Kings had the responsibility of leading the people of Israel (the 12 tribes named after the 12 sons of Jacob) by being an example of how to live good and righteous lives based on the law of God. Most importantly, kings were to set an example of how to serve God, follow and trust in Him and finally love Him completely by forsaking all other gods, idols, or deities. God gave all his kings tools to equip them in their tasks.
He supplied prophets to guide them, priests to teach the law, worship leaders to praise the Lord and God himself promised to be on their side if they love Him only. Through studying the history of kings, I realised that a series of bad kings and their bad decisions in not following God’s commands, affected the entire nation and the consequences lead to suffering, wars, famine and death. If the kings were good and obedient to God, the land was in peace and the people lived satisfied and happy lives. It was then they would worship their God and bring sacrifices that were pleasing to God. When the kings were tolerant and allowed any foreign idol-worshipping, scrines or detestable sacrifices to other gods, the people would always be tempted to sin and revert to their sins. In the same way, we are kings of our lives in the kingdom of God. Jesus is our King, He is our ultimate leader, our boss. We can learn much from the lives of the past kings of the Bible.
The below accounts are summaries from the books of 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles. It’s worth noting that the books of Kings are an account of the righteousness of all the kings of Israel and Judah. It gives an overview of the lives of the kings before the exile of both nations. The books of Chronicles is an account of the spiritual health of the kings. Did they bring the people to God or lead them away? Chronicles also document the bloodline of David and his sons which is the bloodline of Jesus Christ.
All tribes were united during the reign of King Saul, King David and King Solomon, but after King Solomon, the kingdom was divided into two. You can find a downloadable summary of all the kings of the Israel before and after the division.
Summary of King Saul
Saul was the first elected King of the United Kingdom of Israel. He was from the Benjamin tribe and was a handsome, tall, fierce and brave warrior. The people chose Him to lead them against their enemies. The Prophet Samuel anointed Saul and was instrumental in delivering God’s messages to Saul, warning him to obey the Lord and His commands and to lead the people with truth and faithfulness to their God. Saul reigned for 40 years and was not obedient to the Lord, he loved power, wealth and fame and set up a monument in his own honour. He started off well in serving God, but quickly became evil and instead of following God’s commands, he followed his own. He despised David because the people respected him more. Saul was a mighty warrior that defeated many, but David was mightier because He had the Lord on his side. “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands.” Saul’s jealousy for David consumed him and he tried to murder him several times. Saul during a battle with the Philistines when he sees them killing his three sons. Saul is preceded by God’s chosen servant, King David. You can read more about Saul in the book of 1 Samuel.
Summary of King David
David is a young shepherd boy from the tribe of Judah who is famous for killing the giant Goliath and for his musical talents which are dedicated in the book of Psalms. God promised David that it will be his bloodline from which God’s son will be born and that his kingdom will be established forever. “I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood and I will establish His kingdom. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me and your throne shall be established forever.” David conquered the town of Jerusalem from the Jebusites which became the capital city of the United Kingdom of Israel and the home of the monarchy. David established the empire of Israel by adding to it some of the existing smaller kingdoms bordering Israel such as Edom, Moab and Ammon. David also was responsible for bringing back the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, but it would be his son Solomon who was to establish the first temple to host the ark. David was a good king who loved God with all his heart, but he made some bad decisions and judgments during his reign of 40 years. He showed the people of Israel how to trust and follow God faithfully. He had not failed to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite (Bathsheba’s husband and Davids wife, mother of Solomon.)You can read more about David in the book of 2 Samuel.
Summary of King Solomon
Solomon was known for his wisdom and his wealth. “He was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.” He succeeded his father David and continued to conquer and add to the Kingdom of Israel so that it became a wealthy and powerful empire feared and respected by many nations. Solomon started off as a good and wise king, he completed the construction of the opulent temple for the Lord that hosted the ark of the covenant of God. Solomon did not follow the Lord completely like David his father did. Solomon had numerous wives and concubines and indulged in idolatry and the worship of foreign gods. Solomon’s wealth leads to his demise and some of the tribes suffered under his high taxation laws. God became angry with Solomon because he did not obey his commands, He promised to take the kingdom away from him but for the sake of his promise to David, he would allow David bloodline to remain a kingdom with one tribe before they were to split up. Solomon ruled for 40 years Solomon caused division in the hearts of the nation. Read more about Solomon in the books of 1 Kings and Chronicles.
After king Solomon died, the people gathered at Shechem (in Samaria) to make Solomon’s son Rehoboam king The people complained to Rehoboam that Solomon had made their lives hard and they wanted him to make changes to lighten their burdens. Rehoboam refused and as a consequence civil war broke out between the tribes of Israel and the United Kingdom of Israel was split into two separate kingdoms.
The smaller tribe of Benjamin sided with Judah to remain a kingdom known as the Kingdom of Judah under the rulership of Solomons’s son, Rehoboam, also known as the Southern Kingdom. The rest of the ten tribes of Israel formed their own kingdom known as the The Kingdom of Israel as God commanded through his prophet Ahazia also known as the Northern Kingdom.
