Manasseh-From King to Slave in One Morning

By Mary Vee
II Chronicles 33

From the Journals of Manasseh

Photo Courtesy

The soldiers pushed and pulled me to walk faster. We had walked for days and my legs were tired.

My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth and my nose stung from the hook the soldiers put through my nose.

They wouldn't talk to me. They didn't even talk to each other. There have been many times I had wished the people of Judah would leave me alone, even for five minutes. Now I wish I could be with them.

I didn't know how far we had to walk before we would get to Babylon. The nights were cold and no one gave me a blanket. I didn't have any servants. Instead, I had gone from king to slave in one morning.

With all the quiet, except when the soldiers yelled at me to walk faster, I thought about my dad, King Hezekiah, and his strong desire to get rid of all the idols. He spent a lot of time praying to God and he listened to the prophets. While Dad was alive, we did well. I see that now. 

Maybe he was right all along. 

We finally arrived in Babylon. Everything looked strange. The people spoke a different language and I couldn't understand them. They shoved me when I didn't understand where I needed to go. 

That night. My first night in Babylon. I finally understood. God had helped Judah so very much when my dad ruled, but let the Assyrians take us as prisoners when I led them away from worshiping God.

What have I done? I have ruined everything.

When at last the guards left me alone, tied in a prison cell, I called out to God and begged for His forgiveness. I had disobeyed the only true God who lives and had led the people away from HIm. I fell to the floor and wept. God deserved to be worshiped and offered what praise I could. I didn't have anything to give Him anymore--except my life and dedication.

Some time later a prophet told me God had heard my prayers. God listened to everything I said and saw I meant every word. 

I lost track of the days in prison, but one day a guard came to my cell. I didn't know if he planned to kill me or torture me. No matter what would happen I deserved it for what I had done. The guard spoke in my language! He said the king of Assyria had decided to let me return to Jerusalem and the kingdom.

I returned to the city and ran to the palace. I walked through every room then ran to the temple. There I sensed God's presence and knew the Lord is God. I had never sensed such a clean feeling in my heart before.

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1. Where did the soldiers take Manasseh?
2. Why did they take him there?
3. What was the journey like for Manasseh?
4. What did Manasseh want to have back?
5. What did Manasseh do with the quiet time?

6. When Manasseh was thrown in jail, what did he do?

7. Who heard him?
8. What happened to Manasseh?

Hezekiah-The Bully Walked Away in Silence

By Mary Vee
II Kings 19, Isaiah 37

From the Journals of Hezekiah

I have seen God's amazing power in action. Since I am one of His creations, I don't think it bothers God too much when I am surprised at what He can do.

I have faith He can do anything. But sometimes, I am just so blown away when I see what He's done. My heart pumps hard and I feel a bubbly happiness inside. 

God sent Isaiah to tell me He would take care of the problem with king Sennacherib of Assyria.

And He did!

Last night God sent the angel of the Lord to Sennacherib's army camp and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand of their men. This was not all of their army. There were plenty more soldiers.

When the remaining soldiers and Sennacherib woke the next morning and found the dead bodies he ordered the remaining soldiers to break camp and go back home.

He didn't say anything.

He didn't yell at those of us watching from the city walls.

He didn't cry out, raise his fist, or say any more mean things.

Instead, he and his men left in silence....ashamed.

He and his army returned to Nineveh, their home, and stayed there. They didn't gather new troops to come back and attack. They just stayed home.

Word spread about what the Almighty God did, and how powerful He is. Countries all around us brought gifts to the people of Jerusalem and offerings to present to the Lord. 

For the rest of my days as king, the nations all around us respected Judah and our God.

A while back I was very sick. I cried to the Lord for healing. He said I could live fifteen more years. That time has come to an end. I am thankful for the extra time to help Jerusalem walk in the ways of the Lord and hope that I have please Him.

Praise and glory to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Almighty One.

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1.  Who did God send to give Hezekiah a message?
2.  What was the message?
3.  What did God do?
4.  What did Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem see the next morning?
5.  What did Sennacherib and his men do?
6.  What did the nations around Jerusalem do?

Worship Only God

By Mary Vee
II Kings 17

From the Journals of Isaiah

To remind you what is happening, Hoshea, king of Israel made Shalmaneser, king of Assyria angry. 

Shalmaneser put Hoshea in jail, conquered the land of Israel (not Judah), and dragged the people off to Assyria to be servants.

To keep wild animals from taking over the Israelite land, Shalmaneser brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim to live in the Israelite homes. 

These Assyrian people took over the businesses and everything in the the Israelite towns. They even brought their gods with them to worship. 

The problem now became that no one, not even one person remained in the land who still worshiped God. Even though there were people living in the towns, God allowed lions to come into the homes. They killed some of the people.

