Manasseh was Hezikiah’s son and was crowned king when he was just twelve years old. He was the first king of Judah to have no experience with the kingdom of Israel as they were wiped out and scattered by the Assyrians.
Manasseh chose the path of evil and rebuilt all of the places of worship to false gods that his father had destroyed, as well as altars to the false gods and poles. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…
Ahaz’s son, Hezekiah became king when he was 25 years of age. Hezekiah did what was right in the sight of God.
In the first month of the first year of his reign Hezekiah opens the doors of the temple for it to be repaired. He brings in the priests and the Levites and tells them to consecrate themselves and the temple and to remove all defilement. Then he says; CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…
Ahaz did not follow in the ways of his father and he chose to do what was evil in God’s sight. Ahaz followed in the ways of the kings of Israel and made idols for worshipping Baal. He sacrificed his own children by burning them in fire, practices taken from the nations God had driven out before the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense in many places. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…
Jotham became king when his father, Uzziah, was struck with leprosy. Jotham did what was right in the sight of the Lord as his father had done, but it is noted that he did not enter the temple, which is where his father had committed his sin by trying to offer burnt incense to God. It is a good thing for us to look at the lives of others and to be encouraged to follow God by their good actions and then to also learn from their mistakes.
Despite his godly leadership the people of Judah continued their corrupt practices, which was the worship of false gods. Perhaps this can be connected in part to the fact that their king did not enter the temple; the very place the one true God was to be worshiped. While we know that Jotham walked faithfully before God, perhaps it was a stumbling point to others that he did not eradicate the places of idolatrous worship nor appear at the temple, where God was to be worshiped. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
While it is recorded in the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1 that Jehoram is the father of Uzziah, there are actually three kings between these two characters, none of them mentioned in Matthew 1.
Uzziah was sixteen years old when the people appointed him king in place of his father, Amaziah. He was instructed by Zechariah (not the well known prophet by the same name) and we are told that;
“As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.” (2 Chronicles 26:5) CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…
Jehoram was given the kingdom by his father Jehoshaphat because he was the first born son. When Jehoshaphat died Jehoram killed all of his brothers and some of the officials of Israel. Jehoram followed in the wicked ways of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for his wife was Ahab’s daughter.
While Jehoram was king Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own kingdom. Libnah also rebelled because of Jehoram forsaking God. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…
Jehoshaphat was the son of Asa and the fourth king in the kingdom of Judah.
Jehoshaphat did four noteworthy things; he strengthened himself against Israel, he sought God and followed His commands with a devoted heart, he removed idols, and he sent out officials to teach the law of the Lord.
As a result the fear of the Lord fell on all the surrounding kingdoms, and they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat. In addition, the Philistines and Arabs brought him gifts of gold, silver, rams, and goats. Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful and wealthy. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Asa, son of Abijah, became the next king. He was passionate about keeping the worship of the one true God and about destroying the idols. He even demoted his grandmother from her position as queen mother because of her worship of idols.
“Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.” (1 Kings 15:14) CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…
Abijah was Rehoboam’s son and heir to the throne. Abijah wanted to reunite the two kingdoms and made a plea to king Jeroboam and his troops;
“People of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.” (2 Chronicles 13:12)
Abijah knew that those under the rule of Jeroboam were still worshiping the golden calf whereas his kingdom had submitted themselves to God, observing His requirements and asserting Him as their leader. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…
Rehoboam lived during a unique time for the Israelites; he was the last king to rule all of Israel and the first to rule just the tribe of Judah when the nation divided.
When Solomon was king he noticed a young man named Jeroboam and because of how well he worked Solomon put him in charge of the whole labor force of the tribes of Joseph. A prophet by the name of Ahijah told Jeroboam that God had said that the kingdom would be torn from Solomon’s hand and ten of the tribes would be Jeroboam’s to rule. Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam and he fled to Shishak, the king of Egypt, until Solomon died. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…
