June 22-28, 2025

HEART PREPARATION:
This week, we are going to be entering into the dark history of Israel. God’s faithfulness has been revealed through their entire journey so far, and Israel has consistently been unfaithful to God. Now, as Israel experiences civil war and turns their back on God, you will continue to see God’s grace, mercy, and faithfulness to Israel through these readings. Take a moment to thank God for His grace, mercy, and faithfulness to you throughout your entire life, even when you have been unfaithful to Him. 


WEEK’S READING PLAN:

• Sunday, June 22 — Proverbs 30-31
• Monday, June 23 — 1 Kings 12-14
• Tuesday, June 24 — 2 Chronicles 10-12
• Wednesday, June 25 — 1 Kings 15:1-24, 2 Chronicles 13-16
• Thursday, June 26 — 1 Kings 15:25-16:34, 2 Chronicles 17
• Friday, June 27 — 1 Kings 17-19
• Saturday, June 28 — 1 Kings 20-21

WHAT TO EXPECT:
The golden age of Israel has come, and now it is about to pass. They’ve seen their greatest king, a man after God’s own heart, David. David defeated all of their foes. They’ve seen Solomon, a king who brought them great riches and built the temple of God. Yet, at the end of Solomon’s life, he turned away from God. He allowed himself to be drawn away because of his many wives. That is going to start being a trickle effect for Israel, as a civil war begins to break out in Israel, and it is divided into two kingdoms, Israel to the North (with a capital of Samaria), and Judah to the South (with a capital of Jerusalem). 


WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
As you get ready to read the accounts of Israel in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, refresh yourself with Deuteronomy 28. God promises blessings for those who are obedient to Him, but then He gives strong warnings if they are disobedient. What you are about to witness in these upcoming passages is the fulfillment of those warnings, a nation turning against God. 


Pay attention to how each kingdom is behaving. We are about to enter into the times where the prophets are warning the people to repent, that they are headed for disaster. When you understand the context of these passages, you understand the context of the prophets, and they make much more sense. 


Here is a quick overview of the divided kingdoms 


ISRAEL

• Northern Kingdom 
• Capital of Samaria 
• 19 Kings, not a single one does what is right in the eyes of the Lord 
  • 9 different dynasties throughout 
    • Jereboam I (931-910BC)
    • Nadab (910-909BC)*assassinated, new dynasty begins
    • Baasha (909-886BC)
    • Elah (886-885BC)*assassinated, new dynasty begins
    • Zimri (885BC)
    • Omri (885-874BC)
    • Ahab (874-853BC)
    • Ahaziah (853-852BC)
    • Joram (852-841BC)*assassinated, new dynasty begins
    • Jehu ((841-814BC)
    • Jehoahaz (814-798BC)
    • Jehoash (798-782BC)
    • Jeraboam II (782-753BC)
    • Zechariah (753-752BC)*assassinated, new dynasty begins
    • Shallum (752)*defeated by Menahem, new dynasty begins
    • Menahem (752-742BC)
    • Pekahiah (742-740BC)*assassinated, new dynasty begins
    • Pekah (740-730BC)*assassinated, new dynasty begins
    • Hoshea (730-722BC)*defeated by Assyria
• Prophets who Prophesied to Israel
  • Elijah
  • Elisha
  • Hosea
  • Amos
  • Isaiah
  • Micah
• Israel fell in 722BC to the Assyrian Empire 

JUDAH

• Southern Kingdom 
• Capital of Jerusalem 
• 20 kings, 8 of whom did what was right in the eyes of the Lord 
  • 1 complete dynasty (every single king was a descendant of David), a fulfillment of God’s covenant to David from 2 Samuel 7:10-17
    • Rehoboam (931-913BC)
    • Abijah (913-911BC)
    • Asa (911-870BC)
    • Jehoshaphat (870-848BC)
    • Jehoram (848-841BC)
    • Ahaziah (841BC)
    • Athaliah, Queen (841-835BC)
    • Joah (835-796BC)
    • Amaziah (796-767BC)
    • Uzziah (767-740BC)
    • Jotham (748 [co-reign]-732BC)
    • Ahaz (732-716BC)
    • Hezekiah (716-687BC) 
    • Manasseh (687-642BC)
    • Amon (642-640BC)
    • Josiah (640-608BC)
    • Jehoahaz (608BC)
    • Jehoiakim (608-597BC) — 1st Babylonian Deportation in 605BC 
    • Jehoiachin (597BC) — 2nd Babylonian Deportation in 597BC
    • Zedekiah (597-586BC) — 3rd and Final Babylonian Deportation in 586BC, with the destruction of Jerusalem 
• Prophets who Prophesied to Judah
  • Nahum
  • Isaiah
  • Jeremiah
  • Zephaniah
  • Habakkuk
• Judah fell to the Babylonian Empire in 586BC 

PERSONAL INSIGHT:
There is so much in these chapters moving forward, it’s hard to pick out one thing that stood out to me. I think one of the big things that stands out initially is the bad decision of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. He takes over the kingdom, and he has the ability to lead wisely, or lead foolishly. He seeks counsel from the older generation, his father’s advisors, and they tell him to rule gently and in love. Then, he turns to his own peers, and they tell him to rule with power. He chooses to listen to his peers, and that leads to the dividing of the kingdom. Throughout the Proverbs, you have read passages about receiving guidance and counsel. Passages like:

whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm (Proverbs 13:20)

Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed (Proverbs 15:22)

For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory (Proverbs 24:6)

What this passage in 1 Kings 11 demonstrates though is the importance of who is speaking into your life. Rehoboam had counselors, he had people speaking into his life, but they were not wise counsel. He went to his peers, instead of listening to the wise advice of his father’s counselors. So this leads me to think, who am I allowing to speak into my life, and what kind of counsel am I receiving? Who are the voices that I go to for wisdom, and is what they are giving me wisdom? And if you want to know if it is wisdom or not, line it up with what God’s Word says. The wise thing may not be the easy thing. The wise thing may not be the popular thing. But the wise thing is the right thing. 


PRAYER:
God, I thank You for giving us Your Word, Your Truth, preserved through all these years for us. Thank You for Your people, who have the gift of the Holy Spirit to speak wisdom into our lives. Help me to live according to Your Word, regardless of whether it is easy or popular. Help us live lives that, when we are done, it is said of us that we did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 


This week’s devotional was prepared by Andrew Peterman