A messenger took the news to Shalmaneser. He said, "The people you sent to live in the towns in Samaria, Israel do not know what the god of that country wants. He has sent lions, which are killing them off because the people do not know what he wants."

"Hurry," Shalmaneser said. "Take one of the Israelite priests back to Samaria Israel to live. Have him teach the people I sent what needs to be don to please the god of the land."

The servants obeyed and brought an Israelite priest to Bethel to live. He taught the people how to worship the Lord.

Unfortunately, the new people not only worshiped the Lord, the one true God, but they also worshiped their own gods. Men from Babylon worshipped Succoth Benoth. The men from Cuthah worshiped Nergal. The men from Hamath worshiped Ashima. The Avvites worshiped Nibhaz an Tartak. The men from Sepharvites offered their children to their god Adrammelech.

So, although they worshiped the Lord, they also worshipped these other gods. What kind of worship is that? 

God said, "Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. Bu the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. Always keep his commands. Do not worship other gods. Rather, worship the Lord your God. It is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies. 

But they would not listen.

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1.  Hoshea was king of ________________
2.  Where was he taken?
3.  Who took over the Israelite land?
4.  Where were the Israelite people taken and what did they have to do?
5.  Why did lions come?
6.  Did the new people worship the Lord?
7.  What did they do wrong?

Hoshea Wouldn't Listen To God

By Mary Vee
II Kings 17

From the Journals of Isaiah

Photo Courtesy

As one of the prophets in Israel, God gave me the job to warn the kings when they made bad choices. 

Hoshea was king of Israel. He led the people to worship many gods and to not obey the laws God had given them. 

During Hoshea's time, the people of Israel had to pay Assyria money to keep them from attacking.

Making the king of Assyria angry would not be a wise move. Assyria had a strong and powerful army, riches, and could easily win a battle against Israel. 

After years of paying money to Assyria, Hoshea decided to stop giving them anything.

When the money didn't arrive, Shalmanesser, king of Assyria had his soldiers spy on Hoshea. They came back with this report: "He is a traitor. Hoshea sent messengers to Egypt asking for their protection against us. He also paid them money. The money that should have been sent to us."

Shalmanesser became very angry. "Capture Hoshea and throw him in prison." 

While the king sat in prison, Shalmanesser ordered his army to march against Israel. For three years Assyria attacked Israel. They battled in every part of Israel's land and won.

Shalmanesser's army took the Israelite people as prisoners and sent them to be servants in Halah, Gozan, and cities of the Medes.

God told me this happened because the Israelites had sinned against Him. They worshipped gods that weren't real instead of the true God who saved them from Egypt and the power of Pharaoh. 

God had sent them many warnings to turn from their evil ways. To obey God's commands. I wasn't the only prophet He sent to tell them.

The people wouldn't listen to the warnings. They insisted their way was good.

The only way to make them stop, and to hopefully help them understand what they did wrong, was to take everything away from them. 

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1.  Hoshea was king of ________________
2.  What did he lead the people to do?
3.  Israel had to pay money to ____________ to keep them from attacking.
4.  One year, Hoshea decided to _____________
5.  Who did Hoshea ask for help?
6.  What did Shalmanesser, king of Assyria do?
7.  What could Hoshea have done to stop all of this from happening?

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?

The Captivity Begins

By Mary Vee
II Kings, 15, I Chronicles 5

From the Journals of a Captive Man

Photo Courtesy

I was working in my field.

We had no warning. 

I lived on the east side of the Jordan and am from the tribe of Reuben. 

I looked up at the horizon and saw a vast army marching toward my land. It didn't take long for me to figure out the army came from Assyria because of their weapons, chariots, and number. 

Pekah, our king of Israel, said he would protect us, but he has failed. All three tribes, the Gadites, half tribe of Manessah, and Reubenites, living on the east side of the Jordan were at risk to be taken captive.

Our brave warriors could not stand up to the power of the Assyrians. This is our own fault. We have not worshipped God as we should. Rather we all worshipped the gods from the people who lived near us. God warned us with the prophets, but we didn't listen.

My children and wife cried when the soldiers captured us and tied us to a rope. We had to march away from our home and leave everything behind. Our feet hurt and there was a chill in the night air, but still the soldiers made us march.

The army took us and our brothers from our land in Reuben, Gad, and Manessah to their Assyrian towns. We were assigned to live and be slaves in either Halah, Habor, or the river Gorzon.

I don't know if we will ever be able to go home.

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1. What three groups of Israelites were taken in this first captivity?
2. What army captured them?
3. Why did God allow them to be captured?
4. Where did they take the Israelites?
5. How long will they be in captivity?