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Flight 2CHR1
2 Chronicles 1-36
Skip Heitzig

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2 Chronicles 1 (NKJV™)
1 Now Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and exalted him exceedingly.
2 And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers' houses.
3 Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for the tabernacle of meeting with God was there, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.
4 But David had brought up the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim to the place David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
5 Now the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD; Solomon and the assembly sought Him there.
6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.
7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask! What shall I give you?"
8 And Solomon said to God: "You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place.
9 "Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
10 "Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?"
11 And God said to Solomon: "Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life--but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king--
12 "wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like."
13 So Solomon came to Jerusalem from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tabernacle of meeting, and reigned over Israel.
14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
15 Also the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.
16 And Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king's merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price.
17 They also acquired and imported from Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred and fifty; thus, through their agents, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.
2 Chronicles 2 (NKJV™)
1 Then Solomon determined to build a temple for the name of the LORD, and a royal house for himself.
2 Solomon selected seventy thousand men to bear burdens, eighty thousand to quarry stone in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.
3 Then Solomon sent to Hiram king of Tyre, saying: As you have dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me.
4 Behold, I am building a temple for the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to Him, to burn before Him sweet incense, for the continual showbread, for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the set feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.
5 And the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods.
6 But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?
7 Therefore send me at once a man skillful to work in gold and silver, in bronze and iron, in purple and crimson and blue, who has skill to engrave with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.
8 Also send me cedar and cypress and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants have skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and indeed my servants will be with your servants,
9 to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the temple which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.
10 And indeed I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, twenty thousand kors of ground wheat, twenty thousand kors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
11 Then Hiram king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon: Because the LORD loves His people, He has made you king over them.
12 Hiram also said: Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, for He has given King David a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal house for himself!
13 And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, Huram my master craftsman
14 (the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him, with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.
15 Now therefore, the wheat, the barley, the oil, and the wine which my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants.
16 And we will cut wood from Lebanon, as much as you need; we will bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, and you will carry it up to Jerusalem.
17 Then Solomon numbered all the aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census in which David his father had numbered them; and there were found to be one hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred.
18 And he made seventy thousand of them bearers of burdens, eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountain, and three thousand six hundred overseers to make the people work.
2 Chronicles 3 (NKJV™)
1 Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2 And he began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.
3 This is the foundation which Solomon laid for building the house of God: The length was sixty cubits (by cubits according to the former measure) and the width twenty cubits.
4 And the vestibule that was in front of the sanctuary was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the height was one hundred and twenty. He overlaid the inside with pure gold.
5 The larger room he paneled with cypress which he overlaid with fine gold, and he carved palm trees and chainwork on it.
6 And he decorated the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold from Parvaim.
7 He also overlaid the house--the beams and doorposts, its walls and doors--with gold; and he carved cherubim on the walls.
8 And he made the Most Holy Place. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. He overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold.
9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold; and he overlaid the upper area with gold.
10 In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid them with gold.
11 The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in overall length: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub;
12 one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing also was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub.
13 The wings of these cherubim spanned twenty cubits overall. They stood on their feet, and they faced inward.
14 And he made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and wove cherubim into it.
15 Also he made in front of the temple two pillars thirty-five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
16 He made wreaths of chainwork, as in the inner sanctuary, and put them on top of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the wreaths of chainwork.
17 Then he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand Jachin, and the name of the one on the left Boaz.
2 Chronicles 4 (NKJV™)
1 Moreover he made a bronze altar: twenty cubits was its length, twenty cubits its width, and ten cubits its height.
2 Then he made the Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference.
3 And under it was the likeness of oxen encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, all the way around the Sea. The oxen were cast in two rows, when it was cast.
4 It stood on twelve oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward.
5 It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained three thousand baths.
6 He also made ten lavers, and put five on the right side and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as they offered for the burnt offering they would wash in them, but the Sea was for the priests to wash in.
7 And he made ten lampstands of gold according to their design, and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left.
8 He also made ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred bowls of gold.
9 Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court and doors for the court; and he overlaid these doors with bronze.
10 He set the Sea on the right side, toward the southeast.
11 Then Huram made the pots and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of God:
12 the two pillars and the bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars;
13 four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on the pillars);
14 he also made carts and the lavers on the carts;
15 one Sea and twelve oxen under it;
16 also the pots, the shovels, the forks--and all their articles Huram his master craftsman made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the LORD.
17 In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay molds, between Succoth and Zeredah.
18 And Solomon had all these articles made in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.
19 Thus Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of God: the altar of gold and the tables on which was the showbread;
20 the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn in the prescribed manner in front of the inner sanctuary,
21 with the flowers and the lamps and the wick-trimmers of gold, of purest gold;
22 the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the censers of pure gold. As for the entry of the sanctuary, its inner doors to the Most Holy Place, and the doors of the main hall of the temple, were gold.
2 Chronicles 5 (NKJV™)
1 So all the work that Solomon had done for the house of the LORD was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and all the furnishings. And he put them in the treasuries of the house of God.
2 Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, in Jerusalem, that they might bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD up from the City of David, which is Zion.
3 Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month.
4 So all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark.
5 Then they brought up the ark, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up.
6 Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the ark, were sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude.
7 Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim.
8 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles.
9 And the poles extended so that the ends of the poles of the ark could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day.
10 Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they had come out of Egypt.
11 And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without keeping to their divisions),
12 and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets--
13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever," that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud,
14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.
2 Chronicles 6 (NKJV™)
1 Then Solomon spoke: "The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud.
2 I have surely built You an exalted house, And a place for You to dwell in forever."
3 Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing.
4 And he said: "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying,
5 'Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man to be a ruler over My people Israel.
6 'Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there; and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.'
7 "Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.
8 "But the LORD said to my father David, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well in that it was in your heart.
9 'Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.'
10 "So the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke, and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised; and I have built the temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.
11 "And there I have put the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD which He made with the children of Israel."
12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands
13 (for Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven);
14 and he said: "LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.
15 "You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.
16 "Therefore, LORD God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, 'You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk in My law as you have walked before Me.'
17 "And now, O LORD God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David.
18 "But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!
19 "Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You:
20 "that Your eyes may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant prays toward this place.
21 "And may You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive.
22 "If anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple,
23 "then hear from heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, bringing retribution on the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.
24 "Or if Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this temple,
25 "then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and their fathers.
26 "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,
27 "then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.
28 "When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is;
29 "whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple:
30 "then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men),
31 "that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.
32 "Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but who comes from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple;
33 "then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.
34 "When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name,
35 "then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
36 "When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to a land far or near;
37 "yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have committed wickedness';
38 "and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captive, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name:
39 "then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.
40 "Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place.
41 "Now therefore, Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, And let Your saints rejoice in goodness.
42 "O LORD God, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed; Remember the mercies of Your servant David."
2 Chronicles 7 (NKJV™)
1 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
2 And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD'S house.
3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever."
4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.
5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
6 And the priests attended to their services; the Levites also with instruments of the music of the LORD, which King David had made to praise the LORD, saying, "For His mercy endures forever," whenever David offered praise by their ministry. The priests sounded trumpets opposite them, while all Israel stood.
7 Furthermore Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the LORD; for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat.
8 At that time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt.
9 And on the eighth day they held a sacred assembly, for they observed the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the good that the LORD had done for David, for Solomon, and for His people Israel.
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king's house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into his heart to make in the house of the LORD and in his own house.
12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
13 "When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,
14 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
15 "Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.
16 "For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
17 "As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments,
18 "then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, 'You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.'
19 "But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them,
20 "then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
21 "And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land and this house?'
22 "Then they will answer, 'Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.'"
2 Chronicles 8 (NKJV™)
1 It came to pass at the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own house,
2 that the cities which Hiram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them; and he settled the children of Israel there.
3 And Solomon went to Hamath Zobah and seized it.
4 He also built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities which he built in Hamath.
5 He built Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars,
6 also Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities and the cities of the cavalry, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
7 All the people who were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of Israel--
8 that is, their descendants who were left in the land after them, whom the children of Israel did not destroy--from these Solomon raised forced labor, as it is to this day.
9 But Solomon did not make the children of Israel servants for his work. Some were men of war, captains of his officers, captains of his chariots, and his cavalry.
10 And others were chiefs of the officials of King Solomon: two hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people.
11 Now Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the house he had built for her, for he said, "My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places to which the ark of the LORD has come are holy."
12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD which he had built before the vestibule,
13 according to the daily rate, offering according to the commandment of Moses, for the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the three appointed yearly feasts--the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
14 And, according to the order of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, the Levites for their duties (to praise and serve before the priests) as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate; for so David the man of God had commanded.
15 They did not depart from the command of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the treasuries.
16 Now all the work of Solomon was well-ordered from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed.
17 Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the seacoast, in the land of Edom.
18 And Hiram sent him ships by the hand of his servants, and servants who knew the sea. They went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and acquired four hundred and fifty talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.
2 Chronicles 9 (NKJV™)
1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.
2 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her.
3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,
4 the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers and their apparel, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.
5 Then she said to the king: "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.
6 "However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard.
7 "Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
8 "Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God! Because your God has loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness."
9 And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones; there never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10 Also, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones.
11 And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers; and there were none such as these seen before in the land of Judah.
12 Now King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, much more than she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.
13 The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,
14 besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield.
16 He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
18 The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests.
19 Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.
20 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.
21 For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.
22 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
24 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.
25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.
26 So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.
27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.
28 And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.
29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
31 Then Solomon rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.
2 Chronicles 10 (NKJV™)
1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.
2 So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), that Jeroboam returned from Egypt.
3 Then they sent for him and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
4 "Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you."
5 So he said to them, "Come back to me after three days." And the people departed.
6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, saying, "How do you advise me to answer these people?"
7 And they spoke to him, saying, "If you are kind to these people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever."
8 But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
9 And he said to them, "What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'?"
10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, "Thus you should speak to the people who have spoken to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us'--thus you shall say to them: 'My little finger shall be thicker than my father's waist!
11 'And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!'"
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had directed, saying, "Come back to me the third day."
13 Then the king answered them roughly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders,
14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!"
15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from God, that the LORD might fulfill His word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: "What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now see to your own house, O David!" So all Israel departed to their tents.
17 But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of revenue; but the children of Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem.
19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
2 Chronicles 11 (NKJV™)
1 Now when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
3 "Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,
4 'Thus says the LORD: "You shall not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me."'" Therefore they obeyed the words of the LORD, and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.
5 So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah.
6 And he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7 Beth Zur, Sochoh, Adullam,
8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, fortified cities.
11 And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine.
12 Also in every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.
13 And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him.
14 For the Levites left their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the LORD.
15 Then he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made.
16 And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the LORD God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers.
17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
18 Then Rehoboam took for himself as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliah the son of Jesse.
19 And she bore him children: Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham.
20 After her he took Maacah the granddaughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 Now Rehoboam loved Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom more than all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maachah as chief, to be leader among his brothers; for he intended to make him king.
23 He dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the territories of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city; and he gave them provisions in abundance. He also sought many wives for them.
2 Chronicles 12 (NKJV™)
1 Now it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, that he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel along with him.
2 And it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD,
3 with twelve hundred chariots, sixty thousand horsemen, and people without number who came with him out of Egypt--the Lubim and the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians.
4 And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came to Jerusalem.
5 Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, "Thus says the LORD: 'You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak.'"
6 So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, "The LORD is righteous."
7 Now when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, "They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
8 "Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations."
9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house; he took everything. He also carried away the gold shields which Solomon had made.
10 Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the king's house.
11 And whenever the king entered the house of the LORD, the guard would go and bring them out; then they would take them back into the guardroom.
12 When he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and things also went well in Judah.
13 Thus Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king; and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. His mother's name was Naamah, an Ammonitess.
14 And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD.
15 The acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
16 So Rehoboam rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David. Then Abijah his son reigned in his place.
2 Chronicles 13 (NKJV™)
1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah.
2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3 Abijah set the battle in order with an army of valiant warriors, four hundred thousand choice men. Jeroboam also drew up in battle formation against him with eight hundred thousand choice men, mighty men of valor.
4 Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, and said, "Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:
5 "Should you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt?
6 "Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord.
7 "Then worthless rogues gathered to him, and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and inexperienced and could not withstand them.
8 "And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and with you are the gold calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods.
9 "Have you not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests, like the peoples of other lands, so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of things that are not gods?
10 "But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests who minister to the LORD are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties.
11 "And they burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense; they also set the showbread in order on the pure gold table, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps to burn every evening; for we keep the command of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him.
12 "Now look, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper!"
13 But Jeroboam caused an ambush to go around behind them; so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.
14 And when Judah looked around, to their surprise the battle line was at both front and rear; and they cried out to the LORD, and the priests sounded the trumpets.
15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand.
17 Then Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter; so five hundred thousand choice men of Israel fell slain.
18 Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD God of their fathers.
19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephrain with its villages.
20 So Jeroboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck him, and he died.
21 But Abijah grew mighty, married fourteen wives, and begot twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
22 Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in the annals of the prophet Iddo.
2 Chronicles 14 (NKJV™)
1 So Abijah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet for ten years.
2 Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God,
3 for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images.
4 He commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment.
5 He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him.
6 And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the LORD had given him rest.
7 Therefore he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered.
