2 Chronicles 13 - 14

Abijah, Rehoboam's son, is attacked by Jeroboam, king of Israel. Abijah prays and asks God to defend His name and covenant made with David. God miraculously defeats the army of Israel that had outnumbered Abijah's forces 2 - 1. Abijah is succeeded by his son, Asa.

Asa also follows the ways of the Lord. He removes the instruments of false worship and directs the people's worship towards God alone. He also is blessed with a decade-long reign of peace and tranquility.

2 Chronicles 10 - 12

Solomon's son, Rehoboam, ascends the throne after the death of his father. A rebellion quickly forms, as Rehoboam promises to be more severe in his taxation and treatment of the nation. 10 of the 12 tribes secede, leaving Rehoboam to rule the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. For three years, Rehoboam follows the pattern laid out for him by his father and grandfather. He serves the Lord obediently and is blessed. After 3 years, however, he abandons his father's ways and begins to rely on his own strength and power. God allows Shishak, king of Egypt, to come and place the nation under attack to remind Rehoboam of how he must live. The king repents and Shishak departs, having taken much of Solomon's wealth. After a 17 year reign, Rehoboam dies and is succeeded by his son, Abijah.

2 Chronicles 7 - 9

"God is good. His steadfast love endures forever."

This is the theme of the temple dedication. Over and over it is repeated by the priests, by the people, by the king himself. God's presence filled the temple and overwhelmed those who were serving in it. The opulent furnishings of the temple were hardly sufficient to contain the sacrifices offered over the period of the seven day dedication ceremonies. God confirms to Solomon that He has chosen to occupy the temple as a place for sacrifice in His name. He re-establishes a covenant with the people, reminding them of their obligation to obey and the prescription for returning when they disobey, along with the punishments for disobedience.

Solomon continued to grow in greatness, wealth and wisdom. All that was set before him he accomplished with excellence. This reputation extended into distant places; and before long, foreign dignitaries came to see if what they had heard was really the case. The Queen of Sheba's visit left her breathless at the sights she encountered and her comment was that all she had been told only encompassed half the glory she experienced first-hand. In Solomon's day, gold was the standard. Silver, the pages of Scripture records, was as common in Jerusalem as stones. Following the death of this great and wise king, his son - Rehoboam - reigned in his stead.


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2 Chronicles 4 - 6

Solomon begins outfitting the temple he has constructed. The opulence of this structure must have been staggering. Most of the furnishings were made of gold or were gold encased. The utensils were made of bronze. The size and magnitude of the dimensions are staggering. This was truly a place in which God's mighty name and reputation would be brought to mind!

The ark of the covenant was then moved from its home in the city of David to its new location within the temple walls. The sacrifices that accompanied this relocation were numerous. The amassed Levites began singing to musical accompaniment in order to demonstrate the people's praise to the Lord, and the God's worthiness to receive such praise. The ever-repeating chorus was "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" God's presence then descended upon the temple; and it overwhelmed those who were serving.

Solomon then steps before the people and reminds them of God's great blessings to them. He offers a prayer of dedication for this temple. In his prayer, he details the many attributes of God for which he as king is mindful. He reminds the people of their obligation to seek God's forgiveness when sin occurs. He asks God to kindly favor His chosen people and allow them to continue to experience His blessing. He concludes by asking God to be pleased with the temple as a place of national remembrance and worship; and to remember the king, God's humble servant.


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2 Chronicles 1 - 3

Solomon begins his reign by leading the people in worship at the tabernacle, set up in Gibeon. That evening, God appears to Solomon and encourages Solomon to ask for anything he might desire. Solomon's request for wisdom pleases God, Who promises to give him wealth and honor as well. This promise is soon obviously fulfilled as Solomon's wealth begins to grow exponentially.

Solomon begins to assemble the workers at the site of the temple he has been commissioned to build. The descriptions of the materials and the ornateness of the building highlight the reverence the king has for his God.