Summary of the Kings of the Kingdom of Israel
1. King Jeroboam
Jeroboam was an official of Solomon, a hardworking man. He was anointed by the prophet Ahijah who took his cloak and tore it into 12 pieces. He gave Jeroboam 10 pieces and told him he would be king of 10 tribes of Israel. God promised Jeroboam that if he would walk in obedience and is faithful to God, he would give him an everlasting dynasty. Jeroboam lived in Shechem (the then capital of Israel). The king was afraid that when the people go to Jerusalem to worship in the temple of the Lord, that they would be give their allegiance to the king of Judah and so he decided to build 2 golden calves as alternatives for the people to worship. Jeroboam build shrines in high places and appointed priests without consulting God, he created festivals and sacrifices which were not appointed by God or in keeping with the laws. The priests and Levites from Israel left for Judah because Jeroboam and his sons rejected them. Those from every tribe in Israel who had their heart set on seeking God, left for Judah and Jerusalem. The prophet Ahijah prophesied that Jeroboam and his family would be completely wiped out and God will choose for himself another king to rule Israel. There was a continual war between Israel and Judah. Jeroboam reined for 22 years. (1 Kings 12-14)
2. King Nahab
Nahab was the son of Jeroboam. He only reined for two years before the next king of Israel Baasha plotted against him and killed him in battle against the Philistines. Ahijah’s prophesy to Jeroboam would be fulfilled that Jeroboam’s whole family would be destroyed. As soon as Baasha began to reign he killed Jeroboam’s whole family because of the Lord’s anger towards Jeroboam’s sins. Nadab was evil in the eyes of the Lord as he worshipped idols and caused the people of Israel to worship idols too. ( 1 Kings 15:22 )
3. King Baasha
Baasha was the son of Ahijah. He reined for 24 years but he was evil like Jeroboam and followed in the same ways as the latter king. God sent his prophet Jehu to send him a message, “I lifted you up from the dust and appointed your ruler over my people Israel, but you followed the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people to sin and arouse my anger by their sins. So I am about to wipe Baasha out like Jeroboam. Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city and birds will feed on those who die in the country.” There was still war between the Israelites and Judaens since the days of Jeroboam and between king Asa of Judah and Baasha. King Asa made a treaty with the king of Aram in the last 5 years of his reign to attack Israel and they destroyed the cities of Israel during that time. Baasha was succeeded by his son Elah. (Kings 15:33)
4. King Elah
Elah was the son of Baasha and reined for only 2 years. Like his father before him, Elah worshipped idols and caused Israel to sin too. There is not much said about him and one of his commanders, called Zimri killed him one night when he was out getting drunk. As prophesied by the prophet Jehu, according to the word of God, Baasha’s whole family was killed as soon as Zimri took the throne. He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend. (1 Kings 16:8)
5. King Zimri
Zimri only reined for 7 days. When the army of Israel heard that the Zimri plotted against the King, they proclaimed Omri, commander of the army, as King of Israel and went to invade the city of Tirah where Zimri had his Palace. Zimri went into the citadel of the Palace and set it alight around him. He died for the sins he committed and the “evil in the eyes of the Lord by worshipped idols.” ( 1Kings 16:15)
6. King Tibni
After Zimri was assassinated half of the people supported Omri and half supported Tibni but Omri’s supporters proved stronger. They became co-kings of Israel during the 27th year of reign of King Asa of Judah. The people that followed Omri conquered the people of Tibni though. When Tibni died in the 31st year of King Asa of Judah, Omri became sole king of Israel. (1 Kings 16:21)
7. King Omri
Omri reined for 12 years. He was stationed in Tirzah for 6 years but bought a hill and build a city on the hill calling it Samaria, after the former owner of the hill. Omri sinned more than any of the kings before him, he worshipped idols and caused Israel to also worship these false Gods which angered the Lord. He was succeeded by his son Ahab. (1 Kings 16:23)
8. King Ahab
Ahab became the king during the 38th year of King Asa of Judah. He was a king for 22 years. Ahab was even more evil than the other kings before him. He worshipped idols and began to worship the God of his wife Jezebel and he built a temple and set up an altar for sacrifices for Baal in Samaria. He erected an Asterah pole in which the people sacrificed their children. His actions angered the Lord and He sent his prophet Elijah to tell him that the Lord will send a drought to punish him and the Israelites.
Meanwhile the prophets of God suffered terribly at the hands of Ahab’s wife Jezebel who ordered all of them to be killed. Ahab’s commander and prophet of God, Obadiah saved some of these prophets from death by hiding them in caves and providing them with food. One day after the people suffered greatly from the drought the Lord send Elijah to King Ahab to tell him that the Lord will send rain and in doing so they will know that He is the true God. Elijah saw the prophet Obadiah and asked him to tell King Ahab that he wanted to see him. But Obadiah was afraid as King Ahab had been looking to kill Elijah. Elijah asked that they gather on Mount Carmel with all the prophets of Baal (450 of them) and the 400 prophets of Asterah. Elijah was going to prove to all of them that his God is the only God that can provide miracles. When everyone was on Mount Carmel, Elijah asked the people “How long are you going to waver between two opinions?” He instructed that two altars be set up to see if Baal or God would start the fire. They called for Baal to start the fire from morning to noon and Elijah made fun of them. So, they tried harder and still Baal didn’t start the fire. Elijah repaired the altar and added 12 stones to represent the 12 tribes. He made a trench and added wood and the bull. They poured so much water on it that water ran all over the altar and into the trench. In the evening, Elijah spoke to God and said to “Let the people see You are the true God!” God sent fire and it burned up everything! The stones even turned to ash! When the people saw this they fell prostrate and cried, “ the Lord He is God. “ they executed all the evil prophets and when Ahab told Jezebel about the altar and the Baal prophets being killed, she swore revenge on Elijah. King Ahab and Jezebel continued to sin in the eyes of the Lord. They killed a servant of God (Naboth) for his vineyard (Jezreel) so the King could have it as a vegetable garden next to the palace. The Lord told Ahab that for his terrible sins he would die and all his descendants would be wiped out. “ Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab and Jezebel would be devoured by dogs by the wall of Jereel.” For a short while it seemed that Ahab humbled himself before the Lord and for that his time of Earth was extended. He asked king Jehosaphat (who was married to one of his daughters) to go to battle with him against the king of Aram and take back one of the cities. This was against the will of God as prophesied by the prophet Micaiah. They ignored his command and went to battle. King Ahab was fatally wounded in that battle and died. The dogs licked his blood where he lay as prophesied. He was buried in Samaria and we find out what happened to his wife Jezebel during the reign of King Jehu. Ahaziah their son became the next king. (1 Kings 16:29-22:392 Chronicles 18)
9. King Ahaziah
Ahaziah reigned for 2 years during the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. He was evil and followed his parents’ ways of worshipping Baal. Ahaziah was injured when he fell through the lattice of his upper room. He sent messengers to ask the idol Baal-Zebub if he would recover from his fall. But, God told Elijah to tell the messengers that he would surely die in the bed because he enquired of Baal not to God. Ahaziah sent a captain with 50 men to find the Prophet Elijah when he heard the news. Twice the men and captain was killed but the third time the captain humbled himself before Elijah and he allowed them to take him to their king.