8 And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried shields and spears, and from Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty men of valor.
9 Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah.
10 So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
11 And Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, "LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!"
12 So the LORD struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.
13 And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the LORD and His army. And they carried away very much spoil.
14 Then they defeated all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the LORD came upon them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was exceedingly much spoil in them.
15 They also attacked the livestock enclosures, and carried off sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 15 (NKJV™)
1 Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.
2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
3 "For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law;
4 "but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.
5 "And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands.
6 "So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity.
7 "But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!"
8 And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; and he restored the altar of the LORD that was before the vestibule of the LORD.
9 Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who dwelt with them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for they came over to him in great numbers from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
10 So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
11 And they offered to the LORD at that time seven hundred bulls and seven thousand sheep from the spoil they had brought.
12 Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
13 and whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
14 Then they took an oath before the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams' horns.
15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around.
16 Also he removed Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah; and Asa cut down her obscene image, then crushed and burned it by the Brook Kidron.
17 But the high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days.
18 He also brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated: silver and gold and utensils.
19 And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.
2 Chronicles 16 (NKJV™)
1 In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
2 Then Asa brought silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, and sent to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying,
3 "Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. Here, I have sent you silver and gold; come, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me."
4 So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.
5 Now it happened, when Baasha heard it, that he stopped building Ramah and ceased his work.
6 Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah, which Baasha had used for building; and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.
7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: "Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.
8 "Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand.
9 "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars."
10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.
11 Note that the acts of Asa, first and last, are indeed written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
12 And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians.
13 So Asa rested with his fathers; he died in the forty-first year of his reign.
14 They buried him in his own tomb, which he had made for himself in the City of David; and they laid him in the bed which was filled with spices and various ingredients prepared in a mixture of ointments. They made a very great burning for him.
2 Chronicles 17 (NKJV™)
1 Then Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and strengthened himself against Israel.
2 And he placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had taken.
3 Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals,
4 but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel.
5 Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave presents to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honor in abundance.
6 And his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD; moreover he removed the high places and wooden images from Judah.
7 Also in the third year of his reign he sent his leaders, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.
8 And with them he sent Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah--the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests.
9 So they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the LORD with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people.
10 And the fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.
11 Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver as tribute; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred male goats.
12 So Jehoshaphat became increasingly powerful, and he built fortresses and storage cities in Judah.
13 He had much property in the cities of Judah; and the men of war, mighty men of valor, were in Jerusalem.
14 These are their numbers, according to their fathers' houses. Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him three hundred thousand mighty men of valor;
15 and next to him was Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand;
16 and next to him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the LORD, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor.
17 Of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield;
18 and next to him was Jehozabad, and with him one hundred and eighty thousand prepared for war.
19 These served the king, besides those the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.
2 Chronicles 18 (NKJV™)
1 Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab.
2 After some years he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria; and Ahab killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people who were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead.
3 So Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?" And he answered him, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war."
4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire for the word of the LORD today."
5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hand."
6 But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?"
7 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say such things!"
8 Then the king of Israel called one of his officers and said, "Bring Micaiah the son of Imla quickly!"
9 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, clothed in their robes, sat each on his throne; and they sat at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
10 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, "Thus says the LORD: 'With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.'"
11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king's hand."
12 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, "Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Therefore please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement."
13 And Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak."
14 Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" And he said, "Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand!"
15 So the king said to him, "How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"
16 Then he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.'"
17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"
18 Then Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and His left.
19 "And the LORD said, 'Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?' So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner.
20 "Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will persuade him.' The LORD said to him, 'In what way?'
21 "So he said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And the Lord said, 'You shall persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so.'
22 "Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you."
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, "Which way did the spirit from the LORD go from me to speak to you?"
24 And Micaiah said, "Indeed you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide!"
25 Then the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son;
26 "and say, 'Thus says the king: "Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace."'"
27 Then Micaiah said, "If you ever return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Take heed, all you people!"
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.
30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots who were with him, saying, "Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel."
31 So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, "It is the king of Israel!" Therefore they surrounded him to attack; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God diverted them from him.
32 For so it was, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
33 Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded."
34 The battle increased that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening; and about the time of sunset he died.
2 Chronicles 19 (NKJV™)
1 Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned safely to his house in Jerusalem.
2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Therefore the wrath of the LORD is upon you.
3 "Nevertheless good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from the land, and have prepared your heart to seek God."
4 So Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the mountains of Ephraim, and brought them back to the LORD God of their fathers.
5 Then he set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,
6 and said to the judges, "Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.
7 "Now therefore, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes."
8 Moreover in Jerusalem, for the judgment of the LORD and for controversies, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the chief fathers of Israel, when they returned to Jerusalem.
9 And he commanded them, saying, "Thus you shall act in the fear of the LORD, faithfully and with a loyal heart:
10 "Whatever case comes to you from your brethren who dwell in their cities, whether of bloodshed or offenses against law or commandment, against statutes or ordinances, you shall warn them, lest they trespass against the LORD and wrath come upon you and your brethren. Do this, and you will not be guilty.
11 "And take notice: Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the LORD; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king's matters; also the Levites will be officials before you. Behave courageously, and the LORD will be with the good."
2 Chronicles 20 (NKJV™)
1 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.
2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar" (which is En Gedi).
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
6 and said: "O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?
7 "Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?
8 "And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,
9 'If disaster comes upon us--sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine--we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.'
10 "And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir--whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them--
11 "here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.
12 "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."
13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD.
14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.
15 And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.
16 'Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.
17 'You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you."
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.
19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.
20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper."
21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever."
22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.
23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.
25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.
26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the LORD; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day.
27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.
28 So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the LORD.
29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
30 Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.
31 So Jehoshaphat was king over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
32 And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD.
33 Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.
34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
35 After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted very wickedly.
36 And he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber.
37 But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works." Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
2 Chronicles 21 (NKJV™)
1 And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
3 Their father gave them great gifts of silver and gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.
4 Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel.
5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.
7 Yet the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever.
8 In his days the Edomites revolted against Judah's authority, and made a king over themselves.
9 So Jehoram went out with his officers, and all his chariots with him. And he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots.
10 Thus Edom has been in revolt against Judah's authority to this day. At that time Libnah revolted against his rule, because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.
11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotry, and led Judah astray.
12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says the LORD God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father's household, who were better than yourself,
14 behold, the LORD will strike your people with a serious affliction--your children, your wives, and all your possessions;
15 and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.
16 Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians who were near the Ethiopians.
17 And they came up into Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king's house, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
18 After all this the LORD struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease.
19 Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so he died in severe pain. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers.
20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one's sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
2 Chronicles 22 (NKJV™)
1 Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place, for the raiders who came with the Arabians into the camp had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, reigned.
2 Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri.
3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother advised him to do wickedly.
4 Therefore he did evil in the sight of the LORD, like the house of Ahab; for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.
5 He also followed their advice, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.
6 Then he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which he had received at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
7 His going to Joram was God's occasion for Ahaziah's downfall; for when he arrived, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.
8 And it happened, when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers who served Ahaziah, that he killed them.
9 Then he searched for Ahaziah; and they caught him (he was hiding in Samaria), and brought him to Jehu. When they had killed him, they buried him, "because," they said, "he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart." So the house of Ahaziah had no one to assume power over the kingdom.
10 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah.
11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons who were being murdered, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him.
12 And he was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.
2 Chronicles 23 (NKJV™)
1 In the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and made a covenant with the captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri.
2 And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
3 Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, "Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD has said of the sons of David.
4 "This is what you shall do: One-third of you entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Levites, shall be keeping watch over the doors;
5 "one-third shall be at the king's house; and one-third at the Gate of the Foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD.
6 "But let no one come into the house of the LORD except the priests and those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.
7 "And the Levites shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out."
8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed the divisions.
9 And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of God.
10 Then he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and by the temple, all around the king.
11 And they brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, gave him the Testimony, and made him king. Then Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, "Long live the king!"
12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people in the temple of the LORD.
13 When she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, also the singers with musical instruments, and those who led in praise. So Athaliah tore her clothes and said, "Treason! Treason!"
14 And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, "Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her." For the priest had said, "Do not kill her in the house of the LORD."
15 So they seized her; and she went by way of the entrance of the Horse Gate into the king's house, and they killed her there.
16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the people, and the king, that they should be the LORD'S people.
17 And all the people went to the temple of Baal, and tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars and images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.
18 Also Jehoiada appointed the oversight of the house of the LORD to the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had assigned in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was established by David.
19 And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter.
20 Then he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the LORD; and they went through the Upper Gate to the king's house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom.
21 So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword.
2 Chronicles 24 (NKJV™)
1 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.
2 Joash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
3 And Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.
4 Now it happened after this that Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the LORD.
5 Then he gathered the priests and the Levites, and said to them, "Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you do it quickly." However the Levites did not do it quickly.
6 So the king called Jehoiada the chief priest, and said to him, "Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the LORD and of the assembly of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?"
7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also presented all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD to the Baals.
8 Then at the king's command they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of the LORD.
9 And they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God had imposed on Israel in the wilderness.
10 Then all the leaders and all the people rejoiced, brought their contributions, and put them into the chest until all had given.
11 So it was, at that time, when the chest was brought to the king's official by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, that the king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it and returned it to its place. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.
12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of the LORD; and they hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD, and also those who worked in iron and bronze to restore the house of the LORD.
13 So the workmen labored, and the work was completed by them; they restored the house of God to its original condition and reinforced it.
14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; they made from it articles for the house of the LORD, articles for serving and offering, spoons and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.
15 But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old when he died.
16 And they buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and His house.
17 Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king. And the king listened to them.
18 Therefore they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served wooden images and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass.
19 Yet He sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the LORD; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.
20 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, "Thus says God: 'Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He also has forsaken you.'"
21 So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD.
22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, "The LORD look on it, and repay!"
23 So it happened in the spring of the year that the army of Syria came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the leaders of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.
24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; but the LORD delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.
25 And when they had withdrawn from him (for they left him severely wounded), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died. And they buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.
26 These are the ones who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.
27 Now concerning his sons, and the many oracles about him, and the repairing of the house of God, indeed they are written in the annals of the book of the kings. Then Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
2 Chronicles 25 (NKJV™)
1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a loyal heart.
3 Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established for him, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king.
4 However he did not execute their children, but did as it is written in the Law in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, "The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall die for his own sin."
5 Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, according to their fathers' houses, throughout all Judah and Benjamin; and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them to be three hundred thousand choice men, able to go to war, who could handle spear and shield.
6 He also hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valor from Israel for one hundred talents of silver.
7 But a man of God came to him, saying, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel--not with any of the children of Ephraim.
8 "But if you go, be gone! Be strong in battle! Even so, God shall make you fall before the enemy; for God has power to help and to overthrow."
9 Then Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?" And the man of God answered, "The LORD is able to give you much more than this."
10 So Amaziah discharged the troops that had come to him from Ephraim, to go back home. Therefore their anger was greatly aroused against Judah, and they returned home in great anger.
11 Then Amaziah strengthened himself, and leading his people, he went to the Valley of Salt and killed ten thousand of the people of Seir.
12 Also the children of Judah took captive ten thousand alive, brought them to the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were dashed in pieces.
13 But as for the soldiers of the army which Amaziah had discharged, so that they would not go with him to battle, they raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon, killed three thousand in them, and took much spoil.
14 Now it was so, after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up to be his gods, and bowed down before them and burned incense to them.
15 Therefore the anger of the LORD was aroused against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, "Why have you sought the gods of the people, which could not rescue their own people from your hand?"
16 So it was, as he talked with him, that the king said to him, "Have we made you the king's counselor? Cease! Why should you be killed?" Then the prophet ceased, and said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice."
17 Now Amaziah king of Judah asked advice and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us face one another in battle."
18 And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as wife'; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle.
19 "Indeed you say that you have defeated the Edomites, and your heart is lifted up to boast. Stay at home now; why should you meddle with trouble, that you should fall--you and Judah with you?"
20 But Amaziah would not heed, for it came from God, that He might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought the gods of Edom.
21 So Joash king of Israel went out; and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah.
22 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his tent.
23 Then Joash the king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh; and he brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate--four hundred cubits.
24 And he took all the gold and silver, all the articles that were found in the house of God with Obed-Edom, the treasures of the king's house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.
25 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.
26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from first to last, indeed are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?
27 After the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there.
28 Then they brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah.
2 Chronicles 26 (NKJV™)
1 Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.
2 He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers.
3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
4 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.
5 He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.
6 Now he went out and made war against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities around Ashdod and among the Philistines.
7 God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabians who lived in Gur Baal, and against the Meunites.
8 Also the Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah. His fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt, for he became exceedingly strong.
9 And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the corner buttress of the wall; then he fortified them.
10 Also he built towers in the desert. He dug many wells, for he had much livestock, both in the lowlands and in the plains; he also had farmers and vinedressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved the soil.
11 Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men who went out to war by companies, according to the number on their roll as prepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's captains.
12 The total number of chief officers of the mighty men of valor was two thousand six hundred.
13 And under their authority was an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.
14 Then Uzziah prepared for them, for the entire army, shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and slings to cast stones.
15 And he made devices in Jerusalem, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong.
16 But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.
17 So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the LORD--valiant men.
18 And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the LORD God."
19 Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar.