One interesting facet in the temple construction: Solomon continually states he is building a "house for the name of the LORD my God" a very curious way of arranging words. Solomon later points out why he uses that particular phrase when he states that any house would only be for the sacrifices to his God, since "heaven, even highest heaven cannot contain him." Solomon's temple was not going to confine God to one space - rather it would draw attention to the One unconfined by time or space and direct those around to worship Him for His greatness.


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1 Chronicles 28 - 29

David outlines the plans for the temple construction in great detail. Solomon is inaugurated as successor to his father David. David charges the people to follow the ways of the Lord; and charges his son to lead the people in God's ways. David then passes off the scene; dying "old and full of days, wealth and riches." What an epitaph for this servant of God!


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1 Chronicles 25 - 27

The divisions of the leaders in the temple is determined, as well as the division of the labor. This allowed for all the duties to be accomplished without any confusion over whose responsibility it was. In all this, God is demonstrating an orderliness to worship; and the necessity for preparedness in worship.


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1 Chronicles 22 - 24

David begins assembling the building materials for the temple that his son, Solomon, will eventually build. The massive quantity of material is astounding; and David could surely imagine the finished result. He charges Solomon to build a house worthy of being called "The House of the Lord."

In further preparation, David divides the Levites into families and assigns tasks to them, so that the work to be conducted in the temple will proceed in an orderly fashion. Much is made of Solomon's wisdom; but his father shows great insight and delegating abilities, too!


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1 Chronicles 19 - 21

David continues to strengthen his kingdom, by winning victories over Syria and Ammon - so decisive that these nations determine not to attack David any further. Enemies among the Philistines are also defeated as Goliath's relatives are destroyed by David's relatives.

All this lead to David's pride and curiosity. In seeking to determine the size of his constituency, David errs and God punishes his arrogance. A pestilence that destroys 70,000 sweeps through Israel. The plague is averted as David pleads for his nation and admits that he alone is guilty of bringing this calamity upon the nation. The angel of the Lord stops progressing through the nation - stopping at a site very near Jerusalem. David purchases this place and offers sacrifices to God for thanksgiving and forgiveness. This site will eventually house the temple.


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1 Chronicles 16 - 18

David dedicates the ark's presence in Jerusalem with a magnificent psalm of praise for what God had done and promised to do for Israel. God confirms His plans for David and his family; God will establish David's family on the throne forever because of David's faithfulness.

David desires to build a house for the worship of God; but God has other plans. In fact, it will be one of David's sons, Solomon, who will build the temple when the time comes. David, content with God's plan and timing, begins amassing the supplies that will be used in the construction of this edifice. Gifts and spoils of war are dedicated to be used in the building of this great and glorious temple to the God Who delivers, provides and supplies. David enjoys great success in battle and in administration. God provides victory for every situation he faces.

1 Chronicles 13 - 15

David ascends the throne of Israel, and begins preparations for the return of the ark to Jerusalem. By failing to properly obey God, the ark is delayed in its arrival and a man dies in a sincere effort to assist those moving the ark. What a lesson! Just because one is doing something for God does not mean that one is doing it in a God-pleasing manner. David corrects the way the ark is transported and the symbolic presence of God is returned to the capital city.


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1 Chronicles 10 - 12

The account returns to the time of Saul's death and David's ascent to the throne. The names and feats of the legendary band of "David's Mighty Men" are detailed; and what a list it is! The least of them could put to flight a group of 100 men; the greatest would cause 1000 to flee. All these men were instrumental in David's victories prior to his taking the throne; and would prove to be invaluable during his reign.

1 Chronicles 7 - 9

The list of Israel's genealogy continues. An indication of the significance of this list is given as we read that these are the genealogies of those who went into exile with the capture of Judah and Israel. This list would be indispensable information as the exiles would one day return and establish their heritage among the tribes.

1 Chronicles 4 - 6

God's continued goodness to and blessing of His people is listed. The descendants of the tribes of Israel, and the portions of land assigned to them, as well as their deeds and accomplishments are printed out for all to see and remember. What will be remembered, is not the trials or hardships faced, but the goodness of God that promised them success and then allowed them to experience that success.

