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?

Foolish King Jehoshophat

By Mary Vee
I Kings 22

From A Messenger's Journal

I am a messenger from king Ahab's court. Sometimes my job involves sneaking to another city, listening for news then reporting it back to the court.

This time I did not need to report my news. 

Despite the warnings of the prophet Micaiah not to go to battle, king Jehoshaphat agreed to help king Ahab fight his battle against the king of Aram. 

When I sneaked into Ramoth-Gilead, I heard the king of Aram order his thirty-two commanders, "Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel." I was surprised he only wanted to attack king Ahab and not the army.

I reported the news back to king Ahab.

As they prepared for battle, king Ahab said to king Jehoshaphat, "I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes."

This seemed strange to me, but Jehoshaphat agreed. Jehoshaphat mounted his royal chariot, dressed in his royal robes, while Ahab marched in disguise with the other soldiers. Jehoshaphat's clothing looked different from Ahab's, but would the king of Aram know the difference?

The battle began. I marched with the soldiers. Ahab road in a chariot to my left. We advanced against Ramoth Gilead. The enemy marched against us, shouting orders. We pressed forward in battle but found chariots dodging our men. 

Their army steered toward Jehoshaphat's chariot. We tried to protect him, but their soldiers moved with such power.  Jehoshaphat shouted, "I am not the king of Israel!" Their army stopped chasing him, following the command of their king.

One of king Aram's soldiers drew his bow and shot into our army anyway, hitting king Ahab. The arrow pierced the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, "Turn around, I have been wounded."

The battle continued throughout the day. I stayed with the king, nursing his wound with a few others. We propped him up inside his chariot and facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died.

As the sun set, we shouted, "Every man to his town. Every one to his own land."

The doctors carried Ahab back to the city. I was told to insure Jehoshaphat returned safely. 

When he arrived at his palace, a prophet named Jehu greeted him with a message. "My king. Why did you help the wicked king, Ahab, the very man who hates the Lord? Because you did, the wrath of the Lord is upon you. The Lord has said there is some good in you, however. You have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God."

I didn't get to hear what his punishment would be before I returned to Samaria. 

King Ahab was buried in Samaria. His chariot was washed in a pool and the dogs licked up his blood, just as the Lord had said.

All of Israel celebrated the crowning of Ahaziah, Ahab's son, as king over Israel.

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photo courtesy of visualbiblealive.com

1. King ___________ and King ___________ went to battle against ___________.
2. King _______________ wore his royal robes into battle.
3. King _______________ did not. He wore a disguise.
4. King _______________ ordered his men to only attack ______________.
5. The enemy chased king ____________ but stopped when they realized he was the wrong man.
6. A stray arrow flew and hit king _______________. He died that night.
7. When king ___________ returned a prophet greeted him with a message from the Lord. 
8. What did King Jehosophat do wrong?