Speaker 1: with fine gold and set thereon palm trees and chains.
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Speaker 1: The ceiling wasn't just wood, It was wood covered with
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Speaker 1: fine gold, decorated with palm trees and chains. Every detail
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Speaker 1: was crafted with incredible skill and expensive materials. But Solomon
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Speaker 1: didn't stop there. Versix says, and he garnished the house
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Speaker 1: with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold
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Speaker 1: of Parvaim, precious stones and gold from Parvaim, which was
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Speaker 1: known for producing the finest gold available. This wasn't just
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Speaker 1: a building, it was a masterpiece. The amount of gold
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Speaker 1: used was staggering. Verse eight mentions the Most Holy House,
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Speaker 1: the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house,
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Speaker 1: twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits. And he
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Speaker 1: overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
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Speaker 1: Six hundred talents of gold. To put that in perspective,
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Speaker 1: that's about twenty two tons of pure gold just for
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Speaker 1: one room. Even the nails were special. Verse nine tells
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Speaker 1: us and the weight of the nails was fifty shekels
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Speaker 1: of gold gold nails. Solomon wasn't cutting corners anywhere. Every
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Speaker 1: single detail, down to the fasteners, was made from the
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Speaker 1: most precious materials. The craftsmanship was as impressive as the materials.
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Speaker 1: Solomon had cherubim made for the Most Holy Place, not
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Speaker 1: small decorations, but massive sculptures. Verses ten thirteen described them.
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Speaker 1: And in the Most Holy House he made two cherubims
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Speaker 1: of image work and overlaid them with gold. And the
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Speaker 1: wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long. One wing
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Speaker 1: of the one cherub was five cubits reaching to the
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Speaker 1: wall of the house, and the other wing was likewise
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Speaker 1: five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
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Speaker 1: And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits,
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Speaker 1: reaching to the wall of the house, and the other
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Speaker 1: wing was five cubits, also joining to the wing of
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Speaker 1: the other cherub. The wings of these cherubims spread themselves
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Speaker 1: forth twenty cubits, and they stood on their feet, and
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Speaker 1: their faces were inward. These cherubim were enormous. Their combined
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Speaker 1: wingspan was twenty cubits about thirty feet, and they were
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Speaker 1: covered in gold. Standing in the most sacred part of
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Speaker 1: the temple, where God's presence would dwell. The temple also
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Speaker 1: had a beautiful veil. Verse fourteen says, and he made
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Speaker 1: the veil of blue and purple and crimson and fine linen,
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Speaker 1: and wrought cherubims thereon. This wasn't just fabric, It was
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Speaker 1: fine linen in royal colors with cherubim embroidered on it.
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Speaker 1: Separating the holy place from the most holy place. Outside
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Speaker 1: the temple, Solomon had two massive pillars made Chapter three,
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Speaker 1: Verses fifteen seventeen described them. Also, he made before the
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Speaker 1: house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and
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Speaker 1: the chapiter that was on the top of each of
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Speaker 1: them was five cubits. And he made chains as in
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Speaker 1: the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars,
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Speaker 1: and made an hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains.
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Speaker 1: And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one
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Speaker 1: on the right hand and the other on the left,
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Speaker 1: and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin,
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Speaker 1: and the name of that on the left Boaz. These
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Speaker 1: pillars were over fifty feet tall, decorated with chains and
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Speaker 1: a hundred bronze pomegranates each. They had names Jakin and Boaz,
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Speaker 1: and they stood as impressive monuments at the temple entrance.
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Speaker 1: Solomon also created incredible bronze work for the temple. In
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Speaker 1: chapter four, verse one, we read moreover, he made an
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Speaker 1: altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty
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Speaker 1: cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.
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Speaker 1: This bronze altar was thirty feet square and fifteen feet high,
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Speaker 1: a massive structure for offering sacrifices. But perhaps the most
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Speaker 1: impressive bronze creation was the sea verses two till five
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Speaker 1: describe it. Also, he made a molten sea of ten
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Speaker 1: cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five
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Speaker 1: cubits the height thereof, and a line of thirty cubits
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Speaker 1: did compass it round about and under it was the
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Speaker 1: similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about ten
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Speaker 1: in a cubit compassing the sea round about two rows
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Speaker 1: of oxen were cast. When it was cast. It stood
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Speaker 1: upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three
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Speaker 1: looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south,
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Speaker 1: and three looking toward the east. And the sea was
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Speaker 1: set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward,
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Speaker 1: and the thickness of it was an hand breadth, and
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Speaker 1: the brim of it like the work of the brim
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Speaker 1: of a cup with flowers of lilies. And it received
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Speaker 1: and held three thousand baths. This bronze sea was fifteen
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Speaker 1: feet across and seven point five feet high, holding about
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Speaker 1: seventeen thousand a gallons of water. It sat on twelve
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Speaker 1: bronze oxen, three facing each direction. The craftsmanship was so
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Speaker 1: detailed that the brim was shaped like a cup with
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Speaker 1: lily flowers, and the bronze was only about three inches thick.
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Speaker 1: Despite the enormous size, Solomon also made ten smaller basins
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Speaker 1: for washing, described in Verses six to eight. He made
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Speaker 1: also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand
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Speaker 1: and five on the left, to wash in them. Such
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Speaker 1: things as they offered. For the burnt offering, they washed
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Speaker 1: in them. But the sea was for the priests to
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Speaker 1: wash in. And he made ten candlesticks of gold, according
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Speaker 1: to their form, and set them in the temple, five
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Speaker 1: on the right hand and five on the left. He
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Speaker 1: made also ten tables and placed them in the temple,
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Speaker 1: five on the right hand and five on the left.
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Speaker 1: And he made an hundred basins of gold, ten golden lampstands,
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Speaker 1: ten tables, and a hundred golden bowls. The amount of
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Speaker 1: gold and skilled work was incredible. Every piece served a
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Speaker 1: purpose in the temple worship, but each was also a
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Speaker 1: work of art. The temple had multiple courtyards too. Verse
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Speaker 1: nine tells us furthermore, he made the court of the
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Speaker 1: priests and the great court, and doors for the court,
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Speaker 1: and overlaid the doors of them with brass. Even the
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Speaker 1: doors were overlaid with bronze showing attention to detail throughout
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Speaker 1: the entire complex. When all the construction was finally finished,
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Speaker 1: Solomon brought in everything his father David had dedicated. Chapter five,
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Speaker 1: Verse one says, Thus all the work that Solomon made
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Speaker 1: for the House of the Lord was finished, and Solomon
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Speaker 1: brought in all the things that David, his father had dedicated,
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Speaker 1: and the silver and the gold, and all the instruments,
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Speaker 1: put he among the treasures of the House of God.
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Speaker 1: But the most important moment was still to come. Solomon
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Speaker 1: gathered all the leaders of Israel for the dedication of
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Speaker 1: the temple. Verse two tells us, then Solomon assembled the
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Speaker 1: elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes,
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Speaker 1: the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel,
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Speaker 1: unto Jerusalem to bring up the Ark of the Covenant
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Speaker 1: of the Lord out of the city of David, which
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Speaker 1: is Zion. The Ark of the Covenant was the most
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Speaker 1: sacred object in Israel. It represented God's presence among his people.
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Speaker 1: Moving it into the new Temple was the moment that
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Speaker 1: we make all their work meaningful. Verse three describes the gathering,
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Speaker 1: wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves and to
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Speaker 1: the King in the feast, which was in the seventh month.
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Speaker 1: This wasn't a small ceremony. All the men of Israel
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Speaker 1: came to Jerusalem for this historic moment. The priests carefully
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Speaker 1: carried the Ark into the temple Verses seven to eight
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Speaker 1: tell Us. And the priests brought in the Ark of
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Speaker 1: the Covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the
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Speaker 1: oracle of the House, into the most holy place, even
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Speaker 1: under the wings of the Cherubims. For the Cherubims spread
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Speaker 1: forth their wings over the place of the Ark, and
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Speaker 1: the Cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof Above
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Speaker 1: the ark was placed exactly where it belonged, in the
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Speaker 1: most holy place, under the wings of those massive golden
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Speaker 1: Cherubim Solomon had made. Everything was coming together perfectly. Then
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Speaker 1: Solomon stood before the entire assembly and prayed one of
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Speaker 1: the most beautiful prayers in the Bible. In Chapter six,
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Speaker 1: verse twelve, we read, and he stood before the altar
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Speaker 1: of the Lord, in the presence of all the congregation
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Speaker 1: of Israel, and spread forth his hands. Solomon's prayer wasn't
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Speaker 1: just for himself or even just for Israel. It was
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Speaker 1: a prayer that recognized God's greatness and asked for his
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Speaker 1: continued presence. Solomon began by acknowledging God's faithfulness, Lord, God
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Speaker 1: of Israel, there is no God like THEE in the
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Speaker 1: heaven nor in the earth, which keep his covenant and
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Speaker 1: ShoWest mercy unto Thy servants that walk before THEE with
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Speaker 1: all their hearts Verse fourteen. He recognized that God had
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Speaker 1: kept every promise made to David, and now Solomon was
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Speaker 1: asking God to continue that faithfulness. Solomon's prayer showed he
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Speaker 1: understood something important about God. In verses eighteen to nineteen,
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Speaker 1: he said, but will God, in very deed dwell with
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Speaker 1: men on the earth. Behold, heaven and the heaven of
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Speaker 1: heavens cannot contain THEE. How much less this house which
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Speaker 1: I have built, have respect therefore to the prayer of
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Speaker 1: thy servant and to his supplication, O, Lord, my God,
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Speaker 1: to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy
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Speaker 1: servant prayeth before THEE. Even though Solomon had built this
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Speaker 1: incredible temple, he knew it couldn't actually contain God. He
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Speaker 1: was asking God to choose to be present there, to
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Speaker 1: hear prayers offered there, and to bless his people when
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Speaker 1: they came to worship. Solomon prayed for different situations his
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Speaker 1: people might face, when they sinned and needed forgiveness, when
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Speaker 1: they faced enemies, when there was drought or famine, when
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Speaker 1: foreigners came to worship. His prayer showed he understood that
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Speaker 1: the Temple wasn't just a beautiful building. It was meant
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Speaker 1: to be a place where people could meet with God.
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Speaker 1: Then came the moment every one had been waiting for.
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Speaker 1: When Solomon finished his prayer, something amazing happened. Chapter seven,
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Speaker 1: Verse one tells us, now, when Solomon had made an
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Speaker 1: end of praying, the fire came down from heaven and
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Speaker 1: consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory
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Speaker 1: of the Lord filled the house fire from heaven. God
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Speaker 1: was showing his approval of the temple and accepting the sacrifices.
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Speaker 1: But that wasn't all. God's glory filled the entire building.
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Speaker 1: Verse two says, and the priests could not enter into
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Speaker 1: the house of the Lord because the glory of the
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Speaker 1: Lord had filled the Lord's house. The priests couldn't even
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Speaker 1: go inside because God's presence was so powerful. All the
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Speaker 1: people saw what happened, and their response was immediate. Verse
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Speaker 1: three tells US, And when all the children of Israel
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Speaker 1: saw how the fire came down and the glory of
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Speaker 1: the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their
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Speaker 1: faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshiped and
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Speaker 1: praised the Lord, saying, for he is good, for his
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Speaker 1: mercy endureth forever. Everyone fell down and worshiped, praising God
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Speaker 1: for his goodness and mercy. This wasn't just the dedication
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Speaker 1: of a building. It was the moment when God chose
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Speaker 1: to make his dwelling place among his people in a
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Speaker 1: new and powerful way. All of Solomon's planning, all the
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Speaker 1: skilled work, all the precious materials, all the careful construction,
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Speaker 1: had led to this incredible moment when Heaven touched Earth.
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Speaker 1: After the incredible dedication of the temple, Solomon's reign was
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Speaker 1: about to reach heights that no king before or after
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Speaker 1: would ever achieve. But with great blessing came great responsibility,
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Speaker 1: and the choices Solomon made during these peak years would
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Speaker 1: shape not just his own destiny, but the future of
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Speaker 1: the entire nation of Israel. That very night after the
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Speaker 1: temple dedication, God appeared to Solomon again. Chapter seven, verse
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Speaker 1: twelve tells us and the Lord appeared to Solomon by
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Speaker 1: night and said, unto him, I have heard thy prayer
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Speaker 1: and have chosen this place to myself for an house
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Speaker 1: of sacrifice. God was confirming that he had accepted the
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Speaker 1: Temple as his dwelling place, but he had more important
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Speaker 1: things to say. God's message contained both incredible promise and
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Speaker 1: serious warning. In verses thirteen to fourteen, he explained what
22:31
Speaker 1: would happen in times of trouble if I shut up
22:34
Speaker 1: Heaven that there be no rain, or if I command
22:37
Speaker 1: the locusts to devour the land, or if I send
22:40
Speaker 1: pestilence among my people. If my people, which are called
22:44
Speaker 1: by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek
22:48
Speaker 1: my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will
22:51
Speaker 1: I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and
22:55
Speaker 1: will heal their land. This was the famous promise that
22:58
Speaker 1: would echo through generaations. If God's people humbled themselves, prayed,
23:03
Speaker 1: sought his face, and turned from wickedness, he would hear
23:08
Speaker 1: from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land. But
23:12
Speaker 1: God wasn't finished speaking. The Lord made his expectations crystal
23:16
Speaker 1: clear in verses seventeen eighteen and as for THEE, if
23:20
Speaker 1: thou wilt walk before me as David thy father walked,
23:24
Speaker 1: and do according to all that I have commanded THEE,
23:28
Speaker 1: and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments, then will
23:32
Speaker 1: I establish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I
23:35
Speaker 1: have covenanted with David, thy Father, saying, there shall not
23:40
Speaker 1: fail THEE a man to be ruler in Israel. God
23:44
Speaker 1: promised that if Solomon followed him like David had done,
23:48
Speaker 1: the throne would be established forever. But then came the
23:51
Speaker 1: warning that would prove prophetic in verses nineteen twenty two.
23:55
Speaker 1: God said, but if ye turn away and forsake my
23:58
Speaker 1: statutes and my commands which I have set before you,
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Speaker 1: and shall go and serve other gods and worship them,
24:06
Speaker 1: then will I pluck them up by the roots out
24:08
Speaker 1: of my land which I have given them. And this house,
24:12
Speaker 1: which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast
24:15
Speaker 1: out of my sight? And will I make it to
24:17
Speaker 1: be a proverb and a byword among all nations. And
24:21
Speaker 1: this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to
24:25
Speaker 1: everyone that passeth by it, so that he shall say,
24:28
Speaker 1: why hath the Lord done thus unto this land? And
24:32
Speaker 1: unto this house, and it shall be answered, because they
24:35
Speaker 1: forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them
24:39
Speaker 1: forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold
24:42
Speaker 1: on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore
24:46
Speaker 1: hath He brought all this evil upon them. The warning
24:49
Speaker 1: was serious. If Solomon and the people turned away from
24:52
Speaker 1: God to serve other gods, they would lose everything. The land,
24:57
Speaker 1: the temple, even their reputation among the nations would be destroyed.
25:02
Speaker 1: The beautiful temple would become a ruin that people would
25:05
Speaker 1: point at in shock, asking why God had destroyed it.
25:09
Speaker 1: Solomon heard these words, but would he remember them in
25:13
Speaker 1: the years to come. Solomon wasn't content to just maintain
25:16
Speaker 1: what David had left him. He wanted to expand Israel's
25:20
Speaker 1: territory and influence. His military campaigns were strategic and successful.
25:26
Speaker 1: Chapter eight, verse three tells us and Solomon went to
25:29
Speaker 1: hamath Zoba and prevailed against it. Hammoth Zoba was an
25:34
Speaker 1: important kingdom to the north, and Solomon's victory there extended
25:38
Speaker 1: Israel's reach significantly. Solomon also built Tadmore in the wilderness,
25:45
Speaker 1: as verse four explains, and he built Tadmore in the wilderness,
25:50
Speaker 1: and all the store cities which he built in Hammoth.
25:55
Speaker 1: Tadmore was strategically located along major trade routes, giving Solomon
26:00
Speaker 1: control over commerce passing through the region. The store cities
26:04
Speaker 1: in Hamoth served as supply centers and military bases securing
26:08
Speaker 1: his new conquests. His building program included key defensive positions.
26:14
Speaker 1: Verses five to six describe his fortification projects. Also, he
26:18
Speaker 1: built Bethhorun the upper and Bethhoron the nether fenced cities
26:23
Speaker 1: with walls, gates and bars, and Barlath, and all the
26:28
Speaker 1: store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities,
26:32
Speaker 1: and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon
26:36
Speaker 1: desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon, and throughout
26:40
Speaker 1: all the land of his dominion. Bethhorn controlled crucial mountain
26:44
Speaker 1: passes that protected Jerusalem from Western invasions. Barlath secured important
26:49
Speaker 1: trade routes. The chariot cities housed Solomon's growing cavalry forces,
26:54
Speaker 1: while the cities for horsemen provided bases for his mobile troops.
26:58
Speaker 1: Solomon wasn't just conquered territory. He was systematically securing and
27:03
Speaker 1: organizing it for long term control. Solomon's military organization was impressive.
27:09
Speaker 1: Verse ten tells us and these were the chief of
27:12
Speaker 1: king Solomon's officers, even two one hundred and fifty that
27:17
Speaker 1: bare rule over the people. He had two hundred and
27:20
Speaker 1: fifty chief officers managing his vast military operations and workforce.
