Obedience Part 1

Deuteronomy 11, NIV
Love and Obey the Lord
11 Love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands
always. 2 Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of
the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm; 3 the signs he performed and the
things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country; 4 what he did to
the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea[a] as
they were pursuing you, and how the Lord brought lasting ruin on them. 5 It was not your children who saw
what he did for you in the wilderness until you arrived at this place, 6 and what he did to Dathan and Abiram,
sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed
them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them. 7 But it was your
own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.
8

Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and
take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 9 and so that you may live long in the land
the Lord swore to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and
honey. 10 The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come,
where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. 11 But the land you are crossing
the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. 12 It is a land
the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the
year to its end.
13

So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him
with all your heart and with all your soul— 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and
spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. 15 I will provide grass in the fields
for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.
16

Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. 17 Then
the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground
will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. 18 Fix these words
of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your
foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk
along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses
and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore
to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
22

If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk
in obedience to him and to hold fast to him— 23 then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and
you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. 24 Every place where you set your foot will be
yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the
Mediterranean Sea. 25 No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will
put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.
26

See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of
the Lord your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God
and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not

known. 29 When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to
proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses. 30 As you know, these mountains
are across the Jordan, westward, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh, in the territory of
those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal. 31 You are about to cross the Jordan to enter
and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you have taken it over and are living
there, 32 be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today.

1 Samuel 8, NLT
Israel Requests a King
8 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held
court in Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted
bribes and perverted justice.
4

Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him,
“you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
6

Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to
you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any
longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other
gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the
way a king will reign over them.”
Samuel Warns against a Kingdom
10

So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king.11 “This is how a king
will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his
charioteers, making them run before his chariots. 12 Some will be generals and captains in his army,[a] some
will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot
equipment. 13 The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make
perfumes for him.14 He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them
to his own officials. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his
officers and attendants. 16 He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your
cattle[b] and donkeys for his own use. 17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his
slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then
the Lord will not help you.”
19

But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. 20 “We
want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”
21

So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, 22 and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and
give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.

1 Samuel 12, ESV
Samuel's Farewell Address
12 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have
made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my
sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify against me
before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom

have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with
it? Testify against me[a] and I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us
or taken anything from any man's hand.” 5 And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his
anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”
6

And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness,[b] who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your
fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before
the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your
fathers. 8 When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them,[c] then your fathers cried out to
the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell
in this place. 9 But they forgot the Lord their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of
the army of Hazor,[d] and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they
fought against them. 10 And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken
the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies,
that we may serve you.’ 11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak[e] and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered
you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. 12 And when you saw that Nahash
the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when
the Lord your God was your king. 13 And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have
asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice
and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will
follow the Lord your God, it will be well. 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the
commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.[f] 16 Now
therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest
today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your
wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So
Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared
the Lord and Samuel.
19

And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for
we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not
be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with
all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are
empty. 22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased
the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against
the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear
the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for
you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

1 Chronicles 10, ESV
The Death of Saul and His Sons
10 Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on
Mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and
Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found
him, and he was wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust
me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for
he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that
Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died. 6 Thus Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house
died together. 7 And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army[a] had fled and that
Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and lived in them.

8

The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount
Gilboa. 9 And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land
of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and to the people. 10 And they put his armor in the
temple of their gods and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon. 11 But when all Jabesh-gilead heard all
that the Philistines had done to Saul,12 all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the
bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and
fasted seven days.
13

So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of
the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. 14 He did not seek guidance from the Lord.
Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

1 Chronicles 17, ESV
The Lord's Covenant with David
17 Now when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar,
but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.” 2 And Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your
heart, for God is with you.”
3

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 4 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says
the Lord: It is not you who will build me a house to dwell in. 5 For I have not lived in a house since the day I
brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling. 6 In all places
where I have moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded
to shepherd my people, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 7 Now, therefore, thus shall
you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the
sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, 8 and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut
off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the
earth. 9 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own
place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, 10 from the time
that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you
that the Lord will build you a house. 11 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up
your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build a house for
me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not
take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you,14 but I will confirm him in my
house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’” 15 In accordance with all
these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
David's Prayer
16