20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him.
21 King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. Then Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.
22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz wrote.
23 So Uzziah rested with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial which belonged to the kings, for they said, "He is a leper." Then Jotham his son reigned in his place.
2 Chronicles 27 (NKJV™)
1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok.
2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (although he did not enter the temple of the LORD). But still the people acted corruptly.
3 He built the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD, and he built extensively on the wall of Ophel.
4 Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built fortresses and towers.
5 He also fought with the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. And the people of Ammon gave him in that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand kors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The people of Ammon paid this to him in the second and third years also.
6 So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.
7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
8 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.
9 So Jotham rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Ahaz his son reigned in his place.
2 Chronicles 28 (NKJV™)
1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD, as his father David had done.
2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made molded images for the Baals.
3 He burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 Therefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They defeated him, and carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to Damascus. Then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a great slaughter.
6 For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed one hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one day, all valiant men, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers.
7 Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the officer over the house, and Elkanah who was second to the king.
8 And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they also took away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.
9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: "Look, because the LORD God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven.
10 "And now you propose to force the children of Judah and Jerusalem to be your male and female slaves; but are you not also guilty before the LORD your God?
11 "Now hear me, therefore, and return the captives, whom you have taken captive from your brethren, for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you."
12 Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war,
13 and said to them, "You shall not bring the captives here, for we already have offended the LORD. You intend to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel."
14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the leaders and all the assembly.
15 Then the men who were designated by name rose up and took the captives, and from the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them and gave them sandals, gave them food and drink, and anointed them; and they let all the feeble ones ride on donkeys. So they brought them to their brethren at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.
16 At the same time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him.
17 For again the Edomites had come, attacked Judah, and carried away captives.
18 The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Sochoh with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages; and they dwelt there.
19 For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the LORD.
20 Also Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him and distressed him, and did not assist him.
21 For Ahaz took part of the treasures from the house of the LORD, from the house of the king, and from the leaders, and he gave it to the king of Assyria; but he did not help him.
22 Now in the time of his distress King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the LORD. This is that King Ahaz.
23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.
24 So Ahaz gathered the articles of the house of God, cut in pieces the articles of the house of God, shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
25 And in every single city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.
26 Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27 So Ahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Then Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.
2 Chronicles 29 (NKJV™)
1 Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah.
2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done.
3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them.
4 Then he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them in the East Square,
5 and said to them: "Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place.
6 "For our fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of the LORD our God; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him.
7 "They have also shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.
8 "Therefore the wrath of the LORD fell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has given them up to trouble, to desolation, and to jeering, as you see with your eyes.
9 "For indeed, because of this our fathers have fallen by the sword; and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity.
10 "Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.
11 "My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense."
12 Then these Levites arose: Mahath the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah;
13 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah;
14 of the sons of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.
15 And they gathered their brethren, sanctified themselves, and went according to the commandment of the king, at the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD.
16 Then the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and brought out all the debris that they found in the temple of the LORD to the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it out and carried it to the Brook Kidron.
17 Now they began to sanctify on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the vestibule of the LORD. Then they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
18 Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, "We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offerings with all its articles, and the table of the showbread with all its articles.
19 "Moreover all the articles which King Ahaz in his reign had cast aside in his transgression we have prepared and sanctified; and there they are, before the altar of the LORD."
20 Then King Hezekiah rose early, gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD.
21 And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. Then he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.
22 So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. Likewise they killed the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar.
23 Then they brought out the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them.
24 And the priests killed them; and they presented their blood on the altar as a sin offering to make an atonement for all Israel, for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering be made for all Israel.
25 And he stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.
26 The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
27 Then Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD also began, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David king of Israel.
28 So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
29 And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed and worshiped.
30 Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.
31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, "Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD." So the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.
32 And the number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.
33 The consecrated things were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep.
34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brethren the Levites helped them until the work was ended and until the other priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more diligent in sanctifying themselves than the priests.
35 Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.
36 Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly.
2 Chronicles 30 (NKJV™)
1 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel.
2 For the king and his leaders and all the assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to keep the Passover in the second month.
3 For they could not keep it at the regular time, because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem.
4 And the matter pleased the king and all the assembly.
5 So they resolved to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem, since they had not done it for a long time in the prescribed manner.
6 Then the runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the king: "Children of Israel, return to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.
7 "And do not be like your fathers and your brethren, who trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, so that He gave them up to desolation, as you see.
8 "Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you.
9 "For if you return to the LORD, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him."
10 So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; but they laughed at them and mocked them.
11 Nevertheless some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12 Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the word of the LORD.
13 Now many people, a very great assembly, gathered at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month.
14 They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away all the incense altars and cast them into the Brook Kidron.
15 Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought the burnt offerings to the house of the LORD.
16 They stood in their place according to their custom, according to the Law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood received from the hand of the Levites.
17 For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites had charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to the LORD.
18 For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD provide atonement for everyone
19 who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary."
20 And the LORD listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
21 So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing to the LORD, accompanied by loud instruments.
22 And Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the LORD; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.
23 Then the whole assembly agreed to keep the feast another seven days, and they kept it another seven days with gladness.
24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the leaders gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.
25 The whole assembly of Judah rejoiced, also the priests and Levites, all the assembly that came from Israel, the sojourners who came from the land of Israel, and those who dwelt in Judah.
26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.
27 Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.
2 Chronicles 31 (NKJV™)
1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images, and threw down the high places and the altars--from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh--until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned to their own cities, every man to his possession.
2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD.
3 The king also appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and the New Moons and the set feasts, as it is written in the Law of the LORD.
4 Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the LORD.
5 As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.
6 And the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, brought the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the LORD their God they laid in heaps.
7 In the third month they began laying them in heaps, and they finished in the seventh month.
8 And when Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel.
9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.
10 And Azariah the chief priest, from the house of Zadok, answered him and said, "Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the LORD has blessed His people; and what is left is this great abundance."
11 Now Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them.
12 Then they faithfully brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things; Cononiah the Levite had charge of them, and Shimei his brother was the next.
13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of God.
14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to distribute the offerings of the LORD and the most holy things.
15 And under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, his faithful assistants in the cities of the priests, to distribute allotments to their brethren by divisions, to the great as well as the small.
16 Besides those males from three years old and up who were written in the genealogy, they distributed to everyone who entered the house of the LORD his daily portion for the work of his service, by his division,
17 and to the priests who were written in the genealogy according to their father's house, and to the Levites from twenty years old and up according to their work, by their divisions,
18 and to all who were written in the genealogy--their little ones and their wives, their sons and daughters, the whole company of them--for in their faithfulness they sanctified themselves in holiness.
19 Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the common-lands of their cities, in every single city, there were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were listed by genealogies among the Levites.
20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God.
21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.
2 Chronicles 32 (NKJV™)
1 After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself.
2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem,
3 he consulted with his leaders and commanders to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city; and they helped him.
4 Thus many people gathered together who stopped all the springs and the brook that ran through the land, saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?"
5 And he strengthened himself, built up all the wall that was broken, raised it up to the towers, and built another wall outside; also he repaired the Millo in the City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.
6 Then he set military captains over the people, gathered them together to him in the open square of the city gate, and gave them encouragement, saying,
7 "Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him.
8 "With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9 After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (but he and all the forces with him laid siege against Lachish), to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying,
10 "Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria: 'In what do you trust, that you remain under siege in Jerusalem?
11 'Does not Hezekiah persuade you to give yourselves over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, "The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria"?
12 'Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, "You shall worship before one altar and burn incense on it"?
13 'Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my hand?
14 'Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand?
15 'Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you like this, and do not believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?'"
16 Furthermore, his servants spoke against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah.
17 He also wrote letters to revile the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, "As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand."
18 Then they called out with a loud voice in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and trouble them, that they might take the city.
19 And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth--the work of men's hands.
20 Now because of this King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven.
21 Then the LORD sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there.
22 Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.
23 And many brought gifts to the LORD at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.
24 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the LORD; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign.
25 But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem.
26 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
27 Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. And he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items;
28 storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks.
29 Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much property.
30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
31 However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, indeed they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
33 So Hezekiah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. Then Manasseh his son reigned in his place.
2 Chronicles 33 (NKJV™)
1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.
2 But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
4 He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem shall My name be forever."
5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
6 Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.
7 He even set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever;
8 "and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers--only if they are careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses."
9 So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.
10 And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen.
11 Therefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon.
12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,
13 and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.
14 After this he built a wall outside the City of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate; and it enclosed Ophel, and he raised it to a very great height. Then he put military captains in all the fortified cities of Judah.
15 He took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of the city.
16 He also repaired the altar of the LORD, sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.
17 Nevertheless the people still sacrificed on the high places, but only to the LORD their God.
18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.
19 Also his prayer and how God received his entreaty, and all his sin and trespass, and the sites where he built high places and set up wooden images and carved images, before he was humbled, indeed they are written among the sayings of Hozai.
20 So Manasseh rested with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. Then his son Amon reigned in his place.
21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.
22 But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done; for Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and served them.
23 And he did not humble himself before the LORD, as his father Manasseh had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.
24 Then his servants conspired against him, and killed him in his own house.
25 But the people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon. Then the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place.
2 Chronicles 34 (NKJV™)
1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images.
4 They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
5 He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
6 And so he did in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali and all around, with axes.
7 When he had broken down the altars and the wooden images, had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.
9 When they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the doors had gathered from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, from all the remnant of Israel, from all Judah and Benjamin, and which they had brought back to Jerusalem.
10 Then they put it in the hand of the foremen who had the oversight of the house of the LORD; and they gave it to the workmen who worked in the house of the LORD, to repair and restore the house.
11 They gave it to the craftsmen and builders to buy hewn stone and timber for beams, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
12 And the men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to supervise. Others of the Levites, all of whom were skillful with instruments of music,
13 were over the burden bearers and were overseers of all who did work in any kind of service. And some of the Levites were scribes, officers, and gatekeepers.
14 Now when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD given by Moses.
15 Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.
16 So Shaphan carried the book to the king, bringing the king word, saying, "All that was committed to your servants they are doing.
17 "And they have gathered the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers and the workmen."
18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it before the king.
19 Thus it happened, when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes.
20 Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying,
21 "Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book."
22 So Hilkiah and those the king had appointed went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke to her to that effect.
23 Then she answered them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Tell the man who sent you to Me,
24 "Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah,
25 'because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place, and not be quenched.'"'
26 "But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, in this manner you shall speak to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Concerning the words which you have heard--
27 "because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you," says the LORD.
28 "Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants."'" So they brought back word to the king.
29 Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30 The king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem--the priests and the Levites, and all the people, great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the LORD.
31 Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.
32 And he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
33 Thus Josiah removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the LORD their God. All his days they did not depart from following the LORD God of their fathers.
2 Chronicles 35 (NKJV™)
1 Now Josiah kept a Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month.
2 And he set the priests in their duties and encouraged them for the service of the house of the LORD.
3 Then he said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to the LORD: "Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. It shall no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel.
4 "Prepare yourselves according to your fathers' houses, according to your divisions, following the written instruction of David king of Israel and the written instruction of Solomon his son.
5 "And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers' houses of your brethren the lay people, and according to the division of the father's house of the Levites.
6 "So slaughter the Passover offerings, consecrate yourselves, and prepare them for your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses."
7 Then Josiah gave the lay people lambs and young goats from the flock, all for Passover offerings for all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, as well as three thousand cattle; these were from the king's possessions.
8 And his leaders gave willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand six hundred from the flock, and three hundred cattle.
9 Also Conaniah, his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave to the Levites for Passover offerings five thousand from the flock and five hundred cattle.
10 So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their places, and the Levites in their divisions, according to the king's command.
11 And they slaughtered the Passover offerings; and the priests sprinkled the blood with their hands, while the Levites skinned the animals.
12 Then they removed the burnt offerings that they might give them to the divisions of the fathers' houses of the lay people, to offer to the LORD, as it is written in the Book of Moses. And so they did with the cattle.
13 Also they roasted the Passover offerings with fire according to the ordinance; but the other holy offerings they boiled in pots, in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them quickly among all the lay people.
14 Then afterward they prepared portions for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were busy in offering burnt offerings and fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared portions for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.
15 And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their places, according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer. Also the gatekeepers were at each gate; they did not have to leave their position, because their brethren the Levites prepared portions for them.
16 So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, according to the command of King Josiah.
17 And the children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.
18 There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests and the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.
20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him.
21 But he sent messengers to him, saying, "What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you."
22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo.
23 And the archers shot King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, "Take me away, for I am severely wounded."
24 His servants therefore took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had, and they brought him to Jerusalem. So he died, and was buried in one of the tombs of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
25 Jeremiah also lamented for Josiah. And to this day all the singing men and the singing women speak of Josiah in their lamentations. They made it a custom in Israel; and indeed they are written in the Laments.
26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his goodness, according to what was written in the Law of the LORD,
27 and his deeds from first to last, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
2 Chronicles 36 (NKJV™)
1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's place in Jerusalem.
2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
3 Now the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
4 Then the king of Egypt made Jehoahaz's brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him off to Egypt.
5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon.
7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried off some of the articles from the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, the abominations which he did, and what was found against him, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. Then Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD.
10 At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him and took him to Babylon, with the costly articles from the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah, Jehoiakim's brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem.
11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
12 He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD.
13 And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD God of Israel.
14 Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the LORD which He had consecrated in Jerusalem.
15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.
16 But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy.
17 Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand.
18 And all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon.
19 Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions.
20 And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia,
21 to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
23 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!