27:25
Speaker 1: This wasn't a disorganized expansion. It was a carefully planned
27:29
Speaker 1: and executed strategy to build a powerful, unified kingdom. The
27:35
Speaker 1: scope of Solomon's territorial control became enormous later Chapter nine,
27:41
Speaker 1: verse twenty six would describe the extent of his kingdom,
27:46
Speaker 1: and he reigned over all the kings from the river
27:48
Speaker 1: even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the
27:51
Speaker 1: border of Egypt, from the Euphrates River to Egypt, from
27:55
Speaker 1: the Mediterranean coast to the desert. Solomon's authority was recognized
28:00
Speaker 1: and respected. Solomon's military might included an impressive cavalry force.
28:06
Speaker 1: Verse twenty five of chapter nine describes his military assets.
28:10
Speaker 1: And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots,
28:14
Speaker 1: and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the chariot
28:18
Speaker 1: cities and with the king at Jerusalem, four thousand stalls
28:23
Speaker 1: for horses and chariots, plus twelve thousand horsemen. This was
28:27
Speaker 1: a massive military force that secured Solomon's kingdom and impressed
28:32
Speaker 1: his neighbors. Solomon's wealth reached levels that seemed almost impossible
28:37
Speaker 1: to believe. His annual income was staggering. Chapter nine, verse
28:41
Speaker 1: thirteen tells us now the weight of gold that came
28:44
Speaker 1: to Solomon in one year was six hundred and three
28:46
Speaker 1: score and six talents of gold. That six hundred and
28:50
Speaker 1: sixty six talents of gold in a single year, about
28:53
Speaker 1: twenty five tons of pure gold annually. This incredible wealth
28:58
Speaker 1: came from multiple soords. Verse fourteen explains beside that which
29:03
Speaker 1: chapmen and merchants brought, and all the kings of Arabia
29:07
Speaker 1: and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
29:12
Speaker 1: Solomon had established trade relationships throughout the region, and rulers
29:17
Speaker 1: were bringing him tribute while merchants paid taxes on their commerce.
29:22
Speaker 1: Solomon's international trade network was extensive and profitable. Verses twenty
29:27
Speaker 1: one twenty two describe his merchant fleet. For the King's
29:31
Speaker 1: ships went to Tarsish with the servants of Huram every
29:35
Speaker 1: three years. Once came the ships of Tarsish, bringing gold
29:39
Speaker 1: and silver, ivory, and apes and peacocks, and King Solomon
29:44
Speaker 1: passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
29:48
Speaker 1: Every three years, Solomon's ships returned from distant lands with
29:52
Speaker 1: incredible cargo, gold, silver, ivory, and exotic animals like apes
29:57
Speaker 1: and peacocks. These luxury items weren't just for display. They
30:02
Speaker 1: demonstrated Solomon's connections with far off lands and his ability
30:06
Speaker 1: to obtain the rarest treasures in the world. Solomon also
30:11
Speaker 1: had a naval base on the Red Sea. Chapter eight,
30:14
Speaker 1: verses seventeen to eighteen described this venture. Then went Solomon
30:19
Speaker 1: to Itzion Geber and to eloth at the seaside in
30:23
Speaker 1: the land of Edom. And Hurum sent him by the
30:26
Speaker 1: hands of his servants, ships and servants that had knowledge
30:30
Speaker 1: of the sea. And they went with the servants of
30:32
Speaker 1: Solomon to Ophia and took thence four hundred and fifty
30:36
Speaker 1: talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon. This
30:41
Speaker 1: single expedition to Ophia brought back four hundred and fifty
30:45
Speaker 1: talents of gold, about seventeen tons of pure gold. Ophir
30:51
Speaker 1: was legendary for its gold and Solomon's partnership with Hurum
30:55
Speaker 1: of Tire gave him access to experienced sailors who could
30:59
Speaker 1: navigate the dangerous Red Sea roots to reach these treasure lands.
31:04
Speaker 1: The result of all this wealth was that precious metals
31:08
Speaker 1: became incredibly common in Israel. Chapter nine, verse twenty seven says,
31:13
Speaker 1: and the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones,
31:17
Speaker 1: and cedar trees made he to be as the sycamore
31:20
Speaker 1: trees that are in the low plains. For abundance. Silver
31:25
Speaker 1: became as common as stones in Jerusalem, while cedar wood,
31:29
Speaker 1: normally rare and expensive, became as plentiful as local sycamore trees.
31:34
Speaker 1: Solomon's personal possessions reflected his incredible wealth. Verse twenty tells
31:40
Speaker 1: us and all the drinking vessels of King Solomon were
31:43
Speaker 1: of gold, and all the vessels of the house of
31:46
Speaker 1: the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were
31:50
Speaker 1: of silver. It was not any thing accounted of in
31:53
Speaker 1: the days of Solomon. Silver was so common in Solomon's
31:57
Speaker 1: kingdom that it wasn't even considered valuable any more. Everything
32:01
Speaker 1: in the palace was made of gold. Word of Solomon's
32:05
Speaker 1: wisdom and wealth spread throughout the known world, reaching even
32:09
Speaker 1: the most distant kingdoms. One of the most powerful rulers
32:13
Speaker 1: who heard these reports was the Queen of Sheba. Chapter nine,
32:17
Speaker 1: Verse one tells us, and when the Queen of Sheba
32:20
Speaker 1: heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove
32:23
Speaker 1: Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great
32:28
Speaker 1: company and camels that bare, spices and gold in abundance,
32:32
Speaker 1: and precious stones. And when she was come to Solomon,
32:36
Speaker 1: she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
32:40
Speaker 1: This wasn't a casual diplomatic visit. The Queen of Sheba
32:45
Speaker 1: traveled hundreds of miles from her kingdom in southern Arabia
32:49
Speaker 1: with a huge entourage. She brought massive amounts of spices, gold,
32:54
Speaker 1: and precious stones, gifts worthy of testing whether Solomon was
33:00
Speaker 1: really as remarkable as the stories claimed. She came prepared
33:04
Speaker 1: with hard questions, ready to challenge this king whose reputation
33:08
Speaker 1: had spread across the ancient world. What happened next amazed
33:12
Speaker 1: even this powerful and sophisticated queen. Verse two says and
33:17
Speaker 1: Solomon told her all her questions, And there was nothing
33:21
Speaker 1: hid from Solomon which he told her not. Solomon had
33:24
Speaker 1: an answer for every question she asked, no matter how
33:27
Speaker 1: difficult or complex her challenges were, His God given wisdom
33:32
Speaker 1: provided complete and satisfying responses. But the Queen of Sheba
33:37
Speaker 1: was overwhelmed by more than just Solomon's intellectual abilities. Verses
33:43
Speaker 1: three to four describe her total amazement. And when the
33:47
Speaker 1: Queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and
33:50
Speaker 1: the house that he had built, and the meat of
33:53
Speaker 1: his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the
33:56
Speaker 1: attendants of his ministers, and their apparel, his cupbearers alt
34:00
Speaker 1: so and their apparel, and his assent by which he
34:03
Speaker 1: went up into the house of the Lord, there was
34:06
Speaker 1: no more spirit in her. Everything overwhelmed her. Solomon's wisdom
34:11
Speaker 1: in conversation, his magnificent palace, the luxury of his dining arrangements,
34:16
Speaker 1: the organization and appearance of his servants, the fine clothing
34:22
Speaker 1: everyone wore, even the processional way he went up to
34:25
Speaker 1: the temple for worship. The Hebrew phrase there was no
34:29
Speaker 1: more spirit in her means, she was completely breathless, utterly
34:33
Speaker 1: amazed by the sophistication and grandeur of Solomon's court. Her
34:38
Speaker 1: response became one of the most famous compliments in history.
34:42
Speaker 1: In verses five to six, she told Solomon, it was
34:46
Speaker 1: a true report which I heard in mine own land,
34:48
Speaker 1: of thine acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed
34:52
Speaker 1: not their words until I came and mine eyes had
34:56
Speaker 1: seen it. And behold, the one half of the greatness
34:59
Speaker 1: of thy wisdom was not told me, for thou exceedest
35:03
Speaker 1: the fame that I heard. Think about that statement. She
35:07
Speaker 1: had heard incredible stories about Solomon throughout her kingdom, but
35:11
Speaker 1: the reality exceeded even those amazing reports. The Queen of Sheba,
35:17
Speaker 1: herself a powerful ruler accustomed to luxury and wisdom, admitted
35:22
Speaker 1: that what she had been told wasn't even half the
35:24
Speaker 1: truth about Solomon's greatness. Most importantly, she recognized the source
35:30
Speaker 1: of Solomon's blessings. In verses seven eight, she continued, happy
35:34
Speaker 1: are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which
35:38
Speaker 1: stand continually before THEE and hear thy wisdom. Blessed be
35:42
Speaker 1: the Lord, thy God, which delighted in THEE to set
35:45
Speaker 1: THEE on the throne of Israel. Because the Lord loved
35:48
Speaker 1: Israel forever, therefore made he THEE king to do judgment
35:52
Speaker 1: and justice. The Queen of Sheba understood that Solomon's wisdom
35:56
Speaker 1: and prosperity weren't just personal achievements, they were blessings from
36:01
Speaker 1: God that benefited every one around him. She praised the
36:06
Speaker 1: Lord for giving Israel such a remarkable king, recognizing that
36:11
Speaker 1: Solomon's abilities came from divine favor, not human effort alone.
36:16
Speaker 1: Solomon understood that maintaining his vast kingdom required serious military strength.
36:23
Speaker 1: His army wasn't just large, it was technologically advanced and
36:27
Speaker 1: strategically positioned. Chapter nine, verse twenty five gives us the
36:30
Speaker 1: impressive numbers, and Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses
36:36
Speaker 1: and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in
36:40
Speaker 1: the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. Four
36:45
Speaker 1: thousand stalls meant Solomon could maintain thousands of horses and
36:49
Speaker 1: hundreds of chariots. In ancient warfare, chariots were like modern tanks, expensive, powerful,
36:56
Speaker 1: and requiring skilled operators. Solomon's chariot was probably the largest
37:01
Speaker 1: and most advanced in the world at that time. His
37:05
Speaker 1: twelve thousand horsemen represented another major military innovation. Cavalry forces
37:12
Speaker 1: were relatively new in ancient warfare, but they provided speed
37:16
Speaker 1: and mobility that foot soldiers couldn't match. Solomon's horsemen could
37:21
Speaker 1: respond quickly to threats anywhere in his vast kingdom. Solomon
37:26
Speaker 1: didn't keep all these forces in Jerusalem. He created a
37:30
Speaker 1: network of chariot cities throughout his territory where military units
37:34
Speaker 1: were stationed. This strategic distribution meant he could respond to
37:38
Speaker 1: threats on any border quickly, while also projecting power to
37:42
Speaker 1: discourage rebellions or invasions. The quality of Solomon's horses was exceptional.
37:50
Speaker 1: Verse twenty eight tells us and they brought unto Solomon
37:55
Speaker 1: horses out of Egypt and out of all lands. Egyptian
37:59
Speaker 1: horses were considered the finest in the ancient world. Bred
38:02
Speaker 1: for speed, strength, and endurance. Solomon had access to the
38:07
Speaker 1: best horses from Egypt and other countries, ensuring his military
38:11
Speaker 1: forces had superior mounts. Solomon's military preparations included extensive fortifications.
38:20
Speaker 1: Chapter eight, Verses five to six describe his building projects. Also,
38:27
Speaker 1: he built beth Horror on the upper and beth Horr
38:30
Speaker 1: on the nether fenced cities with walls, gates and bars
38:34
Speaker 1: and barlath and all the store cities that Solomon had,
38:38
Speaker 1: and all the chariot Cities and the Cities of the Horsemen,
38:41
Speaker 1: and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and
38:46
Speaker 1: in Lebanon and throughout all the land of his dominion.
38:49
Speaker 1: These weren't just military bases. They were complete, fortified cities
38:53
Speaker 1: with walls, gates, and bars. Beth Horn controlled key mountain
38:58
Speaker 1: passes leading to Jerusalem. The store cities provided supply depots
39:02
Speaker 1: where food, weapons, and equipment could be stockpiled for military
39:07
Speaker 1: campaigns or sieges. Solomon's chariot cities were specially designed to
39:12
Speaker 1: house and maintain his cavalry forces. These cities had barracks
39:16
Speaker 1: for soldiers, stables for horses, workshops for maintaining chariots and weapons,
39:22
Speaker 1: and training grounds where crews could practice coordinated maneuvers. The
39:27
Speaker 1: result was a military machine that made Solomon's kingdom virtually unassailable.
39:32
Speaker 1: His combination of professional soldiers, advanced equipment, strategic positioning, and
39:38
Speaker 1: supply networks created a defense system that protected Israel throughout
39:43
Speaker 1: his reign and deterred potential enemies from even attempting attacks.
39:49
Speaker 1: Solomon's building projects were so extensive they took decades to complete.
39:54
Speaker 1: Chapter eight, Verse one tells us the time line and
39:57
Speaker 1: it came to pass at the end of twenty years,
40:01
Speaker 1: wherein Solomon had built the House of the Lord and
40:04
Speaker 1: his own house twenty years. The temple took seven years,
40:08
Speaker 1: but Solomon's palace complex took thirteen more years to finish.
40:13
Speaker 1: Solomon's palace wasn't just one building, it was an entire
40:17
Speaker 1: complex of structures. One of the most impressive was called
40:21
Speaker 1: the House of the Forest of Lebanon. This building got
40:24
Speaker 1: its name from the many cedar pillars that supported it,
40:28
Speaker 1: making visitors feel like they were walking through a forest
40:31
Speaker 1: of cedar trees. Chapter nine, verses fifteen sixteen tell us
40:39
Speaker 1: what Solomon kept in this building, and King Solomon made
40:43
Speaker 1: two hundred targets of beaten gold. Six hundred shekels of
40:47
Speaker 1: beaten gold went to one target, and three hundred shields
40:51
Speaker 1: made he of beaten gold. Three hundred shekels of gold
40:55
Speaker 1: went to one shield, and the king put them in
40:58
Speaker 1: the House of the Forest of Lebanon. These golden shields
41:01
Speaker 1: weren't just weapons, they were works of art that displayed
41:05
Speaker 1: Solomon's wealth and power. The larger shields used about fifteen
41:09
Speaker 1: pounds of gold each, while the smaller ones used about
41:12
Speaker 1: seven point five pounds. Having five hundred golden shields in
41:16
Speaker 1: one building was an incredible display of prosperity. Solomon's throne
41:21
Speaker 1: room was equally magnificent. Verses seventeen to nineteen describe his
41:26
Speaker 1: royal seat. Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory,
41:31
Speaker 1: and overlaid it with pure gold. And there were six
41:34
Speaker 1: steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which
41:38
Speaker 1: were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side
41:41
Speaker 1: of the place of the seat, and two lions standing
41:44
Speaker 1: by the stays, And twelve lions stood there on the
41:48
Speaker 1: one side and on the other upon the six steps.
41:52
Speaker 1: There was not the like made in any kingdom. This
41:55
Speaker 1: throne was unique in the world, made of ivory, covered
41:59
Speaker 1: with pure gold, and guarded by fourteen golden lions. Two
42:03
Speaker 1: lions stood beside the throne itself, while twelve more lions
42:08
Speaker 1: stood on the six steps leading up to it. No
42:11
Speaker 1: other kingdom had anything remotely comparable to Solomon's throne. But
42:16
Speaker 1: Solomon's construction projects extended far beyond his own palaces. He
42:21
Speaker 1: built entire cities throughout his kingdom. Chapter eight, verse four mentions,
42:28
Speaker 1: and he built tadmore in the wilderness and all the
42:32
Speaker 1: store cities which he built in Hammoth Tadmore became an
42:35
Speaker 1: important trading center in the desert, while the store cities
42:39
Speaker 1: in Hamath served as supply centers for his northern territories.
42:43
Speaker 1: Solomon also built residential areas for special purposes. Verse eleven
42:48
Speaker 1: explains one example, and Solomon brought up the daughter of
42:53
Speaker 1: Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house
42:56
Speaker 1: that he had built for her. For he said, my
42:59
Speaker 1: wife shall not dwell in the house of David, King
43:02
Speaker 1: of Israel, because the places are holy. Where unto the
43:06
Speaker 1: Ark of the Lord Hath come. Solomon built a separate
43:09
Speaker 1: palace for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married. He recognized
43:13
Speaker 1: that the areas where the ark had been were too
43:16
Speaker 1: sacred for his foreign wife to live there. This shows
43:19
Speaker 1: both respect for God's holiness and the beginning of compromises
43:24
Speaker 1: that would later cause problems. Solomon's building projects required massive
43:29
Speaker 1: organization and labor forces. Chapter eight, verses seven to eight
43:34
Speaker 1: describe his work force as for all the people that
43:37
Speaker 1: were left of the Hittites and the Amorites, and the Perizites,
43:41
Speaker 1: and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel.
