This posting includes the sharing done in the three sessions covering the kings of the divided kingdoms Israel and Judah. Read them just before the charts of the kings at the end...
REMINDER
A typical excuse for not reading the Bible is that it is boring. We have a reminder from R.C. Sproul: “When people say the Bible is dull it makes me wonder why. Biblical characters are full of life. There is a unique quality of passion about them. Their lives reveal drama, pathos, lust, crime, devotion and every conceivable aspect of human existence. There is rebuke, remorse, contrition, consolation, practical wisdom, philosophical reflection and, most of all, truth. Perhaps the dullness some experience is due to the antiquity of the material that may seem foreign. How does the life of Abraham – lived so long ago and so far away – relate to us? But the characters of biblical history are real. Though their life settings are different from ours, their struggles and concerns are very much like ours.”
Sharing:
- If we are calling the story boring, maybe we need to stop and think who the story teller is! Are we calling God boring?
If you are following the chronological chart, we are in the time of the kings of the divided kingdom: Israel in the north (consisting of ten tribes), and Judah in the south (consisting of two tribes).
This map shows the split kingdom. The reason for the split is found in God’s words to Solomon: “Because you have deliberately broken your covenant with me and disobeyed my commands, I promise that I will take the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your officials... I will not take the whole kingdom away from him; instead, I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David…” (1 Kings 11:11-13, GNT).
- Moses gave the standard for kings long ago, recorded in Deuteronomy 17:14-20:
- True believer (v.15): “…set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren; you may not set a foreigner over you.”
- Trust in God (v.16): “…he shall not multiply horses for himself.” There should be no reliance upon the strength of the military.
- Remember (v.16): “…he shall not… cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses.” It would prove disastrous to depend upon on another nation as an ally and a supplier, especially from the place of their bondage.
- Flee idolatry (v.17): “Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away.” Marriage was never to be a means of alliances with nations. It opened the way for foreign idol worship.
- Avoid greed (v.17): “…nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.” Excessive personal wealth symbolized power.
- Fear God (vs.18-19): “…when you sit on the throne… write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites… read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law…” Read and obey the Bible.
- Avoid arrogance (v.20): “…his heart must not be lifted above his brethren…” Treat others as equals.
- Provide stability (v.20): “…prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.” The crown was to be hereditary in order to provide stability.
Sharing:
- Why is Egypt mentioned as a country kings were not to rely on for military strength?
- It is a picture of the world, idols, and bondage.
- Israel was not to turn back to their place of bondage from which they were delivered.
What standard was used to determine ‘good’ and ‘bad’ kings? What they did about the central worship of the God of Israel. David was their standard for a ‘good’ king. His standard is set in 1 Samuel 13:14: “…a man after [God’s] own heart.” This is described in:
1 Samuel 23:2: “…David inquired of the Lord.”
1 Kings 15:5: David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
If you think David should receive the credit for his greatness, think again, because it says in 2 Samuel 5:10: …the Lord God of hosts was with him.
By contrast, the first king of the northern kingdom, Jeroboam I, was their standard for a ‘bad’ king. He destroyed the central worship of Yahweh. 1 Kings 12:28-31 (GNT) says: …he made two bull-calves of gold and said to his people, “You have been going long enough to Jerusalem to worship. People of Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt!” He placed one of the gold bull-calves in Bethel and the other in Dan. And so the people sinned, going to worship in Bethel and in Dan. Jeroboam also built places of worship on hilltops, and he chose priests from families who were not of the tribe of Levi.”
The ‘good’ kings are those who ‘promoted’ the worship of Yahweh, but did not necessarily fulfill all of God’s requirements. The phrase that often describes this kind of king is found in 2 Kings 14:3-4 (GNT): He did what was pleasing to the Lord, but he was not like his ancestor King David… He did not tear down the pagan places of worship…
Among the ‘good’ kings are found a few ‘best’ kings: those who not only rid the land of all idolatry, but also refused to approve the worship of Yahweh with foreign gods. They tore down the ‘high places’ and focused on worship in Jerusalem. Look for such things as the public reading of the Law, and the celebration of the Passover.
1 & 2 Kings
1 Kings is easily divided into two parts: Solomon (chs. 1-11); Many Kings (chs. 12-22). 2 Kings easily falls into two parts: Israel and Judah (chs. 1-17); Judah (chs. 18-25). The record of the kings was written to the Hebrews while they were in captivity in Babylon. Think of the Kings has a record of God’s Story from the political rule of Israel.