New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Bible from 30,000 Feet - 2018, The

After King Solomon's reign and death, the nation of Israel went on a spiritual roller coaster ride that ended with the division of the kingdom and the people's exile. From the temple's building to its decline and destruction, we see a parallel to 1 and 2 Kings from a spiritual viewpoint.

Take your knowledge of the full scope of Scripture to soaring heights with The Bible from 30,000 Feet. In this series, Skip Heitzig pilots you through all sixty-six books of the Bible, revealing major themes, principles, people, and events from Genesis to Revelation. Fasten your seatbelt and open your Bible for this sweeping panorama of Scripture that will increase your faith in God's plan for the world-and for you.

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2 Chronicles 1-36 - The Bible from 30,000 Feet - Skip Heitzig - Flight 2CHR1

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The Bible From 30,000 Feet: Soaring Through the Scripture From Genesis to Revelation.

All right. Turn in your bibles, please, to the book of Second Chronicles. We're at 30,000 feet. We're flying overhead rapidly. The intention is not to go in depth. The intention is to give us a broad overview of God's message in this book. We want you to know it. I believe the Holy Spirit wants us to know it. You know, I often get asked this question. What is your favorite book in the Bible, Skip? And my answer is, it depends on which week it is.

[LAUGHTER]

This week, Second Chronicles is my favorite book in the Bible. You know, I was reading through it this week, and it brought to memory the reality of so many great promises in this book, such great material. I remember, one time, a friend of mine saying it was his favorite book in the Bible of all of them. And I kind of found that odd that somebody would say the book of Second Chronicles in the Old Testament is a Christian's favorite book, until I read it. Then I understood the depth of it.

So unfortunately, we are just flying overhead, so we're going to get just some of the highlights. We'll make those known to you and point them out to you. We don't know who wrote this book. Like First Chronicles, we believe it is Ezra the Priest. And the more I read first and Second Chronicles, the more convinced I am that Ezra, the author of the Book of Ezra, wrote this book as well.

Why do I say that? Once again, because of the emphasis that is in Second Chronicles and First Chronicles seems to be the perspective of a priest. And the language scholars have discovered between the Book of Ezra and the Book of Chronicles is very similar. And the last part of Second Chronicles is repeated in the Book of Ezra. So I think I would agree, on this point, that, like the Talmud that says, Ezra wrote this, that was passed on in Jewish tradition, I would agree with that. I think Ezra wrote the book, though I can't be certain.

Here's another reason why I think Ezra wrote it. The book opens up with the plans to build a temple. The book closes with the destruction of the temple. It seems that the temple is central throughout the entire book. That is something a priest would focus on because a priest's duty in those days took place in the temple.

Just another note. There is an overlap of material between Second Chronicles and First and Second Kings, but it's different, in that it seems to be more spiritually focused. It's not just information that is given like I feel First and Second Kings is. It's not informational. It's more inspirational. Seems to be more of a spiritual not only narrative and commentary, but an editorial on Israel's history. I think you'll see some of those verses as we go through it.

Let me give you the theme of this book. The theme of Second Chronicles is from quality to captivity, from excellence to exile. They are living, at first, throughout this book, a quality life. Israel is at its peak. It's like post-war America, post World War II America. The people are prospering, the land is expanding, everybody's happy, the kingship is strong. But they go from a place of quality, and it ends at a place of captivity-- so from excellence to exile, from quality to captivity.

I believe-- here's the spiritual application. I believe God wants you to live a quality life. Jesus said, I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. He didn't say, I've come that you might have abundant bummer. The Christian life is to be a quality life. That doesn't mean you'll always be prosperous financially, but I think the Lord wants you to have joy. He wants you to have a quality of life experience that other people don't have that make unbelievers want what you have by their observation of your life.

But we too can go from quality to captivity. We too can go from excellence in Christ to exile. We can be trapped. We can become in bondage to a number of things, and that is not what God wants for your life. But we take the lesson from the children of Israel who followed that road.

Let me throw out some interesting characteristics about the book of Second Chronicles-- notable features. First of all, if you are reading a Hebrew Bible, this is their Book of Revelation. This is their last book in their Bible. Second Chronicles ends their book. That's notable feature number one. Notable feature number two, Second Chronicles records the largest army ever assembled in the Bible, one million men. That's found in Second Chronicles Chapter 14.

Third notable characteristic, the youngest king to ever sit on the throne is mentioned in Second Chronicles, a guy by the name of Joash-- seven years old. How would you like him running your country? A seven-year-old King, Joash. Fourth notable feature, the conversion of Judah's most wicked King ever by the name of King Manasseh.

He'd far outstripped any of the other kings who did evil on the side of the Lord. And yet, miraculously, in the 33rd chapter, he humbles his heart, and God converts him and works some pretty incredible stuff. Now, let me give you that outline. You could divide Second Chronicles up into three sections, all with the letter D.

First of all, the distinction of Solomon's kingship. The first nine chapters are all about Solomon, Solomon, Solomon-- why he was awesome, how he led the people, how he planned for the temple, how he assembled people to build the temple, how he got the materials. It's all about the distinction of Solomon's kingship.

The second part of the book, chapters 10, 11, and 12, is the division of the singular kingdom. When I say singular kingdom, I mean the united monarchy. I mean Israel and Judah both combined, Saul, David, and Solomon all reigned over that united kingdom. But there comes a division that is only mentioned in this book. It is not detailed like it was in the Book of First and Second King.

So the distinction of Solomon's kingship, followed by the division of the singular kingdom, and then the third Division, chapters 13 through 36, the decline of the southern kingdom. Now, you're going to hear me tonight mention this, that Second Chronicles primarily focuses on the southern kingdom. It will mention the north, but only as it relates to the south. So you remember-- we've gone through this-- the kingdom was split. We're going to see this again.

The kingdom was split north and south, Israel in the north, 10 tribes, two tribes called Judah down south. This book focuses mostly on that kingdom of Judah. So let's begin in chapter one, verse one, with the distinction of Solomon's kingship. Now, you saw in this little skit we had, so now you know. How many years did Solomon rule on the throne?

40 years.

40 years. And so he reigned from 971 BC to 931 BC. Those 40 years, he was the King over the united monarchy. Solomon's reign was a golden age. It was an age of peace. They were not hassled by enemies because the kingdom was strong. It was an age of prosperity. The kingdom was united. The borders were extended. Like I said, it was much like our country post World War II, when the promise was a car in every garage, a washer and dryer in every home. People were living the good life in Judah and in Israel.

In chapter one, verse one, notice it says Solomon, the son of David, was strengthened in his kingdom and the Lord, his God, was with him and exalted him exceedingly. In Psalm 75, it reads thus. Promotion does not come from the east nor from the west. Promotion comes from the Lord. I know what you're thinking. No, promotion comes from my boss.

[LAUGHTER]

I hope he likes me, or she likes me. My boss needs to give me a raise. In reality, it comes from the Lord. You want a raise? Pray for your boss. Serve your boss wholeheartedly. Do your job, and then trust in the Lord. The Lord raised Solomon to this position, the author says. Look at verse three. Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon.

Gibeon is a higher elevated place about six miles away from Jerusalem. And notice what it says. For the Tabernacle of meeting with God was there, not a Jerusalem-- it's in Gibeon, six miles away-- which Moses, the servant of the Lord, had made in the wilderness. But David had brought up the Ark of God from Kiriath-Jearim to the place David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

Now, we won't read this again, but this is where the Lord appears to Solomon the first time. He appeared to him a couple of times. The first time, God came to him and said, Solomon, I'm giving you a blank check. You fill in the amount, I'll sign it. What do you want? Ask anything. And it's interesting that Solomon said, oh, Lord, what I really need is wisdom and knowledge to know how to go in and come out before this people, for it is a great people. They're your people. I don't have the experience and leadership. So, Lord, give me wisdom and give me knowledge.

So the Lord came back, and he said, tell you what, I'm going to do you a solid. I'm going to do you one better. I'm not going to fill that in on the blank check. I'm going to fill that in, but also, I'm going to add to it prosperity. I'm going to bless you in a very unique way so that you will be not only wise-- wiser than anyone who's come before you or after you-- but I'm also going to give you prosperity. I'm also going to bless you financially because you didn't ask for it.

You know, sometimes you think, well, you don't have a cause you didn't ask for it, and the Bible says, you have not because you asked not. But in this case, he didn't want that, so God gave it to him. I think the Lord knows who he can trust with finances. Why don't I have more money? Well, maybe you wouldn't be good-- maybe it would ruin you. Maybe it'd be the worst thing for you. The Lord knows what you can handle.

And if your heart is so set on it-- and the Bible says, in the New Testament, that shouldn't be the case because it could be your undoing. It's a root of all kinds of evil. The Bible says, don't seek after riches. So Solomon, interestingly, asks for wisdom and knowledge, and the Lord added to him riches and wealth.

Now, let's give you a snapshot of how successful Solomon was and what life was like in Jerusalem. Look at verse 15. Also, the King made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones. If you know the landscape of Jerusalem, this is quite a statement because there are stones everywhere. If you've gone on a tour to Israel-- anybody? If you looked around, there are stones everywhere. You get the idea when Jesus said, if these hold their peace, even the stones will cry out. It'd be a loud concert. It'd be a rock concert because they're everywhere.

[LAUGHTER]

The King made silver and gold is common and Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as the sycamores, which are in the low land. I'll show you why in a moment the Sycamores-- excuse me-- the cedars became so abundant. At this point, the Tabernacle is in Gibeon. The Tabernacle meaning that cloth structure that enclosed the Ark of the Covenant, at one time, was in Gibeon. It was not in Jerusalem.