43:46
Speaker 1: Them did Solomon make to pay tribute and to serve
43:49
Speaker 1: for workmen. Unto this day, Solomon used the descendants of
43:53
Speaker 1: the original inhabitants of Canaan as his construction workers. These
43:58
Speaker 1: weren't Israelites, but and peoples who had remained in the land. However,
44:03
Speaker 1: Verse nine makes clear that of the children of Israel
44:06
Speaker 1: did Solomon make no servants for his work, but they
44:10
Speaker 1: were men of war and chief of his captains, and
44:13
Speaker 1: captains of his chariots and horsemen. Israelites served as soldiers
44:17
Speaker 1: and officers, not as laborers. Managing Solomon's vast kingdom required
44:23
Speaker 1: sophisticated administration. He couldn't personally oversee every province, so he
44:28
Speaker 1: created a system of governors and officials to manage different
44:32
Speaker 1: regions and responsibilities. Chapter eight, Verse ten mentions and these
44:38
Speaker 1: were the chief of King Solomon's officers, even two hundred
44:41
Speaker 1: and fifty that bear rule over the people. These two
44:45
Speaker 1: hundred and fifty chief officers were the top level of
44:48
Speaker 1: Solomon's administrative hierarchy. They supervised the thousands of workers involved
44:53
Speaker 1: in construction projects, managed military operations, and oversaw the collection
44:59
Speaker 1: of taxes and tripe tribute from throughout the kingdom. Solomon's
45:03
Speaker 1: administrative system had to handle incredible complexity. He was managing
45:07
Speaker 1: construction projects in multiple cities, maintaining military forces in chariot
45:12
Speaker 1: cities throughout the kingdom, collecting tribute from conquered territories, and
45:18
Speaker 1: coordinating international trade relationships. This required careful record keeping, efficient communication,
45:26
Speaker 1: and trusted officials in key positions. The Kingdom's revenue came
45:30
Speaker 1: from several sources. International trade provided enormous income, as merchant
45:36
Speaker 1: caravans paid taxes for safe passage through Solomon's territory. The
45:41
Speaker 1: location of Israel made it a natural bridge between Africa, Asia,
45:45
Speaker 1: and Europe, so controlling the trade routes was extremely profitable.
45:50
Speaker 1: Tribute from conquered territories and allied kingdoms provided another major
45:55
Speaker 1: source of income. Chapter nine, Verse fourteen mentions beside that
46:00
Speaker 1: which chapmen and merchants brought, and all the kings of
46:03
Speaker 1: Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver
46:07
Speaker 1: to Solomon. Kings and governors regularly brought tribute payments to
46:12
Speaker 1: maintain good relationships with Solomon and ensure his protection. Solomon's
46:17
Speaker 1: administrative system also had to coordinate with international partners. His
46:22
Speaker 1: relationship with Hurram of Tire involved complex agreements about supplying
46:28
Speaker 1: materials and skilled workers for construction projects, as well as
46:32
Speaker 1: joint naval expeditions to distant lands for gold and other
46:36
Speaker 1: valuable goods. The success of Solomon's administrative system is evident
46:42
Speaker 1: in the kingdom's prosperity. Trade flowed smoothly, construction projects were
46:48
Speaker 1: completed on schedule, military forces were well supplied and positioned,
46:53
Speaker 1: and the kingdom's reputation for wealth and efficiency attracted visitors
46:57
Speaker 1: and trading partners from around the world. However, this sophisticated
47:01
Speaker 1: system also required heavy taxation and extensive use of forced
47:06
Speaker 1: labor from non Israelite populations. While it brought unprecedented prosperity
47:11
Speaker 1: during Solomon's reign, it also created the financial and social
47:16
Speaker 1: pressures that would later contribute to the kingdom's division. After
47:20
Speaker 1: forty years of unprecedented prosperity, wisdom, and international influence, Solomon's
47:28
Speaker 1: remarkable reign was coming to an end. Chapter nine, verse
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Speaker 1: twenty nine tells us now the rest of the acts
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Speaker 1: of Solomon first and last are they not written in
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Speaker 1: the Book of Nathan the Prophet and in the prophecy
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Speaker 1: of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Ido
47:44
Speaker 1: the Seer against Jeroboam, the son of Nibat. Solomon's deeds
47:49
Speaker 1: were so numerous and significant that they filled multiple historical
47:53
Speaker 1: records written by prophets and seers. His reign had been
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Speaker 1: marked by incredible at achievements, the construction of the temple,
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Speaker 1: the building of a vast kingdom, the accumulation of unimaginable wealth,
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Speaker 1: and the development of wisdom that attracted rulers from around
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Speaker 1: the world. Verse thirty summarizes the scope of his reign,
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Speaker 1: and Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
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Speaker 1: Forty years was a full generation, long enough for an
48:25
Speaker 1: entire generation of Israelites to grow up knowing only prosperity, peace,
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Speaker 1: and international respect. For four decades, Israel had been the
48:35
Speaker 1: most powerful and wealthy kingdom in the region. Then in
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Speaker 1: came the moment that would change everything. Verse thirty one
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Speaker 1: records and Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was
48:47
Speaker 1: buried in the city of David. His father and Rehoboam,
48:51
Speaker 1: his son, reigned in his stead. The great King Solomon
48:55
Speaker 1: was dead, and his son Rahoboam was now king of Israel.
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Speaker 1: The transition from Solomon to Ricoboam marked the end of
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Speaker 1: an error. Solomon had inherited a united kingdom from his
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Speaker 1: father David, and had expanded it into an empire that
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Speaker 1: stretched from the Euphrates River to Egypt. His wisdom, wealth
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Speaker 1: and military power had made Israel the envy of the
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Speaker 1: known world. But Rehoboam was not Solomon. The new king
49:26
Speaker 1: had grown up in luxury, surrounded by the incredible wealth
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Speaker 1: and power his father had accumulated. He had never known struggle,
49:35
Speaker 1: never faced the challenges that had made David and Solomon
49:38
Speaker 1: into great leaders. The kingdom he inherited was prosperous, but
49:43
Speaker 1: also burdened with heavy taxation and forced labor systems that
49:47
Speaker 1: had funded Solomon's building projects. The seeds of future problems
49:52
Speaker 1: had been planted during Solomon's later years. His many foreign
49:56
Speaker 1: marriages had introduced foreign gods into Israel. His heavy taxation
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Speaker 1: had created resentment among the people. His use of forced
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Speaker 1: labor had created social tensions. His magnificent building projects had
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Speaker 1: been expensive to maintain. Most importantly, Solomon's heart had gradually
50:17
Speaker 1: turned away from the exclusive worship of the god who
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Speaker 1: had blessed him so abundantly. The warnings God had given
50:25
Speaker 1: him after the Temple dedication about the consequences of serving
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Speaker 1: other gods had proven prophetic. Solomon's spiritual drift would have
50:35
Speaker 1: consequences that extended far beyond his own life. As Reherboam
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Speaker 1: took the throne, he inherited not just Solomon's wealth and power,
50:44
Speaker 1: but also the tensions and problems that had been building
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Speaker 1: during the later years of his father's reign. The decisions
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Speaker 1: the new king would make in his early days would
50:55
Speaker 1: determine whether the united kingdom Solomon had built would survive
50:59
Speaker 1: or when it would fracture under the weight of its
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Speaker 1: own success. The stage was set for dramatic changes that
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Speaker 1: would reshape the history of God's people forever. The magnificent
51:11
Speaker 1: kingdom that Solomon had built was about to face its
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Speaker 1: greatest test when power passed to his son Rehoboam. The
51:19
Speaker 1: new king would make decisions that would forever change the
51:22
Speaker 1: course of Israel's history. What had been one united nation
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Speaker 1: under David and Solomon was about to become two separate kingdoms,
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Speaker 1: and the consequences would echo through generations. When Rehoboam became king,
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Speaker 1: he needed the formal approval of all the tribes of Israel.
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Speaker 1: The coronation ceremony was planned for Shechem, an ancient and
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Speaker 1: significant city in the northern part of the Kingdom. Chapter ten,
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Speaker 1: verse one tells us and Rehoboam went to Shechem, for
51:54
Speaker 1: to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king.
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Speaker 1: But the people who gathered at Shechem had more on
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Speaker 1: their minds than just crowning a new king. They had
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Speaker 1: lived under Solomon's heavy taxation and forced labor policies for years,
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Speaker 1: and they saw this transition as an opportunity to request changes.
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Speaker 1: The northern tribes had a spokesman, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat,
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Speaker 1: who had returned from exile in Egypt. Verse two explains
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Speaker 1: Jeroboam's situation, and it came to pass when Jeroboam, the
52:29
Speaker 1: son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, heard it, for
52:32
Speaker 1: he was fled from the presence of King Solomon that
52:35
Speaker 1: Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. Jeroboam had been forced to
52:38
Speaker 1: flee to Egypt during Solomon's reign, probably because of tensions
52:43
Speaker 1: over labor policies, but now he was back to speak
52:46
Speaker 1: for the people. The northern tribes presented their concerns directly
52:51
Speaker 1: to Rehoboam. In verse four, they said, thy father made
52:56
Speaker 1: our yoke grievous. Now therefore eased thou somewhat the grievous
53:00
Speaker 1: servitude of thy father and his heavy yoke that he
53:03
Speaker 1: put upon us, and we will serve thee. They weren't
53:06
Speaker 1: asking for revolution. They were asking for relief from the
53:10
Speaker 1: heavy burdens Solomon had placed on them. Rehobaum asked for
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Speaker 1: three days to consider their request. During this time, he
53:19
Speaker 1: sought advice from two different groups. Verse six tells us
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Speaker 1: and King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that
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Speaker 1: had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying,
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Speaker 1: what counsel give ye me to return answer to this people.
53:36
Speaker 1: The older advisers gave wise counsel. In verse seven, they said,
53:41
Speaker 1: if thou be kind to this people and please them
53:44
Speaker 1: and speak good words to them, they will be thy
53:47
Speaker 1: servants forever. Their advice was simple but profound. Show kindness
53:53
Speaker 1: to the people, and they will serve you loyally forever.
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Speaker 1: But Rehoboam also consulted with younger men who had grown
54:00
Speaker 1: up with him. Verse eight says, but he forsook the
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Speaker 1: counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel
54:07
Speaker 1: with the young men that were brought up with him
54:09
Speaker 1: that stood before him. These young advisers had grown up
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Speaker 1: in luxury and had never experienced the hardships of common people.
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Speaker 1: The young men's advice was completely different. In verses ten eleven,
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Speaker 1: they told Rihoboam, thus shalt thou answer the people that
54:27
Speaker 1: spake unto thee, saying, thy father made our yoke heavy,
54:31
Speaker 1: but make thou its somewhat lighter for us. Thus shalt
54:34
Speaker 1: thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker
54:37
Speaker 1: than my father's loins. For whereas my father put a
54:41
Speaker 1: heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke.
54:45
Speaker 1: My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise
54:48
Speaker 1: you with scorpions. This was terrible advice. Instead of showing mercy,
54:53
Speaker 1: they suggested threatening the people with even harsher treatment. When
54:57
Speaker 1: the three days were up, Rehobum made his choice. Verse
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Speaker 1: thirteen tells us and the king answered them roughly, and
55:06
Speaker 1: King rihab Boam forsook the counsel of the old men.
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Speaker 1: Rehoboam's response was exactly what the young men had suggested.
55:14
Speaker 1: In verse fourteen, he told the people, my father made
55:18
Speaker 1: your yoke heavy, but I will add there too. My
55:21
Speaker 1: father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you
55:25
Speaker 1: with scorpions. Instead of offering relief, he threatened them with
55:29
Speaker 1: worse treatment than they had received under Solomon. The reaction
55:34
Speaker 1: was immediate and dramatic. Verse sixteen describes what happened. And
55:39
Speaker 1: when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken
55:42
Speaker 1: unto them, the people answered the king, saying, what portion
55:46
Speaker 1: have we in David? And we have none inheritance in
55:49
Speaker 1: the son of Jesse. Every Man to your tents, O Israel,
55:54
Speaker 1: and now David, see to thine own house. So all
55:57
Speaker 1: Israel went to their tents. The northern tribes rejected Rihoboam's
56:02
Speaker 1: kingship completely. Their cry, what portion have we in David
56:07
Speaker 1: meant they were breaking their connection to the royal house
56:10
Speaker 1: of David. Every Man to your tents O Israel was
56:14
Speaker 1: essentially a declaration of independence from Rehoboam's rule. The kingdom
56:20
Speaker 1: that David had united and Solomon had expanded was now
56:23
Speaker 1: split in two. Verse seventeen explains the new reality. But
56:29
Speaker 1: as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the
56:33
Speaker 1: cities of Judah, Rihoboam reigned over them. Rehoboam kept control
56:39
Speaker 1: of only the southern tribes, primarily Judah and Benjamin, while
56:43
Speaker 1: the northern tribes chose their own king. When Rihoboam tried
56:47
Speaker 1: to reassert his authority by sending Hadoram, who was in
56:51
Speaker 1: charge of forced labour, to the northern tribes, the result
56:55
Speaker 1: was tragic. Verse eighteen tells us then King Rihoboam sent Hadderam,
57:00
Speaker 1: that was over the tribute, and the children of Israel
57:02
Speaker 1: stoned him with stones that he died, but King Rihoboam
57:07
Speaker 1: made speed to get him up to his chariot to
57:09
Speaker 1: flee to Jerusalem. The northern tribes stoned had Aram to death,
57:15
Speaker 1: a clear message that they would no longer submit to
57:18
Speaker 1: Rihoboam's rule. Ri Hooboam himself had to flee quickly to
57:22
Speaker 1: Jerusalem to save his own life. The division was complete
57:26
Speaker 1: and violent. Verse nineteen summarizes the long term consequences, and
57:31
Speaker 1: Israel rebelled against the House of David unto this day.
57:36
Speaker 1: This wasn't a temporary rebellion, It was a permanent split
57:40
Speaker 1: that would last for centuries. The United Kingdom of David
57:44
Speaker 1: and Solomon was gone forever. After the shocking division of
57:48
Speaker 1: his kingdom, Rieoboam faced the urgent task of securing what
57:52
Speaker 1: remained under his control. He couldn't rely on the vast
57:56
Speaker 1: territories and resources that Solomon had enjoyed. He needed to
58:00
Speaker 1: build up the defenses of the much smaller kingdom of Judah.
58:05
Speaker 1: Chapter eleven, verse five tells us and Rehoboam dwelt in
58:10
Speaker 1: Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah. Rehoboam understood
58:17
Speaker 1: that his reduced kingdom was vulnerable to attacks from multiple directions,
58:22
Speaker 1: the northern Kingdom of Israel, hostile neighbours, and potentially Egypt
58:27
Speaker 1: from the south. The fortification program was extensive and strategic.
58:32
Speaker 1: Verses six to ten list the cities re Hoboem fortified.
58:37
Speaker 1: He built even Bethlehem and Atam and Tekoah and beth
58:42
Speaker 1: Zur and Shoko and Adullam and Gath and Mauritia and
58:46
Speaker 1: Zif and ad Raim and Lakish and Azika and Zorah
58:51
Speaker 1: and Aijalon and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin.
58:56
Speaker 1: Fenced cities. These weren't randomly chosen locations. Bethlehem controlled approaches
59:01
Speaker 1: from the east, while beth Zur protected the road from
59:04
Speaker 1: Hebron to Jerusalem. Lakish was a major fortress city, controlling
59:09
Speaker 1: the southwestern approaches to Judah. Aygelon guarded the western approaches
59:14
Speaker 1: through the valley. Each city was positioned to create a
59:17
Speaker 1: defensive network protecting the kingdom's core territories. Riherboem didn't just
59:24
Speaker 1: build walls. He created complete defensive systems. Verse eleven explains,
59:29
Speaker 1: and he fortified the strongholds and put captains in them,
59:34
Speaker 1: and store of victual and of oil and wine. Each
59:38
Speaker 1: fortified city had military commanders, food supplies, and provisions for
59:42
Speaker 1: withstanding sieges. This was systematic preparation for potential warfare. The
59:47
Speaker 1: defensive preparations included weapons and equipment. Verse twelve tells us
59:53
Speaker 1: and in every several city he put shields and spears
59:56
Speaker 1: and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on
1:00:00
Speaker 1: his side. Each city was equipped with shields and spears,
1:00:05
Speaker 1: ensuring that local defenders would have the weapons they needed
1:00:08
Speaker 1: to resist at tax Rehoboam's strategy worked to strengthen his position.
1:00:13
Speaker 1: The fortified cities created a protective ring around Jerusalem and
1:00:18
Speaker 1: the core territories of Judah. Even though his kingdom was
1:00:21
Speaker 1: much smaller than what Solomon had ruled, it was now
1:00:24
Speaker 1: well defended and organized for survival in a more dangerous world.
1:00:30
Speaker 1: These defensive measures proved wise, as Rehoboam's kingdom would soon
1:00:35
Speaker 1: face serious external threats that would test the strength of
1:00:39
Speaker 1: his fortifications and the loyalty of his people. Rehoboam's troubles
1:00:44
Speaker 1: were far from over. After the division of the kingdom
1:00:47
Speaker 1: in the fifth year of his reign, a major crisis
1:00:50
Speaker 1: arose that would strip away much of the wealth Solomon
1:00:54
Speaker 1: had accumulated. Chapter twelve, Verse two tells us and it
1:00:59
Speaker 1: came to pass that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, Shishak,
1:01:04
Speaker 1: king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem because they had
1:01:08
Speaker 1: transgressed against the Lord. This invasion wasn't just a political
1:01:13
Speaker 1: or military conflict. It was divine judgment. Verse one explains
1:01:19
Speaker 1: what had happened, and it came to pass. When Rieboam
1:01:24
Speaker 1: had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, he forsook
1:01:28
Speaker 1: the law of the Lord and all Israel with him.