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house,
that you have brought me thus far? 17 And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken
of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have shown me future
generations,[a] O Lord God! 18 And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know
your servant. 19 For your servant's sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all this
greatness, in making known all these great things. 20 There is none like you, O Lord, and there is no God
besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21 And who is like your people Israel, the
one[b] nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and
awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt?22 And you
made your people Israel to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God. 23 And now, O Lord,

let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever,
and do as you have spoken, 24 and your name will be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of
hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel's God,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before
you. 25 For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore your
servant has found courage to pray before you. 26 And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have promised this
good thing to your servant. 27 Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may
continue forever before you, for it is you, O Lord, who have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”

1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12, ESV
David's Instructions to Solomon
2 When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2 “I am about to go the way
of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in
his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the
Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 that the Lord may establish
his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before
me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack[a] a man on the throne of Israel.’
The Death of David
10

Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. 11 And the time that David reigned
over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 So
Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.

1 Kings 11:1-14 & 26-43, ESV
Solomon Turns from the Lord
11 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite,
Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people
of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn
away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had 700 wives, who were princesses,
and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. 4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned
away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of
David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the
abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly
follow the Lord, as David his father had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the
abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of
Jerusalem. 8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.
The Lord Raises Adversaries
9

And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of
Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not
go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded.11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon,
“Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have
commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. 12 Yet for the sake
of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However, I will

not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for
the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.”
14

And the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. He was of the royal house in
Edom.
26

Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother's name was
Zeruah, a widow, also lifted up his hand against the king. 27 And this was the reason why he lifted up his hand
against the king. Solomon built the Millo, and closed up the breach of the city of David his father. 28 The man
Jeroboam was very able, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious he gave him charge
over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph. 29 And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem,
the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had dressed himself in a new garment,
and the two of them were alone in the open country. 30 Then Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was
on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. 31 And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says
the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give
you ten tribes 32 (but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of
Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), 33 because they have[a] forsaken me and
worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the
Ammonites, and they have not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes
and my rules, as David his father did. 34 Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but
I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my
commandments and my statutes. 35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and will give it to you,
ten tribes. 36 Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in
Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name. 37 And I will take you, and you shall reign over all
that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel. 38 And if you will listen to all that I command you,
and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments,
as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give
Israel to you. 39 And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever.’” 40 Solomon sought
therefore to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in
Egypt until the death of Solomon.
41

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the Book
of the Acts of Solomon? 42 And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty
years. 43 And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam
his son reigned in his place.

1 Kings 12:1-11, ESV
Rehoboam's Folly
12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 And as soon
as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon),
then Jeroboam returned from[a] Egypt. 3 And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of
Israel came and said to Rehoboam, 4 “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard
service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Go away for three
days, then come again to me.” So the people went away.
6

Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he
was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 And they said to him, “If you will be

a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then
they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took
counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What
do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on
us’?”10 And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to this people who
said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,’ thus shall you say to them, ‘My little
finger is thicker than my father's thighs. 11 And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add
to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

12

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the
third day.” 13 And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had
given him, 14 he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your
yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with
scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by
the Lord that he might fulfill his word, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of
Nebat.
The Kingdom Divided
16

And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion
do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your
own house, David.” So Israel went to their tents. 17 But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who
lived in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor,
and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to
Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. 20 And when all Israel heard
that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel.
There was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only.
21

When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin,
180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son
of Solomon. 22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: 23 “Say to Rehoboam the son of
Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 24 ‘Thus
says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his
home, for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the Lord and went home again, according
to the word of the Lord.
Jeroboam's Golden Calves
25

Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there
and built Penuel. 26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of
David. 27 If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this
people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam
king of Judah.” 28 So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You
have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of
Egypt.” 29 And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Then this thing became a sin, for the
people went as far as Dan to be before one.[b] 31 He also made temples on high places and appointed priests
from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. 32 And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth
day of the eighth month like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in
Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he
had made. 33 He went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in

the month that he had devised from his own heart. And he instituted a feast for the people of Israel and
went up to the altar to make offerings.

