• I Kings 12 – II Kings 25; II Chronicles 10-36
  • The kingdom divides
    • Southern kingdom: Judah, Benjamin, Levites, and others
      • II Chronicles 11:1-4, 13, 16; 15:9
    • Northern kingdom: Israel (other 10 tribes)
    • Jeroboam was afraid of losing people to Judah when they went to Jerusalem to worship, so he set up places to worship in Israel with non-Levite priests.
    • Israel: 20 kings, all bad
    • Judah: 20 kings, three that were pretty good (Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah), and a few other that were good for part of their reign. All were descendants of David.
    • God sent dozens of prophets to both kingdoms. They were mostly ignored.
    • Israel was conquered in 722 B.C. by Assyrians.
    • Judah was conquered in 586 B.C. by Babylonians.
  • You must choose righteousness, regardless of your parents.
    • II Kings 125:25-33 – Jeroboam sets up his own places and idols to worship.
    • It is possible to break a cycle!
      • II Kings 16:3 – Ahaz – sacrificed a son to an idol!
      • II Kings 18:1-6 – Hezekiah – broke down idols and served God
      • II Kings 21:1-3 – Manasseh – did evil until the end of his life – rebuilt the idols! He was a bad influence on his son Amon, who ruled after him.
      • II Kings 21:19-21 – Amon – served the idols of Manasseh
      • II Kings 22:1-2 – Josiah – served God with all his heart
      • II Kings 23:32 – Jehoahaz – did evil before God, despite the good influence of his father Josiah
      • II Kings 23:37 – Jehoiakim – did evil before God
    • Ezekiel 18:14-17 – God judges us based on our actions – not our parents.
  • Listen to God’s word.
    • II Kings 17:7, 12-16, 22-23, 19 – Why Israel fell.
    • God tried many different strategies to reach His people.
    • When we ignore God’s word, we are making the same mistake.
      • Galatians 5:19-21 – sins to avoid
      • Galatians 5:22-24 – The good side!