1:01:31
Speaker 1: Once Rehoboam felt secure in his throne. He abandoned faithful
1:01:35
Speaker 1: worship of God, and the people followed his example. Shishak's
1:01:39
Speaker 1: invasion was massive and devastating. Verse three describes the scope
1:01:44
Speaker 1: of his forces, with twelve hundred chariots and three score
1:01:48
Speaker 1: thousand horsemen, and the people were without number that came
1:01:52
Speaker 1: with him out of Egypt, the Lubims, the Suchims, and
1:01:56
Speaker 1: the Ethiopians twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen, plus
1:02:02
Speaker 1: countless foot soldiers from Libya, Suka, and Ethiopia. This was
1:02:07
Speaker 1: an enormous army that Judah couldn't possibly resist. The Egyptian
1:02:11
Speaker 1: forces quickly conquered Judah's defensive network. Verse four tells us
1:02:15
Speaker 1: and he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah
1:02:19
Speaker 1: and came to Jerusalem. All those fortified cities that Rehoboam
1:02:23
Speaker 1: had built were captured one by one. The defensive system
1:02:27
Speaker 1: that had seemed so strong crumbled before the Egyptian assault.
1:02:31
Speaker 1: With Jerusalem under threat, the prophet Shamiah brought God's message
1:02:36
Speaker 1: to Rehoboam and the leaders who had gathered in the capital.
1:02:39
Speaker 1: Verse five records his words. Then came Shamiah, the prophet
1:02:43
Speaker 1: to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah that were
1:02:47
Speaker 1: gathered together to Jerusalem because of Sheishak, and said unto them,
1:02:51
Speaker 1: thus saith the Lord, ye have forsaken me, and therefore
1:02:56
Speaker 1: have I also left you in the hand of Sheishak.
1:02:59
Speaker 1: The message was clear. This invasion was happening because they
1:03:03
Speaker 1: had forsaken God. So God had allowed them to fall
1:03:07
Speaker 1: into Shishak's hands. Their military preparations and fortified cities couldn't
1:03:12
Speaker 1: protect them when they had abandoned the source of their
1:03:16
Speaker 1: true strength. The response of the leaders showed some wisdom.
1:03:20
Speaker 1: Verse six says whereupon the princes of Israel and the
1:03:23
Speaker 1: King humbled themselves, and they said, the Lord is righteous.
1:03:28
Speaker 1: Instead of defying God or blaming him for their troubles,
1:03:32
Speaker 1: they acknowledged that the judgment was deserved. God responded to
1:03:37
Speaker 1: their humility with mercy, but not complete deliverance. Verses seven
1:03:43
Speaker 1: to eight record God's message through Shamiah. And when the
1:03:47
Speaker 1: Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the
1:03:50
Speaker 1: Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, they have humbled themselves. Therefore
1:03:55
Speaker 1: I will not destroy them, but I will grant them
1:03:57
Speaker 1: some deliverance. And my wrath shall not be poured out
1:04:01
Speaker 1: upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless, they shall
1:04:05
Speaker 1: be his servants, that they may know My service and
1:04:09
Speaker 1: the service of the kingdoms of the countries. God would
1:04:12
Speaker 1: not completely destroy Jerusalem, but Judah would become tributary to Egypt.
1:04:17
Speaker 1: They would learn the difference between serving God and serving
1:04:21
Speaker 1: foreign kings, and discover that serving God was far better
1:04:25
Speaker 1: than serving earthly rulers. The price of this deliverance was enormous.
1:04:30
Speaker 1: Verses nine to ten describe what Shishak took from Jerusalem.
1:04:34
Speaker 1: So Sheishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem and
1:04:38
Speaker 1: took away the treasures of the House of the Lord
1:04:41
Speaker 1: and the treasures of the king's house. He took all
1:04:44
Speaker 1: he carried away, also the shields of gold which Solomon
1:04:48
Speaker 1: had made, instead of which King Rehoboam made shields of brass,
1:04:52
Speaker 1: and committed them to the hands of the Chief of
1:04:54
Speaker 1: the God that kept the door of the king's house.
1:04:59
Speaker 1: All the gold golden treasures that Solomon had accumulated were gone,
1:05:03
Speaker 1: the treasures of the temple, the treasures of the palace,
1:05:07
Speaker 1: and those famous golden shields that had been displayed in
1:05:10
Speaker 1: the House of the Forest of Lebanon. The incredible wealth
1:05:14
Speaker 1: that had made Solomon's kingdom the envy of the world
1:05:17
Speaker 1: was stripped away in a single invasion. Rehoboam replaced the
1:05:23
Speaker 1: golden shields with bronze ones, but this substitution symbolized how
1:05:28
Speaker 1: far the kingdom had fallen. Where once there had been
1:05:31
Speaker 1: pure gold, now there was only bronze. The glory days
1:05:36
Speaker 1: of Solomon were truly over. When Rehoboam died after seventeen
1:05:40
Speaker 1: years of rule, his son Abija became King of Judah.
1:05:45
Speaker 1: But Abija inherited a kingdom still divided against itself, still
1:05:50
Speaker 1: at war with the northern Kingdom of Israel. Chapter thirteen,
1:05:54
Speaker 1: verse one to two tells us now, in the eighteenth
1:05:56
Speaker 1: year of King Jeroboam began Abija to reign over Judah.
1:06:01
Speaker 1: Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. Abija's reign was short
1:06:05
Speaker 1: but eventful. The ongoing conflict between Judah and Israel came
1:06:10
Speaker 1: to a head during his time as king. Verse three
1:06:14
Speaker 1: describes the scale of the warfare, and Abija set the
1:06:17
Speaker 1: battle in array with an army of valiant men of war,
1:06:21
Speaker 1: even four hundred thousand chosen men. Jeroboam also set the
1:06:26
Speaker 1: battle in array against him, with eight one hundred thousand
1:06:30
Speaker 1: chosen men being mighty men of valor. This was civil
1:06:33
Speaker 1: war on a massive scale. Ibijah had four hundred thousand soldiers,
1:06:38
Speaker 1: while Jeroboam of Israel had eight hundred thousand, nearly one
1:06:42
Speaker 1: point two million men total preparing for battle. These weren't
1:06:47
Speaker 1: just border skirmishes. This was full scale warfare between two
1:06:51
Speaker 1: parts of what had once been Solomon's United Kingdom. Before
1:06:56
Speaker 1: the battle began, Abija gave a remarkable speech from Mount
1:07:00
Speaker 1: Zemaraim in verses four. At five, he called out to
1:07:04
Speaker 1: the northern army, and Abijah stood up upon Mount Zemeriim,
1:07:08
Speaker 1: which is in Mount Ephraim, and said, hear me, thou
1:07:12
Speaker 1: Jeroboam and all Israel ought he not to know that
1:07:16
Speaker 1: the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel
1:07:21
Speaker 1: to David forever, even to him and to his sons
1:07:24
Speaker 1: by a covenant of salt. Abijah reminded them that God
1:07:28
Speaker 1: had given the kingdom to David's family forever through an
1:07:31
Speaker 1: unbreakable covenant. A covenant of salt was permanent and unchangeable,
1:07:37
Speaker 1: like salt that doesn't decay. He was arguing that Jeroboam's
1:07:41
Speaker 1: rebellion was not just against Rehoboam, but against God's chosen dynasty.
1:07:48
Speaker 1: Abija accused Jeroboam and his followers of rebelling against legitimate authority.
1:07:54
Speaker 1: In verse six to seven, he continued, Yet Jeroboam, the
1:07:58
Speaker 1: son of Nibut, the servant of Solomon, the son of David,
1:08:03
Speaker 1: is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord. And
1:08:07
Speaker 1: there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belile,
1:08:11
Speaker 1: and have strengthened themselves against re Hoboam, the son of Solomon.
1:08:15
Speaker 1: When ri Hoboam was young and tender hearted and could
1:08:19
Speaker 1: not withstand them. This was a Bija's version of events.
1:08:23
Speaker 1: Jeroboam was just a servant who had rebelled against his master,
1:08:28
Speaker 1: gathering worthless men around him to take advantage of re
1:08:31
Speaker 1: Hoboam's youth and inexperience. Whether this was fair or not,
1:08:36
Speaker 1: it showed how the division was seen from Judah's perspective.
1:08:40
Speaker 1: Most importantly, Abijah contrasted the worship practices of the two kingdoms.
1:08:45
Speaker 1: In verses eight to eleven, he declared, and now ye
1:08:49
Speaker 1: think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the
1:08:51
Speaker 1: hand of the sons of David, and ye be a
1:08:54
Speaker 1: great multitude, And there are with you golden calves which
1:08:58
Speaker 1: Jeroboam made. You have not yet cast out the priests
1:09:03
Speaker 1: of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites,
1:09:06
Speaker 1: and have made you priests after the manner of the
1:09:09
Speaker 1: nations of other lands, so that whosoever cometh to consecrate
1:09:13
Speaker 1: himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same
1:09:17
Speaker 1: may be a priest of them that are no gods.
1:09:20
Speaker 1: But as for us, the Lord is our God, and
1:09:24
Speaker 1: we have not forsaken him. And the priests which minister
1:09:28
Speaker 1: unto the Lord are the sons of Aaron, and the
1:09:32
Speaker 1: Levites wait upon their business, and they burn unto the
1:09:35
Speaker 1: Lord every morning and every evening, burnt sacrifices and sweet incense,
1:09:40
Speaker 1: the showbread. Also set they in order upon the pure
1:09:43
Speaker 1: table and the candlestick of gold, with the lamps thereof
1:09:47
Speaker 1: to burn every evening. For we keep the charge of
1:09:50
Speaker 1: the Lord, our God, but ye have forsaken him. This
1:09:55
Speaker 1: was the heart of the conflict, not just political division,
1:09:59
Speaker 1: but religious apostasy. The Northern Kingdom had golden calves instead
1:10:04
Speaker 1: of proper worship, illegitimate priests instead of Levites and had
1:10:08
Speaker 1: abandoned the temple worship that God had established. Judah, despite
1:10:13
Speaker 1: its problems, still maintained proper worship in Jerusalem. Abijah concluded
1:10:18
Speaker 1: with confidence in God's help. In verse twelve, he proclaimed,
1:10:22
Speaker 1: and behold, God himself is with us, for our captain
1:10:26
Speaker 1: and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you, O,
1:10:31
Speaker 1: children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord, God
1:10:33
Speaker 1: of your fathers, for ye shall not prosper. But Jeroboam
1:10:38
Speaker 1: wasn't intimidated by speeches. While Abija was talking, the northern
1:10:43
Speaker 1: king was preparing a trap. Verse thirteen tells us, but
1:10:46
Speaker 1: Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them. So
1:10:50
Speaker 1: they were before Judah and the ambushment was behind them.
1:10:55
Speaker 1: Suddenly Judah found itself surrounded, Jeroboam's main in front, with
1:11:01
Speaker 1: ambush troops behind a theem Verse fourteen describes their response,
1:11:06
Speaker 1: and when Judah looked back, behold the battle was before
1:11:10
Speaker 1: and behind, and they cried unto the Lord, and the
1:11:14
Speaker 1: priests sounded with the trumpets. Facing overwhelming odds and tactical disaster,
1:11:19
Speaker 1: the men of Judah did the only thing they could.
1:11:22
Speaker 1: They cried out to God for help. The priests sounded
1:11:26
Speaker 1: the trumpets, calling on God to remember his covenant and
1:11:30
Speaker 1: save his people. What happened next was miraculous. Verses fifteen
1:11:36
Speaker 1: sixteen record, then the men of Judah gave a shout,
1:11:39
Speaker 1: And as the men of Judah shouted, it came to
1:11:41
Speaker 1: pass that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abija
1:11:46
Speaker 1: and Judah, and the children of Israel fled before Judah,
1:11:50
Speaker 1: and God delivered them into their hand. When the men
1:11:53
Speaker 1: of Judah shouted their battle cry, God intervened supernaturally. Despite
1:11:59
Speaker 1: being outnumbered two to one and surrounded by enemy forces,
1:12:02
Speaker 1: Judah won a complete victory. The Northern army fled in panic,
1:12:07
Speaker 1: and God delivered them into Judah's hand. The victory was
1:12:10
Speaker 1: devastating for Israel. Verses seventeen to eighteen described the aftermath,
1:12:16
Speaker 1: and Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter.
1:12:20
Speaker 1: So there fell down slain of Israel, five hundred thousand
1:12:24
Speaker 1: chosen men. Thus the children of Israel were brought under
1:12:28
Speaker 1: at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed because
1:12:32
Speaker 1: they relied upon the Lord, God of their fathers. Five
1:12:35
Speaker 1: hundred thousand Israelite soldiers died In this battle, one of
1:12:39
Speaker 1: the bloodiest defeats in the Bible, the Northern kingdom was
1:12:42
Speaker 1: severely weakened, while Judah grew stronger because they had relied
1:12:46
Speaker 1: on God rather than just military might. When Abuja died
1:12:54
Speaker 1: after his short three year reign, his son Usir became
1:12:57
Speaker 1: king of Judah. Usa would rule for forty one years
1:13:01
Speaker 1: and become one of the most important reforming kings in
1:13:04
Speaker 1: Judah's history. Chapter fourteen, Verse one tells us So Abija
1:13:08
Speaker 1: slept with his fathers and they buried him in the
1:13:11
Speaker 1: city of David, and Aesa, his son, reigned in his stead.
1:13:16
Speaker 1: In his days, the land was quiet ten years. God
1:13:20
Speaker 1: blessed Aesa's early reign with peace. For ten years, there
1:13:24
Speaker 1: were no major wars or conflicts. This peace gave Asa
1:13:29
Speaker 1: the opportunity to focus on internal reforms and spiritual renewal.
1:13:35
Speaker 1: Most importantly, Aesa's heart was right toward God from the
1:13:39
Speaker 1: beginning of his reign. Verse two gives us the key
1:13:43
Speaker 1: to understanding Ace's success. And Aesa did that which was
1:13:47
Speaker 1: good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.
1:13:51
Speaker 1: Unlike many kings who started well but later turned away
1:13:55
Speaker 1: from God, Aesa maintained his devotion throughout his long rain.
1:14:00
Speaker 1: His reforms were thorough and genuine. Aesa's first priority was
1:14:05
Speaker 1: removing idolatry from the kingdom. Verse three describes his actions,
1:14:09
Speaker 1: for he took away the altars of the strange gods
1:14:12
Speaker 1: and the high places, and break down the images and
1:14:16
Speaker 1: cut down the groves strange gods, high places, images and groves.
1:14:22
Speaker 1: All the paraphernalia of pagan worship that had crept into
1:14:26
Speaker 1: Judah were systematically destroyed. But Asa didn't stop with destroying
1:14:31
Speaker 1: false worship. He actively promoted true worship. Verse four tells
1:14:36
Speaker 1: us and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, God of
1:14:39
Speaker 1: their fathers and to do the law and the commandment.
1:14:43
Speaker 1: Asa made it official policy that the people should seek
1:14:46
Speaker 1: God and obey his laws. This wasn't just about removing
1:14:50
Speaker 1: bad things, it was about actively pursuing good things. The
1:14:55
Speaker 1: spiritual renewal had practical benefits. Verse five explains also he
1:15:01
Speaker 1: took away out of all the cities of Judah the
1:15:04
Speaker 1: high places and the images, and the kingdom was quiet
1:15:08
Speaker 1: before him. As idolatry was removed throughout the kingdom, peace
1:15:14
Speaker 1: and stability increased. There's a direct connection between spiritual faithfulness
1:15:20
Speaker 1: and national blessing. With peace established, USA used the opportunity
1:15:24
Speaker 1: to strengthen the kingdom's defenses. Verses six to seven describe
1:15:29
Speaker 1: his building program. And he built fenced cities in Judah,
1:15:34
Speaker 1: for the land had rest, and he had no war
1:15:37
Speaker 1: in those years because the Lord had given him rest. Therefore,
1:15:41
Speaker 1: he said, unto Judah, let us build these cities and
1:15:44
Speaker 1: make about them walls and towers, gates and bars, while
1:15:48
Speaker 1: the land is yet before us, because we have sought
1:15:51
Speaker 1: the Lord, our God. We have sought him, and he
1:15:54
Speaker 1: hath given us rest on every side. So they built
1:15:57
Speaker 1: and prospered. Esa understood that the peace they were enjoying
1:16:01
Speaker 1: came from God because they had sought him faithfully. He
1:16:05
Speaker 1: used this God given peace to build fortified cities with walls, towers, gates,
1:16:11
Speaker 1: and bars. The combination of spiritual faithfulness and practical preparation
1:16:17
Speaker 1: made Judah strong and secure. Aesa also built up his
1:16:21
Speaker 1: military forces during this peaceful period. Verse eight tells Us
1:16:26
Speaker 1: and Aesa had an army of men that bare targets
1:16:30
Speaker 1: and spears out of Judah three hundred thousand, and out
1:16:34
Speaker 1: of Benjamin that bare shields and drew bows two hundred
1:16:38
Speaker 1: fourscore thousand. All these were mighty men of valor. Ace's
1:16:42
Speaker 1: army totaled five hundred eighty thousand men, three hundred thousand
1:16:46
Speaker 1: from Judah equipped with large shields and spears, and two
1:16:50
Speaker 1: hundred eighty thousand from Benjamin equipped with smaller shields and bows.
1:16:55
Speaker 1: This was a substantial force, well equipped and trained. Uasa
1:17:00
Speaker 1: combined trust in God with careful military preparation. The effectiveness
1:17:05
Speaker 1: of Ace's spiritual and military policies would soon be tested
1:17:09
Speaker 1: when a massive enemy force invaded Judah from the south.
