The Lord. of the Kings

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1 The Lord Autumn 2018 Book 1 of the Kings Home Bible Studies Evangelical Free Church of Green Valley Coordinated with messages by Pastor Steve LoVellette Lessons prepared by Dave McCracken

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3 Table of Contents Book 1 Date King Scripture Topic Page Oct. 7 Rehoboam 1 Kings 12:1-24 The King Acts Foolishly 1 Oct. 14 Asa 2 Chron The King Reforms 5 Oct. 21 Jehoshaphat 2 Chronicles 17 A Good Reign 9 Oct. 28 Jehoshaphat 2 Chronicles 18 Unwise Advice 13 Book 2 Nov. 4 Jehoshaphat 2 Chronicles 19 Reforms Instituted 1 Nov. 11 Jehoshaphat 2 Chronicles 20 Fervent & Effective Prayer 5 Nov. 18 Joash 2 Chronicles Worship is Restored 9 Nov. 25 Uzziah 2 Chronicles 26:1-22 Pride Precedes Fall 13 Book 3 Dec. 2 Hezekiah 2 Kings 18:1-19:7 Reliance upon God 1 Dec. 9 Hezekiah 2 Kings 20 Treasures Revealed 5 Dec. 16 Manassah 2 Chronicles 33 An Evil King Repents 9 iii

4 Introduction Governing, in the form of having dominion, is one of the tasks God gave human beings at the very beginning, and leadership, or governance issues take center stage in 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, and 1&2 Chronicles. How should the Israelites be governed, by whom, and for what purposes? When organizations are governed well, people thrive. When good governance is violated, everyone suffers. The fundamental theological position is that if the king is faithful to God, the nation thrives economically, socially and militarily. If the king is faithless, national catastrophe ensues. Kings are the focus, but they are not the only people we see at work in these books. First of all, the work of kings affects the work of many others, such as soldiers, builders, craftspeople, and priests. Pay attention to how the kings work affects these other workers. Secondly, kings themselves have work other than ruling, of which parenting is of particular interest. Finally, as histories of Israel, these books take an interest in the people as a whole, and in many cases this means recounting the work of people not connected to the work of kingship. These passages of Scripture show that the people of Yahweh are expected to keep the law of Yahweh, particularly the purity of the worship of Yahweh. There is blessing in so doing, and punishment for failure to keep His law. The king stands in the place of the nation. This is a story of kings and the nation the king rules. Let us learn from this history of kings! As Christians, we must live pure lives before our Lord. We must remove those things from our lives to which we give a higher place than the worship of God. Think about what our nation might be like if all Christians were wholeheartedly serving God instead of themselves. May we humble ourselves in repentance as we participate in this series of messages. iv

The Lord of the Kings Lesson 1, October 7, 2018 I Kings 12 1-24 The King Acts Foolishly So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

Now the king was dead. Enter Rehoboam. He seeks counsel from the elders the same people who had advised his father. So far so good.

The elders knew that Rehoboam was not the same man Solomon was, and couldn t expect the people to follow him like they did Solomon.

5 The Lord of the Kings Lesson 1, October 7, 2018 I Kings The King Acts Foolishly So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. 1 Kings 12:19 King Solomon died and his son Rehoboam was to take over the throne. Solomon had been a tough king but it would seem that while he was king the people under his rule shared his vision. Now the king was dead. Enter Rehoboam. He seeks counsel from the elders the same people who had advised his father. So far so good. Things were pretty tough at the time and the people of Israel were starting to lose the vision King Solomon had. The elders knew that Rehoboam was not the same man Solomon was, and couldn t expect the people to follow him like they did Solomon. Rehoboam had an opportunity to relate to the people based upon who he was, not on who his father was. It was a simple but sound formula. He should show kindness and a servant s heart to the people, and they d love and serve him forever. This was good advice. Even before the elders had given him the advice he was ready to reject it, because what does he do? He seeks a second opinion, not that there is anything wrong with a second opinion. So Rehoboam asks his mates. By turning to those likely to think just as he did, it shows that Rehoboam only asked for advice for the sake of appearances. What do the young men offer? The opposite advice to the elders. They suggested an adversarial approach, one that would make Rehoboam more feared than Solomon was. 1. Read 1 Kings 12:1. What ceremony was to be conducted? Where? Who was involved? 2. Why was this place important in the history of Israel? Read Gen. 12:6-7, 33:18-20, Joshua 24:1, 22-25, Read 1 Kings 12:2-5. Who returned from exile? What was the concern of the people? How did Rehoboam respond to the people s concern? 4. What had been communicated to Jeroboam by a prophet? Read 1 Kings 11: Did Jeroboam demand that the 10 tribes crown him as king or decide to let events take their course? What lesson might we learn from this? -1-

5. Read 1 Kings 12:6-11. Who did Rehoboam first consult with? What advice was he given? 6. Who did Rehoboam consult with next? What advice did they give? 7. Read 1 Kings 12:12-15.