The Ark was in Jerusalem because David had brought it up and built kind of his own little private tent for it in the City of David, the lower escarpment-- the lower raised section of the ancient city of Jerusalem. That's where the Ark was, but there was no central place of worship. David wanted to build a temple. God wouldn't let him. Solomon now undertakes that task. So chapters two, three, and four, Solomon builds a temple.

Now here's the deal. Let's say right now we were over in Jerusalem, and you and I were standing on the Mount of Olives. If we were, I would point across the valley-- the Kidron Valley-- and I would show you the area where the temple once stood. And I would say to you, look, I know you see a mosque on there now, but, really, years ago, there was a temple. And that was the Temple of King Herod.

And I can even show you where we think the foundation stones were, and I can even show you some of the stones of that temple. But when it comes to Solomon's temple, we can only guess that it was in that same place. But I really can't show you any remnants of Solomon's temple, and here's why.

The Babylonians so utterly destroyed the temple of God, so scored and scorched the area that people, after that, didn't even know where that temple stood, exactly. Now, I could even show you some of the fire markings, the ash that is still on the walls of some of the homes when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC. That evidence is there, but where the foundation stones are of Solomon's temple, it was so utterly obliterated by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, we just don't know.

But here, Solomon builds the temple. And it says in chapter two, verse one, Solomon determined to build a temple for the name of the Lord and a royal house for himself. So what does he do? He sends a note up to his dad's buddy up in Lebanon, like you saw in that little skit before, a guy by the name of Hiram, the King of Tyre-- where all the cedars of Lebanon grow in the mountains behind him-- and asked for building materials-- cedars of Lebanon-- asked for workers to come down, asked for architects and artists to help them out-- a good group.

Verse five, and the temple, which I build, Solomon said, will be great. For our God is greater than all gods. Now, keep in mind that the first 10 chapters are all about the-- I just said it-- temple. So that's noteworthy. There's only about two chapters in the Bible devoted to God creating the heavens and the earth. 10 chapters of this book alone are about building the temple. So it's a temple-centered book. Why is that? Because it was to be the center of their life. Worship was to be the center of their life. Worship is to be the center of our life.

You say, so do we go to the temple? You don't need to go to the temple. First of all, there is no temple in Jerusalem, and it's a long way away. Say, well, the temple these days is going to church. Yes and no. You are the temple. You are the place of worship. Worship should take place inside of you as a regular, daily, ongoing activity. You're the temple of the Holy Spirit, that is, your body is to be worship central. You can praise God day or night, anytime. Paul even said, pray without ceasing. So it's a very temple-centered book.

The first nine chapters are devoted to the construction, gathering supplies, gathering workers. Chapters 10 through 36 omit the northern kings as I mentioned. Only a couple of them are mentioned, but only as they have ties to the temple. So it's a very temple-centered book. Also, there will be prominence given to the Kings of Judah who helped rebuild, and restore, and repair the temple.

And number four, the book closes with a proclamation of King Cyrus, who helped bring captivity to the people of Israel, and then-- well, it was King Cyrus who took over the Babylonians, who had taken them captive. King Cyrus announces that the Jews can go back to rebuild their temple under Ezra and Nehemiah. So all of those factors lead to that general idea that it's a very temple-centered book. Also there's a word used a lot in this book. 150 times the word "house" is used, and it doesn't mean home. It means the house of the Lord-- the house. Not a house, the house-- the temple.

Chapter three, verse one, now Solomon began to build a house of the Lord of Jerusalem on Mount Mariah, where the Lord had appeared to his father, David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. You saw his other name, his alternate spelled name in that little skit we did, Araunah. Araunah is also Ornan. I like Ornan better. It's easier to say.

And he began, verse two, to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. Solomon was interesting in how he constructed the temple. He basically took the dimensions of the Tabernacle and doubled them. So instead of 45 feet deep for the holy place in Holy of Holies, he made it 90 feet deep. Instead of 15 feet wide, like in the holy place in Holy of Holies, he made it 30 feet wide. And he made it 45 feet tall, the temple. So he doubled it.

But then, when it came to the articles, if you remember back in the Tabernacle, there was a place for the priests who were doing sacrifice to wash their hands, wash themselves, do an oblation. And that was called the laver. Remember that? The laver was sort of a little brass basin. By the time Solomon builds the laver, he calls it a sea-- S-E-A. It's huge. So it goes from a little laver in the Tabernacle to this enormous basin that is seven feet high, 15 feet in diameter, 45 feet in circumference. Holds an enormous amount of water, so it's called a sea.

And I'm bringing that up because, by the time we get to the Book of Revelation, and we see John and Heaven, he sees a sea, but not a fluid sea for a cleansing, but a sea of glass. And God's people are standing on the sea. Why are they standing on the sea? Because the need for cleansing is over. They're standing on the finished work of Jesus Christ, who cleansed us from our sin. The sea where a cleansing was done is done. Now it's solid, man. You've got a foundation underneath you. But in Solomon's day, he makes the sea, flanked by 12 oxen-- three facing one direction, three facing the other, 12 altogether.

Chapter five, verse one. So all the work that Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished, and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated-- the silver, the gold, all the furnishings-- and he put them in the treasuries of the house of God. Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, in Jerusalem that they might bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord up from the City of David, which is Zion.

So let's bring that central piece of furniture, that place where God dwells-- let's take it out of that tent and put it where it belongs in the temple, where people can come, and gather, and worship, and make sacrifices, and praise the Lord. It took Solomon seven and 1/2 years to build the temple. Once it was built, he dedicated it. He got the people together, had a prayer of dedication. Sacrifices were made.

And he decided to dedicate it in the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, which is our fall. He wanted it to coincide with the Feast of Tabernacles. So all the people of Israel gathered together for the dedication. Chapter five, verse 13. Indeed, came to pass, when the trumpeters and the singers were as one to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets, the symbols, the instruments of music. And they praised the Lord, saying, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.

Notice this, that the "house"-- there's that word. And then it says, the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud. What is that cloud? I hear answers. The Shekhinah Glory of God. The Shekhinah, as the Hebrews call it. That visible, tangible sign of the presence of God, it filled that place.

In chapter six, Solomon gets on a special platform made for the dedication-- it's a large one-- and he spreads his hands, and he prays. Chapter seven, verse one. When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. That's that Shekhinah, that cloud of the Shekhinah Glory.

So the glory of the Lord filled the temple. Now look at verse two. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the house. This happened before. Exodus, chapter 40, the dedication of the Tabernacle. The glory of the Lord came down. That cloud filled the Tabernacle. It happens again here with the temple.

And did you know it's going to happen again, and you're going to see it? Did you know that? You will see the cloud, the glory, the Shekhinah Glory-- this cloud-- fill the Millennial Temple, according to the Book of Ezekiel, chapter 43. So it's going to happen again. And if you're a believer in Christ, you'll be in that millennial 1,000 year reign with Christ on the Earth. So won't it be cool to see that happen at that time?

[APPLAUSE]

Now, I have to pause here and mention something. There has been, for a number of years, in certain Christian circles, an experience that people are told to expect or to desire called being Slain in the Spirit. Have you ever heard that term, being Slain in this Spirit? And what it is is people will come forward sometimes in these churches, and they'll have the preacher lay hands on them.

Sometimes the preacher will gently push them. Sometimes he will firmly push them because he wants them to fall over on the ground, and, on the ground, then blame that on the Holy Spirit. I'll push you down, but you're being slain in the spirit, brother. You can't control it. I've never really seen the value of this, though I have observed it. Some seem to think it is valuable. I absolutely see none at all, except the potential of a possible cranial fracture. [LAUGHTER]

So I don't see it as an advantage. When you press people who teach this or practice this for a scriptural basis they will want to point out this section of scripture. And they will quote from the King James version of the Bible, which renders that a little bit differently. Chapter five, verse 14 in the King James version says, the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud.

And so they interpret that as, well, they couldn't stand, so it must have meant they fell down. No. All it means is they couldn't stand it. They couldn't take it. They couldn't see, just like when you get a fog-- a fog rolls in-- they couldn't see clearly to do their duty, administer their priestly function. So they got out, not that they fell down. It didn't say that. They couldn't stand to minister, so they left. It does not mean they fell down.

So when you explain that to them, then they say, well, there's plenty of other scriptures that talk about this. And then they'll point to the Garden of Gethsemane when they tried to arrest Jesus, and Jesus said, I'm Jesus of Nazareth. Then they all fell backwards. Well, last time I checked, those weren't Christian believers. Those were Roman soldiers who wanted to do Jesus ill, not good. So that's an experience unbelievers had with the power of God, not believers. Then they'll say, well, Ananias and Sapphira. They were believers, and they fell. Yes, they did, but never to get back up. [LAUGHTER]

They weren't Slain in the Spirit. They were slain by the Spirit. God killed them. I don't want that experience. No, thank you. So anyway the temple is dedicated. A gal from Arabia, called the Queen of Sheba, hears the reports of Solomon, comes, interviews him, is so amazed by his wisdom.

She peppers him with question after question-- and I'm free rendering it here-- she says, wow, you're awesome. In fact, you're so awesome, the half has not been told me about your wisdom. What they told me, you've exceeded it twice. So she goes back. And long and short of it is Solomon dies. So that's the first nine chapters.

Now we got that out of the way. You still with me? Section one is out of the way. We now go into section number two, and this is the division-- the division of that united monarchy, the division of the single kingdom, chapters 10, 11, and 12. So if you think about it, Israel did rise to a high level of prosperity, a golden age of peace and expansion, but it was very short-lived. It only lasted 40 years. After Solomon's death, it quickly deteriorates, and the kingdom divides. And here's what happens.

Solomon's son becomes King. His name is Rehoboam. When Rehoboam becomes King, some people see that as an opportunity. There's a power vacuum. Solomon, this very, very strong King, is now gone. Let's go in there, and let's try to get some political reform going. So a group of people led by a guy named Jeroboam-- no relationship. Their names just happened to sound a little similar. Weird name.

Jeroboam goes to Rehoboam and says, Rehoboam, buddy, your dad was pretty steep in how he taxed us and forcing us to labor for this temple that he built. If you would just relax some of that forced labor and if you would relax some of the taxation, cut taxes, man, we'll be great citizens. We'll follow you.

Well, Rehoboam, being young and inexperienced, didn't know what to do. So he consulted older men, who said, they're right. Relax the taxes. Relax the labor force. But he went to the young bucks his age, inexperience but cocky. They thought they-- look there's a new generation. You old folks don't know anything. Let us have at it for a while.

So the new politicians said, hey, you go back and tell Jeroboam, you think my dad was tough? Dad's going to seem like a wimp compared to what I'm going to do. In fact, tell him this. My little finger will be thicker than my dad's waist. He scourged you with whips. I'm going to beat you with scorpions. Tell him that.

So Rehoboam comes and goes, I'll tell you what we're going to do. I'm not going to relax the labor force. I'm going to raise the taxes, and you're going to work harder. So Jeroboam said, fair enough. We're out of here. And he took 10 tribes and rebelled against that united monarchy, split the kingdom. So now you have Israel up north 10 tribes under Jeroboam, and Judah, only two tribes, but with the temple in Jerusalem. So now the kingdom is split.

There is a lesson I don't want you to miss. It's a mistake if we think we can force someone to be loyal. Loyalty is never forced. If you force someone to be loyal, they won't be. A friend of mine, Josh McDowell, puts it this way. Rules without relationship equals rebellion. That's true in a family. That's true in a nation. Rules without a relationship equals rebellion. So they rebelled, and the kingdom split.

Chapter 12, verse one. It came to pass, when Rehoboam establish the kingdom and had strengthen himself, that he forsook the law of the Lord and all Israel along with him. And it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that, Shishak, the King of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem because they had transgressed against the Lord. So get the picture. Rehoboam, Solomon's son, had three great years of reign. In the fourth year, he rebelled. In the fifth year, God judged him.

How did God judge him? By sending a foreign power to attack him. Rehoboam forsook the Lord. He suffers the invasion of Egypt as a result. But here's the love of God. God loved him so much, he didn't fold his arms and go, forget that guy, I'm just going to let him go by the wayside and judge the nation. He sends a messenger to him. He raises up a special prophet to speak to him, to maybe at this very last, grab his heart and he'll repent.

Look at verse five. Then Shemaiah the Prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, thus says the Lord. You have forsaken me, and, therefore, I also have left you in the hand of Shishak. So the leaders of Israel and the King humbled themselves-- right move-- and said, the Lord is righteous.

