We're going to begin in 2nd Chronicles chapter 24
Joash is taking over as king; the young boy who Athaliah killed all his brothers (the royal seed), and he was only seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. Joash did right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. He took two wives; and it came to his mind to repair the house of the Lord.
The reason why it said Joash did good in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoida's life is because Joash stopped doing right when Jehoida died. He even had Zechariah the prophet, the son of Jehoida, stoned for giving them warning from the God of Israel. Just that quick Joash forgot all that Jehoida did for him.
Because of this evil was brought on him; wars, disease, and his servants plotted and killed him in his bed and he died. He did not have the privilege of being buried with the kings before him.
2 Chronicles 25
Amaziah took over for Joash, and he was twenty and five (25) years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine (29) years in Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart. When he had the kingdom under control; he killed the men who killed his father.He went to war and hired the 10 tribes to come fight with him; but a man of God told him not to go up with them because God is not with them. So he sent them home and they went angry; but Amaziah won the battle against the children of Edom. However, when he took the spoil he took Mt. Seir's gods and brought it home to Jerusalem.
How do you go in and knock off another countries and hire their god to be with you? What happen to your god, especially if your god is Lord of lords. God asked him a good question through a prophet:
15Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand?
He was punished and later killed after he had to flee from Jerusalem because he turned his heart from the Lord. I sometimes wish that when I made a bad decision a man of God would come and correct me or counsel me. But I have the bible and the events from it to know better.
2 Chronicles 26
Then all Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. He was only 16 years of age when he began rule and reigned for 52 years. And he did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did; seeking God in the days of Zechariah (the prophet), who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.16But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
17And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:
I've been trying to tell you that the priest in those days were valiant men; strong and Uzziah got outside himself as his fame and prosperity rose and he went to do a job pertaining only to priest. Right there the Lord caused a leprosy to grow on his forehead and they threw him out of the house of the Lord being a leper. All I can think about is a song called, Stay in your Lane, we have to learn to do things pertaining to us that is good by God.
He had the leprosy all his days until he died.
2 Chronicles 27
And Jotham, Uzziah's son, took over being twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: however he knew better than to enter into the temple of the LORD.6So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God. As a child, if you take good notes on your parents and know about your God; you should be able to put one and two together to build a decent life to know what's good and what's evil.
2 Chronicles 28
Ahaz, Jotham's son took over and was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not do right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father: 2For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim.I guess he was impressed with all the troubles & drama the kings of Samaria were having. 6For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. Some people enjoy drama in their lives; they need TNT just to feel it was a good day. 120,000 in one day in Judah; all for forsaking the Lord and breaking His commandments.
I don't know why people today do not pay attention to the punishments handed out for breaking God's laws. 16At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. Ahaz is begging for help in all directions because he forsook the Lord. 19For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD.
2 Chronicles 29
Hezekiah began to reign in place of his wicked dad, Ahaz, when he was 25 years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. He began to repair the house of the Lord and open the doors of the Temple.Hezekiah made a lot of reforms; and had the temple cleansed by the priest who sanctified themselves and the made burnt offerings and sin offerings to reconcile with God who had deserted Judah for their great sin.
2 Chronicles 30
Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel. He invited all; even the wickend, evil-doers who serve Baalim or Baal.2For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month. He knew if you missed the passover in the first month because of uncleanness that you could take it in the second month. Judah could not keep it, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, and the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem in the second month.
21And the children of Israel that 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 with loud instruments unto the LORD.
22And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.
The Levites taught the people good knowledge of the Lord. That is what reading the Word is all about; learning knowledge of the Lord. And they kept the passover and feast of unleavened bread 7 days. Not since the days of Solomon had all Israel rejoiced in peace for a feast until the Lord.
2 Chronicles 31
Hezekiah commanded the people that lived in Jerusalem to give the due portions of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD. If they have no inheritance; how can they live when their job is to do the work of the Lord and minister to Him.
The people responded and brought a lot of increase into the house of the Lord and Hezekiah blessed the Lord. This chapter finishes by showing us what Hezekiah did all his days and why he was such a prosperous king in Judah; named along the great kings in Judah and in the world.
20And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God.
21And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
2 Chronicles 32
After Hezekiah began to have the kingdom established, Sennacherib, king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and determined to take the city. His loan purpose was to fight against JERUSALEM! So Hezekiah began to take defense making Assyria's entrance into the city difficult.We read this story in the kings in that all was going well for Sennacherib until he decided to talk against the Lord God of Israel. 14Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?
God may be listening to you...
21And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.
22Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side.
He died honorable and he reigned successfully; and his son took over in his place.
2 Chronicles 33
1Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:2But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
Manasseh came in with great wickedness on his heart. He did worst than the Canaanites before him. In all his evil ways, he made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to error before God, and to do worse than the nation, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.
The Lord tried to talk to him and to Judah; but no body had nothing to do with the Lord's prophets; but then and now. Take heed...
So the LORD brought the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. In his affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto the Lord: and the Lord heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.
Sometimes it takes a nice beat-down for us to realize we don't want anymore trouble. I bet he realized that the words of his father Hezekiah were good and he wasn't crazy in reforming Jerusalem. He is blessed the Lord had mercy on him to restore him the kingdom.
Manasseh restores good in Jerusalem before he died and his son Amon took over. Amon was only 22 years when he began reigning and only reigned two years.
22But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;
Refusing to humble himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; Amon trespassed more and more until finally his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.
2 Chronicles 34
Josiah was eighteen (the 8 is a typo) years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. He did right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.He was fully invested in rebuilding the temple and making sure the priest ordered it well. When they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses. As I mentioned in kings books prior, they had to be going off tradition not to have the law of the Lord with them all these generations.
When Josiah saw all the curses written; he humbled himself and feared the Lord his God and the Lord had mercy on his generation.
2 Chronicles 35
1Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.17And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.
18And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
19In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.
Josiah made sure to do all the Lord's will because the curses written by Moses would come on him; so he really walked in the faithfulness of the Law of God.
After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to war against Charchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him. Ambassadors were sent to him, saying, "What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not."
He told Josiah to leave and not get in the way of God; but he did not listen but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and the archers shot at king Josiah; and he was wounded badly and taken back to Jerusalem where he died. Judah liked him; he was a good king that unfortunately didn't listen and was getting in the way of the Lord.
That concludes our reading today; thank you and we will reconvene tomorrow on the Lord's Sabbath Day!
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