1 Kings 13, NIV
A Prophet Denounces Jeroboam
13 At the Lord’s command, a man of God from Judah went to Bethel, arriving there just as Jeroboam was
approaching the altar to burn incense. 2 Then at the Lord’s command, he shouted, “O altar, altar! This is what
the Lord says: A child named Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests
from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense, and human bones will be burned on you.” 3 That
same day the man of God gave a sign to prove his message. He said, “The Lord has promised to give this
sign: This altar will split apart, and its ashes will be poured out on the ground.”
4

When King Jeroboam heard the man of God speaking against the altar at Bethel, he pointed at him and
shouted, “Seize that man!” But instantly the king’s hand became paralyzed in that position, and he couldn’t
pull it back. 5 At the same time a wide crack appeared in the altar, and the ashes poured out, just as the man
of God had predicted in his message from the Lord.
6

The king cried out to the man of God, “Please ask the Lord your God to restore my hand again!” So the man
of God prayed to the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and he could move it again.
7

Then the king said to the man of God, “Come to the palace with me and have something to eat, and I will
give you a gift.”
8

But the man of God said to the king, “Even if you gave me half of everything you own, I would not go with
you. I would not eat or drink anything in this place. 9 For the Lord gave me this command: ‘You must not eat
or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.’” 10 So he left
Bethel and went home another way.
11

As it happened, there was an old prophet living in Bethel, and his sons[a] came home and told him what the
man of God had done in Bethel that day. They also told their father what the man had said to the king. 12 The
old prophet asked them, “Which way did he go?” So they showed their father[b] which road the man of God
had taken. 13 “Quick, saddle the donkey,” the old man said. So they saddled the donkey for him, and he
mounted it.
14

Then he rode after the man of God and found him sitting under a great tree. The old prophet asked him,
“Are you the man of God who came from Judah?”
“Yes, I am,” he replied.
15

Then he said to the man of God, “Come home with me and eat some food.”

16

“No, I cannot,” he replied. “I am not allowed to eat or drink anything here in this place. 17 For the Lord gave
me this command: ‘You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by
the same way you came.’”
18

But the old prophet answered, “I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this command
from the Lord: ‘Bring him home with you so he can have something to eat and drink.’” But the old man was
lying to him. 19 So they went back together, and the man of God ate and drank at the prophet’s home.
20

Then while they were sitting at the table, a command from the Lord came to the old prophet. 21 He cried
out to the man of God from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: You have defied the word of the Lord and
have disobeyed the command the Lord your God gave you.22 You came back to this place and ate and drank
where he told you not to eat or drink. Because of this, your body will not be buried in the grave of your
ancestors.”

23

After the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the old prophet saddled his own donkey for
him, 24 and the man of God started off again. But as he was traveling along, a lion came out and killed him.
His body lay there on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. 25 People who passed by saw
the body lying in the road and the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported it in Bethel, where the
old prophet lived.
26

When the prophet heard the report, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the Lord’s command.
The Lord has fulfilled his word by causing the lion to attack and kill him.”
27

Then the prophet said to his sons, “Saddle a donkey for me.” So they saddled a donkey,28 and he went out
and found the body lying in the road. The donkey and lion were still standing there beside it, for the lion had
not eaten the body nor attacked the donkey. 29 So the prophet laid the body of the man of God on the
donkey and took it back to the town to mourn over him and bury him. 30 He laid the body in his own grave,
crying out in grief, “Oh, my brother!”
31

Afterward the prophet said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried.
Lay my bones beside his bones. 32 For the message the Lord told him to proclaim against the altar in Bethel
and against the pagan shrines in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true.”
33

But even after this, Jeroboam did not turn from his evil ways. He continued to choose priests from the
common people. He appointed anyone who wanted to become a priest for the pagan shrines. 34 This became
a great sin and resulted in the utter destruction of Jeroboam’s dynasty from the face of the earth.