1:17:13
Speaker 1: The Ethiopian army that came against Usa would be far
1:17:16
Speaker 1: larger than anything Judah could match through human strength alone,
1:17:21
Speaker 1: but God's power would prove sufficient for the challenge. After
1:17:25
Speaker 1: years of peace and prosperity under Aesa's righteous rule, a
1:17:29
Speaker 1: new threat emerged from the north. Basha, king of Israel,
1:17:33
Speaker 1: decided to build a fortress at Rama that would control
1:17:36
Speaker 1: the main road between Jerusalem and the northern territories. Chapter sixteen,
1:17:41
Speaker 1: verse one tells us in the six and thirtieth year
1:17:44
Speaker 1: of the reign of Asa, Basha, king of Israel, came
1:17:47
Speaker 1: up against Judah and built Rama to the intent that
1:17:51
Speaker 1: he might let none go out or come in. To Asa,
1:17:54
Speaker 1: King of Judah, this wasn't just military aggression, it was
1:17:59
Speaker 1: economic warfare. By fortifying Ramah, Basha could control trade routes
1:18:04
Speaker 1: and prevent people from traveling freely between the kingdoms. This
1:18:08
Speaker 1: would strangle Judah economically and isolate Jerusalem from potential allies
1:18:13
Speaker 1: and resources. Faced with this threat, Ayesa made a decision
1:18:19
Speaker 1: that seemed practical but was spiritually questionable. Instead of seeking
1:18:24
Speaker 1: God's help as he had done with the Ethiopian invasion,
1:18:28
Speaker 1: Asa decided to use diplomacy and bribery to solve the problem.
1:18:33
Speaker 1: Verse two describes ASA's strategy. Then, Aesa brought out silver
1:18:39
Speaker 1: and gold out of the treasures of the House of
1:18:41
Speaker 1: the Lord and of the King's house, and sent to
1:18:44
Speaker 1: ben Hadad, King of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying
1:18:48
Speaker 1: Asa took treasures from both the temple and his own
1:18:51
Speaker 1: palace to send as payment to ben Hadad, the Syrian
1:18:55
Speaker 1: king in Damascus. Aesa's message to ben Hadad was a
1:19:00
Speaker 1: request for military alliance. In verse three, he said, there
1:19:05
Speaker 1: is a league between me and thee as there was
1:19:08
Speaker 1: between my father and thy father. Behold, I have sent
1:19:12
Speaker 1: unto thee silver and gold, go break thy league with Basha,
1:19:17
Speaker 1: King of Israel, that he may depart from me. Arsa
1:19:21
Speaker 1: was asking Ben Hadad to break his existing alliance with
1:19:25
Speaker 1: Israel and instead attack Israel from the north. This would
1:19:28
Speaker 1: force Basha to abandon his fortress at Ramah and return
1:19:32
Speaker 1: to defend his own territory. It was clever politics, but
1:19:36
Speaker 1: it showed a lack of faith in God's ability to
1:19:38
Speaker 1: handle the situation. Ben Hadad was happy to accept AASA's
1:19:43
Speaker 1: gold and silver. Verse four tells us and ben Hadad
1:19:47
Speaker 1: hearkened unto King Esa and sent the captains of his
1:19:50
Speaker 1: armies against the cities of Israel, and they smote Ijon
1:19:54
Speaker 1: and Dan, and Abel Maim and all the store cities
1:19:57
Speaker 1: of Naftali. The Syrian attack swift and effective. Ben Hadad's
1:20:02
Speaker 1: forces struck multiple cities in northern Israel, Ijon, Dan, Abelmaim,
1:20:08
Speaker 1: and the store cities of Naftali. These attacks forced Basha
1:20:12
Speaker 1: to respond exactly as Asa had hoped. Verse five records
1:20:16
Speaker 1: the result, and it came to pass when Basha heard
1:20:19
Speaker 1: it that he left off building of Rama and let
1:20:22
Speaker 1: his work cease. Basha immediately stopped fortifying Rama, and withdrew
1:20:27
Speaker 1: his forces to deal with the Syrian invasion of his
1:20:30
Speaker 1: own territory. With Basha gone, Ussa moved quickly to eliminate
1:20:35
Speaker 1: the threat permanently. Verse six explains, then Ussa the King
1:20:40
Speaker 1: took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of
1:20:43
Speaker 1: Rama and the timber thereof wherewith Basha was building, and
1:20:47
Speaker 1: he built therewith Gaba and Mizpah. Esa mobilized the entire
1:20:52
Speaker 1: population of Judah to dismantle Basha's fortifications at Rama. They
1:20:57
Speaker 1: carried away all the stones and timber, then used the
1:21:00
Speaker 1: materials to build their own fortifications at Geba and Mizpah,
1:21:04
Speaker 1: cities that would protect Judah's northern border instead of threatening it.
1:21:09
Speaker 1: From a military and political standpoint, ESA's strategy was brilliant.
1:21:14
Speaker 1: He had neutralized a serious threat, gained control of strategic territory,
1:21:19
Speaker 1: and strengthened his own defenses, all without losing a single
1:21:23
Speaker 1: soldier in battle. But God's perspective on these events was different.
1:21:28
Speaker 1: The prophet Hanani came to Usa with a message of rebuke.
1:21:33
Speaker 1: Verse seven records his words, and at that time Hanani
1:21:37
Speaker 1: the Seer came to Usa, King of Judah and said
1:21:40
Speaker 1: unto him, because thou hast relied on the King of
1:21:44
Speaker 1: Syria and not relied on the Lord Thy God. Therefore
1:21:48
Speaker 1: is the host of the King of Syria escaped out
1:21:51
Speaker 1: of Thine hand. God was disappointed that Aesa had relied
1:21:55
Speaker 1: on human alliance rather than divine help. Hanani pointed out
1:21:59
Speaker 1: that if if Aesa had trusted God instead of ben Hadad,
1:22:03
Speaker 1: God would have delivered both Basha and ben Hadad into
1:22:06
Speaker 1: his hands, giving him an even greater victory. Hanani reminded
1:22:12
Speaker 1: Aesa of his past victories through faith. In verse eight,
1:22:15
Speaker 1: he said, were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a
1:22:18
Speaker 1: huge host with very many chariots and horsemen, Yet because
1:22:22
Speaker 1: thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into
1:22:26
Speaker 1: Thine hand. When Esa had faced the massive Ethiopian army,
1:22:31
Speaker 1: he had trusted God completely and won a miraculous victory.
1:22:36
Speaker 1: The prophet's conclusion was sobering. Verse nine declares for the
1:22:41
Speaker 1: eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the
1:22:44
Speaker 1: whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them,
1:22:48
Speaker 1: whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly. Therefore,
1:22:53
Speaker 1: from henceforth thou shalt have wars. God sees everything and
1:22:57
Speaker 1: is always ready to help those whose arts are completely
1:23:00
Speaker 1: devoted to him. But because Ayesa had chosen human wisdom
1:23:05
Speaker 1: over divine trust, he would face continuous warfare for the
1:23:10
Speaker 1: rest of his reign instead of the peace he had
1:23:13
Speaker 1: previously enjoyed. Aesa's response to the prophet's rebuke revealed a
1:23:18
Speaker 1: troubling change in his character. Instead of repenting and returning
1:23:22
Speaker 1: to his former faithfulness, Aesa became angry and defensive. Verse
1:23:27
Speaker 1: ten tells us then Aesa was wroth with the Seer
1:23:30
Speaker 1: and put him in a prison house, for he was
1:23:33
Speaker 1: in a rage with him because of this thing, and
1:23:36
Speaker 1: Ayesa oppressed some of the people the same time. This
1:23:40
Speaker 1: was a shocking development. The same king who had once
1:23:44
Speaker 1: sought God faithfully and listened to prophetic guidance was now
1:23:48
Speaker 1: imprisoning God's messenger and oppressing his own people. Success and
1:23:53
Speaker 1: long years in power had apparently hardened Aesa's heart and
1:23:57
Speaker 1: made him unwilling to accept correction. The consequences of ASA's
1:24:01
Speaker 1: spiritual decline became evident in the final years of his reign.
1:24:06
Speaker 1: Verse twelve describes what happened and Aesa in the thirty
1:24:11
Speaker 1: and ninth year of his reign, was diseased in his
1:24:14
Speaker 1: feet until his disease was exceeding great Yet in his
1:24:18
Speaker 1: disease he sought not to the Lord but to the physicians.
1:24:23
Speaker 1: Ata developed a severe foot disease in the thirty ninth
1:24:27
Speaker 1: year of his reign. Some scholars think this might have
1:24:30
Speaker 1: been gangreen or some other serious condition that caused intense
1:24:34
Speaker 1: pain and disability. But even facing this serious illness, Aesa
1:24:39
Speaker 1: refused to seek God's help. Instead, Ursa relied entirely on physicians.
1:24:46
Speaker 1: While medical treatment isn't wrong in itself, USA's exclusive reliance
1:24:50
Speaker 1: on human help showed the same pattern he had displayed
1:24:53
Speaker 1: in his alliance with ben Hadad, trusting in human resources
1:24:57
Speaker 1: rather than divine power. This was particularly tragic because Esa
1:25:02
Speaker 1: had once been a man of great faith. Earlier in
1:25:05
Speaker 1: his reign, when facing the enormous Ethiopian army, he had
1:25:09
Speaker 1: prayed one of the most beautiful prayers of dependence on
1:25:12
Speaker 1: God found anywhere in scripture, but years of success and
1:25:17
Speaker 1: power had gradually eroded his trust in God. The illness
1:25:22
Speaker 1: continued for two years until Aesa's death Verse thirteen records,
1:25:27
Speaker 1: and Esa slept with his fathers and died in the
1:25:30
Speaker 1: one and fortieth year of his reign. After forty one
1:25:34
Speaker 1: years as king, Asa died from the disease that he
1:25:38
Speaker 1: had refused to bring before God in prayer. Despite his
1:25:42
Speaker 1: tragic ending, Asa was honored at his death. Verse fourteen
1:25:47
Speaker 1: describes his funeral. And they buried him in his own sepulchers,
1:25:51
Speaker 1: which he had made for himself, in the city of David,
1:25:55
Speaker 1: and laid him in the bed, which was filled with
1:25:57
Speaker 1: sweet odors and divers kinds of spices prepared by the
1:26:01
Speaker 1: apothecary's art, and they made a very great burning for him.
1:26:06
Speaker 1: Aesa was buried with great ceremony in a tomb he
1:26:09
Speaker 1: had prepared for himself in the city of David. His
1:26:13
Speaker 1: body was surrounded with sweet smelling spices, and they made
1:26:17
Speaker 1: a great fire in his honor. Even though his final
1:26:21
Speaker 1: years were marked by spiritual failure, he was remembered for
1:26:25
Speaker 1: the good he had accomplished during most of his reign.
1:26:28
Speaker 1: When Aesa died, his son, Jehoshaphat became King of Judah.
1:26:32
Speaker 1: Unlike his father's tragic ending, Jehoshaphat would prove to be
1:26:36
Speaker 1: one of Judah's greatest kings, combining military strength with spiritual
1:26:41
Speaker 1: faithfulness Throughout his reign. Chapter seventeen, Verse one tells us
1:26:46
Speaker 1: and Jehoshaphat, his son, reigned in his stead and strengthened
1:26:50
Speaker 1: himself against Israel. From the beginning of his reign, Jehoshaphat
1:26:54
Speaker 1: understood that Judah needed to be strong and well defended.
1:26:58
Speaker 1: The Northern Kingdom of Israel remained a potential threat, and
1:27:02
Speaker 1: other enemies could arise at any time, but Jehoshaphat's approach
1:27:06
Speaker 1: to building strength was comprehensive. He focused on military, spiritual,
1:27:12
Speaker 1: and administrative reforms. Verse two describes his military strategy, and
1:27:18
Speaker 1: he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah
1:27:21
Speaker 1: and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in
1:27:25
Speaker 1: the cities of Ephraim, which Aesa his father had taken.
1:27:31
Speaker 1: Jehoshaphat didn't just maintain the fortified cities his father had built.
1:27:35
Speaker 1: He actively garrisoned them with permanent military forces. The reference
1:27:40
Speaker 1: to cities of Ephraim shows that Aesa had captured some
1:27:45
Speaker 1: territory from the Northern Kingdom during his conflicts with Israel.
1:27:50
Speaker 1: Jehoshaphats secured these conquests by placing garrisons there, ensuring that
1:27:55
Speaker 1: Judah would keep control of strategically important areas. But Jhajoshaphat's
1:28:00
Speaker 1: greatest strength came from his spiritual commitment. Verse three explains,
1:28:06
Speaker 1: and the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in
1:28:10
Speaker 1: the first ways of his father David and sought not
1:28:13
Speaker 1: unto Bhalim. Jehoshifat followed David's example of wholehearted devotion to God,
1:28:19
Speaker 1: avoiding the baal worship that had corrupted both Israel and
1:28:24
Speaker 1: sometimes even Judah. Jehoshaphat's spiritual priorities were clear. Verse four
1:28:30
Speaker 1: tells us, but sought to the Lord God of his
1:28:33
Speaker 1: father and walked in his commandments and not after the
1:28:37
Speaker 1: doings of Israel. Instead of following the religious practices of
1:28:40
Speaker 1: the Northern Kingdom with its golden calves and illegitimate priests,
1:28:46
Speaker 1: Jehoshaphat maintained pure worship of God according to his commandments.
1:28:52
Speaker 1: God blessed Jehoshaphat's faithfulness in remarkable ways. Verse five records. Therefore,
1:28:59
Speaker 1: the Lord's established the kingdom in his hand, and all
1:29:02
Speaker 1: Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents, and he had riches and
1:29:06
Speaker 1: honor in abundance. The kingdom became stable and secure under
1:29:11
Speaker 1: Jehoshaphat's rule, and the people showed their loyalty by bringing
1:29:15
Speaker 1: him gifts. Jehoshaphat's wealth and honor weren't just personal blessings,
1:29:21
Speaker 1: they were resources he could use to strengthen the kingdom further.
1:29:25
Speaker 1: A prosperous king could afford better military equipment, stronger fortifications,
1:29:30
Speaker 1: and more effective administration. The Kingdom of Judah was about
1:29:34
Speaker 1: to enter a period of dramatic spiritual renewal and tragic decline.
1:29:39
Speaker 1: Under Jehoshaphat's leadership, the nation would experience some of its
1:29:43
Speaker 1: greatest reforms and victories, but dangerous alliances and family connections
1:29:49
Speaker 1: would also plant seeds of destruction that would eventually bring
1:29:53
Speaker 1: down the entire monarchy that God had established through David.
1:29:58
Speaker 1: Jehoshaphat understood that a his strong kingdom needed more than
1:30:02
Speaker 1: just military power. It needed people who knew God's laws
1:30:05
Speaker 1: and leaders who could apply them fairly. His reforms went
1:30:09
Speaker 1: beyond what any previous king had attempted, creating systems that
1:30:13
Speaker 1: would teach the people and establish justice throughout the land.
1:30:19
Speaker 1: Chapter seventeen, verse six tells us about Jehoshaphat's spiritual boldness
1:30:24
Speaker 1: and his heart was lifted up in the ways of
1:30:28
Speaker 1: the Lord. Moreover, he took away the high places and
1:30:31
Speaker 1: groves out of Judah. Jehoshaphat wasn't content with maintaining the
1:30:36
Speaker 1: status quo. He actively removed the places where people worshiped
1:30:40
Speaker 1: false gods or mixed pagan practices with worship of the
1:30:44
Speaker 1: true God. But Jehoshaphat's greatest innovation was creating a systematic
1:30:50
Speaker 1: programme of religious education. Verse seven describes what he did.
1:30:56
Speaker 1: Also in the third year of his reign, he sent
1:30:59
Speaker 1: to his princes, even to ben Hale and to Obadiah,
1:31:03
Speaker 1: and to Zechariah, and to Nethanil and to Makaiah to
1:31:07
Speaker 1: teach in the cities of Judah. This was revolutionary. Jehoshaphad
1:31:13
Speaker 1: sent his own princes throughout the kingdom as teachers. These
1:31:17
Speaker 1: weren't just any teachers, but members of the royal family
1:31:20
Speaker 1: and high officials who carried the king's authority. The people
1:31:24
Speaker 1: would know that religious education was a top priority when
1:31:28
Speaker 1: princes themselves came to teach them. The teaching program included
1:31:34
Speaker 1: both religious and civil leaders. Verses eight to nine explain
1:31:39
Speaker 1: the full scope. And with them he sent levites, even
1:31:43
Speaker 1: Shamayah and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah and Asahel and Shamiramoth and
1:31:49
Speaker 1: Johonnathan and Adonija and Tobaijah and tob Adonija levites, and
1:31:55
Speaker 1: with them Elishama and Jehoram priests, And they taught in
1:31:59
Speaker 1: Judah and had the Book of the Law of the
1:32:02
Speaker 1: Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities
1:32:05
Speaker 1: of Judah and taught the people. The teaching teams included
1:32:09
Speaker 1: levites who were the religious teachers of Israel, and priests
1:32:13
Speaker 1: who were the spiritual leaders. But they worked together with
1:32:17
Speaker 1: the princes, showing that civil and religious authority were united
1:32:21
Speaker 1: in promoting God's word. Most importantly, they carried the Book
1:32:25
Speaker 1: of the Law of the Lord with them. They weren't
1:32:28
Speaker 1: teaching their own ideas, but Gods revealed truth. These teachers
1:32:33
Speaker 1: went about throughout all the cities of Judah. This wasn't
1:32:36
Speaker 1: just education for the wealthy or those in Jerusalem, but
1:32:40
Speaker 1: a comprehensive program that reached every community in the kingdom.
