Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 10

Today we will be taking a look at 25 chapters that are both exciting and complex. The 25 chapters: 1 Kings 15 - 22 2 Kings 1 - 11 2 Chronicles 17 - 22 A period of approximately 33 years. As our study begins we see Ahab (874-853 BC) - is the ruler of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Jehoshaphat (870-848 BC) - is ruler of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. There's good news and bad news from this period of 33 years… There was an alliance made between Israel and Judah. Bad news: 2 Chronicles 18:1 tells us, "Now Jehoshaphat (Judah) had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab  (Israel) by marriage." As we dig into this we see Ahab (Israel's worst King) was married to Jezebel, they had a daughter named Athaliah.  We also see that Jehoshaphat had a son named Jehoram. Athaliah and Jehoram marry. This is the alliance between Israel and Judah, but the marriage brought great tragedy. Ahab invites Jehoshaphat to Samaria in Israel. Ahab tells him he wants land back that had taken from him and he wants Jehoshaphat to help him fight to get it back. Ahab has 400 false prophets that say he should attack Judah because he will be victorious. Jehoshaphat listens but requests a 2nd opinion. That 2nd opinion comes from a prophecy of Micaiah son of Imlah a prophet of the Living God. Micaiah tells them, "I saw all Israel was scattered on the hillside because the shepherd was gone." And what happens is that he is thrown in jail. Judah and Israel go to battle and attack Remoth Gilead and the bettle ends in great defeat for Israel and Judah. King Ahab is killed and one of his sons takes over his throne.  About 5 years later we read in 2 Chronicles 21:1 that Jehoshaphat dies and his son Jehoram succeeds him as king of Judah. Additionally, in 2 Chronicles 21:4-5 we see Jehoram puts all his brothers to death in order to protect his throne. And now we see Elijah stepping in with a letter to King Jehoram. 2 Chronicles 21:12-13 we see Elijah tell Jehoram that he has not followed the way of his father and grandfather in following God and instead follows the worship and practices of idolatry of the Northern Kingdom. Jehoram has turned away from the God of David. Vs 13-14 he holds Jehoram accountable for killing his brothers, and tells him that he will become sick and die of disease.  This is a warning to the way Jehoram is headed and it's God's call to stop and to come back to Him. But Jehoram continues to do what he had always done. So he dies and his son, Ahaziah, becomes King of Judah.   Reminder: Athaliah is King Ahab and Jezebel's daughter. Ahab and his wife led Israel away from God. Their daughter Athaliah is married to Jehoram (King of Judah) and when Jehoram dies their son Ahaziah becomes King of Judah. The spiritual pollution of Israel has not only come down to Judah, it has taken the throne. The line of Ahab is on the throne in both Israel and in Judah. In Israel Ahaziah's uncle, Joram, is King.  There is a second Battle of Remoth Gilead at this time. Ahaziah (King of Judah) and his uncle Joram (King of Israel) decide to do the battle again, expecting to win this time. Joram, King of Israel is severely injured in the battle, Ahaziah, King of Judah, goes to check on his uncle. 2 Kings 9:1-3 Elisha has a man go to Remoth Gilead and anoint Jehu as King over Israel. The result is found in 2 Kings 9:22-23, Jehu confronts the Joram King of Israel and Ahaziah King of Judah at the bedside of Joram, Ahaziah's uncle, where he and Ahaziah are talking. Jehu says there can be no peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of Ahaziah;s mother Jezabel abounds. Joram flees and Jehu pulls out his bow and arrow and hits Joram in the back killing him.  Jehu then chases Ahaziah wounding him. Ahaziah dies, too, and now both the King of Israel and the King of Judah are dead. I Kings 11:1 tells us that when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah saw he son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of Judah. She desired to eliminate the whole line of David through which the Messiah was to come.  2 Kings 11:2 but the Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered.  She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. And as a result a godly king will ultimately come to the throne against the desire of Ahaziah. Join us next week as our story continues! Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE. View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.