The Kings of Judah and Israel [Paperback]

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Now back in print with a fresh typesetting.

From the Introduction-It is the author’s purpose in this volume to review briefly the histories of the kings of Judah, as recorded in the inspired books of the Kings and Chronicles. These histories are given to us in more or less detail, and do not read exactly the same in each book. God has surely a purpose in this, and it is the glory of saints to search out these matters and to discover, if possible, why these differences exist. There can be no contradiction for “there is one Spirit,” and He who inspired the historian of the Kings also controlled and directed the writer of the Chronicles.

These two historical books of the Old Testament bear a relation to each other somewhat similar to that existing between the four Gospels of the New Testament. In the gospels we have a quartet of evangelical biographers, all giving glimpses of the Lord’s life, no two in just the same way. They did not even record any single event of that marvelous life of God incarnate in the same way; nor did they report verbatim any discourse of the divine Master. The evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are like the four parts in some sublime musical composition. Each part differs from the other, yet together they form a most perfect harmony because they are arranged by one master musician. Each part is perfect in itself, yet requires the others to give the intended fullness. The one part expresses sweetness; the other, strength; another, pathos; and still another, profundity. Each part is essential to the proper expression of the other three and in the combination of the four we have the full, grand harmony. So the four Gospels, though differing, are all the compositions of one author-the Holy Spirit. Each is perfect, yet requires what the others contain to give to the fourfold record the surpassing beauty that every anointed eye beholds in the four evangelists. Each record, being perfectly proportioned to the others, produces that sublime anthem of praise to Heaven’s beloved One of whom they speak.

And He was the King. In the two books into which we are about to glance we have kings-some comparatively good, and others exceedingly bad; some who made fair beginnings, and foul endings; others who commenced badly, but made a good finish. All, however, came short of God’s glory and the divine ideal of what a king should be. He who was, according to the expectation of the Gentile magi, “born King of the Jews,” and to the Jew Nathanael “the King of Israel,” fulfilled that ideal perfectly. So He is called by Jehovah “My King.” And in the fast-approaching day of His kingdom and power He will be known and acknowledged as King of nations (see Matt. 2:2; John 1:49; Psa. 2:6; Rev. 15:3).

Table of Contents

1. Reigns of Saul, David and Solomon: an Introduction by H. A. Ironside, The

2. Author's Introduction

3. Chronological Table

4. Rehoboam

5. Abijah

6. Asa

7. Jehoshaphat

8. Jehoram

9. Ahaziah

10. Jehoash

11. Amaziah

12. Uzziah

13. Jotham

14. Ahaz

15. Hezekiah

16. Manasseh

17. Amon

18. Josiah

19. Jehoahaz

20. Jehoiakim

21. Jehoiachin

22. Zedekiah

23. Chronological Table

24. Jeroboam I

25. Nadab

26. Baasha

27. Elah

28. Zimri

29. Omri

30. Ahab

31. Ahaziah

32. Joram (or Jehoram)

33. Jehu

34. Jehoahaz

35. Joash (or Jehoash)

36. Jeroboam II

37. Zachariah

38. Shallum

39. Menahem

40. Pekahiah

41. Pekah

42. Hoshea