1:32:45
Speaker 1: For the first time since the kingdom's founding, ordinary people
1:32:49
Speaker 1: throughout Judah had access to systematic instruction in God's laws.
1:32:54
Speaker 1: The results of this educational program were remarkable. Verse ten
1:32:58
Speaker 1: tells us, and the fear of the Lord fell upon
1:33:02
Speaker 1: all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah,
1:33:05
Speaker 1: so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat. When neighboring
1:33:10
Speaker 1: kingdoms saw how God was blessing Judah's faithfulness, they were
1:33:14
Speaker 1: afraid to attack. Knowledge of God's law had become a
1:33:18
Speaker 1: source of national security. Jehoshaphat also established a comprehensive judicial system.
1:33:24
Speaker 1: Chapter nineteen, Verse five describes his approach, and he set
1:33:28
Speaker 1: judges in the land throughout all the fence cities of Judah.
1:33:32
Speaker 1: City by city, every fortified city received qualified judges who
1:33:37
Speaker 1: could handle legal disputes and administer justice according to God's laws.
1:33:43
Speaker 1: These weren't just any judges. Jehoshaphat carefully instructed them in
1:33:47
Speaker 1: their responsibilities. Verses six to seven record his charge to them,
1:33:52
Speaker 1: and said, to the judges, take heed what ye do
1:33:55
Speaker 1: for ye judge, not for man, but for the Lord
1:33:58
Speaker 1: who is with you in the judgement. Wherefore, now let
1:34:02
Speaker 1: the fear of the Lord be upon you. Take heed
1:34:05
Speaker 1: and do it, For there is no iniquity with the Lord.
1:34:09
Speaker 1: Our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.
1:34:13
Speaker 1: Jehoshaphat reminded the judges that they were representing God himself
1:34:18
Speaker 1: in their decisions. They couldn't show favoritism to rich or poor,
1:34:23
Speaker 1: and they couldn't accept bribes. Their job was to apply
1:34:26
Speaker 1: God's perfect justice fairly to everyone who came before them.
1:34:31
Speaker 1: In Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat established an even more sophisticated court system.
1:34:37
Speaker 1: Verse eight explains moreover, in Jerusalem, did Jehoshaphat set of
1:34:42
Speaker 1: the Levites and of the priests, and of the chief
1:34:45
Speaker 1: of the fathers of Israel for the judgment of the
1:34:47
Speaker 1: Lord and for controversies when they returned to Jerusalem. This
1:34:52
Speaker 1: supreme court included Levite's priests and family leaders who could
1:34:57
Speaker 1: handle the most complex legal cases. Jehoshaphat divided the Jerusalem
1:35:02
Speaker 1: court into two departments. Verse eleven tells us, and behold
1:35:07
Speaker 1: a Mariah, the chief Priest is over you in all
1:35:10
Speaker 1: matters of the Lord, and Zebadiah, the son of Ishmael,
1:35:13
Speaker 1: the ruler of the House of Judah, for all the
1:35:16
Speaker 1: king's matters. Also, the Levites shall be officers before you,
1:35:21
Speaker 1: deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with the good.
1:35:26
Speaker 1: Religious matters were handled by Amariah, the chief priest, while
1:35:30
Speaker 1: civil matters were overseen by Zebadiah. This separation of religious
1:35:34
Speaker 1: and civil jurisdiction helped ensure that both areas received proper
1:35:39
Speaker 1: attention from qualified leaders. Despite his many excellent reforms, Jehoshaphat
1:35:46
Speaker 1: made one decision that would have terrible consequences for his
1:35:50
Speaker 1: family and kingdom for generations to come. He decided to
1:35:54
Speaker 1: make a marriage alliance with Ahab, the wicked King of Israel,
1:35:58
Speaker 1: by having his son Jehoram marry Ahab's daughter Athalia. Chapter eighteen,
1:36:05
Speaker 1: Verse one mentions this alliance. Now Jehoshaphat had riches and
1:36:09
Speaker 1: honor in abundance and joined affinity with Ahab. The phrase
1:36:15
Speaker 1: joined affinity refers to the marriage connection between the two
1:36:18
Speaker 1: royal families. This seemed like good politics. Uniting the Northern
1:36:23
Speaker 1: and Southern kingdoms through marriage could bring peace and cooperation.
1:36:28
Speaker 1: But Ahab was one of the most wicked kings in
1:36:31
Speaker 1: Israel's history, and his wife Jezebel, had introduced bail worship
1:36:36
Speaker 1: and persecution of God's profits throughout the Northern kingdom. By
1:36:41
Speaker 1: connecting his family to Ahab's family, Jehoshaphat was bringing this
1:36:45
Speaker 1: evil influence directly into the royal House of Judah. The
1:36:49
Speaker 1: immediate consequences of this alliance became apparent when Ahab invited
1:36:54
Speaker 1: Jehoshaphat to join him in attacking Ramoth Gilead. Verse two
1:36:59
Speaker 1: tells us and after certain years he went down to
1:37:02
Speaker 1: Ahab to Samaria, and Ahab killed sheep and oxen for
1:37:07
Speaker 1: him in abundance and for the people that he had
1:37:09
Speaker 1: with him, and persuaded him to go up with him
1:37:11
Speaker 1: to Ramoth Gilead. Ahab's hospitality was designed to manipulate Jehoshaphat
1:37:17
Speaker 1: into supporting a military campaign that God had not approved.
1:37:23
Speaker 1: The lavish entertainment and family connection made it difficult for
1:37:27
Speaker 1: Jehoshaphat to refuse, even though the expedition would prove to
1:37:31
Speaker 1: be disastrous. Before the battle, Jehoshaphat wisely insisted on seeking
1:37:37
Speaker 1: God's guidance. Verse four records his request, and Jehoshaphat said,
1:37:42
Speaker 1: unto the King of Israel, inquire I pray thee at
1:37:45
Speaker 1: the word of the Lord to day. Jehoshaphat's spiritual sensitivity
1:37:51
Speaker 1: hadn't been completely compromised by his political alliance. He still
1:37:55
Speaker 1: wanted to know God's will Before acting, Ahab gathered four
1:37:59
Speaker 1: hunds prophets who all predicted victory. But these were false
1:38:03
Speaker 1: prophets who told the king what he wanted to hear.
1:38:07
Speaker 1: When Jehoshaphat asked for a true prophet of the Lord,
1:38:10
Speaker 1: Ahab reluctantly called Mykiah, whom he hated because Mykiah always
1:38:15
Speaker 1: prophesied evil concerning him. Makiah's prophecy was startling. In verses
1:38:21
Speaker 1: sixteen eighteen, he told them. Then he said, I did
1:38:25
Speaker 1: see all Israel scattered upon the mountains as sheep that
1:38:29
Speaker 1: have no shepherd. And the Lord said, these have no master.
1:38:33
Speaker 1: Let them return. Therefore, every man to his house in peace.
1:38:37
Speaker 1: And the King of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, did I
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Speaker 1: not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me?
1:38:43
Speaker 1: But evil? Again? He said, therefore hear the word of
1:38:47
Speaker 1: the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne,
1:38:51
Speaker 1: and all the host of heavens standing on his right
1:38:54
Speaker 1: hand and on his left. Michaea saw Israel scattered like
1:38:58
Speaker 1: sheep without a shepherd, and he received a vision of
1:39:01
Speaker 1: God's throne room, where the decision had been made to
1:39:04
Speaker 1: deceive Ahab's false prophets so that Ahab would go to
1:39:08
Speaker 1: battle and be killed. This was divine judgment on Ahab's wickedness.
1:39:13
Speaker 1: Despite this clear warning, both kings went to battle. Ahab
1:39:17
Speaker 1: disguised himself, hoping to avoid the prophesied death, while Jehoshaphat
1:39:22
Speaker 1: wore his royal robes. In the battle, Syrian soldiers mistook
1:39:27
Speaker 1: Jehoshaphat for Ahab and attacked him. But verse thirty one
1:39:30
Speaker 1: tells us and it came to pass when the captains
1:39:34
Speaker 1: of the Chariot saw Jehoshaphat that they said it is
1:39:37
Speaker 1: the King of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight.
1:39:41
Speaker 1: But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and
1:39:45
Speaker 1: God moved them to depart from him. God protected Jehoshaphat
1:39:50
Speaker 1: despite his foolish alliance, but Ahab wasn't so fortunate. Verse
1:39:55
Speaker 1: thirty three records his death. And a certain man drew
1:39:59
Speaker 1: a bow at a venture and smote the King of
1:40:02
Speaker 1: Israel between the joints of the harness. Therefore he said
1:40:05
Speaker 1: to his chariot man, turn thine hand, that thou mayest
1:40:09
Speaker 1: carry me out of the host, for I Am wounded.
1:40:13
Speaker 1: Ahab died from a random arrow shot, exactly as Mykiah
1:40:17
Speaker 1: had prophesied. Jehoshaphat learned a hard lesson about the dangers
1:40:21
Speaker 1: of ungodly alliances, but the marriage connection between his family
1:40:25
Speaker 1: and Ahab's family would continue to cause problems for years
1:40:30
Speaker 1: to come. When Jehoshaphat died after twenty five years of
1:40:34
Speaker 1: mostly faithful rule, his son Jehoram became king of Judah.
1:40:39
Speaker 1: But Jehoram was married to Athalia, daughter of the wicked
1:40:43
Speaker 1: Ahab and Jezebel, and her influence on him was immediate
1:40:46
Speaker 1: and devastating. Chapter twenty one, verse four describes what happened
1:40:51
Speaker 1: when Jehoram took power. Now, when Jehoram was risen up
1:40:55
Speaker 1: to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and
1:40:59
Speaker 1: slew all his brethren with the sword and divers also
1:41:03
Speaker 1: of the princes of Israel. Jehoram's first act as king
1:41:07
Speaker 1: was to murder his own brothers and other potential rivals,
1:41:11
Speaker 1: a practice common in pagan kingdoms but unprecedented in Judah.
1:41:17
Speaker 1: This brutal beginning set the tone for Jehoram's entire reign.
1:41:22
Speaker 1: Verse six explains the source of his wickedness. And he
1:41:26
Speaker 1: walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like
1:41:29
Speaker 1: as did the house of Ahab. For he had the
1:41:32
Speaker 1: daughter of Ahab to wife, and he wrought that which
1:41:36
Speaker 1: was evil in the eyes of the Lord. Jehoram didn't
1:41:40
Speaker 1: just marry Ahab's daughter. He adopted Ahab's religious and political practices.
1:41:45
Speaker 1: The careful reforms that Jehoshaphat had implemented were quickly undermined
1:41:50
Speaker 1: as Jehoram introduced baal worship and other pagan practices into Judah.
1:41:57
Speaker 1: God's patience with this apostasy was limited. Verses twelve and
1:42:02
Speaker 1: fifteen record a letter from the prophet Elijah warning Jehoram
1:42:06
Speaker 1: of coming judgment. And there came a writing to him
1:42:09
Speaker 1: from Elijah, the prophet saying, thus, saith, the Lord God
1:42:13
Speaker 1: of David, thy Father, because thou hast not walked in
1:42:16
Speaker 1: the ways of Jehoshaphat, thy Father, nor in the ways
1:42:20
Speaker 1: of Aesa king of Judah. But hast walked in the
1:42:23
Speaker 1: way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah
1:42:26
Speaker 1: and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go aharing like to
1:42:31
Speaker 1: the Hordoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast
1:42:34
Speaker 1: slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better
1:42:37
Speaker 1: than thyself. Behold with a great plague. Will the Lord
1:42:42
Speaker 1: smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and
1:42:46
Speaker 1: all thy goods, And thou shalt have great sickness by
1:42:49
Speaker 1: disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by
1:42:53
Speaker 1: reason of the sickness. Day by day. Elijah's prophecy was
1:42:57
Speaker 1: specific and terrifying. God would strike Jehoram's people, family, and
1:43:02
Speaker 1: possessions with plague, and Jehoram himself would die from a
1:43:07
Speaker 1: horrible bowel disease. This judgment came because Jehoram had led
1:43:12
Speaker 1: Judah into spiritual prostitution and had murdered his own brothers.
1:43:17
Speaker 1: The judgments began to fall immediately. Verses sixteen to seventeen
1:43:22
Speaker 1: described the first disasters. Moreover, the Lord stirred up against
1:43:27
Speaker 1: Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians
1:43:31
Speaker 1: that were near the Ethiopians, and they came up into
1:43:34
Speaker 1: Judah and break into it and carried away all the
1:43:38
Speaker 1: substance that was found in the king's house, and his
1:43:41
Speaker 1: sons also and his wives, so that there was never
1:43:44
Speaker 1: a son left him save Jehoah Has, the youngest of
1:43:48
Speaker 1: his sons. God stirred up Judah's enemies to attack and
1:43:52
Speaker 1: plunder the kingdom. They captured most of Jehoram's family and
1:43:56
Speaker 1: all his wealth, leaving him with only his youngest son.
1:44:00
Speaker 1: This was the beginning of the end for Jehoram's dynasty.
1:44:03
Speaker 1: The final judgment was personal and painful. Verses eighteen nineteen
1:44:08
Speaker 1: record and after all this, the Lord smote him in
1:44:12
Speaker 1: his bowels with an incurable disease. And it came to
1:44:16
Speaker 1: pass that in process of time, after the end of
1:44:20
Speaker 1: two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness.
1:44:25
Speaker 1: So he died of sore diseases, and his people made
1:44:28
Speaker 1: no burning for him, like the burning of his father's.
1:44:31
Speaker 1: Jehoram died exactly as Elijah had prophesied, from a horrible
1:44:36
Speaker 1: bowel disease that lasted two years. His death was so
1:44:40
Speaker 1: shameful that the people didn't even honor him with the
1:44:43
Speaker 1: traditional funeral fires. Verse twenty summarizes his legacy. Thirty and
1:44:48
Speaker 1: two years old was he when he began to reign,
1:44:52
Speaker 1: And he reigned in Jerusalem eight years and departed without
1:44:56
Speaker 1: being desired. Jehoram died unloved and unmorn after only eight
1:45:01
Speaker 1: years of rule. His son, a Hasiah became king, but
1:45:05
Speaker 1: he was even more deeply influenced by the House of
1:45:07
Speaker 1: Ahab than his father had been. Chapter twenty two, verse
1:45:11
Speaker 1: three tells us he also walked in the ways of
1:45:15
Speaker 1: the House of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor
1:45:18
Speaker 1: to do wickedly. Athalia, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, was
1:45:23
Speaker 1: now the queen mother and had direct influence over the
1:45:26
Speaker 1: young king. Her evil counsel led Ahazia deeper into apostasy
1:45:31
Speaker 1: and alliance with the Northern Kingdom. A Hasiah's reign was
1:45:35
Speaker 1: brief but destructive. Verse four explains wherefore he did evil
1:45:40
Speaker 1: in the sight of the Lord like the House of Ahab,
1:45:43
Speaker 1: for they were his counselors. After the death of his
1:45:46
Speaker 1: father to his destruction, the House of Ahab continued to
1:45:52
Speaker 1: influence a Hasiah even after Jehoram's death, leading the young
1:45:56
Speaker 1: king toward his own destruction. That destruction came quickly. A
1:46:01
Speaker 1: Hasiah joined with Joram, King of Israel, Ahab's son, in
1:46:05
Speaker 1: another military campaign, but God had decided to destroy the
1:46:09
Speaker 1: house of Ahab completely, and a Hausiah's alliance put him
1:46:14
Speaker 1: in the wrong place at the wrong time. Verses seven
1:46:18
Speaker 1: to nine describe a Hasiah's death and the destruction of Ahaziah.
1:46:23
Speaker 1: Was of God by coming to Joram. For when he
1:46:26
Speaker 1: was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jihu, the
1:46:30
Speaker 1: son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to cut
1:46:33
Speaker 1: off the house of Ahab. And it came to pass
1:46:37
Speaker 1: that when Jihu was executing judgment upon the house of
1:46:40
Speaker 1: Ahab and found the princes of Judah and the sons
1:46:44
Speaker 1: of the brethren of Ahaziah that ministered to Ahaziah, he
1:46:48
Speaker 1: slew them, and he sought a Hasiah, and they caught him,
1:46:52
Speaker 1: for he was hid in Samaria, and brought him to Jihu.
1:46:55
Speaker 1: And when they had slain him, they buried him because
1:46:59
Speaker 1: said that he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought
1:47:03
Speaker 1: the Lord with all his heart. Jehu, whom God had
1:47:06
Speaker 1: anointed to destroy Ahab's family, killed a Hausiah along with
1:47:11
Speaker 1: the rest of the house of Ahab. Ahasiah's only honor
1:47:15
Speaker 1: was that he was buried decently because he was Jehoshafitt's grandson.
1:47:19
Speaker 1: The only connection to righteousness left in his family line.
