Study Desk

Jehoram received this letter from Elijah the prophet: "This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: ‘You have not followed in the footsteps of your father Jehoshaphat and of King Asa of Judah,

God brought about Ahaziah's downfall through his visit to Joram. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had commissioned to wipe out Ahab's family.

and the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the temple of God. Jehoiada said to them, "The king's son will rule, just as the Lord promised David's descendants.

He assembled the priests and Levites and ordered them, "Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the annual quota of silver from all Israel for repairs on the temple of your God. Be quick about it!" But the Levites delayed.

He was buried in the City of David with the kings, because he had accomplished good in Israel and for God and his temple.

They abandoned the temple of the Lord God of their ancestors, and worshiped the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem.

God's Spirit energized Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, "This is what God says: ‘Why are you violating the commands of the Lord ? You will not be prosperous! Because you have rejected the Lord , he has rejected you!'"

Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, the Lord handed over to them Judah's very large army, for the people of Judah had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. The Syrians gave Joash what he deserved.

Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will defeat you before the enemy. God is capable of helping or defeating."

But Amaziah did not heed the warning, for God wanted to hand them over to Joash because they followed the gods of Edom.

He followed God during the lifetime of Zechariah, who taught him how to honor God. As long as he followed the Lord , God caused him to succeed.

God helped him in his campaigns against the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur Baal, and the Meunites.

But once he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. He disobeyed the Lord his God. He entered the Lord 's temple to offer incense on the incense altar.

They confronted King Uzziah and said to him, "It is not proper for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the Lord . That is the responsibility of the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who are consecrated to offer incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have disobeyed and the Lord God will not honor you!"

Jotham grew powerful because he was determined to please the Lord his God.

The Lord his God handed him over to the king of Syria. The Syrians defeated him and deported many captives to Damascus. He was also handed over to the king of Israel, who thoroughly defeated him.

In one day King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel killed 120,000 warriors in Judah, because they had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors.

Oded, a prophet of the Lord , was there. He went to meet the army as they arrived in Samaria and said to them: "Look, because the Lord God of your ancestors was angry with Judah he handed them over to you. You have killed them so mercilessly that God has taken notice.

And now you are planning to enslave the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Yet are you not also guilty before the Lord your God?

In every city throughout Judah he set up high places to offer sacrifices to other gods. He angered the Lord God of his ancestors.