Elijah went before the king and told Ahaziah that because he sent men to ask the idol Baal-Zebub about his injury, did he think God wasn’t in Israel to ask? Because of this, he would surely die. Ahaziah had no son and was succeeded by Jehoram (his brother). (2 Kings 1, 1 Kings 22:51)
10. King Joram
Joram is also called Jehoram. There was also a King Jehoram of Judah during the same time. This Jehoram was the son of Ahab and was a king for 12 years. He became the king of Israel in Samaria during the second year of Judah’s king Jehoram (son of Jehoshaphat). He was an evil king. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father made but he worshipped other idols and caused the nation of Israel to sin. He did not turn away from them.
When King Ahab died, King Mesha of Moab rebelled against Israel. He was a sheep breeder and had been paying the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and 100,000 rams regularly. Joram asked king Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom to join him in defending Israel against the Moabites. As they wandered through the desert they became weak and thirsty and called on the Lord for help. God sent his Prophet Elisha, who told them the only reason God is helping them is because of good king Jehoshaphat. God not only delivered them from the Moabites but he also provided water to them in the desert as prophesied by Elisha. “ You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water. You and your cattle will drink, this is an easy thing for the Lord and he will also deliver Moab in your hands.”
Later in Joram’s life, he again joined forces with the evil kings of Judah, Jehoram and Ahaziah against the will of God, this caused revolts against their enemies and famine in the land but this time God did not spare any of them.
Joram was killed by Jehu who became the next anointed king of Israel. Jehu was commanded to execute God’s wrath on the house of Ahaz and his wife Jezebel.
(2 Kings 3, 2 Kings 9:14-26)
11. King Jehu
Jehu was anointed by the Prophet Elisha. Jehu became the king of Israel and as Elijah prophesied, the wrath of God on the house of Ahab would be realised through Jehu. All Ahab’s descendants would be destroyed and himself and his wife Jezebel would die a horrible death. Jehu had all of Ahab’s sons executed (70 princes) in Ahab’s house, the remainder of the household, their priests, friends, leaving him no survivor in Jezreel. Jezebel was thrown out of the palace window and her body was so badly trampled and eaten by dogs that only her scull and hands remained. Then he told all the people that he wanted to give a sacrifice to Baal. He wanted all the Baal worshippers to assemble with him for this. Everything was done to make this happen and he wanted everyone there. Jehu had 80 men on the outside and were told not to let anyone escape. Once the ceremony started, Jehu told his men to kill all the people inside worshipping Baal. They went to the inner room and completely destroyed the pillars and temple of Baal. Till this day it serves as a lavatory. Jehu however did not turn away from worshipping idols and still caused Israel to commit sins by worshipping the golden calves of Jeroboam. The Lord said to Jehu, “because you have done well in my eyes and have done to the descendants of Ahab I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” Jehu did not turn away from his sins and God began to reduce the size of Israel throughout their territory. Jehu was a king of Israel for 28 years and he was succeeded by his son Jehoahaz.( 2 Kings 9,10)
12. King Jehoahaz
Jehoahaz reined for 17 years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord by following the same sins as Jeroboam in worshipping idols and causing Israel to commit. The Lords anger burned against Israel and for a long time they were kept under the power of the king of Ahab, Hazael and his son. The Jehoahaz sought the Lords favour and God listened to him for he saw how severe the king of Ahab was in oppressing Israel and provided a delivery for them. The people however did not away from the idol worshipping and the Asherah pole remained in Samaria. The kingdom of Israel suffered much and the army was reduced to only 50 horsemen, 10 chariots and 10 000 foot soldiers. A countries strength is measured by the strength of the army. Compare to the millions of soldiers of their enemies. Jehoahaz was buried in Samaria and succeeded by his son Jehoash. (2 Kings 13)
13. Jehoash
Jehoash was a king in Samaria for 16 years. He was like the other kings and did not follow God’s laws, worshipped idols and caused Israel to follow his suit. Elisha was the prophet at the time and he was gravely sick from an illness in which he would later die. Jehoash went to visit him and cried when he saw Elisha, crying out “My Father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel.” Elisha told Jehoash to take a bow and some arrows. He put his hands on the kings hands and asked to king to shoot some arrows out of the window to the ground and he proclaimed, “the Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory of Aram.” Jehoash fired the arrows but stopped after 3 arrows. Elisha was angry that he stopped at 3 and told him if he fired 5 or 6 times he could have completely destroyed Aram (Syria). But, since he only shot 3 times, he would only attack Syria 3 times. King Hazael of Syria fought against Israel the whole time Jehoash was the king. God was watching over them and when Hazael died, and his son became the king, Jehoash was able to recapture some of the cities that had been lost in other battles. As Elisha predicted, Jehoash won 3 battles against the Syrians.
Amaziah was the king of Israel during that time and during his second year as king, he challenged Jehoash in battle. Jehoash refused and suggested his daughter in marriage instead. Amaziah didn’t listen and they went to battle, but Jehoash won the battle and captured King Amaziah of Judah at Beth Shemesh. Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem 400 cubits from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate. He took all the gold and the silver and all the articles in the temple. He also took treasures from the king’s house along with hostages and returned to Samaria.