Like the Books of Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings were originally one Book. 1 Kings covers the 120 years from the beginning of Solomon’s reign in 971 B.C. through Ahaziah’s reign ending in 851 B.C. The key date is 931 B.C., the year the kingdom was divided into the northern nation of Israel and the southern nation of Judah.
Much stress is placed on the ministries of the prophets Elijah (first mentioned in 1 Kings 17:1), and his successor, Elisha (first mentioned in 1 Kings 19:16). Elijah was the prophet of judgment, law, and severity. Elisha was the prophet of grace, love, and tenderness. Both broke down the worship of Baal in Israel.
The divided kingdoms begin their rules with Rehoboam in Judah, and Jeroboam in Israel. First Kings ends with King Ahab’s son on the throne of Israel, continuing in the sins and idolatry of his father.
The picture is somewhat brighter in Judah, where ‘good’ kings occasionally emerge to reform the evils of their predecessors. In the end, however, sin outweighs righteousness, and Judah is marched off to Babylon. By this time Assyria was overthrown by Babylon. A map shows the extent of the Babylonian Empire.
Second Kings presents God as the ruler of history who reveals His plan and purpose to His people. God controls human affairs and those who obey the Lord enjoy His blessing, while the disobedient experience God’s discipline. Yet even the disobedience of His people cannot thwart God’s redemptive purposes. Against all odds, the Davidic line of covenant promise is preserved (2 Kings 11:1-16), and the Book concludes in a hopeful, forward-looking note with the release of David’s royal descendant, Jehoiachin, from captivity in Babylon (2 Kings 25:27-30).
1 Chronicles easily falls into two parts: Royal line of David (chs. 1-9); Reign of David (chs. 10-29). 2 Chronicles easily falls into two parts: Reign of Solomon (chs. 1-9); Reign of the Kings of Judah (chs. 10-36). The Chronicles were written to the returned Jews who were rebuilding Jerusalem following their seventy-year Babylonian captivity. Think of the Chronicles as a record of God’s Story from the religious rule of Israel.
The Books of 1 and 2 Chronicles cover the same period of Jewish history described in 2 Samuel through 2 Kings, though from a different perspective. While the Books of Kings relate the history from the standpoint of captivity in Babylon, Chronicles presents the history of the Jews from the standpoint after their return from exile (postexilic) to the Land of Promise.
Like the Books of Samuel and Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles were originally a single continuous work. We should not be misled by the English word ‘chronicles’, which means a record of the events in the order in which they occurred. The author of the Book is less concerned with the exact chronology of the events than with their significance.
Chronicles was written from a priestly perspective. The primary historical theme centers on the priestly worship of Judah, from the time of Saul until the return of the Jewish nation to the land following the decree of Cyrus, king of Persia (538 B.C.).
The temple in Jerusalem is the major unifying theme of 1 and 2 Chronicles. Much of the material found in the Samuels and the Kings is omitted from Chronicles because it does not develop this theme. Prominence is given to the reigns of Judah’s kings who were faithful to worship, and to restoring the temple in Jerusalem. The temple symbolizes God’s presence among His people. It provides the spiritual link between their past and future.
The genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1-9 place an emphasis only on the tribes of Judah and Benjamin because they demonstrate God’s covenant promises in maintaining the Davidic line through the centuries. In telling God’s Story of the monarchy, the author of Chronicles puts particular stress on the reigns of David (1 Chronicles 11:1-29:30), and of his son and immediate successor, Solomon (2 Chronicles 1:1-9:31). The reigns of the other kings of Judah are covered more briefly (2 Chronicles 10:1-36:21), with particular attention to the reigns of Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah, because these were kings who were the most faithful to God and His temple worship.
The entire Book of 1 Chronicles, like 2 Samuel, is dedicated to the life of David.
It was never easy to hold the twelve tribes of Israel together. Ephraim, in particular, envied Judah’s power, which went back many years (Deuteronomy 33:7, 17). A split had threatened in David’s day (2 Samuel 19:43). The key to national unity and strength always rests in the bond of common worship of Yahweh. Without religious unity, king and people would go down together: “If you will fear Yahweh… both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of Yahweh your God, well: but if you will not listen to the voice of Yahweh… then will the hand of Yahweh be against you, as it was against your fathers” (1 Samuel 12:14-15, WEB).
