Episode 158: From Jehoshaphat to Zedekiah

2 Chronicles 17-36

17 ^1-18 King Jehoshaphat of Judah (1 Kg 15:24, Ep.139)

18 ^1-17 Ahab and Jehoshaphat ask God if they should attack Syria (1 Kg 22:1-18, Ep.144)

Should you help the ungodly or love those who hate God?

19 ¹ When Jehoshaphat returned to Jerusalem, Jehu the seer went out to meet him, and said,

Should you help the ungodly and love those who hate God?

² Because you have done so, the wrath of God is upon you.

³ Still, there are two good things about you: You've removed the groves and have prepared your heart to seek God.

God forces Judah's enemies to kill each other

20 ¹ Some messengers came to Jehoshaphat and said to him,

A large multitude is coming to attack Judah.

³ This frightened Jehoshaphat, so he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.

⁴ He gathered everyone in Judah together. Then he said to God, ^6-12 “Help!”

¹⁴ The spirit of God came upon Jahaziel (the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph) who said to everyone in Judah,

Don't be afraid of this great multitude. This isn't your fight. It's God's.

^20-23 Early the next morning, God forced children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir to kill each other. ²⁴ When the people of Judah went up in the watch tower, they saw nothing but dead bodies.

²⁵Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah stripped riches and precious jewels from the bodies. It took three days to gather the spoil, and they still couldn't carry it all away.

³¹ Jehoshaphat was like his father Asa, who did right in God's sight. ³³ But he didn't take away the high places. ³⁵ And later he joined with Israel's wicked king Ahaziah.

God makes Jehoram's bowels fall out

21 ¹ Jehoshaphat died, and his oldest son, Jehoram, became king of Judah. ⁴ When Jehoram became king, he killed his brothers and some of Israel's princes. ⁶ He was wicked, like the kings of Israel. He even married one of Ahab's daughters. ¹¹ He made high places in the mountains of Judah, and he caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication.

¹² Elijah wrote to him, saying,

^13-14 Because you're not like your father or grandfather, and you made Judah go a whoring, and you killed your brothers, a great plague will smite your people, children, wives, and everything you own. And you will have a great sickness of your bowels, until your bowels fall out.

¹⁶ God stirred up the Philistines and Arabians against Jehoram. And they came to Judah and carried away Jehoram's sons, wives, and his possessions. Only his youngest son, Jehoahaz, remained.

¹⁸ Then God smote Jehoram's bowels with an incurable disease.

¹⁹ Until, finally two years, his bowels fell out and he died.

22 ^1-9 Jehu kills Ahaziah and his relatives (2 Kg 8:25-29, 9:14-29, 10:12-14; Ep.151, 152)

23 ^1-21 Jehoiada kills Athaliah and the priest of Baal (2 Kg 11:4-21, Ep. 152)

24 ^1-16 Joash repairs God's house (2 Kg 12:1-12, Ep. 152)

The stoning of Zechariah

²⁰ The Spirit of God came upon Zechariah (the son of Jehoiada) and he said,

This is what God says: "Because you have forsaken me, I have forsaken you."

²¹ So the people stoned him with stones, as they were commanded to do by King Joash.

²² As Zechariah died, he said, “May God punish you for this.”

God sends Syrians to punish Joash

²³ Later that year, the Syrians came to Jerusalem and destroyed the princes of Judah, taking the spoil to Damascus. ²⁴ The Syrian army was small, but God delivered Joash's large army into their hand. So God executed judgment against Joash.

25 ^1-28 Amaziah of Judah and Joash of Israel (2 Kg 14:1-20, Ep.153)

26 ^1-23 God strikes Uzziah with leprosy (2 Kg 15:1-7, Ep.153)

27 ^1-9 King Jotham of Judah (2 Kg 15:32-38, Ep.153)

28 ^1-27 King Ahaz of Judah (2 Kg 16:1-20, Ep.153)

29 ^1-20 Hezekiah cleans up God's house (2 Kg 18:1-12, Ep.154)

30 ^1-27 Hezekiah's Passover feast

31 ^1-21 The people give the priests money

32 ^1-19 The king of Assyria invades Judah and insults its god (2 Kg 18:13-37, Ep.154)

^20-23 God kills King Sennacherib and the Assyrian army (2 Kg 19:35-37, Ep.154)

^24-33 Hezekiah's illness and death (2 Kg 20:20-21, Ep.154)

33 ^1-25 King Manasseh and Amon (2 Kg 21:1-26, Ep.155)

34 ^1-33 King Josiah and the book of the law (2 Kg 22:1-20, Ep.155)

35 ^1-19 King Josiah keeps the Passover (2 Kg 22:21-23, Ep.155)

^20-27 Josiah dies (2 Kg 22:28-30, Ep.155)

36 ^1-16 Kings Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, King Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah (2 Kg 22:31-37, 24:17-20; Ep.155)

^17- The Fall of Jerusalem (2 Kg 25:1-26, Ep.155)

^22-23 King Cyrus of Persia