2 Kings 22, NLT
Josiah Rules in Judah
22 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother
was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath. 2 He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and
followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right.
3

In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and grandson of Meshullam,
the court secretary, to the Temple of the Lord. He told him, 4 “Go to Hilkiah the high priest and have him
count the money the gatekeepers have collected from the people at the Lord’s Temple. 5 Entrust this money
to the men assigned to supervise the restoration of the Lord’s Temple. Then they can use it to pay workers
to repair the Temple. 6 They will need to hire carpenters, builders, and masons. Also have them buy the
timber and the finished stone needed to repair the Temple. 7 But don’t require the construction supervisors
to keep account of the money they receive, for they are honest and trustworthy men.”
Hilkiah Discovers God’s Law
8

Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the Lord’s
Temple!” Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he read it.
9

Shaphan went to the king and reported, “Your officials have turned over the money collected at the Temple
of the Lord to the workers and supervisors at the Temple.”10 Shaphan also told the king, “Hilkiah the priest
has given me a scroll.” So Shaphan read it to the king.
11

When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair.12 Then he gave
these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court
secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal adviser: 13 “Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for
the people and for all Judah. Inquire about the words written in this scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s

great anger is burning against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words in this scroll. We have
not been doing everything it says we must do.”
14

So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the New Quarter[a] of Jerusalem to
consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, the keeper of
the Temple wardrobe.
15

She said to them, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken! Go back and tell the man who sent you, 16 ‘This
is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this city[b] and its people. All the words written in the
scroll that the king of Judah has read will come true. 17 For my people have abandoned me and offered
sacrifices to pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger will burn
against this place, and it will not be quenched.’
18

“But go to the king of Judah who sent you to seek the Lord and tell him: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of
Israel, says concerning the message you have just heard: 19 You were sorry and humbled yourself before
the Lord when you heard what I said against this city and its people—that this land would be cursed and
become desolate. You tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed
heard you, says the Lord. 20 So I will not send the promised disaster until after you have died and been buried
in peace. You will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this city.’”
So they took her message back to the king.

2 Kings 23, NLT
Josiah’s Religious Reforms
23 Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And the king went up to the Temple of
the Lord with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, along with the priests and the prophets—all the people
from the least to the greatest. There the king read to them the entire Book of the Covenant that had been
found in the Lord’s Temple. 3 The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant
in the Lord’s presence. He pledged to obey the Lord by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all
his heart and soul. In this way, he confirmed all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll,
and all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.
4

Then the king instructed Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second rank and the Temple
gatekeepers to remove from the Lord’s Temple all the articles that were used to worship Baal, Asherah, and
all the powers of the heavens. The king had all these things burned outside Jerusalem on the terraces of the
Kidron Valley, and he carried the ashes away to Bethel. 5 He did away with the idolatrous priests, who had
been appointed by the previous kings of Judah, for they had offered sacrifices at the pagan shrines
throughout Judah and even in the vicinity of Jerusalem. They had also offered sacrifices to Baal, and to the
sun, the moon, the constellations, and to all the powers of the heavens. 6 The king removed the Asherah
pole from the Lord’s Temple and took it outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley, where he burned it. Then
he ground the ashes of the pole to dust and threw the dust over the graves of the people. 7 He also tore
down the living quarters of the male and female shrine prostitutes that were inside the Temple of the Lord,
where the women wove coverings for the Asherah pole.
8

Josiah brought to Jerusalem all the priests who were living in other towns of Judah. He also defiled the
pagan shrines, where they had offered sacrifices—all the way from Geba to Beersheba. He destroyed the
shrines at the entrance to the gate of Joshua, the governor of Jerusalem. This gate was located to the left
of the city gate as one enters the city. 9 The priests who had served at the pagan shrines were not allowed
to serve at[a] the Lord’s altar in Jerusalem, but they were allowed to eat unleavened bread with the other
priests.