Verse seven. Now, when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah saying, they have humble themselves, therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance. Not total deliverance, some deliverance. He's still going to judge all of the years that they have sown. A man will reap what he sows, but there's going to be a reprieve. There will be a final judgment with the Babylonians, but I'm going to give some relief-- some deliverance.

My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. That's the fine print. I'm giving you some deliverance. Shishak won't get you. Now, Nebuchadnezzar, on the other hand, will get you, but that's further on down the road. What made the difference? Humility.

Do you know Micah 6:8, he has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Humility. The Bible says God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. And sometimes people think, well, humility is thinking poorly of oneself. No. That's not humility. That's a disease.

[LAUGHTER]

Humility isn't thinking meanly, or poorly, or self-deprecation. It's not thinking badly of yourself. It's not thinking of yourself at all. You don't come in the picture. It's not about you. It's about others. How do you get humility? It's a combination between being God-aware and being self-aware. Now, follow me closely. A lot of people talk about being self-aware. The problem is they're not God-aware. Once you're God-aware, you become self-aware. Once you realize who God is, now you know who you are.

When Jesus discovered who Jesus was, that he was the Son of God-- when he stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee, remember what Peter said? Depart from me, Lord, I am a sinful man. In seeing Jesus, he saw himself. Isaiah the Prophet said, in the year the King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and lifted up, seated on the throne. And the train of his robe filled the temple. The Seraphim called back and forth, holy holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. Then I said, woe is me. I am undone. I am a man of unclean lips. I dwell amongst a generation of unclean lips.

In seeing the Lord, Isaiah saw himself. He saw God lifted up. He saw himself, who he really was. Now, you can always tell if a person knows the Lord. They're humble. A prideful person doesn't know much of God. Once you're God-aware, you become self-aware. And when you have those two things, it produces humility. Another way of putting it is, the fear of the Lord-- a healthy fear of the Lord, a reverence for him, and an actual fear of hurting him. The fear of the Lord.

There's a great story about Alex Haley. He was the author of a book very famous book, that became a very famous movie, called Roots. Before it was a movie-- a motion picture-- it was a book. And in Alex Haley's office, he used to hang a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post. And the caption on this picture said, if you see a turtle on a fence post, you know it had some help.

[LAUGHTER]

So he has that on his wall because he said, when I'm tempted to think I'm pretty awesome, and I've done a lot, and I have so many accolades and so much accomplishment as this producer, director, writer, I look at that picture and realize I got here only because I've been helped by a great number of people. So the king humbled himself, and God turned Shishak back.

Now the last section, section number three, to close off the book, chapters 13 through 36. We'll march through this quickly. It's the decline of the southern kingdom. Remember, the whole book primarily deals with the kingdom of Judah, the southern kingdom. Now we watch its decline. We've seen it at its peak under Solomon, now its decline. There's Solomon. There's Rehoboam. There's a total of 19 more Judean kings after Rehoboam, from Abijah-- he's the first-- to Zedekiah-- he's the last, and then they go into captivity.

So these kings are both good and bad-- mostly bad. There's a few good ones. And the good ones reformed the nation, but they didn't transform the nation. And so the trajectory there on toward judgment was only forestalled. They didn't get off. They just delayed it. The downward spiral toward captivity is still on.

So first is Abijah. King Abijah, son of Rehoboam, fends off an attack by Jeroboam, the guy up north-- the King up north. Jeroboam attacks him. He pushes him back, even takes back some of the cities that were taken, expands the land a little bit. Chapter 13, verse 21. But Abijah-- that's son of Rehoboam, Solomon's grandson-- grew mighty, and then it says, married 14 wives-- like grandfather, like grandson-- and begot 22 sons and 16 daughters. So he's bound for trouble.

Chapter 14, verse one. So Abijah rested with his fathers. Good riddance. They buried him in the City of David. Then Asa, his son, reined in his place. In his days, the land was quiet for 10 years. Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord, his God. For he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars, and cut down the wooden images.

Chapter 14, 15, and 16 is all about the reign of King Asa, how he encouraged revival, how he destroyed altars. But here's what I want to get across. He didn't do enough. He didn't go all the way with the Lord, spiritually speaking. Oh, he tipped his hat here, tipped his hat there, encourage revival, but didn't really get revived himself and bring that on the nation. So there's a huge difference between reformation and transformation. God is all about transforming you completely.

Don't Lord, I give you my life 90%, but there's 10% that's just kind of like this cool area of my pet little sin. I'd like to cuddle that little sin and nurse that along for a while. Man, surrender all. Let the Lord transform you by the renewing of your mind, it says in Romans chapter 12.

Well, chapter 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 is about another King named Jehoshaphat. He was a really great guy. He continues the revival. And what I love about Jehoshaphat is he sends priests to go throughout the land to give Bible studies. Teach the scriptures. Teach the people the law. Don't let just the priest know it. Teach everybody the law.

Chapter 17, verse three. Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his father, David. He did not seek the Baals or the Ba'als. David, as you know is fiercely monotheistic. Verse four. But he sought the God of his father, walked in his commandments, not according to the Acts of Israel.

So that's a very telling description. He walked in the ways of the Lord, not according to the Acts of Israel. Very similar to Psalm 1. Remember Psalm 1? Blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord. In his law, he meditates day and night. That's Jehoshaphat.

Therefore, the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. All of Judah gave presence to Jehoshaphat. He had riches and honor in abundance. And his heart took delight in the ways of Yahweh-- of The Lord. Moreover, he removed the high places, the wooden images from Judah. Good stuff. Good reforms, but-- don't you always hate when I say "but?" A guy's doing good, but he married the wrong gal, he merged with the wrong allies, and he managed the wrong war.

Let me explain. He marries a daughter of King Ahab. Remember King Ahab and Jezebel up north? Really, really bad guy. Marries the daughter. She brings pagan worship down south. Then he makes an alliance with her dad, King Ahab, in a battle. But get this. Ahab says, hey, I'm fighting a battle. Would you help me? he goes, I'm in, man. I'm here. We're together. But Ahab talks Jehoshaphat into coming to battle with him while wearing his kingly robes.

You say, well, so what? Here's the so what. Ahab disguised himself not to look like a King. And so Jehoshaphat kind of goes out there-- really, it's idiotic-- looking like a King. So all of the enemies think, who's the King of Israel? The guy with the kingly robes. Kill him. So they chase Jehoshaphat down to kill him. So he was Ahab's ploy. Jehoshaphat calls on God, and God delivers him. He returns home, wants nothing more to do with Ahab, but he has more enemies who attack him.

So chapter 20, two enemies from the east-- present day Jordan-- Moab and Amman attack Jehoshaphat. How does he deal with it? I love this. Well, he learned in the last battle, when he dressed up like the King-- so he was an HVT, a high value target. He learned to call on God. So now he's being attacked. First thing he does is pray. First thing he does is pray.

Chapter 20, verse three. And Jehoshaphat feared-- he's afraid for his life. He feared and, because he was afraid, set himself to seek the Lord and proclaim to fast throughout all of Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord. And from all the cities of Judah, they came to seek the Lord. Basically, God says, don't even fight this battle, just watch. You don't even have to lift a finger, or shoot an arrow, or throw a spear. Just watch me work.

Verse 17. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves. I love this verse. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Wouldn't that be great? Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed. That's patience. Tomorrow, go out against them, for the Lord is with you. That's perspective. God's with you.

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all of Judah-- the inhabitants of Jerusalem-- bowed before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. That's praise. Those three elements working together. Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.

Go down to verse 21. When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord and who should praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army and were saying, praise the Lord, for his mercy endures forever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Amman, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. Very interesting battle strategy. What do we do? Send the worship team out first.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

Not the soldiers. Bring the singers. Let's fight this because it's a spiritual battle. He said stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. So let's trust the Lord and go forth singing, thanksgiving, trusting. Not fearing, trusting. That's how they marched forward. Gain the perspective of faith, march forward and praise, and thanksgiving.

When it comes to spiritual warfare, we need to understand our position. Satan attacks you, but the Bible says, you are in whom? You are in Christ Jesus. So when the arrows are coming, you are in Christ Jesus. So go into battle knowing that. Therefore, you can wait on the Lord for the victory. Yeah, you do what you can, but you start the singing, keep on praising, stand still, and watch what God can do. Oh, yes, you can do certain things, but you can't do half of what the Spirit of God can do. So God gave them the victory.

Quickly, I'll move. Chapter 21. Jehoram has an eight-year reign. He begins his reign by killing all his brothers so he won't have competition, so it's fair to say he was an evil king. Chapter 22. Yes, he was an evil king. Killed all his brothers. You get that? Murdered all his brothers, killed them all-- his brothers. So there's no competition. So was he a good or bad king?

Bad.

Good. Thank you. Chapter 22. Ahaziah reigned one year. He was a bad dude, and he was bad because he was influenced by his mother named Athaliah. Please remember the name "Athaliah." I did not have time to go through it. Sunday, I should have on bloodline. Remember, I talked about God's strategy and counter-strategy of Satan? Athaliah was an agent of the devil to destroy the royal line of David, and she managed to destroy every single person eligible for the throne of David except for one.

And he is mentioned in chapters 23 and 24. He's seven-year-old Joash. He is hidden because this mad woman is killing all the royal seed. So Joash is hidden. If she would have succeeded in killing him, there would be no messiah. The royal line would have been dismantled, destroyed utterly. It was down to one person away from utter distinction.

Chapter 25 is King Amaziah. Chapter 26 is a great king named Uzziah. He was a teenager, reign 52 years. That's why Isaiah 6 says, in the year the King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Very good king with the very good rain.

Chapter 26, verse one. Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was 16 years old, made him King instead of his father, Amaziah. Verse four. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father, Amaziah, had done. He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding and the visions of God. And as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.

Now, you read Zechariah, and you think of the prophet, Zechariah. Don't do that 34 men are called by the name Zechariah in the Old Testament. So this is not the Zechariah. It's one of the 33 others, OK? Chapter 27 or 28. King Jotham and Ahaz, forget about them. They were nutcases.

[LAUGHTER]

Chapter 29 through 32, great king, Hezekiah. He restored the temple. He restores worship. He destroys the idols. He destroys the high places. But while he does that, wouldn't you know it, the Assyrians come down. Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, sends his armies down to surround Jerusalem, and they threatened to destroy it.

Remember, they had already destroyed, in 722 BC, the 10 northern tribes. They've killed and conquered everybody, everything. They think they can take Judah. What does this King do? Gets Isaiah in. Isaiah prays for him. He spreads the letter of threat out. They bring it before the Lord in worship. Isaiah comes in, chapter 32, verse seven, says, be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid nor dismayed before the King of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him. For there are more with us than with him.

Good perspective. You're surrounded by enemies. It seems like there's more with them. There's more with us. Martin Luther said, with God, one is a majority. You know, why is it that Christians get all worried about demons? I'm being attacked by demons. So what?

[LAUGHTER]

What do you mean, so what? Only a third of the angels that fell became demons. There's 2/3 left. They are outnumbered by the good. Plus, God lives in you.

[APPLAUSE]

Say, Holy Spirit, sic'em.

[LAUGHTER]

Let God be your defense. Oh, yes, they want to hassle you. Oh, yes, they mess with your mind. Oh, yes, they oppress you. But don't let them gain ground. There is more with us than with them. Verse eight. With him is an arm of flesh. With us is the Lord, our God to help us and to fight our battles. And all the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah, the King of Judah. Probably have a lot more to say on this. Don't have the time.

Chapter 33, great chapter about a creepy dude named Manasseh, the worst king ever, ever, ever. And he gets converted. Well, when I say ever, he restores all the pagan worship. Like any administration can do in any country, they can sort of change everything that went before and make it all go bad again. They restore all the paganism back, eradicated all the good. Chapter 33, verse nine, Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.

The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen. But God has the ways of getting your attention, and he gets his attention. He has Judah surrounded. Manasseh gets captured, taken to Babylon in Babylon, he cries out to God. God listens to him, and brings him back, and restores him back as King-- a conversion story.

Chapter 34-- we're almost done with the book-- King Josiah. Great King. Really, the greatest, in my opinion, of all the rest of the Kings after Solomon-- Godliest of all. It's a key chapter. A dramatic revival happens under King Josiah. Verse one of chapter 34, Josiah was eight years old when he became King. He reigned 31 years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. At age 26, he repairs the temple.