1 Chronicles 1 - 3

The family tree of the nation of Israel is outlined in these chapters. Where most see a long list of names hard to pronounce and insignificant to the grand scheme of things, God desires for us to see Him at work. In the lives of these whom time has forgotten, God was actively performing His plan for the nation of Israel. Each one had a key and unique role in the story; each one was used by God to further His plans and purposes for the people He chose to love and honor. Time may have forgotten them; but God had not.

2 Kings 24 - 25

These chapters outline the final days of the kingdom of Judah. Babylon places the land under siege and captures the city of Jerusalem. When the city falls, the king is put to death and the people carried away to Babylon. A puppet government is established; but is overthrown by those who remained in the land. At that time, many of those who remained left for Egypt, out of fear of the Chaldeans.

Both nations are now in exile; but God had not forgotten his promises to the people regarding this land.

2 Kings 22 - 23

Josiah, the king who took to the throne at the age of eight, reigned for 31 years. During that time, major reform took place in the land of Judah. The temple was repaired, and in so doing the book of the law was discovered and read. Hearing exactly what God required of His people, King Josiah was rightly concerned about the great transgressions committed by his forebears. He set out to right all the many wrongs that had been committed against the God of His fathers.

Altars to foreign gods and deities were removed and desecrated. Those who led in the worship of such false religion were put to death. The sacred places were defiled and left unusable for their particular style of worship. Nothing was left undone. This was not a partial reform; it was a total elimination of places of public worship of foreign idols and gods.

Josiah also reinstated the Passover celebration, something that had been neglected for many years. We are told that no king was ever like Josiah; he turned to God with his entire heart, soul and strength. Nevertheless, God would still punish Judah for her sins. Josiah died in battle with the Egyptian Pharaoh, and his sons were placed on the throne. One was removed by the Pharoah in favor of the other, so it was Eliakim (who ruled in the name Jehoiakim) who succeeded his father.

2 Kings 19 - 21

Sennacherib continues to threaten the land of Judah; but Isaiah the prophet encourages King Hezekiah to keep his trust in the Lord. Hezekiah prays, submitting himself and the land to whatever God wishes. His only request is that God will be known as the only God. God answers that Sennacherib will not enter the city of Jerusalem, and that Jerusalem will be spared. that night 185,000 of the Assyrian army were struck down, and Sennacherib returned to Ninevah where he was assassinated by his sons.

Hezekiah becomes ill to the point of death, but petitions God to extend his life - a request that God honors. During the fifteen years following this illness, Hezekiah acts foolishly by displaying the wealth of Jerusalem to envoys from Babylon. This would eventually lead to the invasion of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Also during this time, a son is born to Hezekiah named Manasseh. This prince would succeed his father, but would not walk in his ways or follow his example. All that Hezekiah had done to promote the sole worship of God was undone by his son and grandson, Amon. Manasseh and Amon's leadership brought great disaster and judgment on the land. Following Amon's assassination, his young son (8 years old) Josiah is placed on the throne of Judah.

2 Kings 17 - 18

Israel finally and totally is taken into exile by the Assyrian armies after a three-year siege. The reason for this is stated "the poeple of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt...and...did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right." Although warnings had been given by every prophet sent to them, Israel would not listen and judgment finally came. Only the tribe of Judah and Benjamin remained in the land. Even in this, God demonstrates His faithfulness. He was faithfully keeping the promises made between He and His people; He had promised to bless them for obedience and punish them for disobedience. Even discipline demonstrates love!

Alas, Judah did not keep Gods commands either; but there were kings making attempts to follow God, so He lovingly allowed them leniency. The Assyrians resettled the land of Israel - Samaria particularly - and intermarried with those Hebrews who were still in the land. This was the beginning of the great hatred Jews had for Samaritans, as these Samaritans were not totally Jewish in their lineage. But that is an account for another passage.