10

Then the king defiled the altar of Topheth in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, so no one could ever again use it to
sacrifice a son or daughter in the fire[b] as an offering to Molech. 11 He removed from the entrance of
the Lord’s Temple the horse statues that the former kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were
near the quarters of Nathan-melech the eunuch, an officer of the court.[c] The king also burned the chariots
dedicated to the sun.
12

Josiah tore down the altars that the kings of Judah had built on the palace roof above the upper room of
Ahaz. The king destroyed the altars that Manasseh had built in the two courtyards of the Lord’s Temple. He
smashed them to bits[d] and scattered the pieces in the Kidron Valley. 13 The king also desecrated the pagan
shrines east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, where King Solomon of Israel had built
shrines for Ashtoreth, the detestable goddess of the Sidonians; and for Chemosh, the detestable god of the
Moabites; and for Molech,[e] the vile god of the Ammonites. 14 He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down
the Asherah poles. Then he desecrated these places by scattering human bones over them.
15

The king also tore down the altar at Bethel—the pagan shrine that Jeroboam son of Nebat had made when
he caused Israel to sin. He burned down the shrine and ground it to dust, and he burned the Asherah
pole. 16 Then Josiah turned around and noticed several tombs in the side of the hill. He ordered that the
bones be brought out, and he burned them on the altar at Bethel to desecrate it. (This happened just as
the Lord had promised through the man of God when Jeroboam stood beside the altar at the festival.)
Then Josiah turned and looked up at the tomb of the man of God[f] who had predicted these things. 17 “What
is that monument over there?” Josiah asked.
And the people of the town told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted
the very things that you have just done to the altar at Bethel!”
18

Josiah replied, “Leave it alone. Don’t disturb his bones.” So they did not burn his bones or those of the old
prophet from Samaria.
19

Then Josiah demolished all the buildings at the pagan shrines in the towns of Samaria, just as he had done
at Bethel. They had been built by the various kings of Israel and had made the Lord[g] very angry. 20 He
executed the priests of the pagan shrines on their own altars, and he burned human bones on the altars to
desecrate them. Finally, he returned to Jerusalem.
Josiah Celebrates Passover
21

King Josiah then issued this order to all the people: “You must celebrate the Passover to the Lord your
God, as required in this Book of the Covenant.” 22 There had not been a Passover celebration like that since
the time when the judges ruled in Israel, nor throughout all the years of the kings of Israel and Judah. 23 But
in the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem.
24

Josiah also got rid of the mediums and psychics, the household gods, the idols,[h] and every other kind of
detestable practice, both in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judah. He did this in obedience to the
laws written in the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had found in the Lord’s Temple. 25 Never before had there
been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lordwith all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws
of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.
26

Even so, the Lord was very angry with Judah because of all the wicked things Manasseh had done to
provoke him. 27 For the Lord said, “I will also banish Judah from my presence just as I have banished Israel.
And I will reject my chosen city of Jerusalem and the Temple where my name was to be honored.”
28

The rest of the events in Josiah’s reign and all his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings
of Judah.
29

While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, went to the Euphrates River to help the king of
Assyria. King Josiah and his army marched out to fight him,[i] but King Neco[j]killed him when they met at

Megiddo. 30 Josiah’s officers took his body back in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in
his own tomb. Then the people of the land anointed Josiah’s son Jehoahaz and made him the next king.

Kings Before Division of Kingdom
•
•
•
•
•

Saul: First King of Israel; son of Kish; father of Ish-Bosheth, Jonathan and Michal.
Ish-Bosheth (or Eshbaal): King of Israel; son of Saul.
David: King of Judah; later of Israel; son of Jesse; husband of Abigail, Ahinoam, Bathsheba, Michal, etc.; father of
Absalom, Adonijah, Amnon, Solomon, Tamar, etc.
Solomon: King of Israel and Judah; son of David; father of Rehoboam.
Rehoboam: Son of Solomon; during his reign the kingdom was divided into Judah and Israel.