Get this. While repairing the temple, they find an old book-- scroll-- of the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses-- the law. They bring it into the King. They read the law of God. The King is so convicted. He's never heard the Bible before. He rips his robes. The people hear the law. The people of Israel make a new, renewed covenant with God. And revival is on under a King Josiah. They celebrate the Passover. They hadn't celebrated it for years. 41,000 animals were sacrificed during that Passover.

Chapter 35, verse 18. There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel kept such a Passover as Josiah kept with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present-- inhabitants of Jerusalem. You can tell I'm moving fast.

[LAUGHTER]

Chapter 36 ends the book. Verse 15. The Lord God, their fathers, sent warnings to them by his messengers rising up early, sending them because he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people until there was no remedy.

Verse 19. Then they burned the house of God-- that's the temple-- broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire-- and I can show you burn marks from that event still in Jerusalem-- and destroyed all of its precious possessions. And those who escaped from the sword, he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons, until the rule of the kingdom of Persia to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate, she kept the Sabbath to fulfill 70 years.

Three deportations. Three attacks, three deportations of people. 605 BC, 597 BC, 586 BC. The very first deportation, a young man by the name of Daniel is taken to Babylon. God uses them there. The very last deportation, 586 BC, Jerusalem is destroyed, temple is destroyed. People are taken away. They don't come back for 70 years. When they do come back, it's under Ezra, the author, I believe, of this book and Nehemiah.

But the book ends. Just really quickly, look at verse 22. God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus. He stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to allow the Jews to return. So Ezra is giving hope. He's writing this to people in the captivity. Their temple has been destroyed, but he's letting them know-- I'm sorry, the people who were in captivity that came back. He's letting them know hope in God, hope for the future.

The book begins by the building of a temple. It ends with the destruction of the temple, but it really ends with the hope of return and restoration. That's how the book ends. Wish I could tell you more. Don't have time, except with this thought.

The temple prefigures Christ. The temple was built, but Jesus said, I say unto do you verily, one greater than the temple is in your midst. He was speaking of himself. Later on, he said, destroy this temple and in three days, I will raise it up. They thought he was speaking of the temple house in Jerusalem. He was speaking of the temple of his body.

I say it prefigures Christ because when you get to Heaven, and you stand on that glassy sea, eventually, you'll be in the Millennial kingdom. And then, eventually, you will be in the new Jerusalem, new Heaven, a new Earth. And it says, I saw no temple in i. For the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple. Right now, you're the temple of the Holy Spirit, but God and the lamb will be its temple.

Father, thank you for this very quick, but possibly comprehensive view of this incredible story in Second Chronicles. Thank you that we can learn from examples like Saul, and David, and Solomon, and Rehoboam, and Jeroboam, and Joash, and all the other kings, good and bad. We can learn what not to do, we can learn what to do.

And I pray, Lord, that until we get into Heaven, our new, and eternal, and final home, that we, as the temple of the Lord, the temple of God, would be worshipful, would be centered in worship that you would occupy the center of our life and that praise would go forth from us even during the battles, even during the times we feel surrounded and down, that you would strengthen us in the midst of it, knowing more are with us than with the enemy in Jesus's name. Amen.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

We hope you enjoyed this message from Skip Heitzig of Calvary Church. For more resources, visit calvarynm.church. Thank you for joining us for this teaching from The Bible From 30,000 Feet.