When he died, his son Jeroboam became the king. (2 kings 13:10)
14. King Jeroboam II
Jeroboam was the son of Jehoash. He became the king of Israel and reigned for 41 years. He lived in Samaria. He was evil and didn’t follow God’s laws following idol worshipping and causing Israel to sin. He restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea in accordance to the word of God from his servant Jonah the prophet. The Lord has seen how bitterly everyone in Israel whether slave or free was suffering and there was no-one to help them. Since the Lord had promised not to forsake Israel, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam to restore some of the land they had lost to Judah. This included Damascus and Hamath. When Jeroboam 2 died, his son Zechariah became the next king. (2 Kings 14:23)
15. King Zechariah
While King Azariah of Judah was in his 38th year of reign, Zechariah became the king of Israel. He lived in Samaria and ruled for 6 months. He was the son of Jeroboam 2.
He did evil like the other kings of Israel and didn’t worship God, causing Israel to sin against God. Shallum conspired against him and assassinated him in front of the people and succeeded him as king. So the word of the Lord would be fulfilled to King Jehu that his ‘sons’ would be the king for 4 generations and He had kept his promise. (2 Kings 15:12-13)
16. King Shallum
Shallum was the son of Jabesh. He became the king of Israel during the 39th year of King Uzziah of Judah and only reigned for 1 month before Menahem struck him and killed him. Menahem became the next king. (2 Kings 15:13)
17. King Menahem
Menahem was the son of Gadi and he traveled to Samaria from Tirzah. He struck Shallum and killed him and became the next king of Israel. He was mean and brutal and attacked the city of Tipsah because they refused to open their gates and ripped open the pregnant women of that town.
He became the king during the 39th year of King Uzziah of Judah and reigned in Samaria for 10 years. He was evil and did not worship God. He worshipped idols and caused the people of Israel to sin. When they were invaded by the King of Assyria, Menahem agreed to pay him to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. He taxed the people heavily to pay the Assyrian king. When Menahem died, his son Pekahiah became the king. (2 Kings 15:17)
18. King Pekahiah
Menahem’s son. He lived in Samaria and was the king of Israel for 2 years. He was evil and did not follow God’s laws. He worshipped idols and caused the people of Israel to commit sin.
One of the chief officers of Pekahiah conspired against Pekahiah, he was called Pekah and would become the next king of Israel. He assassinated Pekahiah in the citadel (fortress) of the royal palace in Samaria. Pekah took his place as the king of Israel. (2 Kings 15: 23)
19. King Pekah
Pekah became the king of Israel in the final year of King Uzziah of Judah. He was evil in the eyes of the Lord by worshipping idols and causing the people of Israel to sin. He reined for 20 years in Samaria. During his reign God sent the king of Assyria to invade Israel and deport the people to Assyria. They lost many of the cities of Israel to the Assyrians, then Hoshea, the last king of Israel led a conspiracy against Pekah. He struck and killed him and became the next king. (2 Kings 15:27)
20. King Hoshea
Hoshea became the last king of Israel during the 12th year of King Ahaz of Judah’s reign and was a king for 9 years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Hoshea was a vassal of Assyriah. Hoshea had to pay Shalmaneser who was the king of the Assyrians and the current world power a tribute every year, but he discovered that Hoshea was a traitor and was going under hand to Egypt to get them on their side and against the Assyrians. Shalmaneser invaded the entire land of Israel and put Hoshea in prison. They laid siege to Samaria for 3 years. The people suffered greatly for their sins and were deported from Israel in exile to Assyria. Some are still there, some returned to Judah, and others we don’t know where they went, now known as the lost tribes of Israel.
The Kingdom of Israel Exiled from the land!
Final word: 2 King 17:18
“So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced. Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence. The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them until the Lord removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.“
Summary of the Kings of the Kingdom of Judah
This is a summary of the kings of Judah, known as the Southern Kingdom and the bloodline of King David from the split, just after King Solomon until they were exiled by the king of Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar, the dominant world power during those days.
1. King Rehoboam
Son of king Solomon. All the people of Israel complained to Rehoboam saying “your father put a heavy yoke on us, lighten the harsh labour and we will serve you.” Rehoboam went about for 3 days and consulted the elders who told him to listen to the people and serve them well and they will always be faithful to him, but instead, he listened to the advice of his friends. That was his first mistake. The people of Israel rebelled and Rehoboam gathered 180 000 able men from Judah and Benjamin to fight against them, but word of the Lord came to a prophet Shemaiah not to fight against each other and they obeyed. Once Rehoboam had established his kingdom, he didn’t follow God’s laws anymore. They built idols on every ‘high hill and under every green tree.’ Due to Rehoboam’s disobedience, they started losing some of the treasures of Jerusalem and the treasures of the temple. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king and reigned for 17 years in Jerusalem. He did evil and didn’t seek the Lord. Judah set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every hill. The people engaged in all the detestable practices the foreign nations before them did. Judah and Israel were in continual warfare with each other. Rehoboam’s son Abijah became the next king of Judah. . (1 Kings 12, 2 Chron 10-11)
2. King Abijam/Abijah
He was known Abijam in 1 Kings and Abijah in 2 Chronicles. He reined for 3 years in Jerusalem. His heart was not fully devoted to the Lord and he continued to commit all the sins his father had done before him. However, the Lord made a promise to David that his bloodline will continue to reign and Abijah bore a son that would succeed him. War between Abijah and Jeroboam (king of Israel) continued during his lifetime. It was during one such occasion that Abijah stood up to King Jeroboam and pledged his alliance to God. He said, “Don’t you know that God has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever.” You have a vast army and your golden calves, but we have not forsaken our God. God is our leader and He is with us.” For this the people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord. Rehoboam did not regain power against Abijah during his reign. When Abijah died his son Asa succeeded him as king of Judah. (1 Kings 14:31-15:8 & 2 Chronicles 13:1-14:1)
