Journey Through the Bible Part 10 - 1&2 Kings; 1&2 Chronicles, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah (Minor Prophets; Major Prophets)

• The Era of the Judges is over and the Era of the Kings has begun (Because Israel rejected God as their King) - God chooses Saul who started well but became disobedient to God - God rejects Saul and chooses David who leads Israel into it’s most successful years - David’s son Solomon becomes King and continues to lead Israel as a Global Success - At his death, Solomon’s names his son Rehoboam as king 1 Kings 11:43, “And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.” - However, Jeroboam thought he should be king and turns Israel against Rehoboam - This Divides Israel into 2 Regions: - North Region called “Israel” led by ALL Evil Kings: - Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Ahab (Jezebel), Jehu, Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam II, Manahem, Shallum, Zechariah, Hoshea, Pekah, Pakahiah - South Region called “Judah” led by the line of David - some were Good some were Evil: - Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Jehoash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoiakim, Jehoahaz, Zedekiah, Jehoiachin * The Story of these Kings is told from 1 Kings 11 - 2 Kings 25 (the end of 2 Kings) * 1 Chronicles parallels the Story of 2 Samuel (The Reign of King David) * 2 Chronicles parallels the Story of 1&2 Kings (The Reign of King Solomon to Babylonian Captivity)

• In the midst of the Divided Kingdom with the majority of Israel and Judah turning their backs on God, God raises up 2 of the greatest Prophets in Israel’s history: Elijah and Elisha - God also continuously spoke to Israel and Judah through Prophets. All of the Minor and Major Prophetic books were written during the Divided Kingdom Era of the Kings (with the exception of 3 Minor Prophetic books): Hosea, Joel, Amos, Micah, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Lamentations, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah - God used these Prophets to: - Encourage Israel to Repent - Warn Israel of pending destruction if they don’t Repent - Tell Israel about pending Blessing if they do Repent! (Jeremiah 29!) - Prophecy of the coming Messiah! (Isaiah 9!)

- As the Relentless Disobedience of Israel continues throughout the 350 years of the Divided Kingdom Era, the Prophecies change: - Israel will be taken into Captivity by the Babylonians for 70 years - After the 70 years, Israel will Repent and be released to Rebuild as God’s Chosen Nation * Even with these Specific Prophecies, Israel did not Repent

• The Historic Timeline: - God raises up the Assyrian’s in the North to conquer Northern Israel - God raises up the Syrian’s to conquer Assyria and therefore Captive Northern Israel - God raises up Babylon to conquer Syria (with Captive Northern Israel) and Judah (Southern Israel) - 70 Years of Captivity: 2 Kings 25:1-21, “So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. 2 The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3 By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. 4 Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah, 5 but the Babylonian army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, 6 and he was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where sentence was pronounced on him. 7 They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. 8 On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 He set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. 10 The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon. 12 But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields. 13 The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon. 14 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.15 The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver. 16 The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed. 17 Each pillar was eighteen cubits high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was three cubits high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar. 18 The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. 19 Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of the conscripts who were found in the city. 20 Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21 There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.”

• After the 70 years of Captivity, God raised up the Persian’s to conquer Babylon and set Israel free to go back to their Homeland and begin to Rebuild. Israel was still under Persian rule but they were allowed to function as a Nation as long as they didn’t rebel against their Persian authority. - The book of Daniel (a Major Prophetic Book) gives us some insight into Babylonian Captivity: - The Training of Jewish Boys in Babylon (Daniel 1) - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - (Daniel 3) - Nebuchadnezzar’s Dreams (Daniel 2 & 4)

- and into the Era of Persia’s release of Israel: - Daniel and the Lion’s Den (Daniel 6) - Daniel’s relationship with the Persian Kings, Darius and Cyrus (Daniel 6)

• Esther was a woman who lived in the Persian Era. She would become a wife of the King of Persia and eventually risk her life to appeal to him to save Israel from political conspiracy - Think about the environment Esther was in: Israel had been humiliated under Babylonian Captivity and now was under the Mercy and the Favour of the Persians. Esther’s bravery was immense!

• Ezra & Nehemiah are the last books of History in the Old Testament: - Both books take place as Israel rebuilds immediately after the 70 years of Babylonian Captivity - Ezra was commissioned to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem - Nehemiah was commissioned to rebuild the Walls around Jerusalem * Shortly after the Rebuild, Israel would rebel against God again and serve others gods…. - This is when God spoke His final Prophecies through Zechariah, Haggai and Malachi: - The constant sins of Israel - The coming Messiah!

* This results in 400 years of “Silence”. The next time Israel would hear from God as a Nation would be through Jesus, Emmanuel, God with Us!

The Story of the Old Testament: * Genesis! (“Beginning”) - God Created the Heavens and the Earth; Creates Man & Woman - They reject God (sin) and God is forced to block them from the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life: The Fall - Death comes to Humans; They begin to have children (repopulate) - 10 Generations to Noah - The Flood destroys the Earth - 10 Generations to Abraham - Abraham & Sarah - God promises to make him into a Great Nation - God promises the land of Canaan - Isaac & Rebekah - Jacob: Later God renames him “Israel” - Jacob’s 12 Sons (The “Fathers” of the 12 Tribes of Israel) - Through Joseph, Jacob’s family settle in Egypt - 400+ Years later “Israel” is now over 1 Million strong (Exodus) - God raises up Moses to lead Israel safely out of Egypt - A 40 Day Journey to the Promised Land turned out to be 40 Years of Wandering in the Desert - During that time, God establishes “The Law”: God was establishing Israel as His Chosen Nation - Joshua: Israel takes over the Promised Land, it’s divided amongst 12 Tribes of Israel - After Joshua passed away: The Era of the Judges Because Israel didn’t drive out all of the Foreigners and therefore, their Religion gods/Items: And, they didn’t raise up the Next Generation Properly: * The Result was: - Israel worshipped other gods - Other countries would attack and subdue them - Israel would cry out to God Who would raise up a “Judge” (Leader) - Israel would repent and God would free them from their Oppressors - When the Judge died, Israel would worship other gods * This is the Looping Story of the Book of Judges - Israel Rejects God as King (and the system of the Judges (who were spokespersons for God)) - So God gives them a King: The Era of the Kings: Saul; David; Solomon - After Solomon passed away, The Kingdom is Divided (Israel (North) and Judah (South) - All of the Israeli Kings are Evil and lead Israel to worship other gods - Some of the Judah Kings are Good but most are Evil - God Warns Israel and Begs them to Repent and turn there hearts back to Him but Israel refuses for over 300 years! - 70 years of Babylonian Captivity - Israel is Humiliated and Repents - Israel is Freed from the Babylonian’s, goes back to their Homeland (The Promised Land) and beings to Rebuild - Shortly afterwards, Israel rebels against God again… 400 years of Silence… Enter Jesus!

* This is God’s Story!