In Judah, King Hezekiah is on the throne. He does what pleases the Lord. He removes many of the places of idol worship and worships God whole-heartedly. The Assyrian army attacks the cities of Judah and strips the cities of much of their gold and silver. Threats are made concerning the eventual overthrow of the cities. These negotiations are carried out in Hebrew; the whole populace is aware of the threats and the responses to them. The entire land is worried and afraid of what might happen. Wisely, the king calls for God's prophet, Isaiah, to determine a course of action.

2 Kings 15 -16

A line of successive kings sit upon the thrones of Israel and Judah. As a whole, they were not obedient to God and His direction. But individually, there were a few who reigned with God's law in view. Among these were Uzziah, Jotham and Hezekiah. During this period of history, the northern tribes were carried away - captives of the Assyrian army. Would the 2 tribes of Judah follow?

2 Kings 13 - 14

A steady succession of kings ascend the thrones of Israel and Judah. Several fear the Lord and follow Him; most do not. One king begins by serving his father's gods, and then changes his ways after seeing God's hand of judgment on the land. From that day, he turns and follows the ways of the Lord. The prophet Elisha also dies during this time period. Regardless of the king on the throne, God is still at work glorifying His name and demonstrating His care and protection over His chosen people.

2 Kings 10 - 12

Jehu continues to cleanse the land of those that served Baal and the descendants of King Ahab. Jehu does succeed in removing Baal worship; but does not remove the idol worship prevalent in Israel.

Meanwhile, in Judah, Joash is established as king, much to the dismay of his grandmother Athaliah. Joash, who takes the throne at a very early age, is blessed with the opportunity to have a long reign. Because he serves the Lord, God blesses him with a long reign. He seeks to repair the house of the Lord; but after many years, no progress is made. Joash allows the people to give; and the repairs are soon made.

2 Kings 7 - 9

Elisha promises that the siege of Samaria will not last; in fact, it will end within 24 hours. God allowed the Syrian army to believe they heard the sounds of chariots and horses from an assumed alliance between Israel and Egypt. They fled and abandoned their camp. The camp was discovered by 4 lepers, who promptly returned to Samaria and told the good news. Indeed, the siege ended without a battle; and the people of Samaria once again had food to eat.

Meanwhile, in Judah, Jehoram began his reign after his father Jehoshaphat. Jehoram was a wicked king; yet God did not destroy Judah because of the great love He had for David - and the promise He had made to David regarding his progeny. Jehoram is soon replaced by Ahaziah.

Elisha is called to anoint Jehu as king over Israel. This is a potential problem, as Joram is currently on the throne. Jehu is anointed and sets out to be the instrument of God's punishment on Ahab's family. Joram, Ahaziah and Jezebel are all put to death at the hand of Jehu.

2 Kings 4 - 6

Elisha continues to demonstrate the power of the Lord that rests upon him. He makes provision for a widow woman to repay her creditors, promises a son to be born to a Shunammite woman - then restores that child to life in later years, heals the prophets who had consumed a deadly stew, heals the Syrian captain Namaan of leprosy, recovers a sunken ax head by floating it to the water's surface and demonstrates the Lord's protection around his people during an attack by the Syrian army.

Throughout these accounts we see Elisha caring for others without demonstrating much thought for his own safety, security or well-being. Even in circumstances where remuneration might be expected, he displays a firm reliance on God and God's people to meet his needs. He views each instance as an opportunity to communicate a lesson about the God he serves. Would that we all follow such an example.

2 Kings 1 - 3

Elijah continues teaching the people of the land that God alone is to be served and feared. Ahaziah learns this after consulting with the prophets of Baal regarding an illness he faced. Elijah pronounced that because he did not seek an answer from God, that the illness would indeed be fatal. And it was.

Elijah's life comes to a conclusion. Elisha, his successor, is granted a double portion of the spirit in which this great prophet ministered. He immediately and conclusively displays this blessing by healing a spring that had been causing great illness and calamity in the land.

The southern neighbor to Judah, Moab, rebels and seeks to attack the nation of Israel. A coalition between Judah, Israel and Edom is formed and God displays His power once again by providing an overwhelming victory for His people.

