Study Desk

David's family was ruling the kingdom of Israel, but I took the kingdom away from them and gave it to you. But you are not like my servant David. He always obeyed my commands and followed me with his whole heart. He did only what I accepted.

They buried him and all the people of Israel cried for him. This happened just as the Lord said it would through his servant, the prophet Ahijah.

Jeroboam ruled as king for 22 years. Then he died and was buried with his ancestors. His son Nadab became the new king after him.

Solomon's son, Rehoboam, was 41 years old when he became king of Judah. Rehoboam ruled 17 years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord chose for his own. He chose this city from all the other tribes of Israel. Rehoboam's mother was Naamah. She was an Ammonite.

Rehoboam died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. (His mother was Naamah. She was an Ammonite.) Rehoboam's son Abijah became the next king after him.

Abijah ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother's name was Maacah. She was Absalom's daughter.

He did all the same sins that his father before him had done. Abijah was not faithful to the Lord his God. In this way he was not like his grandfather, David.

David had always done what the Lord said was right. He had always obeyed his commands. The only time David did not obey the Lord was when he sinned against Uriah the Hittite.

He ruled in Jerusalem for 41 years. His grandmother's name was Maacah, and she was the daughter of Absalom.

Asa did what the Lord said is right, as his ancestor David did.

During Asa's time there were men who served other gods by selling their bodies for sex. Asa forced them to leave the country. He took away the idols that his ancestors had made.

King Asa also took away the right of his mother Maacah to be queen mother. He did this because she had set up one of those awful Asherah poles. Asa cut down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

Asa did not destroy the high places, even though he was faithful to the Lord all his life.

Asa and his father had given some special gifts to God. Asa put these gifts of gold, silver, and other things in the Lord 's Temple.

So Asa took gold and silver from the treasuries of the Lord 's Temple and the king's palace. He gave it to his officials and sent them to King Ben-Hadad of Aram. Ben-Hadad was the son of Tabrimmon. Tabrimmon was the son of Hezion. Damascus was Ben-Hadad's capital city.

King Ben-Hadad made the agreement with King Asa and sent his army to fight against the Israelite towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, the towns near Lake Galilee, and the area of Naphtali.

All the other things about Asa—the great things he did and the cities he built—are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah. When Asa became old, his feet became infected.

He died and was buried in the City of David, his ancestor. Then Asa's son Jehoshaphat became the new king after him.

He did what the Lord said was wrong. He sinned just as his father Jeroboam did when he caused the Israelites to sin.

When Baasha became the new king, he killed everyone in Jeroboam's family. He left no one in Jeroboam's family alive. This happened just as the Lord said it would when he spoke through his servant Ahijah at Shiloh.