Series: A Little Bit of This…A Little Bit of That

Dr. Randy White | www.RandyWhiteMinistries.org

<aside> 👉

Download this outline here:

Promises for the Throne.pdf

</aside>

1. Understanding the Background

• Historical Context
  • The kingdom of Judah emerged when Israel split into two nations under King Rehoboam (1 Kings 12).
  • The southern kingdom's royal line stretched from David to Zedekiah.
• Key Scripture: Proverbs 3:1–8 (KJV)
  • God promises "length of days, and long life, and peace" (3:2) to the royal line who follows His ways. NOTE: This is built on the assumption I’ve laid out in my study “Proverbs: Wisdom Unveiled,” a series which seeks to make sense of the book of Proverbs by viewing it as a guide to the Law for Judah’s Kings, not an “any-size fits all” approach.
  • The passage emphasizes trusting God and keeping His commandments, while warning the king who turns away.
• What You'll Learn
  • How each king's reign shows the results of either following or rejecting God's commands.
  • The two types of kings you'll study:
    • Faithful Kings: Those who either stayed true to God or returned to Him after straying.
    • Unfaithful Kings: Those who consistently disobeyed God.

2. Surveying the Faithful Kings

• Overview of the Seven Faithful
  1. Asa (41 years)
     • Removed idols, trusted God against enemies.
     • Mistake near the end (relied on alliances), yet overall “his heart was perfect with the LORD all his days” (1 Kings 15:14).
  2. Jehoshaphat (25 years)
     • Sent teachers of the Law to instruct Judah (2 Chr 17:7–9).
     • Unwise alliances but repeatedly turned back to God’s ways.
  3. Uzziah (Azariah) (52 years)
     • Prospered greatly by seeking the LORD, eventually became proud and intruded into priestly duties.
     • Struck with leprosy but had decades of overall obedience.
  4. Jotham (16 years)
     • “He did that which was right in the sight of the LORD” (2 Kings 15:34).
     • Generally stable reign, though idolatry remained among the people.
  5. Hezekiah (29 years)
     • Restored temple worship, trusted God against the Assyrians.
     • Granted 15 extra years of life.
  6. Manasseh (55 years)
     • Began extremely wicked. After captivity in Assyria, he repented and tore down idols.
     • Ended his reign seeking the LORD.
  7. Josiah (31 years)
     • Rediscovered the Book of the Law, cleansed Judah of idols, held a great Passover.
     • Died in battle, yet Scripture portrays him as a model reformer.
• Connections to Proverbs 3
  • Longer reigns (average over 30 years, from 16 to 55).
  • Times of peace, miraculous rescues (e.g., Hezekiah vs. Sennacherib).
  • Illustrate “in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

3. Surveying the Unfaithful Kings

• Overview of the Twelve Unfaithful
  1. Rehoboam (17 years)
     • Idolatry and arrogance. Brief humbling did not change his overall trajectory.
  2. Abijah (Abijam) (3 years)
     • Fought Jeroboam with a nod to the LORD, but “his heart was not perfect” (1 Kings 15:3).
  3. Jehoram (8 years)
     • Killed his own brothers, led Judah into idolatry. Died painfully, unlamented.
  4. Ahaziah (1 year)
     • Followed Ahab’s ways, killed by Jehu.
  5. Joash (Jehoash) (40 years)
     • Faithful under priestly mentor Jehoiada, turned wicked afterward. No repentance.
  6. Amaziah (29 years)
     • Began well, ended worshiping idols of Seir.
  7. Ahaz (16 years)
     • Child sacrifice, pagan altars, constant defeat.
  8. Amon (2 years)
     • Continued early Manasseh’s idolatry, assassinated.
  9. Jehoahaz (3 months)
     • Did evil, deposed to Egypt.
  10. Jehoiakim (11 years)
      • Burned Jeremiah’s scroll, died in disgrace.
  11. Jehoiachin (3 months)
      • Did evil, surrendered to Babylon.
  12. Zedekiah (11 years)
      • Rejected Jeremiah’s counsel, led Judah to destruction, blinded by Babylon.
• Connections to Proverbs 3
  • Average short reign (~11 years, from 3 months to 40 years).
  • Political turmoil, invasions, defeats, assassinations.
  • Demonstrate “forget not my law” in the negative: they did forget, and faced dire consequences.

4. Comparisons and Observations

• Reign Length Totals
  • Faithful: ~35.57 years average.
  • Unfaithful: ~11.54 years average.
• Key Pattern
  • Even with slip‑ups, those who turned back to God found stability and longevity.
  • Habitual rejection yielded chaos, defeat, and short reigns.