Training the Teacher Part 9

Who were placed in the land of Israel to take the place of the deported captives?

What was the result of this mingling of races and religions?

Lesson 9

Abijam to Zedekiah

Old Testament Division--Fourth Period (Continued)

LEADING PERSONS

#Abijam.#--Son of Rehoboam. Reigned three years (1 Kings 15:1-8).

#Asa.#--Son of Abijam. Reigned forty-one years (1 Kings 15:9-24). Made some effort as a reformer.

#Jehoshaphat.#--Son of Asa. Brought Judah great success (2 Chron. 17:1 to 20:37).

#Jehoram.#--Did evil like unto Ahab (2 Chron. 21:6). Ahaziah followed (2 Chron. 22:4) and was succeeded by Queen Athaliah, worse than her predecessors (2 Chron. 22:10 to 23:15).

#Joash# was a very good ruler; he began his reign at seven years of age. Repaired the Temple (2 Chron. 24:1-27).

#Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham.#--Not remarkable in any way (2 Chron. 25:1 to 27:9).

#Ahaz.#--An evil king; caused his children to pa.s.s through the fire to idols (2 Chron. 28:3).

#Hezekiah# was the best king so far (2 Chron. 29:1 to 32:33).

Isaiah was influential and the Pa.s.sover was restored.

#Mana.s.seh# was the worst king in many ways, putting an idol in the Holy of Holies (2 Chron. 33:1-20; 2 Kings 21:1-18).

#Josiah# was a good ruler, beginning at eight years of age.

The Temple was repaired, the Law was read, and reform was established (2 Kings 22:1 to 23:30).

#Zedekiah.#--After Josiah's reign matters grew worse until under Zedekiah captivity came (2 Kings 25:1-21).

#Outside Nations# that played their part in this catastrophe were a.s.syria, Babylon, Syria, Egypt.

#TIME.#--966 B. C. to 588 B. C.

#PLACES.#--Judah, Jerusalem, Babylonia.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

#SIGNIFICANCE OF EVENTS.#--The influence of leadership is shown in a marked degree in the history of Judah; "like king, like people." It was many times demonstrated that one good man could turn the whole nation G.o.d-ward. At last, as in the case of Israel, Judah is given into captivity.

The Divided Kingdom. Judah, the Southern Kingdom

#75. The Kingdom of Judah# lasted one hundred and thirty years longer than that of Israel. This was largely owing to the greater loyalty of Judah to the law of G.o.d. Nevertheless even under the rule of Rehoboam, their first king, Judah showed an evil tendency to depart from the law of G.o.d (1 Kings 14:21-24). There is no record, however, that Rehoboam officially tried to influence the people toward idolatry, as did Jeroboam. Probably the very fact that the temple was in the capital of Judah held him and the people, in some measure at least, to the right manner of worship. Abijam, Rehoboam's son, followed in the footsteps of his father. But his son, Asa, was a much better man, and he made efforts at reform. Though he was not sufficiently radical in his work, he was a great improvement on his predecessors.

#76.# Under #Jehoshaphat# Judah reached the height of her power. "He walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto the Baalim" (2 Chron. 17 to 20:37. Also 1 Kings 22:41-50).

#77.# Once more, under #Joash#, Judah enjoyed a sovereign who had in him much of G.o.dliness. He repaired the temple and did much to restore the true worship of G.o.d.

#78.# After a period of varying vicissitudes we find Ahaz on the throne of Judah. He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and caused his son to pa.s.s through the fire, i. e., he sacrificed him to heathen idols. He introduced calf worship, and set up "high places," for false worship on every hill and under every green tree (2 Kings 16:1-4). Had it not been that his son Hezekiah was more G.o.dly than he, the doom of Judah might have been much hastened. During his reign Israel was carried captive.

#79.# Under #Hezekiah#, however, we see great reforms going on. He removed the high places, cut down the groves, and even brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made, for to it the people had been offering incense (2 Kings 18:1-8). He was the best of all the kings of Judah, and had his successors followed in his footsteps, there need have been no captivity of Judah to record. In his reign it was that G.o.d gave Judah signal deliverance from the hosts of Sennacherib.