It is interesting that God seems to know in advance what we are likely to do, even if it is wrong, and plans for that eventuality Read Proverbs 16:9, 19:21, 21:1, Psalm 37:23. (Discuss). 9.

6 5. Read 1 Kings 12:6-11. Who did Rehoboam first consult with? What advice was he given? 6. Who did Rehoboam consult with next? What advice did they give? 7. Read 1 Kings 12: Whose advice did the king follow? Did the king follow his own desires or the desires of the people? Who superintended Rehoboam s decision? 8. It is interesting that God seems to know in advance what we are likely to do, even if it is wrong, and plans for that eventuality Read Proverbs 16:9, 19:21, 21:1, Psalm 37:23. (Discuss). 9. Read 1 Kings 12: Is the king willing to listen to the grievances of the people? What did the people then decide to do? Does it appear that the rebellion is against only Rehoboam or also against the Davidic line? 10. Over whom did Rehoboam reign? 11. Who was sent to reason with the tribes of Israel? What did the people do to him? What did the king then do? 12. Who has been in continual rebellion against the house of David (at least until the time of this writing)? -2-

13. Read 1 Kings 12:20-24. Who was made king over all of Israel? What tribe continued to follow the house of David? 14. What did Rehoboam plan to do to regain Israel as his territory?

He had two golden calves made to be worshiped, setting one in Bethel and one in Dan. He appointed priests who were not of Levi, the priestly line.

7 13. Read 1 Kings 12: Who was made king over all of Israel? What tribe continued to follow the house of David? 14. What did Rehoboam plan to do to regain Israel as his territory? How did the Lord intervene? What was the conclusion of the matter? We see Benjamin joining with Judah rather than with all of Israel. In verses we see Jeroboam establishing the Northern Kingdom. He had two golden calves made to be worshiped, setting one in Bethel and one in Dan. He appointed priests who were not of Levi, the priestly line. He led the people of Israel into great sin against the Lord. Rehoboam was almost a hero. He stood at the threshold of greatness but chose poorly and destroyed everything his father and grandfather had built. Through his example we can perhaps learn to better follow the ways of Jesus. His father s wise advisors said that if he would serve them then they would serve him. But he couldn t serve anybody but himself. How dare they ask him to serve them? His friends had grown up with the power of the king s court and had power, privileges and excesses. They told Rehoboam to tell the people, Hey look, you are peasants. You are nobody. You lot in life is to serve those of us who have the culture and upbringing of power and privilege. Your job is to make our lives better. So don t complain and moan about it. Don t whine about it. But you already have and I will show you what it means to be treated badly. 15. Get off yourself. Albert Schweitzer said, Whatever you have received more than others in health, in talents, in ability, in success all this you must not take to yourself as a matter of course. In gratitude for good fortune, you must render some sacrifice of your own life for another life. In what way can we sacrifice for others? (Discuss) Rehoboam never connected with the people. He didn t listen to them. He certainly didn t care about them. He wasn t seeking advice as much as wanting people to tell him that what he was thinking was right. Learn from others. Learn from their mistakes. Learn from their advice. Jesus calls us to serve and love one another. -3-

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The King Reforms Lord of the Kings Lesson 2, October 14, 2018 2 Chronicles 14-16 The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him.

When he arrived at the airport, sure enough, a plane was there. He jumped in and yelled "take off"! The pilot did.