3. King Asa
Asa reined for 41 years and was made king in the 20th year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel. Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and he was fully committed to the Lord for most of his life. He removed all the idols the ancestors had made and he brought into the temple the gold and silver artifacts that belonged to God, although he did not remove the high places of worship. The country was at peace under him and when the king of Cush, the Cushites, came up against Asa and Judah he called to the Lord and said. “ Lord, there is no-one like you to help the powerless against the mighty, vast army. Lord you are our God, do not let mortals prevail against you.” The Lord delivered them from them and they destroyed all the villages around them, carried out vast amounts of plunder and drove fear into the nations around them. The people of Israel seeked the Lord with all their heart and they were found by Him. They restored the covenant with God and all of Judah rejoiced and swore wholeheartedly to follow the Lord. He gave them rest from every side. There was no more war in Israel until the last 5 years of Asa’s life. Baasha, the king of Israel, threatened the kingdom of Judah. King Asa decided to make a treaty with the king of Aram from Damascus to protect them from Baasha by paying him handsomely to betray Israel. The king agreed and they attacked the cities of Israel and conquered many of their cities. This was not according to God’s plan. He sent Hanani the seer to give Asa this message, “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not your Lord, the king of Arm has escaped from your hand. You have done a foolish thing and from now on you will be at war.” Asa was angry with him for this message and put Hanani in prison and at the same time brutally oppressed some of the people. God affected Asa with a severe foot illness. He still did not seek the help of God and instead relied only on the doctors. Eventually Asa died of his desease 2 years later. He received a great burial in his honour. His son Jehoshaphat succeeded him as king. (1 Kings 15:9-24 & 2 Chronicles 14-16)
4. King Jehoshaphat
He became the king of Judah during the 4th year of King Ahab (6th king) of Israel. Jehoshaphat was 35 when he became the king and reined for 25 years. He followed the good ways of his father and did what was right in God’s eyes. They were at peace with Israel. He continued to remove the altars and images, but the high places (scrines) were not removed and people continued to sacrifice there. Josephat had great wealth and honour and all Judah brought gifts to him because his heart was devoted to God. Josephat also instructed his officials and priests to teach the Law of God throughout Judah carefully and many turned back to the Lord and the fear of God fell on all the surrounding kingdoms that none of them went to war against Jehoshaphat. He appointed Judges in each of the cities of Judah and told them that they are accountable to God not mere mortals. Jehoshaphat was a great leader who trusted in the Lord. When he was challenged by the great army of Moab and Ammon he called together all of Judah and he consulted the Lord, who assured him that he would protect him and God defeated this army without even going into physical battle. During the reign of Jehoshaphat, there was peace but Jehoshaphat married a daughter of the evil king of Israel, Ahab, and was influenced by his wife. King Ahab convinced Jehoshaphat to attack the king of Aram, against the word of the prophet Micaiah, which was against God’s will. For this, they were defeated by the army of Aram. Jehoshaphat cried out and the Lord helped him and drew the army away from him, but Ahab was fatally wounded. The Lord sent the seer Jehu to send him this message, “Should you seek the help of the wicked and those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is on you. There is however some good in you, for you rid the land of the Asterah poles and have set your heart on seeking God.” Jehoshaphat repented and it went well with Judah again.
Jehoshaphat was a good king who set his heart on seeking God and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but the high places were not removed and the people still had not set their hearts on God. Later Jehoshaphat allied with evil King Ahaziah of Israel and God punished him again by association for that.
When Jehoshaphat died, his son Jehoram became king. (1 Kings 22:41, 2 2 Chronicles 17-20)
5. King Jehoram
He was the son of Jehoshaphat and 32 when he became the king and reigned for 8 years in Jerusalem. He reined during Israel’s king, also called Jehoram/Joram (son of Ahab). He too married the daughter of Israel’s king Ahaz and did what was evil in God’s eyes by following the house of Ahab’s bad ways. Jehoram’s bad leadership lead Israel to worship false Gods and prostitute themselves. Jehoram killed all his brothers and other members of his family to elevate himself. God punished Jehoram and the Israelites with revolts and attacks from other nations and Jehoram was given a bowel disease that would make his intestines come out for his sins. The Philistines and Arabs attacked Judah and carried off all the goods from the King’s Palace and all his sons and wives except his youngest son Ahaziah, who would become the next king. The king died a painful death and it is said there was no funeral fire in his honour.
There were several revolts during his time. Elijah the prophet sent him a letter saying, “you have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or Asa, but followed the ways of the kings of Israel leading the people of Judah and Jerusalem to prostitute themselves. You have also murdered your brothers, members of your family that were better than you, so now the Lord is going to strike your sons, wives and everything that is yours with a heavy blow. You yourself will become very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels until your intestines come out. “Elijah’s prediction came true and Jehoram passed away to no one’s regret and his youngest son Ahaziah became king as all the other kings were killed by the Arabs.