Kings of Israel (northern kingdom) reigned from 931-722 B.C. before being scattered indefinitely by the Assyrian Empire. There were nineteen kings in all. Kings of Judah (southern kingdom) reigned from 931-586 B.C. before being taken into captivity by the Babylonian Empire for seventy years. There were twenty kings in all.
The dates for the kings are only approximate because it is not easy to reconcile all the details in the Books of Kings and Chronicles to get an accurate chronology. This is why you may find varying dates on charts and maps.
The fixed dates we do have are: The Assyrians brought an end to the northern kingdom in 722 B.C.; the Babylonians attacked the southern kingdom and took its people into captivity in 586 B.C.
Over two sessions we will spend time sharing about the 39 kings of Israel and Judah. Our primary focus should be on God’s purposes with each king. The full set of notes available to you gives the Scriptures that describe how God’s purposes were being fulfilled through the good and evil kings. There are two charts showing the kings.
Sharing (view the charts):
- God gave very clear requirements for kings, so that there was no guesswork for Israel’s kings. God’s judgment is always just.
Rehoboam:
- He was the first king of Judah as the southern kingdom. He is a son of Solomon.
- He had the opportunity to make decisions by listening to his older counselors, but he rejected them over his peers. This led to more cruelty in his rule than his father’s time (Solomon).
- He wanted friends, so chose his peers.
- We all need three people in our lives: someone to mentor us; someone to share our burden with; and someone to mentor.
- We need to listen to the wisdom provided by the previous generation.
- He was proud, which he probably learned from his father. He didn’t seem to learn from his father to seek wisdom.
- It never says that he consulted God during his reign as king of Judah. He chose to do what he wanted to do. Even so, God had a purpose in allowing Rehoboam to go his own way.
- Roots of the split in the kingdom started long ago. There was quarreling and envy among brothers for many years.
- The key to national unity is stated in 1 Samuel 12:14-15.
- He was a king who placed foreign idols throughout the nation, leading the nation into new depths of disobedience.
Jeroboam:
- He was a Solomon’s servant, son of Nebat, an Ephraimite, who rebelled against the king. He fled to Egypt when Solomon threatened to kill him, and stayed there until after Solomon’s death.
- He tried to get the burden on the people lifted, but he did not inquire of the Lord. He was an arrogant man.
- He was the first king of the northern kingdom (Israel).
- He considered worship in Jerusalem as a threat to his rule of the ten northern tribes, so set up golden calves in Bethel and in Dan, telling the Israelites that they were the gods who brought them out of Egypt.
- Some Israelites chose to leave and go to Jerusalem.
- God used an unnamed prophet to prove His power to Jeroboam, but he still chose to turn against God.
- He was given many chances to turn to God, but he refused to, and became the worst king of Israel. All other kings were measured by his evil.
- He set up a false system of worship, not just for himself, but also for the northern kingdom, which lead the nation into idolatry. He let anyone become a priest.
- His calf worship takes us back to the base of Mt. Sinai, when the Hebrews worshiped a golden calf while Moses was on the mountain with God.
- Golden calf worship became the measurement of bad kings.
- There are always those who try to make us believe we can worship God in our own way. We learn from God’s Story that He is always the same, and we can follow His way of worship, no matter how we are seduced to forsake God’s way.
Manasseh:
- He was the son of a very good king (Hezekiah), but ruled exactly opposite to him. He set up idols, and even went so far as to follow the evil practice of sacrificing his own son.
- He was the fourteenth king of Judah.
- He mimicked Jeroboam in his seduction of Judah (2 Chronicles 33:9).
- He was taken off to Babylon, and then repented. God acknowledged his repentance, but said that the nation had fallen too far into sin to be rescued. It was time for judgment, which was followed by mercy.
- It took pain for Manasseh to listen to God. Up until then he ignored God.
- He was the fourteenth king of Judah. By this time the nation was skilled in evil.
- He reigned as king of Judah for 55 years, which was longer than any other king.
- What would have happened if Hezekiah had not asked for an extension of life? We do not know, but if we ever ask, we should also ask the Lord for good parenting skills.
- It is okay to ask for a longer life. We do it every time we ask for healing.
