The Kings of Israel and Judah by Dr. David M. Battle, 2003 I.

Two kings ruled over the Early Monarchy. A. Saul of the tribe of Benjamin ruled from 1050 to 1010 B.C. Saul began transforming the people of Israel from a collection of tribes into a national kingdom. B. Ishbosheth ruled over the northern Canaan from Menahaim (1010 -1003) II Kg 2:8-4:12. II. Two kings ruled the United Monarchy from Jerusalem. * A. David of the tribe of Judah established the first Dynasty of Israel (1010-970). 1. David ruled an independent kingdom of Judah from Hebron for seven years. 2. After becoming king of all Israel, David conquered Jebus or Jerusalem and made it the capital of the Nation of Israel. * B. Solomon built the Davidic Dynasty (970-930). III. The northern tribes broke off from the Davidic Dynasty and formed the new Kingdom of Israel. The Kingdom of Israel lasted from 931 to 722 BC and was ruled over by five different dynasties with a total of nine changes in government and 19 kings.1 A. The Dynasty of Jeroboam (931-909) 1. Jeroboam I (931-910) I Kg 12:25-14:20 a. God promoted him to king. (1) Was the director of Government Works (forced Labor) under Solomon. (2) God gave him the ten northern tribes because of Solomon's apathy. b. When Reheboam became king, the northern tribes called Jeroboam to be their representative. c. The people pronounced him King of Israel. d. He established royal centers of worship at Bethel and Dan. 2. Nadab (910-909) I Kg 15:25-31 B. The Dynasty of Baasha (909-885) 1. Baasha (909-886) I Kg 15:32-16:7 a. Baasha assassinated Nadab and took the throne. b. Baasha tried to build a fortress at Bethel. (1) A Syrian invasion caused him to abandon the construction. (2) Jedaean forces crossed the boarder and stole the building supplies. After the death of Zmri, 2. Elah (886-885) I Kg 16:8-14 there were four years of C. The Rebellion of Zimri (885) civil war between the forces 1. Zimri assassinated Elah and proclaimed himself king. of Omri and Tibni son of 2. Seven days later Omri approach with the Israelite army Ginah. The kingdom was and Zimri committed suicide. divided. D. The Dynasty of Omri (885-841) I Kg 16:23-2 Kg 8. Most scholars count nine dynasties. In our count, we only include those rulers who were able to pass the throne to a decedent. * Indicates a godly king. Indicates a king who changed.
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1. Omri (885-874) I Kg 16:23-28 a. Omri became king during a time of chaos. (1) When news of Elah's assassination arrived at Omri's camp, the army declared Omri king of Israel. (2) Omri went and attacked Triza and occupied the throne. (3) Omri fought against the forces of Tebni for four year before securing his claim to the throne (885-880). b. Omri was an able ruler but not a godly man. c. Samaria was built and became the permanent capital of Israel. d. He made strategic alliances with Phoenicia. (1) This alliance kept the Syrians in check. (2) He married his son Ahab to Jezebel. e. Conducted major construct works throughout Israel. 2. Ahab (874-853) I Kg 16:28-24; 20:1-22:40 a. Was led into Baal worship by Jezebel. b. God sent drought upon the land. 3. Ahaziah (853-852) II Kg 1:2-18 a. Lives in peace with Judah. b. Sought a joint navel venture with Judah. c. Elijah followed Elisha. 4. Jehoram (852-841) II Kg 3, 5-7; 8:28,29. a. He removed some of the statues of Baal Melqart2 but kept a temple dedicated to Baal. b. Naaman visited Elijah. E. The Dynasty of Jehu (841-752)3 1. Jehu (841-814) II Kg 9:11-10:36. a. Was appointed king by God. b. Took power in a very brutal and bloody coup de ta. (1) Killed the royal house of Ahab. (2) Killed many government officials. (3) Killed the king of Judah and Judaean dignitaries. (4) Killed the prophets of Baal. 2. Jehoahaz (814-798) II Kg 13:1-9 a. War with Hazel of Syria. b. Syria fell to the Assyrians. 3. Jehoash (798-782) II Kg 13:10-25

Wood stated that the god of the people of Tyre was Baal Melqart. 263 n 26.

Jehu seemed to be a descendent of Omri and thus continued the Omri Dynasty. See Tammi Schneider, "Did King Jehu Kill His Own Family?" Biblical Archaeology Review 21 (Jan-Feb, 1995) 26-33. * Indicates a godly king. Indicates a king who changed.

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a. Elijah dies. (1) Jehoash asked for a aid. (2) Jehoash struck the arrows. b. Amizaiah of Judah attacked Israel. 4. Jeroboam II (793-753) II Kg 14:23-29 a. Assyria became weak. b. Israel gained great economic and political power. (1) Territorial control rivaled only by Solomon's influence. (2) Damascus was under Israelite control. 5. Zechariah (753-752) II Kg 15:8-12 a. Ruled for six months. b. Died by assassination. F. The Rebellion of Shallum (752) II Kg 15:13-15. He ruled for one month and was also assassinated. G. The Dynasty of Menahem (752-740) 1. Menahem (752-742) II Kg 15:16-22 a. He was a general in the Israelite army. b. He over threw Shallum. c. He became a vassal of Assyria. 2. Pekahiah (742-740) II Kg 15:23-26. assassinated by Pekah. He was During this period there were two opposing kings claiming the throne of Israel. Menahem ruled from Samaria and Pekah ruled in the transjordan.

