Zephaniah-God Cares for His Own

By Mary Vee
Zephaniah

From the Journals of the prophet Zephaniah

Photo Courtesy

My great-great grandfather, King Hezekiah ruled Judah. 

Since Hezekiah died we have had a lot of trouble here in Judah. 

When I was little, my father told me what had happened to our people long ago. He said, "After years of trouble and disobeying God while King Ahaz led us, we celebrated when his son, King Hezekiah took over the throne. 

"Your great-great-grandfather Hezekiah proved his love for God by tearing down the idols, opening the temple doors, and teaching the people to worship God as He had commanded."

He looked at me with a tear in his eye. "Yes, Hezekiah was a great king." He sighed. "Then his son, Manasseh ruled. Manasseh liked all the glory that came with being king. He wanted to please the nations all around us instead of the Almighty God. 

"He brought back all the idols. The people of Judah listened to him, setting aside all the good Hezekiah had taught them." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Terrible. Just terrible. The new children born in the country didn't know about God. They learned to worship these awful idols."

"Then what happened?" I asked him.

"Well, son, God did as He said He would. The people were punished. The Assyrian army came and took many of the rich and smart men, women, and children from Judah and made them slaves. We who are here are all that is left. 

"Manasseh cried out to God and said he was sorry. God heard his prayer and let him come back home. His son, Amon became king and did bad things like his father had done. There were and still are many of us who are afraid of the kings."

My father had taught me the stories of what had happened to our people, even from the days of Moses. I loved learning the wonderful things God did, but was very sad to hear about the bad things our people did.


Now that I'm older, I have the chance to tell others how God took care of us and about the good leaders we had like Moses, Joshua, David, Hezekiah, and others. 

Bad king Amon has since died and his son, eight-year-old Josiah has been crowned king. He is too young to make decisions right now. I have been appointed as an advisor for him. 

Recently, God gave me a message that I wrote down. 

The message is: because of the years of disobedience to God's Word, the people of Judah would be punished. The day of the Lord is coming. 

No matter what I said, many of the people didn't care. They didn't listen to me or God's message. They kept doing the bad things they enjoyed.

The punishment will come. They will see. But after a time, God said,
"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you.
He will quiet you with his love.
He will rejoice over you with singing."

I especially liked delivering the last phrase. Just think, God will rejoice over us with singing. Isn't that good news?

I am wondering what young Josiah will do as king. Will he be a good king like Hezekiah or a bad king?

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1. Who is Zephaniah?
2. Had the people of Judah obeyed God?
3. Why or why not?
4. Who is the new king?
5. How old is he?
6. Why is Zephaniah helping the king?
7. Did you know God sings?

Isaiah-Ahaz Shut the Doors of the Temple

By Mary Vee
II Kings 16, II chronicles 28

From the Journals of Isaiah

Photo courtesy

King Ahaz was still afraid of Pekah, king of Israel and Rezin, king of Aram. And so he should be since he hasn't stopped worshiping the Baals.

Rather than ask God for help, he sent a message to the king of Assyria. He knew better than to side with that wicked and powerful king, but he did it anyway.

Along with the letter, Ahaz took silver and gold from the temple of the Lord and riches from the palace treasury and sent them with his note. 

In the note Ahaz said, "Please come save us from our enemy, the king of Aram and the king of Israel. I am your servant."

If only Ahaz would have been an honorable servant of the Lord, the powerful Sovereign God, he wouldn't have had problems. But, noooo. He didn't.

Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria accepted Ahaz's gifts then sent his army to attack king Rezin and captured his cities. The soldiers took the people of Aram to Kir to be slaves and killed their king. 

Pleased with the news, Ahaz traveled to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser and to thank him for his help. While there Ahaz saw a magnificent altar which the people of Aram used to worship their gods. It was stunning.

Ahaz had one of his men draw a sketch of the altar and sent it to Uriah, one of his priests, along with this note. "Make me this same altar."

Sadly, Uriah followed the instructions and had the altar finished by the time king Ahaz returned to Jerusalem. Ahaz was impressed with Uriah's work. He offered sacrifices on the altar to the gods of Aram.