Additional Messages in this Series

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8/8/2018
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Flight GEN01
Genesis 1-11
Skip Heitzig
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Message Summary
We're going back to the beginning in this first flight. Written by Moses and inspired by God Himself, Genesis means origin. From the formation of all created things and the fall of man to the flood and the fallout of man's rebellion, Genesis 1-11 chronicles the beginning of everything. It all starts here.
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8/15/2018
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Flight GEN02
Genesis 12-50
Skip Heitzig
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This flight takes us through the biographical part of Genesis and God's response to man's rebellion. Four men are prominent in the formation of the nation of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Through this lineage, God would fulfill His promise of salvation for humanity.
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8/22/2018
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Flight EXO01
Exodus 1-18
Skip Heitzig
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The central event in this flight through Exodus is the redemption of God's people, the Israelites, from their bondage in Egypt. We fly over Egypt and the wilderness where Israel wandered for forty years. The plight of the Israelites, their disobedience, and God's deliverance all foreshadow Jesus Christ.
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9/5/2018
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Flight EXO02
Exodus 19-40
Skip Heitzig
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The Sinai Peninsula is the backdrop for this flight to Exodus, where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments along with detailed instructions for how He was to be worshiped. Miraculous signs of God's absolute power abound, along with the revelation from God that would define Israel's national identity.
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9/12/2018
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Flight LEV01
Leviticus 1-27
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Leviticus describes the worship life of the nation of Israel. We discover how the Israelites were instructed to make atonement for their sin through sacrifice. The overarching theme of this book can be summed up in one word: holiness. After centuries of captivity in Egypt, the Israelites needed a reminder of who God is, His absolute holiness, and how they were to live set apart for Him.
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10/10/2018
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Flight NUM01
Numbers 1-36
Skip Heitzig
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Numbers contains two censuses of the Hebrew people. The first is of the generation that left Egypt, including how they were organized, their journey in the wilderness, and their refusal to enter the Promised Land. Due to their disobedience, the first generation of Israelites failed to enter the land God had promised; however, God remained faithful by leading a new generation into the Promised Land.
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10/17/2018
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Flight DEU01
Deuteronomy 1-34
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After forty years of wandering, the Israelites were finally ready to enter the Promised Land. The book of Deuteronomy can be organized around three messages Moses gave while the Israelites waited to enter the land. With the key word of this book being covenant, Deuteronomy speaks of the special relationship God established with His people.
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10/24/2018
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Flight JOS01
Joshua 1-24
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In this flight over the book of Joshua, we get to know its namesake, who shared in all the events since Exodus and held the place of military commander under Moses' leadership. We'll also get a tour of the Promised Land and follow Israel's conquest of Canaan, after which Joshua divided the land among the twelve tribes.
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11/7/2018
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Flight JUD01
Judges 1-21
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The Israelites experienced a period of victorious conquests in Canaan after Joshua's death. But as their obedience to God's laws and their faith in God's promises diminished, Israel became entrenched in the sin cycle. God divinely appointed Judges to provide leadership and deliverance during this chaotic time. Sadly, God's people repeatedly did what was right in their own eyes.
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11/28/2018
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Flight RUT01
Ruth 1-4
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In this flight, we'll see the godly love and courage of two very different women from very different backgrounds. And we'll meet Boaz, who became Ruth's kinsman-redeemer, a type of Christ. Although the book of Ruth is short, it is prophetically important in terms of the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Ruth's story of romantic grace places love at the center of each of its four chapters.
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12/5/2018
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Flight 1SAM1
1 Samuel 1-31
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In this flight, we find the nation of Israel in desperate need of direction and leadership. We will meet the man whose good looks, physical stature, and success in war made him an obvious choice from a human perspective, but Israel's first king had a tragic flaw: pride. From the ashes of King Saul's calamitous reign, God raised up an unlikely man who would become Israel's next king, a man after His own heart.
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1/16/2019
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Flight 2SAM1
2 Samuel 1-24
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David went from shepherding livestock to serving as God's sovereign king in Israel. His faith and obedience assured him military and political victory as one by one he defeated Israel's enemies. In this flight, we both celebrate David's successes and identify with his failures as we get to know this man whom God called, "a man after My own heart."
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1/23/2019
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Flight 1KIN1
1 Kings 1-22
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After years of being a powerful unified nation under King David, Israel, because of their disobedience, became a divided nation under many different kings. This book reveals a story of good kings and bad kings, true prophets and false prophets, and faithfulness and disobedience to God.
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2/6/2019
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Flight 2KIN1
2 Kings 1-25
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Despite the many kings who took control of Israel, the nation still lacked true leadership. Second Kings continues the history of a divided Israel, and we see what happens when a nation passes from affluence and influence to poverty and paralysis.
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2/13/2019
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Flight 1CHR1
1 Chronicles 1-29
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The book of 1 Chronicles recounts the lineage of King David as well as God's promise that He would establish His reign on earth through this man after His own heart. As we see how God fulfilled His promises to David, we discover how that presents a witness of His faithfulness to us today.
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3/27/2019
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Flight EZR01
Ezra 1-10
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The book of Ezra begins with King Cyrus' decree for the children of Israel to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. Ezra tells of two different returns: the first led by Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple, and the second by Ezra to bring reformation to the people. In this flight, we see God's faithfulness in keeping His promise to return His people to their homeland.
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4/3/2019
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Flight NEH01
Nehemiah 1-13
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At the end of Ezra, the temple in Jerusalem had been rebuilt and dedicated, but the city walls were still in ruins. After gaining permission from the king of Persia, Nehemiah led a group to repair and rebuild the walls. Though he was met with hostility and conflict, we see how Nehemiah gathered his spiritual strength from God during trialing times.
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4/10/2019
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Flight EST01
Esther 1-10
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Esther reads almost like a fairy tale: A Jewish maiden becomes queen of Persia. The villain launches an attack to destroy the Jews. In the end, his plot is thwarted by the hero and the brave maiden, who risks her life to save her people. Though the name of God isn't mentioned once in this short book, we clearly see God's providence and faithfulness in dealing with His people.
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4/24/2019
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Flight JOB01
Job 1-42
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The book of Job opens in the throne room of heaven with a conversation between God and Satan regarding the faithfulness of a man named Job. God allowed Satan to test Job, and Satan caused Job to lose his health, wealth, and even his beloved family. But in the midst of Job's tragic circumstances, God revealed His sovereignty and faithfulness, and Job's steadfast faith prevailed.
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5/1/2019
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Flight PSA01
Psalms 1-150
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The book of Psalms is a collection of songs, prayers, and poetry that express the deepest of human emotions. These artistic masterpieces were compiled over a period of roughly 1,000 years from the time of Moses to the time of Ezra and the return from the Babylonian exile. As we fly over the Psalms, we'll see beautiful writings of gladness and grief, pleading and prayers, and reverence and worship—all with one overarching theme: a complete dependence on the love and power of God.
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5/8/2019
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Flight PRO01
Proverbs 1-31
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Known for the wisdom it contains, the book of Proverbs reveals how to deal with everyday situations. But more than just good advice, it is God's words of wisdom, which we need in order to live righteously. These proverbs are universal principles that apply to all people for all times, because they speak of the character of God and the nature of man—both of which remain constant.
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5/15/2019
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Flight ECC01
Ecclesiastes 1- 12
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The book of Ecclesiastes records King Solomon's intense search to find meaning and fulfillment in life. In this flight, we discover some significant truths—namely, that all worldly things are empty and that life's pursuits only lead to frustration. After tasting all that this world has to offer, Solomon ultimately concluded that life without God is meaningless.
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5/22/2019
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Flight SON01
Song of Solomon 1-8
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The Song of Solomon portrays a moving love story between King Solomon and a shepherdess. The story reveals the intimacy, love, and passion that a bridegroom and his bride share in a marriage relationship. Even more than the fulfillment found in the love between a husband and wife, we'll discover that the spiritual life finds its greatest joy in the love God has for His people and Christ has for His church.
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5/29/2019
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Flight ISA01
Isaiah 1-27
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The prophet Isaiah's ministry lasted around fifty years and spanned the reigns of four kings in Judah. His prophecies are quoted in the New Testament more often than any other prophet's. In this first flight over Isaiah, we focus on his prophecies of condemnation that pulled no punches and pointed out Israel's need for God.
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6/26/2019
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Flight ISA02
Isaiah 28-66
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Of all the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah is thought by many to be the greatest, in part because of his clear prophecies about the Messiah. In this second flight over his book, we see his continued work and how God used his prophecies of both condemnation and comfort to generate change in the individuals he encountered.
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7/3/2019
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Flight JER01
Jeremiah 1-20
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The book of Jeremiah is a series of oracles written in the southern kingdom of Judah over a period of fifty-plus years. It speaks of judgment, the promise of restoration, and the protective hand of God over those He loves. In this flight, we catch a glimpse of the man behind the prophecies as he allowed God to speak through him in unusual ways to open the eyes of the people of Israel.
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7/10/2019
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Flight JLA01
Jeremiah 21-52; Lamentations 1-5
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The prophet Jeremiah allowed God to speak through him in unusual ways to open the eyes of the people of Israel. As we complete our flight over his book, we find the prophet reinvigorated by God's promises as he continued to prophesy Babylon's impending invasions and, ultimately, Judah's captivity. Then our flight continues over the poetic book of Lamentations, which Jeremiah wrote as he wept and grieved over Jerusalem's destruction, ending the book with a prayer for Israel's restoration from captivity.
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7/17/2019
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Flight EZE01
Ezekiel 1-48
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Written by Ezekiel the priest, this book takes place during the second Babylonian captivity and documents the fulfillment of several prophecies from previous Old Testament books. In this flight, we see God continue to offer promises of restoration through Ezekiel, bringing the nation hope despite their tribulations.
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7/24/2019
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Flight DAN01
Daniel 1-8
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Chronologically, the book of Daniel links the time of the kings in 2 Chronicles to the restoration of Jerusalem in the book of Ezra. It begins with the first Babylonian captivity and ends with Daniel's vision of seventy weeks. In it, we witness both prophetic history and the four prophetic visions of Daniel, as well as powerful stories that reveal a faithful man of God who was unwilling to compromise his beliefs.
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7/31/2019
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Flight DAN02
Daniel 9-12
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Midway through the book of Daniel, the focus shifts from the historic to the prophetic. Daniel's four prophetic visions reveal the stunning accuracy of biblical prophecy, as well as Daniel's uncompromising faith in God's fulfillment. From the rise and fall of human kingdoms to the Messiah and the day of judgment, Daniel's visions drove him to his knees in fervent prayer for the people of Israel.
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8/7/2019
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Flight HOS01
Hosea 1-14
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Hosea prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam II, and he had a clear message to deliver: Israel had rejected God, so they would be sent into exile and become wanderers in other nations. On this flight, we see a clear parallel between Hosea's adulterous wife—whom God had instructed Hosea to marry—and Israel's unfaithfulness. But even as Hosea endured a rocky marriage, he continued to share God's plan that He would bring His people back to Himself.
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8/14/2019
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Flight JAO01
Joel 1-3; Amos 1-9; Obadiah
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Through three ordinary men—Joel, Amos, and Obadiah—God delivered extraordinary messages to His people, warning them against greed, injustice, false worship, and self-righteousness. On this flight, we witness God's patience and love for Israel, and we see how He stands ready to forgive and restore all who turn away from their sin.
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8/21/2019
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Flight JON01
Jonah 1-4
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Rather than focusing on prophecy, the book of Jonah narrates a prophet's story. Jonah was blatantly disobedient to God's call, but despite his defiance, God redirected his path through a unique situation. The resulting revival in Nineveh shows us that God's grace reaches beyond the boundaries of Israel to embrace all nations.
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8/28/2019
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Flight MNH01
Micah 1-7; Nahum 1-3; Habakkuk 1-3
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God used three prophets—Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk—to criticize, comfort, and inspire: Micah encouraged social justice and the authentic worship of God. Nahum prophesied against the Assyrians for returning to their evil practices. And though Habakkuk didn't address Israel directly, his message assured them that evil does not endure forever. Through these prophets, God's people confessed their sins and grew confident in His salvation.
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9/4/2019
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Flight ZHA01
Zephaniah 1-3; Haggai 1-2
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The prophet Zephaniah addressed the social injustice and moral decay of Judah and her neighbors, proclaiming the coming day of the Lord and His wrath upon the nations—both an immediate judgment and a future end-times judgment. God sent Haggai the prophet to preach to the restored community of Jews in Jerusalem after their return from exile in Babylonia. Haggai encouraged the nation to set aside their selfishness and finish rebuilding the temple, an act of obedience that would align their desire with God's desire.
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9/18/2019
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Flight ZMA01
Zechariah 1-14; Malachi 1-4
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As we fly over the last books of the Old Testament, we first look at the expanded message of rebuilding the temple when Zechariah encouraged Israel to anticipate their ultimate deliverance and the Messiah's future reign. One hundred years after the temple was rebuilt, the book of Malachi revealed that God's chosen people had once again slid back into their sinful practices. Malachi declared God's promise of a coming messenger, John the Baptist, and a coming Messiah.
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10/2/2019
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Flight INT01
Intertestamental Period
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In between the Old and New Testaments lies 400 years of history. During this intertestamental period, God chose not to speak to His people through prophets as He orchestrated people, politics, and events in preparation of the coming Messiah. Scholars have come to call these four centuries the silent years. Remarkably, the silence would be broken by a newborn baby's cry in Bethlehem.
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10/9/2019
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Flight MML01
Matthew 1-28; Mark 1-16; Luke 1-24
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These three Synoptic Gospels give us our first glimpses of Jesus' life and death here on earth. Matthew, Mark, and Luke present Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah, the Servant of the Lord, and the Son of Man, respectively. On this flight, we'll see the service, sermons, sacrifices, and sovereignty of Jesus as we witness the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies.
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10/16/2019
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Flight JOH01
John 1-21
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The spiritual depth of John sets it apart from the other Gospels, with one-third of its content dedicated to the last week of Jesus' life. Rather than focusing on what Jesus did, John focused on who Jesus is, presenting Him as God incarnate and highlighting His deity. On this flight, we'll see seven miraculous signs of Jesus, as well as seven statements that He used to identify Himself as God.
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10/23/2019
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Flight ACT01
Acts 1-28
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The book of Acts presents the history of a dynamic, growing community of believers that started in Jerusalem and went on to spread the gospel throughout the known world. In this book, the gospel writer Luke also recorded how the early church received the Holy Spirit, who enabled them to witness, love, and serve with boldness and courage, even when faced with persecution.
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10/30/2019
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Flight ROM01
Romans 1-16
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The book of Romans is the apostle Paul's letter to the church in Rome, and it focuses on God's plan of salvation for all humankind. Romans is the most systematic of Paul's letters, reading more like an elaborate theological essay rather than a letter. On this flight, we look at Paul's strong emphasis on Christian doctrine as well as his concern for Israel.
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11/13/2019
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Flight 1COR1
1 Corinthians 1-16
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In 1 Corinthians, Paul confronted the problems that had infiltrated the influential church at Corinth and defended his position as an apostle of Christ. He later rejoiced over their repentance and acceptance of his God-given authority. On this flight, we discover the power of a new life in Jesus as we see how Paul shared the heart of the gospel with his fellow believers.
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11/20/2019
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Flight 2COR1
2 Corinthians 1-13
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After Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, false teachers began spreading opposition to him in the Corinthian church. Paul sent Titus as his representative to deal with them, and most of the church repented. Paul wrote this epistle to express his joy at the turnaround and to appeal to them to accept his authority, which was confirmed by the many hardships he suffered for the gospel. On this flight, we find beautiful truths to carry with us through our own times of suffering.
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12/4/2019
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Flight GAL01
Galatians 1-6
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Galatians is a firm statement of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith. When Paul wrote this letter, the false doctrine of legalism and faith by works had infiltrated the church throughout Galatia. As a result, believers had traded their freedom in Christ for bondage to the old Jewish law that had been fulfilled by Jesus. On this flight, we discover the differences between law and grace as well as the practical application and results of the proper doctrine of grace.
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1/8/2020
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Flight EPH01
Ephesians 1-6
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Who are we in Christ? In Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus, he answered that very question as he addressed a group of believers who were ignorant of their spiritual wealth in Jesus. He explained how the Christian is the bride of Christ, a temple in the Lord, and a soldier for the gospel. On this flight, we see how Paul also emphasized unity among believers, describing the church as a body that works together for a common goal.
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1/15/2020
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Flight PHI01
Philippians 1-4
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Referred to as the epistle of joy, Philippians contains the message that joy is possible in all of life's circumstances, including suffering. Paul wrote this very personal letter while in prison, and despite his trials, he rejoiced over the caring and generous church in Philippi and encouraged them in unity, humility, and prayer.
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1/22/2020
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Flight COL01
Colossians 1-4
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On this flight, we see how the young church in Colossae became the target of a heretical attack that included angel worship, the depreciation of Christ, and reliance on human wisdom. In Paul's letter to this church, he refuted the heresy by exalting Christ as the very image of God, the preexistent sustainer of all things, the head of the church, and the first to be resurrected.
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2/12/2020
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Flight THE01
1 Thessalonians 1-5; 2 Thessalonians 1-3
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The apostle Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians in response to a report that some errors and misunderstandings about his teaching had crept into the church at Thessalonica. But Paul also used the opportunity to encourage the believers there, exhorting them in the Word, warning them against pagan immorality, and urging them to remain steadfast in God's truth in the face of persecution.
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6/10/2020
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Flight TIM01
1 Timothy 1-6; 2 Timothy 1-4
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These loving letters to Timothy, a young pastor in Ephesus, reveal Paul's true love for his brother in Christ. Timothy was facing a heavy burden of responsibility, so Paul not only instructed him about the conduct of the church and its ministers but also encouraged him to stand strong for the faith against false teachings, to endure hardship, and to preach the Word.
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6/17/2020
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Flight TPH01
Titus 1-3; Philemon
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Paul's brief letter to Titus focuses on Titus' role and responsibility in the organization and supervision of the churches in Crete. Throughout the letter, Paul also stressed the importance of sound doctrine and church order. In Philemon, on the other hand, the apostle took a more personal approach and spoke on the application of the great principles of Christian brotherhood to social life.
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6/24/2020
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Flight HEB01
Hebrews 1-13
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Although this well-written book's author is unknown, it reveals a man with a great desire to encourage Jewish believers to live in the grace of Jesus, especially since many of them were slipping back into the rites and rituals of Judaism to escape persecution. The letter centers on the person and work of Christ, inspiring believers through all the ages to pursue Jesus in every area of life.
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7/1/2020
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Flight JAM01
James 1-5
Skip Heitzig
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While it's vital for Christians to understand that salvation comes by faith, the book of James emphasizes an active faith, characterized by good deeds that flow from salvation. In this unmistakably Jewish epistle, the author encourages believers to live out and grow in their faith by embracing trials, carefully controlling their speech, and letting God's love flow through them to others.
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7/15/2020
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Flight PET01
1 Peter 1-5; 2 Peter 1-3
Skip Heitzig
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The apostle Peter wrote these letters to encourage persecuted Christians and to defend the authenticity of God's Word against false teaching that had infiltrated the church. He called on believers to grow in their faith so they might detect and combat the spreading apostasy. On this flight, we see how these letters uniquely encourage us as we live in conflict with our culture, giving us incentive for holy living as we look forward to Jesus' second coming.
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7/22/2020
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Flight 1JOH1
1 John 1-5
Skip Heitzig
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In this letter, John lived up to his nickname—the apostle of love—as he urged the church to continue living a life of faith in Christ. He defended the nature of Jesus against heretical teachings and warned his readers about those who taught such things. John not only addressed the preeminence of God's love for us but also emphasized our duty to love others in return. This flight shows you how God can transform your life when you follow Him wholeheartedly.
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7/29/2020
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Flight JJU01
2 John, 3 John; Jude
Skip Heitzig
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These three epistles were written to encourage the church to keep a strong biblical foundation. The authors exhorted believers to walk in love but to be discerning in their expression of love, to have and enjoy fellowship with other Christians, and to stay strong in the faith. On this flight, you'll discover why it's so vital to balance love and truth to reach a lost world with the gospel of Jesus.
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8/5/2020
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Flight REV01
Revelation 1-11
Skip Heitzig
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Considered to be one of the most powerful books in Scripture, Revelation is a direct vision from God to the apostle John. It's both a warning to the world of a coming tribulation and a source of hope for believers as we anticipate Jesus' return. The book is filled with prophecies of future judgment, but in it, we find a glimpse of heaven and the glories awaiting Jesus' bride, the church.
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8/12/2020
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Flight REV02
Revelation 12-22
Skip Heitzig
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In the second half of Revelation, we read some of the most thrilling text in the entire Bible, getting a preview of a future judgment, Jesus' thousand-year reign on earth, the eventual fate of unbelievers, and the church's eternal destination in the new heaven and earth. As we conclude our journey at 30,000 feet over the Scriptures, we discover how the history of the world culminates as we look to Jesus in all His splendid glory.
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8/19/2020
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Visit to the Cockpit Q&A with Pastor Skip
Skip Heitzig
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Our midweek series The Bible from 30,000 Feet came to a close with a final Visit to the Cockpit Q & A session. In the last message of our series, Pastor Skip answers questions from the congregation on topics throughout the Bible, from creation to the end times.
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There are 58 additional messages in this series.
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