H. The Rule of Pekah (752-732) II Kg 15:27-31. 1. Ruled as a rival king to the Manahem Dynasty in the transjordan. 2. Took over all Israel in 740 B.C. 3. He followed an anti-assyrian policy. I. The Rule of Hoshea (732-722) II Kg 15:30; 17:1-6 1. Hoshea attacked and assassinated Pekah. 2. Hoshea, at first submitted to Assyria, but latter he rebelled. 3. Assyria destroyed Israel and Samaria. IV. The Davidic Dynasty solely ruled the southern Kingdom of Judah 19 kings and one queen ruled from 931 to 586 BC. A. Rehoboam (931-913) I Kg 14:21-31; II Ch 10-12 1. Son of Solomon, but lost the ten northern tribes to Jereboam. 2. God did not permit Rehoboam to force Israel into submission of Judah. B. Abijam (913-911) I Kg 15:1-8; II Ch 13:1-22 * Indicates a godly king. Indicates a king who changed.

Handout the Kings of Israel and Judah * * C. Asa (911-870) I Kg 15:9-24; II Ch 14-16 D. Jehoshaphat (873-848) I Kg 22:41-50; II Ch 17-20 E. Jehoram (848-841) II Kg 8:16-24; II Ch 21 F. Ahaziah (841) II Kg 8:25-29; 9:27-29; II Ch 22:1-9 G. Queen Athaliah (841-835) II Kg 11:1-16; II Ch 22:10-23:15 * * * * H. Joash (835-796) II Kg 12; II Ch 23:16-24:27 I. Amaziah (796-767) II Kg 14:1-20; II Ch 25 J. Ussiah (792-740) II Kg 14:21-22; 15:1-7; II Ch 26 K. Jotham (750-731) II Kg 15:23-38; II Ch 27 L. Ahaz (735-715) II Kg 16; II Ch 28 *

M. Hezekiah (715-686) II Kg 18-20; II Ch 29-32 1. Hezekiah instituted many social and religious reforms. 2. Hezekiah recovered from a deadly disease (Isa 38). 3. Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon visited Hezekiah in 701 B.C. (Isa 39). 4. Sennacherib invaded Judah also in 701 B.C. (Isa 36-39; 2 Ki 18:13-20:19; 2 Chr 36-37). * N. Manasseh (695-642) II Kg 21-1-18; II Ch 33:1-20 1. Began his reign as a co-regent with Hezekiah at the age of 12. 2. Manasseh reverted to the Canaanite ways of worship. 3. Manasseh aided the Assyrians in their invasion of Egypt. 4. Manasseh withheld tribute from Assyrian, but latter was taken captive to Babylon (@ 648 B.C.). 5. While at Babylon, he repented of his evil ways, God restored him to Judah. O. Amon (642-640) II Kg 21:19-26; II Ch 33:21-25 1. Amon again sought the way of the Canaanites. 2. Amon was assassinated, and his killers were put to death. * P. Josiah (640-609) II Kg 22:1-23:30; II Ch 34-35 1. Josiah became king at the young age of eight. 2. In 632 B.C., Josiah, now sixteen years old, began some judicial reforms (Jos Anti 10.48.50). 3. In 628, Josiah, now twenty years old, began to purify official Jewish worship. a. He destroyed places of idolatrous worship in Jerusalem, Judah, an as far north as * Indicates a godly king. Indicates a king who changed.

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Naphtali. b. He desecrated the sanctuary at Bethel. 4. In 621/2, Josiah commissioned the repairing of the Temple. a. Hilkiah the high priest found a book of Moses in the Temple. b. Josiah listened to the scroll and was disconcerted by the curses found within it. c. Huldah, a prophetess, verified the words of the scroll, but promised the king that he would not see the curses brought about. 5. Josiah, in apparent alliance with Medo-Chaldean alliance, died while stalling Pharaoh Neco II's march to aid the Assyrians at Haran in 609 B.C. Jehoahaz ben Josiah (609) II Kg 23:31-33; II Ch 36:1-3 1. Jehoahaz reigned for three months in Jerusalem. 2. Neco II deported him to Riblah and then to Egypt. 3. Jeremiah predicted his death in Egypt (Jer 22:10-12). Jehoiakim ben Josiah (609-597) II Kg 23:24-24:7; II Ch 36:4-8 1. Neco II placed him on the throne and changed his name for Eliakim to Jehoiakim. 2. He executed the prophet Uriah (Jer 26:20-23). 3. He probably died in battle and was not officially buried. Jehoiachin ben Jehoiakim (597) II Kg 24:8-16; II Ch 36:9-10 1. Continued his father's rebellion against Babylon. 2. When Nebuchadnezzar came, Jehoiachin surrendered. Zedekiah ben Josiah (597-586) II Kg 24:17-25:21; II Ch 36:11-21; Jer 39:1-10 1. Nebuchadnezzar placed him on the throne. 2. Zedekiah ploted with other nations to rebel. 3. Jerusalem was destroyed, and the nation of Judah came to an end in 586 B.C.

* Indicates a godly king. Indicates a king who changed.