(2 Kings 8:16-24 & 2 Chronicles 21)
6. King Ahaziah
Ahaziah was 22yrs old when he became king in Jerusalem and reined only for 1 year. Ahaziah also married a daughter of Ahab and his mother was Athalia, a granddaughter of King Omri of Israel who also became a self-appointed queen (see below ). Ahaziah did evil in the eyes of the Lord as he followed the ways of the evil king Ahab’s ways and worshipped other gods and idols. Ahaziah went to war with the Israeli king Joram against the powerful king of Aram, Hazael. The Aramean army wounded king Joram of Israel in the battle. Ahaziah went down to Jezreel in Israel to see King Joram. Through Ahaziah’s visit to Joram (king of Israel), God brought justice and the downfall of both kings. Whilst they were both in Jezreel, the prophet Elisha summoned another prophet and instructed him to go and anoint Jehu as the future king of Israel. The prophet did as Elisha commanded and told Jehu to kill the house of Ahab and Jezebel as the Lord commanded. Jehu obeyed the word of the prophet and God and killed both kings Joram of Israel and Ahaziah of Judah. Jehu was on his way to Jezreel in Jezreel when Jezebel was looking out of her window and called on him. Jehu called on Jezebel’s servants to throw her down and they cast her out of the window where she died and was trampled underfoot so that nothing was left of her to recognise her. The dogs devoured her flesh as the prophet Elijah had exclaimed. Ahaziah did get a king’s burial “for he was a son of Jehoshaphat (who sought the Lord with all his heart.) There was no-one in the house of Ahaziah powerful enough to retain the kingdom. This is when Ahaziah’s mother Athalia appoints herself as queen of Judah. (Kings 8:222, Chron 22)
7. Queen Athalia
When Athaliah learned that her son Ahaziah had been killed, she proceeded to kill the whole royal family but, Ahaziah’s sister saved Joash the youngest son of Ahaziah while the others were being killed and hid him with his nurse in the temple of God for 6 years. Jehosheba (Ahaziah’s sister) was the daughter of King Jehoram and was married to Jehoiada the priest. Athalia the queen was overturned by Jehoiada the priest who anointed Joash as the next future king. He gathered an army of 100 strong men and they went all around Judah and gathered the Levites and heads of the Israeli families to come to Jerusalem. He instructed the army to keep watch at all the doors of the temple, gates of the city and courtyards making sure no-one disturbed the proceedings. Jehoiada and his sons put a crown on the king and presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They all shouted ‘long live the king’ All the people were cheering, singing and blowing trumpets to mark the occasion. When Athalia heard the noise and realised what was happening, she shouted: “treason, treason” but the guards seized her and put her to death outside the palace grounds. Joash was 8years old when he became the next king. (2 Chronicles 22, 2 Kings 11)
8. King Joash/Jehoash
He is also called Jehoash. Jehoiada the priest made a covenant that the people and the king would be the Lord’s people. All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it town. They smashed the altars and idols and killed the priest of Baal in front of the altars. The people rejoiced and the city was calm. Joash was 7 years old when he became the king of Judah and reigned for 40 years in Jerusalem. He followed God’s laws and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord while Jehoiada the priest was alive. Joash instructed the priests to rebuilt the temple of the Lord according to its original design and reinforced it. They instructed a chest in the temple for people to bring their contributions which they gladly did and the money was used to pay for the labour of the repairs, articles of service and offerings . As long as Jehoiada lived, burn offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord. When Jehoiada died, Joash listened to his officials and not to God. They abandoned the temple of the Lord and started to worship Asherah poles and idols again. Although the Lord sent prophets to bring them back to Him, they did not listen. God sent Jehoiada’s son Zechariah to tell them that because they did not obey the Lord’s commands, they will not prosper and because they have forsaken the Lord, He has forsaken them. By order of the King, they stoned Zechariah. God delivered them in the hands of the much smaller Aramean army who carried off all the plunder from Jerusalem. They severely wounded Joash in the battle and his officials conspired against him and murdered Joash for the death of Zechariah. He was succeeded by his son Amaziah. (2 Kings 11-12, 2 Chron 34-35)
9. King Amaziah
Amaziah was 25yrs old when he became king. Amaziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly. He reigned in Jerusalem for 29 years. After he became king he executed the officials who murdered his father. When he assessed his army he found that they only had 300k men fit for army and he hired another 100k men from Israel to fight in this army. The Lord however sent a messenger to tell king Amaziah, “Your Majesty, these troops from Israel must not march against you for the Lord is not with Israel. Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy. God has the power to overthrow or help.” Amazia listened to the Lord and led his own army to the land of Edom to fight against them. They were victorious in battle, but when Amaziah returned he brought back the gods of the people of Seir in Edom (Jordan today) and started to bow down to them. The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah. Why do you consult the people’s God which could not save their own people from your hand.”
After King Amaziah consulted his advisors he sent a challenge to Jehoash (king of Israel) for battle. Jehoash refused and offered his daughter in marriage instead, but King Amaziah would not listen and God worked it so that He might deliver them into the hands of Jehoash because they sought the gods of Edom. Judah lost the battle against Israel and King Amaziah was captured and taken to Jerusalem. The Israeli army broke down part of the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate. King Jehoash of Israel took all the gold and silver and other treasures that were in the king’s house. He took hostages back to Samaria with him. From the time that Amaziah turned away from God, they conspired against thim in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish, but they found him and killed him there. He was buried in Jerusalem and succeeded by his son Uzziah/Azariah (2 Kings 12:21, 14:1-21 & 2 Chronicles 25)
10. King Uzziah/Azariah
Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king in Jerusalem and he reigned for 52 years. He was good in the eyes of the Lord and sought the Lord during the days of Zechariah the priest, who instructed him in the fear of the Lord. As long as he sought God, he had success. Uzziah conquered many wars and God helped him against all their enemies. They brought him tributes and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt. Uzziah became very powerful and increased the land of Judah whilst also improving the city of Jerusalem. He build towers in Jerusalem and fortified the city. He was greatly respected and and it was his pride that led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord and entered the temple of God to burn incense on the altar against the custom of having a sanctified priest. Azariah the priest and 80 other courageous priests confronted Uzziah and told him that it was not his place and not right to burn incense to the Lord, that is for priests and descendants of Aaron who have been consecrated by God. Uzziah became angry and started raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple. Leprosy broke out on him and the priests saw and hurried him out of the temple. Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died and because he was excluded from the temple and palace, his son Jotham took charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. Uzziah’s events were recorded by the prophet Isaiah. His son Jotham succeeded him. (2 Kings 15, 2 Chron 26)
11. King Jotham
During the 2nd year of King Pekah of Israel’s reign, the son of Azariah’s son Jotham became the king of Judah. He was 25 years old and was a king for 16 years. He was a good king and obeyed God’s laws. He followed his father Uzziah, but unlike his father, he did not enter the temple of the Lord. The people however continued their corrupt practices. They still worshipped the idols. Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly with the Lord. He added to Judah with more cities in the mountains and the wall of Ophel and built the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord. He battled the Ammonites and was victorious so the people gave him a tribute of 100 talents of silver, 10,000 kors of wheat and 10,000 of barley for 3 years. There were battles between Judah and King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel. He became mighty because he followed God.