9 The King Reforms Lord of the Kings Lesson 2, October 14, Chronicles The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you. 2 Chronicles 15:2b NLT A newspaper photographer needed to get close pictures. His newspaper agreed to hire a plane for him at the local airport. When he arrived at the airport, sure enough, a plane was there. He jumped in and yelled "take off"! The pilot did. Once in the air, the photographer yelled to the pilot to make two or three low passes over the fire. The pilot asked "why?". He answered, Because I m a photographer! Photographers take pictures. I m going to take pictures of the fire!" The pilot replied with alarm, "You mean you re not the flight instructor?" Both men had made the wrong assumptions. The photographer had assumed that he was in the right plane. The pilot had assumed the man was his flight instructor. It is never good to make assumptions. King Asa, in our text, had been a godly king. However he made the mistake of assuming he could do things that seemed to displease God. How can you tell when you need revival? One person suggested that it becomes evident when it affects your hymn singing. Here are some examples: We sing "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing" and then use the one we have for gossiping. We sing "There Shall be Showers of Blessings" but do not come to church because it is raining. We sing "Blest Be The Tie That Binds" and let the least little offense sever it. We sing "Serve the Lord With Gladness" and then gripe about all we have to do. We sing "The Whole Wide World For Jesus" and never invite our next door neighbor. We sing "Cast Thy Burden on the Lord" and worry ourselves into nervous breakdowns. We sing "I Love to Tell the Story" but only mention Jesus name in exclamation of anger. Asa, the king in our lesson today, was a good king. We can learn from his service to the Lord and from his mistakes. 1. Read 2 Chronicles 14:1-7. As Asa assumed the throne, how long was the period of peace? Why? How did he deal with the pagan gods? The Asherah is considered to be a goddess or an image made to represent her. Asherah poles were used for pagan fertility rites, inherited from the Canaanites. Asherah poles were also associated with the worship of Baal. 2. What did he command the people to do? What did he do for the cities throughout Judah? -5-

3. Read 2 Chronicles 14:8-11. Describe Asa s army. When attacked, how did Asa respond? In whom did he place his trust? 4. Read 2 Chronicles 14:12-15. How was Asa s prayer answered?

How did Asa and the people respond to the message? 7. What was the covenant that they chose to follow? What was to happen to those who refused to follow the Lord wholeheartedly?

10 3. Read 2 Chronicles 14:8-11. Describe Asa s army. When attacked, how did Asa respond? In whom did he place his trust? 4. Read 2 Chronicles 14: How was Asa s prayer answered? What plunder was obtained? 5. Read 2 Chronicles 15:1-7. What was Azariah s message? 6. Read 2 Chronicles 15:8-19. People from what other tribes had moved to Judah? What did they sacrifice? How did Asa and the people respond to the message? 7. What was the covenant that they chose to follow? What was to happen to those who refused to follow the Lord wholeheartedly? What seemed to be the attitude of the people? 8. What happened to the queen mother? Why? What did Asa do with her object of worship? How was the temple refurnished? How did the Lord reward Asa? 9. Read 2 Chronicles 16:1-6. Who invaded Judah? Why? How did King Asa deal with the threat? How was the threat eliminated? 10. How were the stones brought in by Israel reused by Judah? -6-

11. Read 2 Chronicles 16:7-10. What message did the man of God bring to Asa? Why? 12.

message. What is it? 13. What did the man of God call Asa? What was the final message?

What disease appeared in Asa? How did Asa respond to the disease?

Although Asa was considered to be a good king, he failed to rely on the Lord at the end

11 11. Read 2 Chronicles 16:7-10. What message did the man of God bring to Asa? Why? 12. In verse 9a (Also read Proverbs 15:3, Jeremiah 16:17, and Job 31:4) we see a powerful message. What is it? 13. What did the man of God call Asa? What was the final message? How did Asa react to the man of God?... to his people? 14. Read 2 Chronicles 16: What disease appeared in Asa? How did Asa respond to the disease? How should he have responded? Although Asa was considered to be a good king, he failed to rely on the Lord at the end of his reign. 15. Read 1 Peter 1: What are the commands in these verses? How can we, not like King Asa, follow the Lord faithfully to the end? Also read Hebrews 12:

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The Lord of the Kings Lesson 3, October 21, 2018 2 Chronicles 17 A Good Reign The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father s early years and did not worship the images

that blanket it from all exposure to oxygen, thus preventing decay. Any number of mineral substances can gradually replace the living matter.

13 The Lord of the Kings Lesson 3, October 21, Chronicles 17 A Good Reign The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father s early years and did not worship the images of Baal. 2 Chronicles 17:3 For wood to become petrified it must first be buried by volcanic ash, mud flows, sediment from lakes or swamps, etc. that blanket it from all exposure to oxygen, thus preventing decay. Any number of mineral substances can gradually replace the living matter. For example, solutions of silica, dissolved in ground water, infiltrate the buried wood. The mineral is separated from the solution and deposited as a solid in the very cells of the wood. Nature adds the finishing touches with iron oxides staining the wood orange, rust, or yellow, and manganese oxides staining it blue, black or purple. The end result is a colorful tapestry of rock-like substance that looks just like the original wood, only even more beautiful! We have seen the same process occur in the history of Christianity. Time and again the Spirit of God has moved, bringing forth a vibrant movement of faith. But then, as time passes and one generation is replaced by another, the silica begins to infiltrate and fill the very cells of what was once a living organism. When the process is complete, the humble beginnings of the living church are replaced by great cathedrals. But for all the display and pageantry, one thing is missing--life! The living faith of one generation becomes the beautiful but petrified faith of another. Dr. Mitchell Dillon, founder of Illustration Exchange After the death of King Solomon, the nation was divided into two kingdoms. The Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Israel had 19 kings and every one of them was evil. Judah had 20 kings. Eight were good kings. Some were used to bring revival to the land. The revival kings included Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah. God used king Jehoshaphat as his revivalist. Though he was not a perfect man, but as we shall see, he was used to turn his people back to God. Chapter 17 sets the stage for a revival that took place in chapter 20. For four weeks we will examine the king God used to bring revival to the nation of Judah. As we examine this chapter we will discover the kind of person God may use to turn our nation back to the Lord. The name, Jehoshaphat, means God Judges. Jehoshaphat had a concern for teaching the Word of God to the people living throughout the land of Judah. This was not a time of revival but a period of reformation and preparation that led ultimately to the revival that is recorded in chapter What evidence do you see that America is in need of revival? What are the false gods? As we study 2 Chronicles 17, let s think about lessons that are applicable to us now. -9-