1:47:24
Speaker 1: When Athalia learned that her son Ahaziah was dead, she
1:47:28
Speaker 1: saw an opportunity to seize complete control of Judah. But
1:47:32
Speaker 1: her method was so evil that it shocked even the
1:47:34
Speaker 1: pagan nations around her. Chapter twenty two, Verse ten tells
1:47:38
Speaker 1: us but when Athalia, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that
1:47:42
Speaker 1: her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the
1:47:45
Speaker 1: seed royal of the House of Judah. Athalia murdered her
1:47:49
Speaker 1: own grandchildren and other members of the royal family to
1:47:52
Speaker 1: eliminate any potential rivals to her rule. This wasn't just
1:47:57
Speaker 1: political ambition. It was an attempt to completely destroy the
1:48:01
Speaker 1: line of David through which God had promised to send
1:48:04
Speaker 1: the Messiah. If Athalia succeeded, God's covenant with David would
1:48:09
Speaker 1: be broken and his promises would fail. But God had
1:48:13
Speaker 1: a secret plan to preserve the Davidic line. Verse eleven
1:48:17
Speaker 1: reveals what happened. But Jehoshabith, the daughter of the king,
1:48:22
Speaker 1: took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from
1:48:26
Speaker 1: among the king's sons that were slain and put him
1:48:29
Speaker 1: and his nurse in a bed chamber. So Jehoshah Beth,
1:48:32
Speaker 1: the daughter of King Jehoram, the sister of Ahaziah and
1:48:36
Speaker 1: wife of Jehoiada. The priest hid him from Athaliah so
1:48:40
Speaker 1: that she slew him, not Jehoshah Beth, who was Ahaziah's
1:48:44
Speaker 1: sister and married to Jehoiada. The high priest secretly rescued
1:48:48
Speaker 1: baby Joash from the massacre. She hid him in the
1:48:52
Speaker 1: temple complex, where Athalia wouldn't think to look for him.
1:48:55
Speaker 1: This brave woman literally saved the Messianic line from exis.
1:49:00
Speaker 1: For six years, Athalia ruled Judah while baby Joash grew
1:49:05
Speaker 1: up hidden in the temple. Verse twelve tells us and
1:49:09
Speaker 1: he was with them hid in the House of God
1:49:11
Speaker 1: six years, and Athalia reigned over the land. During this time,
1:49:16
Speaker 1: Athalia promoted Baal worship throughout Judah and tried to completely
1:49:20
Speaker 1: eliminate the worship of the True God. These were dark
1:49:24
Speaker 1: years for God's people. The Davidic covenant appeared to be broken.
1:49:29
Speaker 1: The temple worship was corrupted, and a wicked foreign woman
1:49:33
Speaker 1: sat on the throne of David. But God was preparing
1:49:36
Speaker 1: to dramatically intervene and restore his chosen dynasty In the
1:49:42
Speaker 1: seventh year of Athalia's usurpation, Jehoiada, the High Priest, decided
1:49:48
Speaker 1: it was time to act. The hidden prince was now
1:49:51
Speaker 1: seven years old, old enough to be proclaimed king and
1:49:55
Speaker 1: to begin learning his responsibilities. Chapter twenty three, verse one
1:50:01
Speaker 1: describes Jehoyada's careful preparation, and in the seventh year, Jehoiada
1:50:07
Speaker 1: strengthened himself and took the captains of hundreds Azariah the
1:50:12
Speaker 1: son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohannan, and
1:50:16
Speaker 1: Azariah the son of Obed, and Massiah the son of
1:50:19
Speaker 1: a Dyah, and Elishafat the son of Zikri, into covenant
1:50:23
Speaker 1: with him. Jehoyada didn't act alone. He carefully recruited military
1:50:27
Speaker 1: leaders who could be trusted with the secret and who
1:50:30
Speaker 1: had the power to make the revolution successful. These captains
1:50:34
Speaker 1: controlled hundreds of soldiers, each, giving Jehoyada the military support
1:50:39
Speaker 1: he would need. The conspiracy was planned carefully to avoid
1:50:43
Speaker 1: bloodshed and insure success. Verses four to five described the strategy.
1:50:49
Speaker 1: This is the thing that ye shall do. A third
1:50:52
Speaker 1: part of you, entering on the sabbath of the priests
1:50:55
Speaker 1: and of the levites, shall be porters of the doors,
1:50:58
Speaker 1: and a third part shall be at the King's house,
1:51:01
Speaker 1: and a third part at the gate of the foundation,
1:51:04
Speaker 1: and all the people shall be in the courts of
1:51:07
Speaker 1: the house of the lord. Jehoiada used the regular rotation
1:51:11
Speaker 1: of priests and levites to position loyal forces at key
1:51:15
Speaker 1: locations throughout Jerusalem. On the Sabbath, when the temple would
1:51:19
Speaker 1: be full of worshipers, they would reveal the young king
1:51:22
Speaker 1: and proclaim him ruler of Judah. The moment of revelation
1:51:27
Speaker 1: was dramatic. Verse eleven tells us, Then they brought out
1:51:31
Speaker 1: the king's son and put upon him the crown, and
1:51:35
Speaker 1: gave him the testimony, and made him king, and Jehoiada
1:51:39
Speaker 1: and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.
1:51:44
Speaker 1: Young Joesh was brought out publicly crowned with the royal crown,
1:51:49
Speaker 1: and given the testimony, probably a copy of God's law
1:51:53
Speaker 1: that every king was required to have. Jehoiada and his
1:51:57
Speaker 1: sons anointed him with oil, and the people shouted their approval.
1:52:02
Speaker 1: Atheliah heard the noise and came to investigate. Verse twelve
1:52:06
Speaker 1: describes her shock. Now, when Athalia heard the noise of
1:52:09
Speaker 1: the people running and praising the king. She came to
1:52:12
Speaker 1: the people into the house of the Lord. She couldn't
1:52:16
Speaker 1: believe what she was seeing. The royal child she thought
1:52:19
Speaker 1: she had killed was alive and being acclaimed as king.
1:52:23
Speaker 1: Athalia's response was predictable. Verse thirteen tells us and she
1:52:27
Speaker 1: looked and behold the king stood at his pillar at
1:52:30
Speaker 1: the entering inn, and the princes and the trumpets by
1:52:33
Speaker 1: the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced
1:52:36
Speaker 1: and sounded with trumpets. Also the singers with instruments of
1:52:41
Speaker 1: music and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athalia
1:52:45
Speaker 1: rent her clothes and said treason, treason. Athlia tore her
1:52:49
Speaker 1: clothes and screamed treason. But the real treason had been
1:52:54
Speaker 1: her usurpation of the throne and her attempt to destroy
1:52:58
Speaker 1: the Davidic line. The people were simply restoring God's chosen
1:53:02
Speaker 1: king to his rightful place. Jehoiada ordered Athalia's execution, but
1:53:08
Speaker 1: not in the temple itself. Verses fourteen to fifteen record
1:53:12
Speaker 1: his instructions. Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains
1:53:18
Speaker 1: of hundreds that were set over the host, and said,
1:53:21
Speaker 1: unto them, have her forth of the rangers, and whoso
1:53:24
Speaker 1: followeth her, let him be slain with the sword. For
1:53:27
Speaker 1: the priest said, slay her not in the house of
1:53:31
Speaker 1: the Lord. So they laid hands on her, and when
1:53:34
Speaker 1: she was come to the entering of the horse gate
1:53:36
Speaker 1: by the King's house, they slew her there. Athalea was
1:53:41
Speaker 1: removed from the temple and executed at the horse gate
1:53:44
Speaker 1: of the palace. Her death ended six years of ungodly
1:53:49
Speaker 1: rule and restored the Davidic dynasty to the throne of Judah.
1:53:53
Speaker 1: With Athalia gone, Jehoiada led a spiritual reformation. Verse seventeen
1:53:58
Speaker 1: tells us then all the people went to the house
1:54:01
Speaker 1: of Bail and break it down and break his altars
1:54:04
Speaker 1: and his images in pieces, and slew matten the priest
1:54:07
Speaker 1: of Bail before the altars. The bail worship that Athailia
1:54:12
Speaker 1: had promoted was completely destroyed, and its priest was executed.
1:54:17
Speaker 1: Jehoiada also restored proper temple worship. Verse eighteen explains. Also
1:54:23
Speaker 1: Jehoiada appointed the offices of the House of the Lord
1:54:26
Speaker 1: by the hand of the priests, the levites whom David
1:54:30
Speaker 1: had distributed in the House of the Lord to offer
1:54:33
Speaker 1: the burnt offerings of the Lord as it is written
1:54:36
Speaker 1: in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing
1:54:40
Speaker 1: as it was ordained by David. The temple services were
1:54:43
Speaker 1: reorganized exactly as David had originally established them, with proper
1:54:48
Speaker 1: priests and levites offering sacrifices and leading worship according to
1:54:53
Speaker 1: God's law. The reformation was thorough and biblical. Under Jehoiada's
1:54:59
Speaker 1: gud Eddens, young King Josh began a major restoration of
1:55:03
Speaker 1: the temple itself. Chapter twenty four, verse four tells us,
1:55:07
Speaker 1: and it came to pass after this that Josh was
1:55:10
Speaker 1: minded to repair the House of the Lord. The temple
1:55:13
Speaker 1: had been neglected and damaged during the years of apostasy,
1:55:17
Speaker 1: and Josh wanted to restore it to its former glory.
1:55:21
Speaker 1: The restoration project was funded through voluntary contributions from the people.
1:55:26
Speaker 1: Verses eight to ten described the system. And at the
1:55:31
Speaker 1: king's commandment, they made a chest and set it without
1:55:34
Speaker 1: at the gate of the House of the Lord. And
1:55:36
Speaker 1: they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem to bring
1:55:40
Speaker 1: into the Lord the collection that Moses, the servant of God,
1:55:45
Speaker 1: laid upon Israel in the wilderness, and all the princes
1:55:49
Speaker 1: and all the people rejoiced and brought in and cast
1:55:52
Speaker 1: into the chest until they had made an end. A
1:55:57
Speaker 1: collection chest was placed at the temple gate, and the
1:56:00
Speaker 1: people were invited to contribute toward the restoration. The response
1:56:05
Speaker 1: was enthusiastic. Everyone from princes to common people gave generously
1:56:11
Speaker 1: until there was enough money to complete the work. The
1:56:14
Speaker 1: restoration was successful and thorough. Verse thirteen tells us, So
1:56:19
Speaker 1: the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them,
1:56:22
Speaker 1: and they set the House of God in his state
1:56:24
Speaker 1: and strengthened it. The temple was restored to its original
1:56:28
Speaker 1: condition and made even stronger than before. As long as
1:56:32
Speaker 1: Jehoiada lived, King Joash remained faithful to God and continued
1:56:37
Speaker 1: the spiritual reformation of Judah. But Jehoiada was very old
1:56:42
Speaker 1: when he helped restore Joash to the throne, and eventually
1:56:46
Speaker 1: his long life came to an end. Chapter twenty four,
1:56:50
Speaker 1: Verse fifteen tells us, but Jehoiada waxed old and was
1:56:55
Speaker 1: full of days when he died. An one hundred and
1:56:57
Speaker 1: thirty years old was he when he died. Jehoiada lived
1:57:01
Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty years An extraordinarily long life that
1:57:05
Speaker 1: showed God's blessing on his faithfulness. Verse sixteen records the
1:57:09
Speaker 1: honor he received at his death, and they buried him
1:57:11
Speaker 1: in the city of David among the kings, because he
1:57:14
Speaker 1: had done good in Israel, both toward God and toward
1:57:18
Speaker 1: his house. Jehoiada was buried among the kings because his
1:57:22
Speaker 1: service to God and the nation had been as valuable
1:57:26
Speaker 1: as any kings. He had preserved the Davidic line, restored
1:57:30
Speaker 1: proper worship, and guided the kingdom through a crucial period
1:57:33
Speaker 1: of reformation. But after Jehoiada's death everything changed. Verse seventeen
1:57:39
Speaker 1: describes what happened now. After the death of Jehoiada, came
1:57:44
Speaker 1: the princes of Judah and made obeisance to the king.
1:57:47
Speaker 1: Then the king hearkened unto them. Without Jehoiada's wise counsel, Joash,
1:57:53
Speaker 1: began listening to other advisers who led him in a
1:57:57
Speaker 1: completely different direction. The spiritual decline was rapid and complete.
1:58:02
Speaker 1: Verse eighteen tells us and they left the house of
1:58:04
Speaker 1: the Lord God of their fathers, and served groves and idols,
1:58:09
Speaker 1: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem. For this their
1:58:12
Speaker 1: trespass Joash abandoned the temple worship that he had worked
1:58:16
Speaker 1: so hard to restore, and instead began serving the same
1:58:20
Speaker 1: pagan gods that had brought judgment on previous kings. God
1:58:25
Speaker 1: sent prophets to warn Joash and the people, but they
1:58:28
Speaker 1: wouldn't listen. Verse nineteen says, Yet he sent prophets to
1:58:33
Speaker 1: them to bring them again unto the Lord, and they
1:58:36
Speaker 1: testified against them, but they would not give ear. God's
1:58:40
Speaker 1: patience was evident in sending multiple prophets, but the people
1:58:44
Speaker 1: had hardened their hearts against his word. The most tragic
1:58:49
Speaker 1: moment came when God's spirit came upon Zechariah, Jehoyada's son,
1:58:53
Speaker 1: to deliver a prophetic message. Verse twenty records what happened.
1:58:57
Speaker 1: And the spirit of God came upon Zechariah, the son
1:59:01
Speaker 1: of Jehoiada, the priest, which stood above the people, and said,
1:59:05
Speaker 1: unto them, thus saith God, why transgress ye the commandments
1:59:09
Speaker 1: of the Lord? That ye cannot prosper because ye have
1:59:13
Speaker 1: forsaken the Lord. He hath also forsaken you. Zechariah's message
1:59:18
Speaker 1: was simple and direct. They had forsaken God, so God
1:59:22
Speaker 1: had forsaken them. Their disobedience was the reason for their problems,
1:59:27
Speaker 1: and they needed to return to the Lord if they
1:59:29
Speaker 1: wanted to prosper again. But instead of repenting, the people
1:59:34
Speaker 1: became angry at the messenger. Verse twenty one describes their
1:59:38
Speaker 1: shocking response, and they conspired against him and stoned him
1:59:44
Speaker 1: with stones at the commandment of the king. In the
1:59:46
Speaker 1: court of the house of the Lord. King Joash ordered
1:59:49
Speaker 1: the execution of Zechariah, the son of the man who
1:59:53
Speaker 1: had saved his life and restored him to the throne.
1:59:57
Speaker 1: The stoning took place in the temple court ma King.
2:00:00
Speaker 1: It even more shocking. Joash had completely forgotten Jehoiada's kindness
2:00:05
Speaker 1: and was now murdering his son. Zechariah's final words were prophetic.
2:00:10
Speaker 1: Verse twenty two tells us Thus Joash the King remembered
2:00:14
Speaker 1: not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him,
2:00:18
Speaker 1: but slew his son. And when he died, he said,
2:00:21
Speaker 1: the Lord look upon it and require it. Zechariah called
2:00:25
Speaker 1: on God to see what was happening and to bring justice.
2:00:29
Speaker 1: This prayer for divine vengeance would soon be answered in
2:00:33
Speaker 1: a way that Joash never expected. After Joash's apostasy and
2:00:38
Speaker 1: murder of Zechariah. God's judgment came swiftly. Syrian armies invaded
2:00:43
Speaker 1: Judah and defeated much larger forces, and Joash himself was
2:00:48
Speaker 1: assassinated by his own servants. His son, Amasiah became king
2:00:53
Speaker 1: and initially tried to follow God, but he too eventually
2:00:57
Speaker 1: fell into idolatry and military desire. Chapter twenty five, verse
2:01:04
Speaker 1: two describes Amasia's mixed record. And he did that which
2:01:08
Speaker 1: was right in the sight of the Lord, but not
2:01:11
Speaker 1: with a perfect heart. Amasia's obedience to God was incomplete
2:01:16
Speaker 1: and inconsistent, which would eventually lead to serious problems. Amasia's
2:01:21
Speaker 1: military success against edom led to spiritual failure. Verse fourteen
2:01:27
Speaker 1: tells us what happened after his victory. Now it came
2:01:31
Speaker 1: to pass after that a messiah was come from the
2:01:34
Speaker 1: slaughter of the Edomites. That he brought the gods of
2:01:37
Speaker 1: the children of Seir and set them up to be
2:01:40
Speaker 1: his gods, and bowed down himself before them and burned
2:01:44
Speaker 1: incense unto them. This was incredible foolishness. Amasiah brought home
2:01:48
Speaker 1: the gods of the people he had just defeated and
2:01:51
Speaker 1: began worshiping them. If these gods couldn't protect their own people,
2:01:56
Speaker 1: why would Amasia think they could help him. God sent
2:02:00
Speaker 1: a prophet to confront Amasia about this Idolatry Verses fifteen
2:02:04
Speaker 1: sixteen record the confrontation, wherefore the anger of the Lord
2:02:08
Speaker 1: was kindled against Amasia, and he sent unto him a prophet,
2:02:13
Speaker 1: which said, unto him, why hast thou sought after the
2:02:16
Speaker 1: gods of the people, which could not deliver their own
2:02:19
Speaker 1: people out of thine hand? And it came to pass
2:02:23
Speaker 1: as he talked with him, that the king said, unto him,
2:02:26
Speaker 1: art thou maid of the King's counsel forbear, why shouldst
2:02:31
Speaker 1: thou be smitten? Instead of repenting, Amasia threatened the prophet
2:02:36
Speaker 1: and refused to listen to God's message. The prophet's response
2:02:41
Speaker 1: was ominous. Then the prophet forbare and said, I know
2:02:45
Speaker 1: that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast
2:02:48
Speaker 1: done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel. Amasia's
2:02:54
Speaker 1: destruction came through a foolish war with Israel that ended
2:02:58
Speaker 1: in complete defeat, the capture of Jerusalem and the looting
2:03:02
Speaker 1: of the temple treasures. Like his father, Amaziah was eventually
2:03:07
Speaker 1: assassinated by conspirators. Amaziah's son Usiah became king and ruled
2:03:13
Speaker 1: for fifty two years. One of Judah's longest reigns, Chapter
2:03:18
Speaker 1: twenty six, Verse four tells us and he did that
2:03:21
Speaker 1: which was right in the sight of the Lord, according
2:03:24
Speaker 1: to all that his father Amasiah did. Initially, Usiah followed
2:03:29
Speaker 1: his father's early example of seeking God. Under the influence
2:03:33
Speaker 1: of a godly counselor named Zekariah, Usiah experienced remarkable success.