When Jotham died, he was buried in Jerusalem and his son Ahaz became the next king. (2 Kings 15:32,2 Chron 27)
12. King Ahaz
Ahaz was 22 yrs old when he began to reign and reigned for 16 years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He engaged in detestable practices, sacrificed his son to other gods, made and worshiped idols. He was at war with Israels (under king Pekah) and with the kingdom of Aram (Edomites). The Arameans defeated them and took many of his people prisoner in Damascas and Israel also defeated and killed many of the Judeans in battle (over 120 000 soldiers. ) For this the Lord was not happy with Israel and told them to send the prisoners they captured back to Judah. The Israelites sent them back in compassion. “The Lord humbled Judah” King Ahaz still did not seek the Lord’s help and instead he asked the King of Assyria to come and help them. At the time they were a Vassal of the Assyrians. The Assyrians were not there to help them but offer more trouble. Ahaz took some of the things from the Lord’s temple to give to the Assyrians but that did not help them. He became more and more unfaithful to the Lord. He ordered the priest, Uriah to copy the altar of the Assyrians and present the Lord’s offerings on it. To please the Assyrians and their gods he thought that because they were such a strong power, this would make him powerful too. He desecrated the temple of the Lord. This was the downfall of Ahaz and of Israel. Ahaz shut the doors of the Lord’s temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem and burned sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of the Lord. His son Hezekiah succeeded him as king. (2 kings 16, 2 Chron 28)
13. King Hezekiah
Hezekiah was 25yrs old when He became king and reigned in Jerusalem for 29yrs. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord just like King David. He re-opened the temple of the Lord that his father shut and desecrated and ordered that all things be repaired and restored. He ordered the Levites (priests) to consecrate themselves and then consecrate the temple, remove all defilement from the sanctuary and return according to the ways of the Lord. He made a covenant with the Lord in front of the priest, “ my sons, do not be negligent now for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.”
When the temple was purified, the priests together with the people went in and worshiped the Lord and offered sacrifices in dedication. Hezekiah sent word out to all of Judah and Israel, inviting them to the temple to celebrate Passover. Many people from Israel scorned and ridiculed the couriers but some humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. They slaughtered the Passover lamb and Hezekiah prayed for them and the Lord healed the people.
Hezekiah sought the Lord wholeheartedly and so he prospered.
Meanwhile, the Israel kingdom was taken captive by the Assyrians during the reign of King Hoshea. During Hezekiah’s 14th year, King Sennacherib of Assyria also invaded Judah and took some of the fortified cities of Judah, and threatened to invade Jerusalem. Hezekiah shut off all the water to the city to discourage them. However, Sennacherib taunted the king and God, proclaiming that he was more powerful than any God. Hezekiah and Isaiah prayed to the Lord and the next day the armies of Assyria were defeated by a mighty angel. The Lord continued to protect Hezekiah and the people of Judah from the Assyrians. Hezekiah restored the water supply to Jerusalem by building a water tunnel to the city.
Hezekiah became sick and was close to dying. Isaiah the prophet went to see him. Isaiah told him to get things in order because he wasn’t going to live. Hezekiah turned to the wall and prayed to God. He reminded God that he had been faithful. He cried severely. As Isaiah was leaving and was in the middle court when God spoke to him. He went back to Hezekiah and told him that God heard his prayer and had seen his tears. God said God would give him 15 more years. He would also be safe from the king of Assyria. King Hezekiah had great wealth and honor but he had pride in his heart. When he was ill a servant of Babylon came to visit him and Hezekiah in his pride showed him all the treasures of the Lord he amassed. Isaiah prophesied that this would be his downfall and that it would be Babylon that would one day take these treasures from his kingdom.
When Hezekiah died all the people honored him for he was a good king who served the Lord faithfully. His son Manasseh became the next king. (2 kings 18-20, 2 Chron 29 – 32)
14. King Manasseh
Manasseh was 12 years old when he became the king of Judah. His father was Hezekiah and he reigned for 55 years in Jerusalem. He was evil in the eyes of the Lord. He followed detestable practices, rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah demolished, erected altars to Baal and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to starry hosts and worshipped them, sacrificed his children to other gods, practiced divination and witchcraft, consulted in mediums and spiritists, and did much evil, arousing God’s anger. Manasseh led Judah and the people astray so that they did more evil than the other nations before them. The Lord spoke to Manasseh through the prophet Isaiah and others, but he took no notice. So the Lord brought against him the army of Assyria and Manasseh was taken prisoner and they took him to Babylon. In his distress, he cried out to the Lord and humbled himself greatly before God. God was moved by his entreaty so he brought him back to Jerusalem and his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God!
Afterward, Manasseh rebuild the outer wall of Jerusalem. He got rid of the foreign gods and removed the images from the Lord’s temple and all the altars he built. He tried to make right before the Lord, but the people of Judah, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places.