Elijah:
- He was a prophet to Israel. How would we respond if God took everything away from us? God sent him to the Brook Cherith during a drought. The brook dried up, and the Lord sent Elijah to a poor widow, who was asked to give all she had to feed the prophet. Elijah told her, “Do not fear…” (1 Kings 17:13). Her obedience led to her acknowledgment that the “word of the Lord” (1 Kings 17:24) came from the prophet’s mouth.
Ahab:
- He was the eighth king of Israel. It is recorded that he did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than those kings before him. He took a wife from Sidon, and her presence gave official support in Israel to the worship of Baal. She shared in Ahab’s evil.
- An attribute of God that shows forth during Ahab’s reign is mercy (He always gives a chance, even though there are consequences to sin). God clearly shows Himself at Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18), and Ahab rejects Him. In 1 Kings 20 he is given another chance during the defeat of the Syrians. Even after victory, he would not obey the voice of the Lord.
- Another attribute of God is His justice. He finally punishes Ahab, but since he repented, the calamity was delayed (1 Kings 21), so that even in justice, God is merciful. No human judge could blend justice and mercy this way.
- God wants to forgive people! In the narrative of Ahab, it is very evident that God is right there to use the king, despite his failures and weakness. God showed that He was more powerful than Baal, and is not limited to one place.
- It is a funny picture of King Ahab laying on his bed pouting because Naboth would not sell him his vineyard (1 Kings 21).
- The sovereign God is shown in the death of Ahab. God made it happen in spite of Ahab trying to disguise himself in battle. An arrow shot at random struck the king of Israel (1 Kings 22). No one can fool God!
- Elijah teased Ahab, and Ahab viewed him as a troublemaker, and a threat to the normal functioning of society. Ahab had a shallow understanding. All of Ahab’s 450 prophets of Baal, and Jezebel’s 400 prophets of Asherah, could not win the contest against the God of Elijah (1 Kings 18). If we are standing alone, but are on God’s side, our odds against the enemy mean nothing! Elijah stood as one against 850 false prophets!
Josiah:
- He was the sixteenth king of Judah, and was eight years old when he began his reign. He was the father of the wicked King Amon (fifteenth king).
- God had promised a great calamity on Judah because the people had forsaken Him (2 Kings 22). The judgment was postponed because Josiah sought God. The result of trusting God was peace.
- Josiah is connected back to David because he followed his ways (2 Kings 22:2). Those who love the Lord are connected to God. Those who do not, are connected to Jeroboam. God made good kings. They were not good on their own.
- The advisors of this young king were probably good. It may be that they brought Josiah into power to get rid of the evil of the previous king. The Law of God was neglected until Josiah found it. The people knew about God, but didn’t really know God because of the ‘lost book’. We should seek to find ‘the book’ when it is being largely ignored. By the time he was eighteen, Josiah had removed all the foreign altars (2 Kings 23). He not only took down the foreign high places of worship, but he brought the people back to the central worship of God. The Passover was celebrated, which had not been held since the days of the judges (during the time of Samuel the prophet). All of this shows the difference one leader can make.
- Josiah was one of the few kings whose death was lamented by the whole country, unlike the rejoicing that took place over the death of other kings.
Asa:
- He was the third king of Judah, as the son of Abijam, the second king.
- He was a good king, but not a great king. He had victories, but he only removed the idols that his father had made. He did not remove the high places of foreign worship.
- God troubled Judah with every adversity, but Asa took His words seriously to be strong because his work would be rewarded. When he heard the words of the prophet, Oded, he took courage, and then removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin (2 Chronicles 15:7-8).
- In his later years, Asa was not a good king. He didn’t call on God for help in battle, but paid off King Ben-Hadad of Syria (1 Kings 15). He became diseased in his feet, and yet in this he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians. This is a reminder for us to finish well! We need to ‘be faithful unto death!’
Athaliah:
- She was the only queen of Judah, and the seventh in line with the kings of Judah.
- She was a wicked queen, a daughter born into the paganism of Ahab and Jezebel. She was the king’s daughter, a wife, a mother, and a grandmother.
- She didn’t want to be the power behind the throne, but she wanted to ‘be’ the throne. So, she killed the royal heirs (2 Kings 11). She turned Judah to Baal worship.
- God made sure that Athaliah did not kill everyone in the royal line of David. Joash was stolen away and hidden for six years from among the king’s sons who were being murdered. He was hidden in the house of the Lord where Athaliah could not search for survivors. Like Samuel, Joash was raised in the house of God. God used a good woman to protect Joash from a bad woman.