2:03:39
Speaker 1: Verse five explains, and he sought God in the days
2:03:42
Speaker 1: of Zekariah, who had understanding in the visions of God.
2:03:47
Speaker 1: And as long as he sought the Lord, God made
2:03:49
Speaker 1: him to prosper. Usiah's prosperity was comprehensive military victories, building projects,
2:03:56
Speaker 1: agricultural success, and international recognition. Verses eight to nine describe
2:04:02
Speaker 1: his achievements. And the Ammonites gave gifts to Usiah, and
2:04:07
Speaker 1: his name spread abroad, even to the entering Inn of Egypt,
2:04:11
Speaker 1: for he strengthened himself exceedingly. Moreover, Usiah built towers in
2:04:16
Speaker 1: Jerusalem at the corner gate and at the valley gate,
2:04:20
Speaker 1: and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.
2:04:23
Speaker 1: But success led to pride and pride led to spiritual disaster.
2:04:28
Speaker 1: Verse sixteen tells us but when he was strong, his
2:04:32
Speaker 1: heart was lifted up to his destruction, for he transgressed
2:04:35
Speaker 1: against the Lord his God, and went into the temple
2:04:39
Speaker 1: of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
2:04:44
Speaker 1: Usiah attempted to perform priestly functions that were reserved only
2:04:48
Speaker 1: for descendants of Aaron. This wasn't just a ceremonial violation,
2:04:53
Speaker 1: it was a direct challenge to God's established order of worship.
2:04:58
Speaker 1: As a riar. The priest in fronted Usiah with eighty
2:05:01
Speaker 1: other brave priests. Verse eighteen records their words, and they
2:05:05
Speaker 1: withstood Usiah the king, and said, unto him, it appertaineth
2:05:10
Speaker 1: not unto thee Asiah to burn incense, unto the Lord,
2:05:14
Speaker 1: but to the priests the sons of Aaron that are
2:05:17
Speaker 1: consecrated to burn incense, go out of the sanctuary, for
2:05:21
Speaker 1: thou hast trespassed. Neither shall it be for thine honor
2:05:25
Speaker 1: from the Lord God. Usiah's response was anger, but God's
2:05:29
Speaker 1: response was immediate judgment. Verse nineteen tells us Then Usiah
2:05:34
Speaker 1: was wroth and had a censer in his hand to
2:05:36
Speaker 1: burn incense, and while he was wroth with the priests,
2:05:40
Speaker 1: the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the
2:05:43
Speaker 1: priests in the House of the Lord. From beside the
2:05:46
Speaker 1: incense altar. Leprosy broke out on Usiah's forehead while he
2:05:52
Speaker 1: was still in the temple, and he remained a leper
2:05:54
Speaker 1: until his death. His son Jotham ruled as regent for
2:05:58
Speaker 1: the rest of Usiah's life. Jotham became king after his
2:06:02
Speaker 1: father's death and ruled faithfully for sixteen years. Chapter twenty seven,
2:06:08
Speaker 1: Verse two tells us and he did that which was
2:06:11
Speaker 1: right in the sight of the Lord, according to all
2:06:14
Speaker 1: that his father Osiah did, howbeit he entered not into
2:06:18
Speaker 1: the Temple of the Lord. Jotham learned from his father's
2:06:21
Speaker 1: mistake and never attempted to perform priestly functions. Jotham continued
2:06:27
Speaker 1: his father's building projects and military success. Verse three describes
2:06:32
Speaker 1: his achievements. He built the high gate of the House
2:06:35
Speaker 1: of the Lord, and on the wall of Ofel he
2:06:38
Speaker 1: built much. Jotham strengthened Jerusalem's defenses and improved the temple
2:06:44
Speaker 1: complex without overstepping his authority. God blessed Jotham's faithfulness with
2:06:49
Speaker 1: victory over Judah's enemies. Verse five tells us he fought
2:06:54
Speaker 1: also with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed against them,
2:06:58
Speaker 1: and the children of Ammon gave him the same year
2:07:01
Speaker 1: an hundred talents of silver and ten thousand measures of
2:07:05
Speaker 1: wheat and ten thousand of barley. So much did the
2:07:08
Speaker 1: children of Ammon pay unto him both the second year
2:07:11
Speaker 1: and the third the Ammonites were forced to pay tribute
2:07:15
Speaker 1: to Jotham for three years one hundred talents of silver
2:07:18
Speaker 1: plus enormous quantities of grain. This wealth allowed Jotham to
2:07:22
Speaker 1: continue his building projects and strengthen the kingdom without oppressing
2:07:27
Speaker 1: his own people. Verse six summarizes the reason for Jotham's success.
2:07:33
Speaker 1: So Jotham became mighty because he prepared his ways before
2:07:37
Speaker 1: the Lord his God. Unlike many kings who started well
2:07:40
Speaker 1: but declined spiritually, Jotham remained faithful throughout his reign and
2:07:45
Speaker 1: experience consistent blessing from God. When Jotham died, his son
2:07:51
Speaker 1: Ahaz became king, and with him came one of the
2:07:54
Speaker 1: darkest periods in Judah's history. Chapter twenty eight, Verse one
2:07:58
Speaker 1: tells us as was twenty years old when he began
2:08:02
Speaker 1: to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. But
2:08:06
Speaker 1: he did not that which was right in the sight
2:08:09
Speaker 1: of the Lord. Like David his father, it has completely
2:08:12
Speaker 1: abandoned the faithfulness that had characterized his father and grandfather.
2:08:17
Speaker 1: Verse two describes his wickedness, for he walked in the
2:08:21
Speaker 1: ways of the kings of Israel and made also molten
2:08:25
Speaker 1: images for bah Alim. Ah Has followed the evil example
2:08:30
Speaker 1: of the Northern Kingdom, even making metal idols for bale worship.
2:08:34
Speaker 1: But AHAs went even further into apostasy than previous wicked kings.
2:08:40
Speaker 1: Verse three tells us something horrifying. Moreover, he burnt incense
2:08:45
Speaker 1: in the valley of the son of Hinam and burnt
2:08:47
Speaker 1: his children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen,
2:08:51
Speaker 1: whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel,
2:08:55
Speaker 1: AHAs actually sacrificed his own children in fire, following the
2:09:00
Speaker 1: most detestable practices of the pagan nations. This was the
2:09:04
Speaker 1: absolute worst form of idolatry, and it brought immediate judgment
2:09:09
Speaker 1: from God. The judgments came from multiple directions. Verses five
2:09:14
Speaker 1: to six described the disasters, wherefore the Lord his God
2:09:18
Speaker 1: delivered him into the hand of the King of Syria,
2:09:21
Speaker 1: and they smote him and carried away a great multitude
2:09:25
Speaker 1: of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he
2:09:28
Speaker 1: was also delivered into the hand of the King of Israel,
2:09:32
Speaker 1: who smote him with a great slaughter. For Piccaia, the
2:09:36
Speaker 1: son of Ramalius, slew in Judah one hundred and twenty
2:09:39
Speaker 1: thousand in one day, which were all valiant men because
2:09:43
Speaker 1: they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. In
2:09:46
Speaker 1: a single day, one hundred and twenty thousand soldiers of
2:09:50
Speaker 1: Judah were killed by the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This
2:09:54
Speaker 1: was divine judgment for abandoning God, and it left Judah
2:09:58
Speaker 1: devastated and vulnerable to further attacks. Instead of repenting and
2:10:03
Speaker 1: seeking God's help, a Has made the situation worse by
2:10:07
Speaker 1: appealing to Assyria for assistance. Chapter twenty eight, verse sixteen
2:10:11
Speaker 1: tells us at that time did King Ahaz send unto
2:10:15
Speaker 1: the kings of Assyria to help him. This appeal brought
2:10:19
Speaker 1: temporary relief, but made Judah a vassal state of the
2:10:22
Speaker 1: brutal Assyrian Empire. AHAs even corrupted the temple worship by
2:10:27
Speaker 1: a copying pagan altars he saw in Damascus. Verses twenty
2:10:31
Speaker 1: three twenty four describe his apostasy. For he sacrificed unto
2:10:37
Speaker 1: the gods of Damascus, which smote him. And he said,
2:10:41
Speaker 1: because the gods of the kings of Syria help them,
2:10:44
Speaker 1: therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me.
2:10:48
Speaker 1: But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.
2:10:51
Speaker 1: And AHAs gathered together the vessels of the House of
2:10:54
Speaker 1: God and cut in pieces the vessels of the House
2:10:57
Speaker 1: of God, and shut up the door of the House
2:11:00
Speaker 1: of the Lord. And he made him altars in every
2:11:04
Speaker 1: corner of Jerusalem. AHAs actually closed the temple and cut
2:11:09
Speaker 1: up its sacred vessels, setting up pagan altars throughout Jerusalem.
2:11:13
Speaker 1: The worship of the True God was officially ended in Judah,
2:11:17
Speaker 1: replaced by the worship of foreign gods that had defeated
2:11:21
Speaker 1: them in battle. When Ahaz died, his son Hezekiah became
2:11:26
Speaker 1: king and immediately began reversing his father's apostasy. Chapter twenty nine,
2:11:33
Speaker 1: verse two tells us, and he did that which was
2:11:36
Speaker 1: right in the sight of the Lord, according to all
2:11:39
Speaker 1: that David his father had done. Hezekiah followed David's example
2:11:43
Speaker 1: of wholehearted devotion to God. Hezekiah's first priority was reopening
2:11:49
Speaker 1: and purifying the temple. Verse three says he in the
2:11:53
Speaker 1: first year of his reign, in the first month opened
2:11:57
Speaker 1: the doors of the House of the Lord and repaired them.
2:12:00
Speaker 1: In his very first month as king, Hezekiah reopened the
2:12:04
Speaker 1: temple that his father had closed. The purification process was
2:12:08
Speaker 1: thorough and took sixteen days to complete. Verse seventeen tells us,
2:12:13
Speaker 1: Now they began on the first day of the first
2:12:16
Speaker 1: month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the
2:12:19
Speaker 1: month came they to the porch of the Lord. So
2:12:22
Speaker 1: they sanctified the House of the Lord in eight days,
2:12:25
Speaker 1: and in the sixteenth day of the first month they
2:12:28
Speaker 1: made an end. When the temple was purified, Hezekiah organized
2:12:33
Speaker 1: a massive celebration of the Passover that brought people from
2:12:36
Speaker 1: both Judah and the remnants of the Northern Kingdom together
2:12:40
Speaker 1: to worship God. Chapter thirty, verse twenty six records so
2:12:46
Speaker 1: there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time
2:12:50
Speaker 1: of Solomon, the son of David, King of Israel, there
2:12:53
Speaker 1: was not the like in Jerusalem. This Passover celebration was
2:12:58
Speaker 1: the greatest religious festivals since Solomon's time, bringing spiritual renewal
2:13:03
Speaker 1: to the entire nation. People came from throughout the land
2:13:07
Speaker 1: to participate in proper worship of God for the first
2:13:10
Speaker 1: time in years. Hezekiah's reign was marked by God's miraculous protection,
2:13:16
Speaker 1: especially when the Assyrian army under Senacarib surrounded Jerusalem. Chapter
2:13:22
Speaker 1: thirty two, verses twenty twenty one describe God's intervention and
2:13:27
Speaker 1: for this cause Hezekiah the King and the prophet Isaiah
2:13:31
Speaker 1: the son of Amoz prayed and cried to Heaven, and
2:13:34
Speaker 1: the Lord sent an angel which cut off all the
2:13:37
Speaker 1: mighty men of Valor and the leaders and captains in
2:13:40
Speaker 1: the camp of the King of Assyria. So he returned
2:13:43
Speaker 1: with shame of face to his own land. God sent
2:13:46
Speaker 1: an angel who killed one hundred and eighty five thousand
2:13:50
Speaker 1: Assyrian soldiers in one night, forcing Sir Nacarib to retreat
2:13:54
Speaker 1: in humiliation. This miraculous deliverance showed that Gods still protected
2:13:59
Speaker 1: those who trusted in him completely. After Hezekiah's death, his
2:14:04
Speaker 1: son Manassa became king and proved to be one of
2:14:08
Speaker 1: the most wicked rulers in Judah's History, Chapter thirty three,
2:14:13
Speaker 1: Verse two tells Udi, but did that which was evil
2:14:16
Speaker 1: in the sight of the Lord, like unto the abominations
2:14:19
Speaker 1: of the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before
2:14:22
Speaker 1: the children of Israel. Manassa rebuilt all the pagan altars
2:14:26
Speaker 1: his father had destroyed, and even set up idols inside
2:14:30
Speaker 1: the temple itself. Verse seven describes his sacrilege, and he
2:14:35
Speaker 1: set a carved image the idol which he had made
2:14:39
Speaker 1: in the house of God. Manassa placed a pagan adle
2:14:44
Speaker 1: in the very temple where God's presence dwelt. God's patience
2:14:48
Speaker 1: finally ran out with Manasse's wickedness. Verses ten eleven described
2:14:52
Speaker 1: the judgment, and the Lord spake to Manassa and to
2:14:56
Speaker 1: his people, but they would not hearken. Wherefore the Lord
2:15:00
Speaker 1: brought upon them the captains of the host of the
2:15:03
Speaker 1: King of Assyria, which took Manassa among the thorns and
2:15:07
Speaker 1: bound him with fetters and carried him to Babylon. Manassa
2:15:12
Speaker 1: was captured by the Assyrians and taken to Babylon in chains.
2:15:17
Speaker 1: This humiliation finally brought him to repentance, and God restored
2:15:21
Speaker 1: him to his throne. Manassa spent his remaining years trying
2:15:26
Speaker 1: to undo the damage he had caused, but it was
2:15:29
Speaker 1: too little, too late. Manassa's son, Ammon, ruled briefly and wickedly,
2:15:36
Speaker 1: before being assassinated. His son, Josiah, became king at age
2:15:41
Speaker 1: eight and proved to be one of Judah's greatest reforming kings,
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Speaker 1: comparable to David and Hezekiah. In his Devotion to God,
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Speaker 1: chapter thirty four, Verse two describes Josiah's character, and he
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Speaker 1: did that which was right in the sight of the Lord,
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Speaker 1: and walked in the ways of day David his father,
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Speaker 1: and declined neither to the right hand nor to the left.
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Speaker 1: Josiah maintained consistent faithfulness to God throughout his reign, never
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Speaker 1: deviating from righteous leadership. Josiah's greatest achievement was the discovery
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Speaker 1: and implementation of the Book of the Law during temple repairs.
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Speaker 1: When the book was read to him, Josiah realized how
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Speaker 1: far Judah had departed from God's requirements and led the
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Speaker 1: nation in the most thorough reformation in its history. But
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Speaker 1: even Josiah's faithfulness couldn't prevent the judgment that Manassa's wickedness
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Speaker 1: had earned. Chapter thirty five, verse twenty tells us that
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Speaker 1: Josiah was killed in battle against Pharaoh Neko of Egypt,
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Speaker 1: ending the last hope for Judah's spiritual recovery. After Josiah's death,
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Speaker 1: his sons ruled briefly but wickedly, until finally Nebucanza of
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Speaker 1: Babylon came and destroyed Jerusalem completely. Chapter thirty six, verses
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Speaker 1: seventeen to nineteen described the final catastrophe. Therefore, he brought
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Speaker 1: upon them the King of the Chaldis, who slew their
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Speaker 1: young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary,
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Speaker 1: and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man,
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Speaker 1: or him that stooped for age. He gave them all
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Speaker 1: into his hand, and all the vessels of the House
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Speaker 1: of God, great and small, and the treasures of the
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Speaker 1: House of the Lord, and the treasures of the King
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Speaker 1: and of his princes. All these he brought to Babylon.
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Speaker 1: And they burnt the House of God, and brake down
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Speaker 1: the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof
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Speaker 1: with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. The
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Speaker 1: temple that Solomon had built was burned. Jerusalem's walls were
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Speaker 1: broken down, and all the treasures were carried to Babylon.
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Speaker 1: The people were taken into exile, leaving the promised land
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Speaker 1: empty and desolate. Verse twenty one explains that this exile
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Speaker 1: the fulfilled prophecy to fulfill the word of the Lord
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Speaker 1: by the mouth of Jeremiah. Until the land had enjoyed
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Speaker 1: her sabbaths. For as long as she lay desolate, she
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Speaker 1: kept sabbath to fulfill threescore and ten years. The seventy
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Speaker 1: year exile was God's judgment for centuries of disobedience, but
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Speaker 1: it also contained the promise of eventual restoration. The kingdom
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Speaker 1: that had begun with such promise under David and reached
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Speaker 1: such heights under Solomon had finally come to an end.
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Speaker 1: The monarchy that God had established through his covenant with
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Speaker 1: David was finished, at least for now. But even in judgment,
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Speaker 1: God's mercy remained, and the exile would not be permanent.
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