It is with thanks to those who assisted in the preparation and printing of the Kings of Israel and Judah Volume two that the publishers now present it to the Brotherhood along with Volume one which appeared six months ago. Volume two covers the reigns of the Kings of Israel who presided over the decline and eventual demise of the Northern Kingdom in the days or Hoshea and follows the fluctuating fortunes of the kingdom of Judah as ·righteous and evil kings sat upon David’s throne until finally the wickedness of kings like Ahaz, Manasseh and the sons of Josiah brought about its tragic end.
The kings considered are:
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- Israel – Jehoahaz to Hoshea (9)
- Judah – Athaliah to Zedekiah (14)
The period of history considered in these notes make an exciting and profitable study and it is hoped that they will provide assistance to all who make a diligent study of the lives of the leaders of God’s ecclesia in that era. The lives of great men such as Hezekiah and Josiah are worthy of careful and extended consideration and will yield some of the finest and most powerful lessons to be found in the Word of God.
The Publishers wish to emphasise that this volume and that which preceded it are verse by verse notes and will therefore be of greater use to the Bible student doing his own study of the subject. To others these notes on Kings may be a useful reference work when reading the books of Kings and Chronicles. May the study of the Kings of Israel and Judah help us all to avoid the errors of the many rulers who failed to fulfil their solemn responsibilities and emulate those who .courageously upheld the principles of Truth in their own lives and were “valiant for the Truth” in the ecclesia of God.
A study of this portion of God’s Word cannot fail to develop within us a more earnest anticipation of the return of “He whose right it is” to sit upon David’s throne.
— J. A. Cowie
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Chronological Table
- Israel's First Three Kings – Saul, David and Solomon
- Rehoboam – The Indiscreet (Judah)
- Jeroboam – The Ambitious Manipulator (Israel)
- Abijah – The Belligerent (Judah)
- Asa – Judah’s First Reformer (Judah)
- Nadab – The Liberal (Israel)
- Baasha – The Unheeding Avenger (Israel)
- Elah – The Apathetic Drunkard (Israel)
- Zimri – The Reckless Assassin (Israel)
- Omri – The Statute-maker (Israel)
- Ahab – Israel’s Worst King (Israel)
- Jehoshaphat – The Enigmatic Educator (Judah)
- Ahaziah – The Clumsy Pagan (Israel)
- Jehoram – The Moderate (Israel)
- Jehoram of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah
- Jehoram – The Ill-fated Murderer (Judah)
- Ahaziah - The Doomed Puppet (Judah)
- Jehu – Yahweh’s Avenger (Israel)