Joash:
- He was the eighth king of Judah. He was made king when he was seven years old (youngest of all kings), and was given a copy of the law (2 Chronicles 23).
- It is humorous how Queen Athaliah yelled ‘treason’ when she saw the king standing by a pillar of the temple. She had done such terrible things, but still considered it ‘treason’ when a king was appointed.
- It is sad how Joash turned out. When Jehoiada the priest died, he followed after the leaders of Judah, who led him into serving wooden images and idols. The Lord sent prophets to bring the king and the people back to Him, but they would not listen (2 Chronicles 24:17-19). We go wrong when we do what sounds good to us, rather than obey God. When the king and people obeyed, there was peace, prosperity, long lives, victory, and joy. When they disobeyed, it hurt them, and they lost what they gained in obedience.
- Joash gave the sacred objects of the temple to Baal worship. Perhaps he could not fathom a symbol of God you could not see. The people were not just doing their own things, but were joining in with those who were evil, and who practiced evil.
- The requirement is simple: you either follow God, or you do not follow Him. There is no in-between. When other gods are worshipped, horrible things are done, such as child sacrifice, prostitution, and cutting the skin.
Hezekiah:
- He was the thirteenth king of Judah. His father (Ahaz) was a bad king, but he had a good son in Hezekiah. In turn, Hezekiah had a bad son in Manasseh.
- Hezekiah is considered to be the best king of the divided kingdom, so 2 Kings 18:3 records that “he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.” He purified the temple and celebrated the Passover. He even allowed another celebration in the second month for those who were traveling or were unclean during the first Passover.
- When Sennacherib, king of Assyria tried to take Jerusalem, Hezekiah trusted God wholeheartedly, saying, “With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles” (2 Chronicles 32:8). His prayer (2 Kings 11:15-19) showed his trust and dedication to God, even while he recognized how bad things were. The Lord answered his prayer by sending the angel of the Lord, who killed 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians (2 Kings 19:35). Hezekiah did not have to fight; he just needed to bury bodies!
- God defended Jerusalem for His own sake and for the sake of His servant David (2 Kings 19:34).
- Why do people not trust God? When they do, battles are won. Why do they keep forgetting? Is it because of pride?
- Later in life, when Hezekiah was sick and near death, Isaiah the prophet told him to set his house in order, for he would die. In his time of sorrow, the Lord heard Hezekiah’s prayer and saw his tears, and added fifteen years to his life. Manasseh was born during this time. We do not know if he had sons before Manasseh. Was it good to have lived those extra years? He boasted of his wealth before the Babylonian ambassadors, and Isaiah prophesied that Babylon would carry away his treasures and some of his sons. Manasseh became king and did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.
- God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him to see whether he would form an alliance with Babylon against Assyria (2 Chronicles 32:31). He failed the test (2 Kings 20:12-19). Hezekiah acknowledged that Isaiah’s words were good, thus indicating that he repented in the likeness of David (2 Kings 20:19). Ahab (1 Kings 21:29) and Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33:12) also repented later in life. But in the case of Manasseh, the people did not repent, for they had gone too far. This shows how our rebellion affects other people. It is too easy not to end well! The solution is to repent.
- The sign given to assure Hezekiah that the Lord would heal him was that the sun would move “ten steps backward” (2 Kings 20:11). This reference is to index marks on the sundial of Ahaz. God is beyond time.
Jehu:
- He was the eleventh king of Israel. He was a good king to the extent that he fulfilled the prophesy that Ahab’s family would be ended. Imagine being used of God solely to execute judgment on an evil house (2 Chronicles 22:8). Jehu killed the priests of Baal. He took down the high places of worship, but he did not obey the Lord wholeheartedly. He did the right thing the wrong way – with a heart that was not right. Doing the right thing the wrong way does not make you right. He acted on what God said, and then did what he wanted to. He went beyond his mandate to eliminate the house of Ahab, and killed the descendants of David who were related to the house of Ahab through his daughter Athaliah (2 Kings 9:27).
- Jehu is the worst driver in the Bible – “he drives furiously!” (2 Kings 9:20).
Uzziah (Ahaziah):
- He was the tenth king of Judah. He was a good king, but he had his exceptions when following the Lord – he did not remove the high places, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on them (2 Kings 15:4).
- He went into the temple to sacrifice for himself because he was in a hurry. He knew enough how to act so that he was punished for his conduct. Because he took the place of the priests, he was struck with leprosy until the day of his death. Leprosy is symbolic of sin.