2. Read Ephesians 2:1-5. Describe what we were like before we came to the Lord. Who were we subject to? What was our nature? Was God pleased with us? 3. Read Ephesians 2:8-10. By whom are we saved?

A halfhearted man does not believe God will grant his prayer, and so fails to carry out his own part of the programme (sic).

It is we ourselves that must first be quickened. If you are not Christ-like in your behavior, you need not expect to be taken for an example by your godless neighbor. The New Sermons of Dwight L.

14 2. Read Ephesians 2:1-5. Describe what we were like before we came to the Lord. Who were we subject to? What was our nature? Was God pleased with us? 3. Read Ephesians 2:8-10. By whom are we saved? Can we take the credit? What are we now to do? People say, we must wait until God works, and when God is ready we will see a great work. God is always ready. A halfhearted man does not believe God will grant his prayer, and so fails to carry out his own part of the programme (sic). Let us believe that God will do a great work, and that practical belief will make us work as we ought to. Do we not need to cry that God will revive us? It is we ourselves that must first be quickened. If you are not Christ-like in your behavior, you need not expect to be taken for an example by your godless neighbor. The New Sermons of Dwight L. Moody.1880, Goodspeed, We need to be encouraged to make God the Lord of our lives and seek the blessings that come from obedience, just as we see Jehoshaphat doing in the 17th chapter of 2nd Chronicles. 4. Read 2 Chronicles 17:1-2. What did Jehoshaphat do when he became king? 5. Read 2 Chronicles 17:3-6. Why was the Lord with Jehoshaphat? What did he do that was different from the Northern Kingdom? How did the Lord reward Jehoshaphat? 6. What did the people of Judah bring to Jehoshaphat? What was the result? 7. What happened to the pagan images remaining at the end of Asa s term as king? To whom was Jehoshaphat committed? -10-

8. Read 2 Chronicles 17:7-9. Who was sent out? What were their qualifications? What were they to do? What was their text? 9. Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

What kept the surrounding kingdoms from declaring war on Judah? What was paid as tribute by the Philistines and Arabs? 11. Read Judges 5:1-3. We see here the song of Deborah.

How did he prepare Judah for possible conflict with any surrounding enemy? 13. Jehoshaphat chose to follow the Lord the best he knew how.

15 8. Read 2 Chronicles 17:7-9. Who was sent out? What were their qualifications? What were they to do? What was their text? 9. Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9. What was expected of Israel, and what is expected of us? What should be done to remember these expectations? 10. Read 2 Chronicles 17: What kept the surrounding kingdoms from declaring war on Judah? What was paid as tribute by the Philistines and Arabs? 11. Read Judges 5:1-3. We see here the song of Deborah. In what way is she expressing a joyfulness in serving the Lord? What does she see as the role of leaders and the people? 12. Read 2 Chronicles 17: In what way was Jehoshaphat blessed? How did he prepare Judah for possible conflict with any surrounding enemy? 13. Jehoshaphat chose to follow the Lord the best he knew how. In John 13:36-37 Peter wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus told him that he would be able to follow later. After the crucifixion Peter received the Holy Spirit. Between those times Peter had come to the end of himself and all his self-sufficiency. All our vows and resolutions end in denial because we have no power to carry them out. When we have come to the end of ourselves we are able to receive the Holy Spirit, who gives us the power to live the victorious life. Oswald Chambers, (1935, 1963) My Utmost for His Highest, Barbour and Co. p

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The Lord of the Kings Lesson 4, October 28, 2018 2 Chronicles 18 Unwise Advice Jehoshaphat was one of Judah s Greatest Kings. During his reign a great wave of reform swept the land.