When Manasseh died, he was buried in the garden of his home and his son Amon became the king. (2 kings 21, 2 Chron 33)
15. King Amon
Anon was 22 years old when he became the king of Judah. He was the king for 2 years in Jerusalem. He was evil and worshipped and sacrificed to idols instead of God. He did not humble himself like his father to God but sinned even more. Amon’s servants conspired against him and killed him in his palace and made his son Josiah the next king. (2 kings 21:19, 2 Chron 33:21)
16. King Josiah
Josiah was 8 years old when he became the king of Judah. He reigned for 31 years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in God’s eyes. While he was still young he started to tear down the altars, high places, and idol worshipping places of his ancestors. During his 18th year, he sent his servant Shaphan to repair the temple of the Lord and supervise the work that was being completed and managed the money dedicated to restoring the temple. During this time, Hilkiah the priest found The Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord and gave it to Shaphan. When Shaphan read it to Josiah, he realised that the people of Judah did not follow the decrees of the Lord and he prayed and consulted the prophet of the Lord who told him that disaster was to befall Judah because of the sins that their ancestors had committed against the Lord and the curses that would fall on them for breaking the covenant of the Lord, forsaking him and burning incense to other gods.
Josiah was humbled and called all the people of Judah together to read the words from the Book of the Covenant which had been found. When the people heard this they pledged themselves to the covenant and Josiah declared to celebrate and observe the Passover to the Lord and make a sacrifice to God. “The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel and non of the kings had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah with the priests and the people in Jerusalem.” Josiah made it his mission to restore the temple and purge the land from all idol worshipping. During his reign, the King of Assyria was attaching Egypt and Josiah decided to support Egypt which was against God’s commands and in the process, he got fatally wounded and later died in Jerusalem. The people mourned greatly for him and he was buried in the tombs of his ancestors in Jerusalem. (2 Kings 22, 2 Chron 34-35)
17. King Johoahaz
Jehoahaz was 23yrs old when he became king and reigned for only 3 months. He was dethroned by the king of Egypt – Pharoah Necho – who made his brother Eliakim the king of Judah so that he would serve them and ordered Judah to pay a levy of 100 talents of silver and a talent of gold to Egypt. He changed the name Eliakim to Jehoikim. Jehoahaz however was taken to Egypt where he died. (2 Kings 23:31, 2 Chron 36:2)
18. King Jehoiakim
Jehoiakim, formally known as Eliakim and brother to Jehoahaz paid Pharoah the levy he demanded but to do so he taxed the people heavily. He was 25 yrs old when he became king and reigned in Jerusalem for 11 years. He did evil in the eyes of God. It was during his reign that the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar invaded the land and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years.
During the 4th year of Jehoiakim’s reign, God used the Prophet Jeremiah to proclaim and write down all the words that He had told Jeremiah about what would happen to Israel and Judah. God thought that maybe if the people heard what God planned to bring upon them, they would change their evil ways. Jeremiah told Baruch what to write on the scroll. Jeremiah instructed Baruch to go and read the scroll to all the people on the day of fasting. He was at the entry of the New Gate of the temple in the upper court where everyone could hear him read.
Prophet Michaiah heard the words of the scroll and went to the scribe’s chamber in the king’s house and told the princes that were sitting there what he had heard, afterwards they went to the court of the king and told him what Jeremiah’s scroll said. The king sent for the scroll and it was read to the king and the princes that were there. The king happened to be in his winter house and there was a fire burning. After Jehudi read 3 or 4 columns, the king took it and cut it with the scribe’s knife and threw it in the fire. He ordered Jeremiah and Baruch to be arrested, but God hid them. After the king burned the scroll, God told Jeremiah to write another scroll and proclaim to King Jehoiakim that he would be punished for their sins. “These things happened to Judah in order to remove them from His presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done, including the shedding of innocent blood and the Lord was not willing to forgive.”
King Jehoiakim relied on Egypt to protect them from King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, but they had conquered much of the land of Egypt and Pharoah did not come to their rescue. The Babylonians besieged the land of Judah and captured the king and his royals and took them to Babylon in shackles, When Jehoiakim died, his son Jehoiachin became the king of Judah. (2 kings 24, 2 Chron 36:5)
19. King Jehoiachin
Jehoiachin was 18yrs old when he became king during the time of the invasion of the Babylonian empire. He reigned in Jerusalem for 3 months and did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city of Jerusalem and destroyed the temple of the Lord, taking all the gold articles and treasures and carried of all the royals and skilled workers as well as any fit men who he would train to be part of his army. Only the poor remained in the land. Jehoiachin was taken captive and taken to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar made Mattaniah who was Jehoiachin’s uncle the king in his place and named him Zedekiah.
During the 37th year of Jehoiachin’s captivity, the new king of Babylon released him from prison. This King gave him a more prominent seat than the other kings that were in Babylon. Jehoiachin took off his prison clothes and ate his food with kings regularly. The king of Babylon provided him with a ration of food each day for the rest of his life. (2 Kings 24:8, 2 Chron 36:9)
20. King Zedekiah
Zedekiah was 21yrs old when he became king and reigned in Jerusalem for 11yrs. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not listen to the prophets. He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar and in the 9th year of his reign, the king marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. The famine was so severe that there was no food for the people. They destroyed the city wall, burned all the important buildings, the palace and the houses in the city. Jerusalem was deserted and desolate except for a few of the poorer people that remained in the city, all the people were exiled. The king and his household fled but were captured by the plains of Jericho. They killed his sons before his eyes and then took out his eyes, bound him in shackles, and took him to Babylon. (2 kings 24:1, 2 Chron 36:11)
The Kingdom of Judah Exiled from the land!
Final word: 2 Chron 36:20
A remnant, who escaped the sword was carried into exile to Babylon. The land enjoyed its sabbath rest until the 70years were completed in fulfillment of the word of Jeremiah. During the reign of the next world power, Cyrus king of Persia, the Lord moved his heart to proclaim his realm and put in writing, that the people of Judah may return to Jerusalem and build a temple for the Lord and “may the Lord their God be with them.” You can read more about the return to Jerusalem, After the Exile in the History of Israel.
Please feel free to leave your comments or if you want to add to the summary of these kings.