Zachariah:
- He was the fifteenth king of Israel. He ruled for six months (2 Kings 15:8). He was a fourth generation king, and he ended the Jehu Dynasty.
- He was a bad king, and paid no attention to the prophets.
- God always keeps His promises, even with bad kings. That is who our God is.
Jehoiakim:
- He was the eighteenth king of Judah.
- He burned the word recorded on Jeremiah’s scroll. God preserved His word by having it rewritten. We cannot destroy what God wants to keep.
Central Story of the Kings:
- Obedience is necessary for acceptable sacrifice.
- Central worship of God is required in order to keep worship pure.
- God asks, “Do you love me?” He does not ask, “What are you doing for Me?”
- When all activity is taken away, the question is, “Are our hearts seeking after God?”
- The kings bring out God’s love and faithfulness.
- Worship is what it is all about. It is to be from the heart, and not just an activity.
- 1 Chronicles 4:23 shows that there are planters and potters who chose to dwell quietly and serve the king. We should leave pride behind and be prepared to go unnoticed in our worship and service to God.
KINGS OF JUDAH - LINE OF DAVID (2 Samuel 7:16) | ||||
KING | DATES (BC) | REFERENCES | GOD’S PURPOSES | SEED OF DAVID (in bold) |
Rehoboam | 17 yrs. 930-913 | 1 Ki. 12-14; 2 Chr. 9:31-12:16 | 1 Ki. 11:32, 36; 2 Ki. 8:19 | Born of Naaman, wife of Solomon |
Abijah (Abijam) | 3 yrs. 913-911 | 1 Ki. 14:31-15:8; 2 Chr. 13:1-14:1 | 2 Chr. 13:5 | Born of Maacah (Michaiah), granddaughter of Absalom |
Asa | 41 yrs. 910-869 | 1 Ki. 15:8-24; 2 Chr. 14:1-16:14 | 2 Chr. 15:8, 16 | Born of Maacah |
Jehoshaphat | 25 yrs. 872-847 | 1 Ki. 15:24; 22:41-50; 2 Chr. 17:1-21:1 | 2 Chr. 17:3-6 | Born of Azubah, wife of Asa |
Jehoram | 8 yrs. 853-841 | 2 Ki. 8:16-24; 2 Chr. 21:1-20 | 2 Chr. 21:7 | Born of Ahab’s daughter, wife of Jehoshaphat |
Ahaziah | 1 year 841 | 2 Ki. 8:24-9:29; 2 Chr. 21:17; 22:1-10 | 2 Ki. 9:7; 2 Chr. 22:7-9 | Born of Athaliah, Ahab’s daughter, wife of Jehoram |
Athaliah (Queen) | 6 yrs. 841-835 | 2 Ki. 11:1-20; 2 Chr. 22:10-23:21 | 2 Ki. 11:1-3 | Mother of Ahaziah |
Joash (Jehoash) | 40 yrs. 835-796 | 2 Ki. 11:2-12:21; 2 Chr. 22:11-24:27 | 2 Chr. 24:4, 14 | Born of Zibiah, wife of Ahaziah |
Amaziah | 29 yrs. 796-767 | 2 Ki. 14:1-20; 2 Chr. 25:1-28 | 2 Ki. 14:5-6 | Born of Jehoaddan of Jerusalem, wife of Joash |
Uzziah (Azariah) | 52 yrs. 792-740 | 2 Ki. 15:1-17; 2 Chr. 26:1-23 | 2 Chr. 26:7-10 | Born of Jecholiah of Jerusalem, wife of Amaziah |
Jotham | 16 yrs. 750-731 | 2 Ki. 15:32-38; 2 Chr. 27:1-9 | 2 Ki. 15:5 | Born of Jerusha, daughter of Zadok, wife of Uzziah |