Let's think this through. If God was not pleased with Ahaz for worshiping the Baals, He definitely would not be happy to see Ahaz worshiping the gods from Aram. If only Ahaz would listen to my counsel.

But Ahaz said, "If I worship the gods of Aram, maybe their gods will protect us from their next attack."

Foolish man. Those very gods are what led to the downfall of Aram. Only God can help Judah.

Ahaz wanted no more offerings or worship to take place in the temple of the Lord. He removed all the important objects and shut the doors of the Lord's temple. In every town in Judah he set up places for the people to offer sacrifices to gods.

This angered the Lord, the God of his fathers. God is sure to punish Judah for Ahaz's choices.

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1. Who was king Ahaz afraid of? ___________ and ___________
2. Who should king Ahaz have asked for help? _____________________
3. Who did king Ahaz ask to help protect Judah? _____________________
4. What did king Ahaz give this king for payment? ____________________
5. What happened to king Rezin and his people? ________________
6. What did Ahaz like so much he wanted one made for himself? ___________
7. When Ahaz came back home what doors did he close and not allow to be opened? ____

Isaiah-Ahaz Made Bad Choices

By Mary Vee
II Kings 15, 16 and II Chronicles 28

From the Journals of Isaiah

Photo Courtesy

Ahaz did not do as God instructed. He continued to do things God specifically said not to do. Yes, he was twenty years old, but still, God had sent men to give him wise instruction and he ignored them. 

Ahaz, instead, chose to do the same bad things as our brothers living in Israel did. He made cast idols for worshiping the Baals, offered sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, harmed children, he also offered sacrifices at the high places to the Baals and under every spreading tree.

The people of Judah for the most part listened to Ahaz and followed him in worshiping Baal.

Because Ahaz would not stop worshiping Baal, God allowed Pekah, king of Israel and Rezin, king of Aram to attack Judah. 

In one day, Pekah and Rezin killed one hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah, because Judah had chosen not to worship the Lord, the God of their fathers. So many lives lost. How sad.

After the battle, the Israelite soldiers took many prisoners. These prisoners were their own brothers who lived in Judah! Not only did they take prisoners to become their slaves but they stole things from the people's homes and businesses.

But, God sent a prophet named Oded to Samaria, the place where the Israelite soldiers lived. Obed waited for the army to return. When they arrived he said, "I have a message for you from the Lord. 

"Because the Lord, the God of your fathers was angry with Judah for worshiping the Baals, he allowed you to conquer them. But you have done more damage than you should have. You killed your brothers in a terrible rage. 

"And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves. Aren't you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God? Listen to me. Send back your fellow countrymen which you took as prisoners, for the Lord's fierce anger is on you."

The leaders listened to Oded's words and turned quickly to the rest of the army. The leaders said, "You must not bring those prisoners here or we will be guilty before the Lord. If you don't follow these orders you will add to our sin and guilt. Can't you see, our guilt is already great and God's fierce anger now rests on us!"

So the soldiers gave up their prisoners and all the things they had stolen from Judah and laid it on the ground in front of their leaders. A few men were chosen to help the prisoners by giving clothes to those who needed them, food and drink to those who were hungry and thirsty, and healing balm to those who were injured. They put all the weak prisoners on donkeys, and led all the prisoners and their belongings back to Jericho.

Once all the prisoners arrived at their homes, the Israelite soldiers returned to Samaria.

Still, with all of this, Ahaz did not worship God.

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1. Was Ahaz a good king, one who obeyed God?
2. What things did Ahaz do?
3. God gave permission to Pekah and Rezin to _______________
4. What did the Israelite soldiers do wrong?
5. What did Oded tell the leaders of the Israelite army?
6. Did the Israelite soldiers do what Oded said?

Isaiah- Tell King Ahaz, All is Well

By Mary Vee
Isaiah 7

From the Journals of Isaiah

One day as I prayed the Lord sent me a message to take to Ahaz, king of Judah.

At the time Pekah was the king of Israel and Rezin was king of Aram. 

The people of Israel are our brothers. Our country has been divided many years, but we still are all one people, a chosen nation of God.

Aram has been evil to us ever since I have lived. The king has attacked Israel and Judah so many times. Some times they win. Sometimes they don't.

