Builders 12 Feb 2012

First, a game… Who is he? I’ll give you a name, you tell me… – Judge – King of Israel – King of Judah – Other If other, identify who they are for a bonus point

Example Person: Noah Category: Other Who: guy who built the ark Ready: 4 teams, 10 names

Who are they? 1.Ehud 2.Rehoboam 3.Shallum 4.Amram 5.Jeroboam 6.Jephthah 7.Ahab 8.Manasseh 9.Zebulun 10.Josiah

Answers 1.Ehud 2.Rehoboam 3.Shallum 4.Amram 5.Jeroboam 6.Jephthah 7.Ahab 8.Manasseh 9.Zebulun 10.Josiah 1.Judge 2.King of Judah 3.King of Israel 4.Other – Moses Father 5.King of Israel 6.Judge 7.King of Israel 8.King of Judah (Hezekiah’s son) 9.Other – one of the son’s of Jacob 10.King of Judah

Tiebreaker – List as many of the 12 tribes as you can Judah Benjamin Asher Levi Ephraim Manasseh Rueben Gad Zebulun Dan Naphtali Issachar

The Next 8 Weeks – Hezekiah!! Week 1 – Overview of Old Testament Week 2 – Background of Hezekiah Weeks 3-5 – The three main stories Week 6 – Hezekiah the man Week 7 - ??? Week 8 – Conclusions and Wrap-up

Outline Why study Hezekiah? Review – Historical (Chronological) Approach – Old Testament Themes Timeline – Old Testament Leaders Maps of the world Historical setting of Hezekiah

Why Hezekiah? Last few Builders series – Missions, Theology, 1 Corinthians, Work, Suffering, James – Let’s do something different and distinctly OT Of all the kings after Solomon, Hezekiah is given the most “space” – Some kings have as few as 4 verses written about them – The story of Hezekiah is recorded in 3 books, more than any other king (David, Solomon included!) We typically think of Hezekiah as a “good” king, yet he did not finish well – what can we learn from this? Help us understand the Old Testament better

The Pentateuch Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy The Historical Books Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Wisdom Literature Psalms Proverbs Song of Solomon Ecclesiastes Wisdom Literature Job ~2100 BC – Gen BC ? 586 BC The fall of Jerusalem I Kings BC Northern kingdom falls Hezekiah BC Major Prophets Isaiah – Jeremiah – (Lamentations) Ezekiel – Daniel – Minor Prophets Hosea – Nahum – ? Joel – 9 th century BC? Habakkuk – ? Amos – Zephaniah – ? Obadiah – Haggai Jonah – Zechariah – Micah – ? Malachi – Post Return

Two Old Testament Themes 1)The commission of Gen 1:28 Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.“ 2)The cycle of… Chaos, Creation, Commission, Sin, Judgment/Exile

The story of God’s chosen people It all begins in Genesis 12 Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

God’s covenant with Abram Gen 12 – 17: the covenant explained Covenant – (Grudem, Systematic Theology, page 515) – an unchangeable, divinely imposed legal agreement between God and man that stipulates the conditions of their relationship Covenants include: conditions, witnesses, a sign

Our God is a covenant making, covenant keeping God! 316 references to word covenant in Scripture!

We don’t normally use this language today, but… Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. We live in a covenant relationship with God Note, I’m not advocating: covenant theology or dispensationalism for that matter

Abraham’s offspring Two sons – Ishmael and Isaac (Romans 9 – God chose Isaac to be the one through whom the nation of Israel would come) Isaac – two sons, Esau and Jacob – God chose Jacob Jacob – 12 sons, whose names would later become the 12 tribes of Israel

Jacob’s Sons – birth order 1.Rueben – Leah 2.Simeon – Leah 3.Levi – Leah 4.Judah – Leah 5.Dan – Bilhah (Rachel’s servant) 6.Naphtali – Bilhah 7.Gad – Zilpah (Leah’s servant) 8.Asher – Zilpah 9.Issachar – Leah 10.Zebulun – Leah 11.Joseph – Rachel 12.Benjamin - Rachel

Several hundred years Joseph – Egypt, all family to Egypt The people of Israel (first called sons of Israel in Exodus 1) – Aside: God had renamed Jacob Israel in Gen 35 Israel means something like “God strives” The people explode in population Approximately 400 years pass Moses/Aaron born

Moses God’s first chosen leader of Israel God delivers Israel from Egypt (plagues, parting of Red Sea) Takes them the long way back to the land of Canaan On the way, they stop at Mt. Sinai

God’s covenant with Israel Exodus 19:1-8 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel." 7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." And Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.