He married his son into the family of Ahab, Israel s idol worshiping King, and husband of the notorious Jezebel. This was a marriage of political convenience.

17 The Lord of the Kings Lesson 4, October 28, Chronicles 18 Unwise Advice Jehoshaphat was one of Judah s Greatest Kings. During his reign a great wave of reform swept the land. He not only sought God himself, but sent the priests among the people to teach them the way of the Lord. But in this lesson we will see Jehoshaphat making two unwise decisions. He married his son into the family of Ahab, Israel s idol worshiping King, and husband of the notorious Jezebel. This was a marriage of political convenience. And he united with Ahab in fighting Israel s enemies, and almost lost his life. Be careful of your friendships! They can bring you down. Jehoshaphat was a good King who made a bad friendship. It cost him dearly. 1. Read 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 and 2 Corinthians 6: What is the advice of these verses? Are we willing to live by the teaching we find in them? What prevents us from obeying the advice? 2. But what has happened in America to the veil of Divine protection? Have we strayed too far from God? Have we allowed secularism and humanism to replace our need for God? Are we the Babylon of the day? Have we become infatuated with our technological strides, until our spiritual senses have become dead? Strange sicknesses and odd weather conditions have come upon us. Our leaders boast about our military might. We arrogantly speak of war as something we ve already won. Discuss this and consider the kind of country we should be. 3. Read 2 Chronicles 18:1-4. How is Jehoshaphat s life going? Who did his son marry? Who did he go to visit? How was he treated? 4. What did Ahab want of Jehoshaphat? Whose advice did Jehoshaphat want to seek? 5. Read 2 Chronicles 18:5-8. Who was summoned by King Ahab? What information did he request of them? How did they respond? -13-

6. What seemed to be the concern of King Jehoshaphat? Why did King Ahab hate Micalah? How was King Ahab reproved by King Jehoshaphat? For whom did King Ahab send? 7. Read 2 Chronicles 18:9-11.

What message did the messenger who went to get Micalah give to him? How did Micalah respond? 9. What was Micalah asked by King Ahab? How did Micalah respond (perhaps cynically)?

18 6. What seemed to be the concern of King Jehoshaphat? Why did King Ahab hate Micalah? How was King Ahab reproved by King Jehoshaphat? For whom did King Ahab send? 7. Read 2 Chronicles 18:9-11. Describe the setting. What did Zedekiah prophesy? Did any of the other prophets disagree? Who did they prophesy would give the victory? 8. Read 2 Chronicles 18: What message did the messenger who went to get Micalah give to him? How did Micalah respond? 9. What was Micalah asked by King Ahab? How did Micalah respond (perhaps cynically)? Did the king recognize Micalah was being cynical? What true prophecy was then communicated? 10. Read 2 Chronicles 18: Why was King Ahab upset with Micalah? What vision was communicated by Micalah? What accusation was made against Ahab s prophets? 11. What had the Lord determined for King Ahab? What did one of the leading prophets of King Ahab do to Micalah? What was said? 12. Read 2 Chronicles 18: What order was given by King Ahab to punish Micalah? How did the prophet of God respond? -14-

13. Read 2 Chronicles 18:28-29. Who led their armies into battle?

14. 15. Read 2 Chronicles 18:30-32. How did the enemy deal with King Jehoshaphat s royal robes?

Read 2 Chronicles 18:33-34. How was King Ahab wounded? What happened as the sun was setting? 16.

What advice in these verses did he not heed? 17. Think about our friendships. Can we be lead astray?

19 13. Read 2 Chronicles 18: Who led their armies into battle? How did King Ahab plan to save his own life? Did he seem to have the same concern for King Jehoshaphat? Read 2 Chronicles 18: How did the enemy deal with King Jehoshaphat s royal robes? To whom did King Jehoshaphat cry out? Why did the charioteers stop chasing him? Read 2 Chronicles 18: How was King Ahab wounded? What happened as the sun was setting? 16. Read Proverbs 11:5-10 and 12:26. How did Jehoshaphat s attempt to become friends with Ahab turn out? What advice in these verses did he not heed? 17. Think about our friendships. Can we be lead astray? What must we always be on guard against? Do non-christian friends have a concern for the things that concern us? When dealing with non-christians, who should do the influencing? -15-

Andrew Stepp 1 & 2 Chronicles

Andrew Stepp 1 & 2 Chronicles Mo Ranch Just a few rooms left! July 12-15 in Hunt, TX Basic Training in the Bible plans for this summer Review of Kings Transition from Former Prophets Context for Chronicles