Ahaz | 16 yrs. 735-715 | 2 Ki. 16:1-20; 2 Chr. 28:1-27 | 2 Chr. 28:19 | Jotham as father |
Hezekiah | 29 yrs. 715-686 | 2 Ki. 16:20; 18:1-20:21; 2 Chr. 29:1-32:33 | 2 Chr. 29:10 | Born of Abijah, wife of Ahaz |
Manasseh | 55 yrs. 697-642 | 2 Ki. 21:1-18; 2 Chr. 33:1-20 | 2 Chr. 33:2; 33:12-13 | Born of Hephzibah, wife of Hezekiah |
Amon | 2 yrs. 642-640 | 2 Ki. 21:18-26; 2 Chr. 33:20-25 | 2 Ki. 21:24 | Born of Meshullemeth, wife of Manasseh |
Josiah | 31 yrs. 640-609 | 2 Ki. 21:26-23:30; 2 Chr. 33:25-35:27 | 1 Ki. 13:2; 2 Chr. 34:5 | Born of Jedidah, wife of Amon |
Joahaz | 3 mths. 609 | 2 Ki. 23:30-34; 2 Chr. 36:1-4 | None recorded | Born of Hamutal, wife of Josiah |
Jehoiakim | 11 yrs. 609-598 | 2 Ki. 23:34-24:6; 2 Chr. 36:5-8 | 2 Ki. 24:3; 24:4 | Born of Zebudah, wife of Josiah |
Jehoiachin | 3 mths. 598 | 2 Ki. 24:6-15; 25:27-30; 2 Chr. 36:8-10 | 2 Ki. 24:13 | Born of Nehushta, wife if Jehoiakim |
Zedekiah | 11 yrs. 597-586 | 2 Ki. 24:17-25:21; 2 Chr. 36:10-21 | 2 Ki. 24:20 | Born of Hamutal, wife of Jehoiachin |
ISRAEL’S DYNASTY | DATES (B.C.) | REFERENCES | GOD’S PURPOSES |
JEROBOAM | |||
Jeroboam I | 22 yrs. 930-909 | 1 Ki. 11:26-14:34; 2 Chr. 10:12-13:20 | 1 Ki. 11:30-31, 38; 14:7-13 |
Nadab | 2 yrs. 909-908 | 1 Ki. 15:25-28 | 1 Ki. 15:27, 29 |
BAASHA | |||
Baasha | 24 yrs. 908-884 | 1 Ki. 15:27-16:7; 2 Chr. 16:1-6 | 1 Ki. 16:1-4 |
Elah | 2 yrs. 886-885 | 1 Ki. 16:6-14 | 1 Ki. 16:3 |
ZIMRI | |||
Zimri | 7 days 885 | 1 Ki. 16:9-20 | 1 Ki. 16:11-12 |
Tibni | Never became a king (1 Ki. 16:21) | ||
OMRI | |||
Omri | 12 yrs. 885-874 | 1 Ki. 16:16-28 | 1 Ki. 16:24 |
Ahab | 22 yrs. 874-853 | 1 Ki. 16:28-22:40; 2 Chr. 18:1-34 | 1 Ki. 16:30-33 |
Ahaziah | 2 yrs. 853-852 | 1 Ki. 22:40-2 Ki. 1:18; 2 Chr. 20:35-37 | 1 Ki. 1:2-4 |
Joram | 12 yrs. 852-841 | 2 Ki. 3:1-8:25; 2 Chr. 22:5-7 | 2 Ki. 9:24-26 |
JEHU | |||
Jehu | 28 yrs. 841-814 | 2 Ki. 9:1-10:36; 2 Chr. 22:7-12 | 2 Ki. 9:6-7 |
Jehoahaz | 17 yrs. 814-798 | 2 Ki. 13:1-9 | 2 Ki. 13:3 |
Jehoash | 16 yrs. 798-782 | 2 Ki. 13:10-14:16; 2 Chr. 25:17-24 | 2 Ki. 13:19, 25 |
Jeroboam II | 41 yrs. 793-753 | 2 Ki. 14:16-29 | 2 Ki. 14:25 |
Zechariah | 6 mths. 753-752 | 2 Ki. 14:29-15:11 | 2 Ki. 15:10; 10:30 |
Shallum (no dynasty) | 1 mth. 752 | 2 Ki. 15:10-15 | 2 Ki. 15:10 |
MENAHEM | |||
Menahem | 10 yrs. 752-742 | 2 Ki. 15:14-22 | 2 Ki. 8:12;15:16 |
Pekahiah | 2 yrs. 742-740 | 2 Ki. 15:22-26 | 2 Ki. 15:24 |
Pekah | 8 yrs. 740-732 | 2 Ki. 15:25-31; 2 Chr. 28:5-8 | 2 Chr. 28:6 |
Hoshea | 9 yrs. 732-722 | 2 Ki. 15:30; 17:1-6 | 2 Ki. 17:3 |