Exodus - Deuteronomy The spelling out of the covenant conditions (the law) and God’s promises as a result of that covenant Deuteronomy 28 – 31 – a reminder of the covenant and the blessings (28:1-14) for obedience and the curses (28:15-68) for disobedience Chapter 30 – a powerful message of restoration, after Israel sins and breaks their side of the covenant, God will punish, but then he will restore

Joshua End of Deuteronomy, Moses dies Joshua 1 – Joshua commissioned as next leader Book of Joshua – conquest and settlement of the land Dividing of land for the 12 tribes

Notes: -Ephraim and Manasseh -Levi not given land portion

Judges The book of Judges shows the cycle we talked about last week Israel would sin (stray from following God, influenced by the people they had not driven out) God would judge them Repentance would lead to restoration

A timeline Call of Abraham 2091 All “Israel” in Egypt 1876 Exodus from Egypt 1446 Saul Moses dies Joshua – leader Israel enters Canaan The time of the Judges Moses – Joshua – Othniel – Ehud – Shamgar – Deborah – Gideon – Tola – Jair – Jephthah – Ibzan – Elon – Abdon - Samson Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

The Period of Kings A united kingdom Saul 1050 David 1010 Samuel - Prophet ? Solomon 970 Death of Solomon 930 Significant Events: -God rejects Saul as King – 1 Samuel 15 -David anointed – 1 Samuel 16 -God makes a covenant with David – 2 Samuel 7 -David’s sin with Bathsheba – 2 Samuel 11, 12 -Unrest in David’s family as a result -Solomon requests wisdom – 1 Kings 3 -Solomon falls away – 1 Kings 11 -A divided kingdom the result 2 Samuel 7:12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

Notes: -Kingdom Expansion -God’s name being glorified

The Divided Kingdom Solomon’s death Kingdom splits Fall of Northern kingdom 586 Fall of Southern kingdom The Assyrian Empire – BC The Babylonian Empire – BC

The Divided Kingdom The Northern Kingdom -10 tribes - lasted for approximately 208 years -20 kings during that time -7 different ruling families - Never heard of again The Southern Kingdom -2 tribes - lasted approximately 370 years -21 kings during that time - 1 ruling family! -Jesus is a descendent -All Israelites today descended from these people

The Kings of Israel (left) and Judah (right) NAMES OF KINGSDATE OF REIGN BAD OR GOOD YEARS OF REIGN SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE 1. Jeroboam I B221 Kings 11:26 – 14:20 2. Nadab B21 Kings 15: Baasha B241 Kings 15:27-16:7 4. Elah B21 Kings 16: Zimri885B7 days1 Kings 16: Tibni B71 Kings 16: Omri B121 Kings 16: Ahab B221 Kings 16:28 – 22:40 9. Ahaziah B21 Kings 22:40, 52-54; 2 Kings 1: Jehoram B122 Kings 3:1 – 9: Jehu B282 Kings 9:1 – 10: Jehoahaz B172 Kings13: Jehoash B162 Kings 13:10 – 14: Jeroboam II B412 Kings 14: Zechariah743B6 months2 Kings 14:29 – 15: Shallum753B1 month2 Kings 15: Menahem B102 Kings 15: Pekahiah B22 Kings 15: Pekah B202 Kings 15: Hoshea B92 Kings 15:30; 17:1-6 NAMES OF KINGSDATE OF REIGN BAD OR GOOD YEARS OF REIGN SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE 1. Rehoboam B171 Kings 11:42 – 14:31 2. Abijah B31 Kings 14:31 – 15:8 3. Asa G411 Kings 15: Jehoshaphat G251 Kings 22: Jehoram B82 Kings 8: Ahaziah841B12 Kings 8:24 – 9:29 7. Athaliah B72 Kings 11: Jehoash G402 Kings 11:1 – 12: Amaziah G292 Kings 14: Uzziah(debilitating disease = son, Jotham ruled for his father) G522 Kings 15: Jotham G162 Kings 15: Ahaz B162 Kings 15:38 – 16: Hezekiah G292 Kings 16:20; 18:1- 20: Manasseh B552 Kings 21: Amon B22 Kings 21: Josiah G312 Kings 22:1 – 23: Johoahaz609B3 months2 Kings 23: Jehoiakim B112 Kings 23:34 – 24:6 20. Johoiachin B3 months2 Kings 24: Zedekiah B112 Kings 24:17 – 25:30

Background for Hezekiah “Story” of Hezekiah found in 3 places – II Kings – II Chronicles – Isaiah Three stories are told about Hezekiah – Purification of the Temple – Sennacherib’s invasion – the Assyrian King Some really cool archaeological stuff here! – Hezekiah’s illness, miraculous healing and downfall Not all stories in all three places – God’s leading, Author’s prerogative

Take-a-ways The story of Hezekiah can’t be told without background information There’s a lot of background! Our God is a covenant-making, covenant-keeping God, but there’s a flip side too, his people have to do their part Sin leads to judgment The message of the OT – A King of a different kind is needed! Praise God for grace! God is faithful to his covenant with us even when we aren’t faithful to him!

Questions for Discussion 1.What parts of the OT story do you know well? What parts are you unfamiliar with? 2.Skim 2 Kings 17. What warnings are found in there? Do any of those apply to us today? 3.Skim 2 Chronicles 28. What was Hezekiah’s father (Ahaz) like? Is Hezekiah’s first action (skim 2 Chronicles 29:1-11) surprising given this heritage?