Study Desk

Yet the high places were not removed; the people had not yet set their hearts upon the God of their ancestors.

So Edom has been in revolt against the rule of Judah to this day. At that time Libnah also revolted against his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord , the God of his ancestors.

A letter came to him from the prophet Elijah, saying: "Thus says the Lord , the God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or in the ways of King Asa of Judah,

But it was ordained by God that the downfall of Ahaziah should come about through his going to visit Joram. For when he came there he went out with Jehoram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.

he remained with them six years, hidden in the house of God, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Then the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. Jehoiada said to them, "Here is the king's son! Let him reign, as the Lord promised concerning the sons of David.

The priest Jehoiada delivered to the captains the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of God;

He assembled the priests and the Levites and said to them, "Go out to the cities of Judah and gather money from all Israel to repair the house of your God, year by year; and see that you act quickly." But the Levites did not act quickly.

For the children of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had even used all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.

A proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness.

So those who were engaged in the work labored, and the repairing went forward at their hands, and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it.

And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and for God and his house.

They abandoned the house of the Lord , the God of their ancestors, and served the sacred poles and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

Then the spirit of God took possession of Zechariah son of the priest Jehoiada; he stood above the people and said to them, "Thus says God: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord , so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord , he has also forsaken you."

Although the army of Aram had come with few men, the Lord delivered into their hand a very great army, because they had abandoned the Lord , the God of their ancestors. Thus they executed judgment on Joash.

Accounts of his sons, and of the many oracles against him, and of the rebuilding of the house of God are written in the Commentary on the Book of the Kings. And his son Amaziah succeeded him.

But a man of God came to him and said, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—all these Ephraimites.

Rather, go by yourself and act; be strong in battle, or God will fling you down before the enemy; for God has power to help or to overthrow."

Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?" The man of God answered, "The Lord is able to give you much more than this."

But as he was speaking the king said to him, "Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be put to death?" So the prophet stopped, but said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my advice."