Chapter 16

Judah, The Southern Kingdom

Kings of Judah

• Rehoboam• Abijah• Asa• Jehoshaphat• Jehoram• *Uzziah• Jotham• Ahaz

• *skip in succession

• Rehoboam and Abijah– False gods– Had an influence on people

King Asa

• Believed in the 1 true God• Government workers had to believe• Free Judah from false practices

• “to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and its commands”

2nd Book of Chronicles

Jehoshaphat, his son, followed in his father’s footsteps

• Next in line– King Jehoram– Wife was a believer of Baal– Introduced into Jerusalem– Some never turned away

• King Uzziah– Restored Judah to greatness– Judah, though it went full circle, came

out believing

• King Jotham• King Ahaz

– Protective over Judah and its people

Conflict

• Possible alliance– Israel (Northern Kingdom)– Judah (Southern Kingdom)– Syria

• Enemy– Assyrians

• King Jotham has doubts• Doesn’t join alliance• Invasion from Israel and Syria• King Ahaz inherits Jotham’s decision

• Feared invasion from Israel and Syria• Turns to the Assyrians for help• Assyrians conquered Israel and Syria• Ahaz’s pact

The People of Judah

• Forced to recognize false gods• Pagan altar in the Temple in

Jerusalem• Idolatry• Heavy taxes• Poor, suffered, persecuted

– Reminiscent of the takeover of Israel

Isaiah

The Prophets • People of Judah made the circle• Sent help• Message:

– Against idolatry and injustice• King Ahaz’s adviser• Assyria wasn’t a good idea• Ahaz turns away

• “the Lord had brought Judah low because of Ahaz,… who let Judah go its own way and proved utterly faithless to the Lord.”

• Pure and faithful

• King Hezekiah – Listened to Isaiah– Stopped practices against God– Removed idols – Closed shrines– Helped the poor and suffering– Tried to free Judah from the Assyrians– Kept people faithful to God

Isaiah’s Message

Jerusalem wouldn’t be taken or Judah destroyed

Foreign nations would be used to make Judah pure again

Power would be subject to God’s willThings look bleak…God will keep His promisesGod will bring new life out of deathFaith is complete trust in God’s planOut of mercy, God would spare a “remnant”

of the people

Micah, the Prophet

• Preached in Judah• Message recorded in the “Book of

Micah”• Around the same time as Isaiah• Against false prophets• False prophets = what you want to hear• Micah’s words = not what they wanted

to hear

• Harsh words for greed, dishonesty and corruption

• Goodness lies in practices and faithfulness

• No good to perform religious ceremonies with no faith

• Not good to say one thing and believe another

• “Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8)

• Warned against the eventual destruction of the northern and southern kingdoms

• God would not abandon his chosen people

The Kingdom of Judah Ends

• Josiah becomes King in 640 B.C.• Assyrian Empire weakens• Judah regaining independence• “The Book of the Law”

– “Book of Deuteronomy”

• Time of Moses• Reform religious practices• Banned false practices• Only worship at the Temple

The Prophet Zephaniah

• During the time of Josiah• Message found in the book of

Zephaniah• Condemned worship of false gods• Welcomed Josiah’s changes• Urged them to return to the faith of

Moses• A remnant would enjoy the peace,

prosperity, and justice

Death of Josiah

• Died in battle against king of Egypt-609 B.C.• Lost independence• Pledge loyalty to Egypt• Assyria was conquered by Babylon• Babylon conquered Egypt• Judah had to pledge loyalty to Babylon• New king not faithful

– Encouraged idolatry– Violence and social injustice flourished

Revenge against JudahThe Exile 597 B.C.

• King disloyal to Babylon• Revenge on Judah• Invaded• Crops ruined• King, family and officials forced to

move to Babylon (step 1 of the exile)• Wealth stripped from Judah• New king – Zedekiah, left in charge

2nd Invasion of Judah2nd Exile 594 B.C.

• Zedekiah rebelled• Judah invaded again• Farm land ruined, people deported to

Babylon• More wealth stripped

3rd Invasion3rd Exile 587 B.C.

• King resists Babylon still• Invaded a 3rd time • Destroyed Jerusalem• Destroyed the Temple• Deported more people to Babylon• People of Judah in exile• End of Judah- the southern kingdom

– The kings from David

The Prophet Habakkuk

• 605 – 597 B.C.• Questioned God’s ways• “why must you let me see ruin; why must I

look at misery?”• Instrument to purify Judah of its sins• Faithful would remain in God’s love• Baptism – our cleansing to be faithful• Reconciliation – forgiveness of sins• Penance – sorrow for sins

The Prophet Jeremiah

• 650 B.C. – 583 B.C.• Troubled times• Struggled with his vocation

– “why me”– Said he didn’t know how to speak to

people– God said he would put the words in his

mouth

• Supported Josiah– Confused- felt people didn’t truly

understand why they were doing what they were doing in the name of God

• Must learn the real meaning of what was right if they wanted to survive

• People thought he was crazy; accused him of blasphemy

• Rejected, put in jail

• During final exile, told them not to resist in hopes of the Temple not being destroyed

• People did not listen, did not believe that their captivity could be part of God’s plan