1 Kings 21 - 22

Ahab, king of Israel and husband of Jezebel, attempts to expand his property holdings by putting to death a man who would not sell him property. Elijah proclaims that the very place where this man was killed will be the place where Ahab's blood flows in death. Ahab goes to battle with the king of Judah (Jehoshaphat) against the Syrian armies. Ahab disguises himself so that attention is not given to him as the king. As God would have it, however, a 'random shot' struck Ahab and he dies. The chariot is washed out in the city of Samaria, and Ahab's blood flows exactly where Elijah said it would. Ahab's son, Ahaziah, then takes the throne of Israel; but is no better at following the Lord than his father.

Meanwhile, in Judah, king Jehoshaphat does rule according to God's direction. He does what is right in God's sight, though he does not remove all the places of idol worship.

1 Kings 19 - 20

Elijah is convinced that he is the only one left in the land who serves the true and living God. Threatened by queen Jezebel, he flees for safety; but is reminded by God that there are many others who still serve Him. Elijah is given the task of anointing several successors; men who will demonstrate God's ability to provide.

The armies of Israel are threatened by various enemies; but God delivers His people. In doing so, He proves to be the God of the hills and the valleys. In other words, there is no place where He does not have jurisdiction!

I Kings 16 - 18

A successive number of kings rule of Israel. None of them follow the ways of the Lord, and are replaced by others. Eventually, a king by the name of Ahab takes the throne. If it were not enough that he followed the scandalous ways of his predecessors, he also married a woman who taught the nation to worship false idols. To this day, Jezebel is not a name associated with virtue.

But God was not without a voice in Israel. Elijah, the prophet, still stood as a representative of the Lord Most High; and he proved beyond any doubt that the God of Israel was not finished with His people, nor would He allow His people to continue in their sinful ways.

1 Kings 14 - 15

The kings of Israel and Judah begin marking out their kingdoms. Battle soon ensues between the two leaders. Jeroboam's son falls ill and dies as an act of punishment for establishing false religion in Israel. Successive kings follow in the lines of the kings; but, for the most part, each king is like the previous one. Very few follow the path of David, the one who lived to please the Lord.

1 Kings 12 - 13

Rehoboam, Solomon's son, ascends the throne of Israel. Ignoring the advice of his older counselors to show leniency to the populace, he alienates the majority of the kingdom. The nation, hearing that Jeroboam has returned from Egypt, make him king over the nation (except the tribes of Judah and Benjamin who follow Rehoboam).

Jeroboam, now king of Israel (Rehoboam is called king of Judah), worries that the people will return to Jerusalem to worship and be drawn into loyalty of Rehoboam. To thwart this, he establishes two golden calves that are placed in his kingdom and worshiped. This is an affront to God; and God sends a message to the king that the altars will be torn down and the crown of the kingdom will not continue in his family. Jeroboam ignores very clear warnings and proofs of verification, and continues to worship in a way he chose.

1 Kings 10 - 11

King Solomon is visited by the Queen of Sheba, who is skeptical of his announced wisdom. She travels a great distance with many questions for this supposed wise leader; and finds that she has received incorrect information. The wisdom of Solomon surpasses all reports. Solomon's wealth increases and the borders of his kingdom spread.

But not all was well with the kingdom; and the source of the problem was the king. King Solomon's devotion to beauty and the best led him to marry foreign women; women who swayed the king's affection for the one true God and convinced him to worship the gods of their homelands. Because Solomon did not honor the covenant he made with God to be faithful, God allowed him to enjoy the results of his disobedience. The kingdom would not fully belong to Solomon's son. Instead, the majority of the kingdom would pass to Jeroboam, one of Solomon's servants. Solomon tries to have Jeroboam killed (does this sound familiar?); but Jeroboam escapes to Egypt until after the death of Solomon. Solomon does die; and he is buried with his ancestors. His son, Rehoboam, reigns in his place . . . but for how long?