Kings of Judah (Southern Kingdom)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Rehoboam: First King.
Abijah (or Abijam or Abia): Son of Rehoboam.
Asa: Probably son of Abijah.
Jehoshaphat: Son of Asa.
Jehoram (or Joram): Son of Jehoshaphat; husband of Athaliah.
Ahaziah: Son of Jehoram and Athaliah.
Athaliah: Daughter of King Ahab of Israel and Jezebel; wife of Jehoram; only queen to occupy the throne of Judah.
Joash (or Jehoash): Son of Ahaziah.
Amaziah: Son of Joash.
Uzziah (or Azariah): Son of Amaziah.
Jotham: Regent, later King; son of Uzziah.
Ahaz: Son of Jotham.
Hezekiah: Son of Ahaz; husband of Hephzi-Bah.
Manasseh: Son of Hezekiah and Hephzi-Bah.
Amon: Son of Manasseh.
Josiah (or Josias): Son of Amon.
Jehoahaz (or Joahaz): Son of Josiah.
Jehoiakim: Son of Josiah.
Jehoiachin: Son of Jehoiakim.
Zedekiah: Son of Josiah; kingdom overthrown by Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar.

Kings of Israel (Northern Kingdom)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Jeroboam I: Led secession of Israel.
Nadab: Son of Jeroboam I.
Baasha: Overthrew Nadab.
Elah: Son of Baasha.
Zimri: Overthrew Elah.
Omri: Overthrew Zimri.
Ahab: Son of Omri; husband of Jezebel.
Ahaziah: Son of Ahab.
Jehoram (or Joram): Son of Ahab.
Jehu: Overthrew Jehoram.
Jehoahaz (or Joahaz): Son of Jehu.
Jehoash (or Joash): Son of Jehoahaz.
Jeroboam Il: Son of Jehoash.
Zechariah: Son of Jeroboam II.
Shallum: Overthrew Zechariah.

•
•
•
•

Menahem: Overthrew Shallum.
Pekahiah: Son of Menahem.
Pekah: Overthrew Pekahiah.
Hoshea: Overthrew Pekah; kingdom overthrown by Assyrians under Sargon II.

The Bible is full of verses that describe Jesus: who he is, what he’s like, and the love he has for each of us.
There are also many names for Jesus: Son of Man, Son of God, Emmanuel, Messiah, Prince of Peace, Alpha
and Omega, The Way, and many more.
Although Jesus came to Earth as a humble servant, he is the King of kings.

Revelation 19:13, 16, ESV
He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. . . . On his
robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

John 18:36, ESV
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would
have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

Isaiah 9:6–7, ESV
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name
shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his
government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it
and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the
Lord of hosts will do this.

Ephesians 1:20–21, ESV
. . . that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the
heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is
named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Daniel 7:13–14, ESV
I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he
came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and
a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be
destroyed.

Acts 2:30–32, ESV
Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of
his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not
abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are
witnesses.

Revelation 17:14, ESV
They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings,
and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.

1 Timothy 6:13–15, ESV
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony
before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from
reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is
the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Hebrews 1:3–4, ESV
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by
the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on
high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Revelation 1:5–6, ESV
. . . and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To
him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and
Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28, NIV
26

See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of
the Lord your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God
and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.

Galatians 3:1-14, NIV
The Law and Faith in Christ
3 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made
as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did
you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you
believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the
Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced[a] so
much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?
5

I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law?
Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
6

In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”[b] 7 The
real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.
8

What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his
sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations
will be blessed through you.”[c] 9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received
because of his faith.
10

But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say,
“Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the
Law.”[d] 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures
say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”[e] 12 This way of faith is very different from the way
of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”[f]
13

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took
upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is
hung on a tree.”[g] 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised
to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised[h] Holy Spirit through faith.


Related Media
Related Sermons