This why I don't understand why Pekah, king of Israel chose to join armies with Rezin, king of Aram to attack Judah. 

The Lord told me to take my son and go meet Ahaz, king of Judah at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool on the road to the Washerman's Field. God told me to tell him this message: 

"Be careful. Keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart and become discouraged because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood (Pekah from Israel and Rezin from Aram). In his fierce anger, king Rezin and Pekah have plotted to destroy you. 

"They have said to each other, 'Let us invade Judah. Let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves and make the son of Tabeel king over it.'"

Ahaz eyes widened with fear. 

"Don't worry," I told him. "The Sovereign Lord says: 'It will not take place. It will not happen. The capital of Aram is in Damascus and the leader of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years your brothers who live in Ephraim and are helping Rezin will be too shattered to be a people. 

The capital of Ephraim is Samaria, and the leader of Samaria is only Pekah. If you do not stand firm in your faith you will not stand at all."

Ahaz still had wide eyes showing his fear.

I said to him, "The Lord your God wants you to ask for a sign to help you understand his message. You can ask anything in the deepest depths or in the highest heights."

Ahaz cleared his thread and finally spoke. "I will not ask. I will not put the Lord to the test."

This man angered me so. How dare he not do as God asked? "Ahaz, you are from the house of David. Your disrespect for the men of Judah is bad enough, trying the patience of all the citizens. Now you also are trying the patience of my God?" 

I huffed. "The Lord himself will give you a sign anyway and this is it: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey when he know enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. But before this happens the king of Assyria will come and destroy this land."

This man will bring the country of Judah to ruin if he doesn't change from his wicked ways and do what God says.

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1. Two kings decided to attack Judah. ____________ and ____________
2  God sent ___________ to warn Ahaz, king of Judah.
3. God said not to ______________.
4. God asked Ahaz to request a __________ to help him believe the words.
5. Ahaz said, ____________
6. God gave Ahaz a ____________ anyway.
7. Who was angry with Ahaz?

King Ahaz Chooses Not to Listen to Isaiah's Warnings

By Mary Vee
II Kings 16, II Chronicles 28, Isaiah 7

From the Journals of the prophet Isaiah

Photo Courtesy

King Jotham was buried with honors and his son Ahaz crowned king.

Jothan had worked hard to bring Judah back to worshipping God, the people just wouldn't listen. His son, Ahaz, unfortunately loved to please the people. He did not do what was right in God's eyes.

Ahaz followed the ways of the Israelites by making cast idols for worshiping the Baals. He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom which should only be done at the temple by the priests. And he offered his sons following the ways of the nations the Lord had driven out of Israel. Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places on the hilltops and under every spreading tree. None of these things were allowed by God.

While Ahaz was king of Judah, the king of Israel joined the king of Aram to fight against Jerusalem but they could not overpower the city. All the people of Judah were shaken by this attack.

The Lord sent me to meet with Ahaz out at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool. "Ahaz, the Lord has sent me to you with a message."

"I'm listening. What is it?"

"The Lord says, 'Be careful, keep calm, and don't be afraid. Don't give up because of these two armies who attacked Jerusalem.'

"The Lord says, 'It will not take place, it will not happen. If you do not stand firm in your faith you will not stand at all."

"What does the Lord want me to do?" Ahaz asked.

"Ask the the Lord your God to give you a sign whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." I waited for Ahaz to think of something to ask.

Instead he said, "I will not ask. I will not put the Lord to the test."

This had to be one of the most annoying king's I've had to deal with. "Listen, you from the house of David. Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God?" I sighed in anger. "The Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel. Before the boy knows enough to do what is only right, the land of the two kings you fight will be destroyed because the king of Assyria will come and attack.

Ahaz raised his head and said, "I will not listen to you, Isaiah. I will battle against the king of Israel and the king of Aram and I will show you who is in charge."

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1. Who is the new king of Judah?
2. Did he do what was right in God's eyes?
3. Who came to attack Judah (Jerusalem is in Judah)?
4. What message did Isaiah give to Ahaz?
5. Isaiah told Ahaz to ask for a sign from the Lord. What did Ahaz ask for?
6. What did Ahaz decide to do?