Category: Insights

So King Darius issued orders that a search be made in the Babylonian archives, which were stored in the treasure. But it was at the fortress at Ecbantana in the province of Media that a scroll was found. This is what it said:

“Memorandum:

In the first year of King Cyrus’s reign, a decree was sent out concerning the Temple of God at Jerusalem.

Let the the Temple be rebuilt on the site where Jews used to offer their sacrifices, using the original foundations. It height wil be ninety fee. Every three layers of specially prepared stones will be topped by a layer of timber. All of the expenses will be paid by the royal treasury. Furthermore, the gold and silver cups which were taken to Babylon from the Temple of God in Jerusalem must be returned to Jerusalem and put back where they belong. Let them be taken back to the Temple of God.”(vv. 1-5, NLT)

The Lord brought the king of Babylon against them. The Babylonians killed Judah’s young men, even chasing them in to the Temple. They had no pity on the people, killing both young men and women, the old and the infirm. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar. The king took home to Babylon all the articles, large and small, used in the the Lord’s Temple and from the palace of the king and his officials. Then his army burned the Temple of God, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, burned al the palaces and completely destroyed everything of value. The few who survived were taken as servants to the king and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came into power. So the message of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said. (vv. 17-21, NLT)

After Josiah had finished restoring the Temple, King Neco of Egypt led his army up from Egypt to do battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River, and Josiah and his army marched out to fight him. But King Neo sent this message:

“What do you want with me, king of Judah? I have no quarrel with you today! I am on my to fight another nation, and God has told me not to hurry! Do not interfere with God, who is with me, or He will destroy you.”

But Josiah refused to listen to Neco, to who God had indeed spoken, and he would not turn back. Instead, he disguised himself and led his army into battle on the plain of Megiddo. But the enemy archers hit Josiah with their arrows and wounded him. He cried out to his men, “Take me from the battle, for I am badly wounded!”

So they lifted Josiah out of his chariot and placed him in another chariot. Then they brought him back to Jerusalem where he died. He was buried there in there in the royal cemetery. And Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him. The prophet Jeremiah composed funeral songs for Josiah, and to this day choirs sing these sad songs about his death. The songs of sorrow have become a tradition and are recorded in the Book of Laments.

The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign and his acts of devotion (carried out according to what was written in the Law of the Lord), from beginning to end-all are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. (vv. 20-27, NLT)

But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord by entering the sanctuary of the Lord’s Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar. Azariah the high priest came after him with eighty other priests of the Lord, all brave men. They confronted Uzziah and said, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is the work of the priests alone, the descendants of Aaron who are set apart for this work. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have sinned. The Lord will not honor you for this!”

Uzziah, who was holding an incense burner, became furious. But he as he was standing there raging before the priest at the incense altar in the Lord’s Temple, leprosy suddenly broke out on his forehead. When the Azariah the high priest and al the other priests saw the leprosy, they rushed him out. And the king himself was eager to get out because the Lord had struck him. So King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in isolation in a separate house, for the was excluded from the Temple of the Lord. His son Jotham was put in charge of the royal palace, and he governed the people of the land. (vv. 16-21, NLT)

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem. Amazaiah did what was pleasing to the Lord’s sight, but not whoehartedly.

When Amaziah was well established as king, he executed the officials who had assassinated his father [Joash]. However, he did not kill the children of the assassins, for he obeyed the command of the Lord as written by Moses in the Book of the Law: “Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.” (vv. 1-4, NLT)

When King Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought with him idols taken from the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed in front of them, and offer sacrifices to them! This made the Lord very angry, and he set a prophet to ask, “Why do you turn to gods who could not even save their own people from you?”

But the king interrupted him and said, “Sine when have I made you the king’s counselor? Be quiet before I have you killed!”

So the prophet stopped with his warning: “I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have refused to accept my counsel.” (vv 14-16, NLT)

But after Jehoiadia’s death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed before King Joash and persuaded him to listen to their advice. They decided to abandon the Temple of the Lord the God of their ancestors, and they worshiped Asherah pole and idols instead! Because of this sin, divine anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem. Yet the Lord sent prophets to bring then back to Him. The prophets warned them, but still the people would not listen.

Then the Spirit of God came to Zechariah, and King Joash order that they stone him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s Temple. This was how King Joash paid Jehoida for his loyalty-killing his son. Zechariah’s last words as he died there were: “May the Lord see what they are doing and avenge my death!” (vv. 17-22, NLT)

Then Athaliah, mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy all the rest of Judah’s royal family. But Ahaziah’s sister, Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jerhoam, took Ahaziah’s infant son, Joash, and stole him away from the rest of the king’s children, who were about to be killed. She put Joah and his nurse in a bedroom. In this way, Jeosheba, wife of Jehoidia, the priest and sister of Azhaiah, hid the child so that Athaliah could not murder him. Joash remained hidden in the Temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled over the land. (vv. 10-12, NLT)

Gehazi hurried on ahead and laid the staff on the child’s face, but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He returned to Elisha and told him, “The child is still dead.”

When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the lord. Then he lay down on the child’s body, placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands. As he stretched out on him, the child’s body began to grow warm again! Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!

Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. “Call the child’s mother!” And when she came in, Elisha said, “Take your son!” She fell as his feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she took her son in her arms and carried him downstairs. (vv. 31-37, NLT)

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a might rainstorm coming!”

So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.

Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”

The servant went and looked, then returned and said, “I didn’t see anything.”

Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh tine, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”

Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry, to Ahab and tell him , ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!'”

And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heave wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his coat into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel. (vv. 41-46, NLT)

Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the twelve tribes of Israel, and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. He piled the wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood.

Then he said, “Fill four large jugs with water, and pur the water over the offering and the wood.”

After they had done this, he said, “Do the same ting again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time.” So they did as he said, and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench.

At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, prove today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that You, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to Yourself.”

Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord-He is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

Then Elijah commanded, “Seize all these prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one escape!” So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there. (vv. 30-40, NLT)