#80.# Alas! that so G.o.dly a king should have been followed by so worthless a man as his son #Mana.s.seh#. He was perhaps the very worst of all the kings of Judah. Now we see the high places rebuilt, and idolatrous altars to Baal established. But more than this. He went farther than any before him, in that he took the Ark of the Covenant out of the Most Holy Place, and put there a graven image. So the record says that Mana.s.seh did more to seduce the people to sin than all the nations whom the Lord removed to make place for his people.

Truly a dreadful record for one who sat on the throne of David.

#81.# Once more the people have respite, however, for #Josiah#, Mana.s.seh's grandson, was a very different type. He was only eight years old when he began to reign, but he tried to do that which was right in the sight of G.o.d. The deserted temple was repaired, the law was discovered and studied, the Covenant was publicly renewed, the idol in the Most Holy Place was taken away, and burned with fire, and the high places were largely destroyed. Moreover, he broke down the altar at Bethel that Jeroboam had originally erected. He re-established the celebration of the feast of the Pa.s.sover, which had long been neglected. His efforts at reform were extended even to the dominions of the Northern Kingdom, though with no permanent effect (see for all this 2 Chron. 34, 35, and 2 Kings 22:1 to 23:28).

#82.# From the time of the death of Josiah, the downward tendency of Judah was steadfast. At last the end, long delayed through the mercy of G.o.d, came, and under Jehoiachin the overthrow was complete, and under his son Jehoiakim Judah was marched off in captivity to the land of Babylon. Thus sadly was fulfilled all that G.o.d had warned his people of, and the day of retribution came just as predicted.

#83. Other Nations.#--In all this sad drama of course outside nations played a prominent part. a.s.syria, Babylon, Syria, Egypt, all come into view. But none of them could have wrought the havoc that they did had it not been for the recreant part that Israel on the north and Judah on the south played. He who brought them all out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm could and would have delivered them from all their foes had they been loyal to him. All the blessings of Deuteronomy 28:1-14 might have been theirs had they only hearkened to the commandments of G.o.d by the mouth of his servant Moses. But as it was, all the dreadful curses of Deuteronomy 28:15-68 (be sure to read these pa.s.sages) came on them, and all on account of their idolatry and vileness.

#84. Isaiah and Jeremiah.#--Nor did the kings and people sin thus grievously because they had no prophets to warn them. Just as G.o.d sent Elijah, Elisha, Amos, and Hosea to warn and woo the Northern Kingdom, so he sent the great Isaiah and Jeremiah to warn the men of the Southern Kingdom. Plainer warnings, grander promises, better counsels than these prophets gave, have never been uttered by human lips. For about sixty years, beginning in the reign of Uzziah, Isaiah pleaded with the nation. He lived and prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, and all through these days he was faithful to his mission. Sometimes he was heeded, and sometimes he was scoffed at, but ever and always he was faithful. So too was Jeremiah, whom nothing could turn from the integrity of his course. For the most part mocked at, traduced and ridiculed by the leaders, these men were helpless, for the minds and hearts of rulers and people were set on mischief. But though hand joined in hand, evil was sure not to go unpunished, and so the end came.

#85. Captivity.#--What a contrast between Israel marching triumphantly into the land, and Israel (and later on, Judah) marching out of the land in chains and humiliation! Through faith they conquered Jericho, and through lack of faith they themselves were at last conquered, and taken off into a land of shame and sorrow.

Test Questions

How long did the Kingdom of Judah last?

How much longer did it last than the Kingdom of Israel?

What reason may we a.s.sign for this?

Under what king did Judah reach the maximum of her power?

Name the next king who ruled the nation in the fear of G.o.d.

How did Ahaz provoke the Lord to anger especially?

Who was probably the best of all the kings of Judah?

How did the son of Hezekiah act when he came to the throne?

What particularly evil deed did he do in connection with the temple?

Under what king did Judah enjoy great reforms?

How far did Josiah try to extend his reforms?