SOURCE FOR QUESTIONS
2 Chronicles 21:1 through 32:33

‍KEY VERSE FOR MEMORIZATION
“Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.” (2 Chronicles 29:8)

BACKGROUND

In this portion of 2 Chronicles, the author continues his history of the kings of Judah. He traced the achievements and failures of nine rulers, beginning with King Jehoram in 848 B.C. and continuing through the reign of King Hezekiah, which ended with his death in 687 B.C. Of these rulers, only four—Joash, Amaziah, Jotham, and Hezekiah—followed God and led the people in renewing their commitment to Him. Although not perfect in every regard, those four attempted to obey God’s laws, did away with the places of idol worship, refrained from alliances with ungodly nations, and generally encouraged the people in the worship of the one true God. One other king, Uzziah, had a positive beginning and accomplished much good for Judah, but pride was his downfall near the end of his rule. 

Today’s text reveals that throughout the history of Judah, the nation fluctuated between obedience to God and apostasy. The reigning king’s response to God affected the spiritual condition of the people and determined whether or not God would send judgment upon the nation. When David’s descendants on Judah’s throne were faithful to God, Judah experienced victory in battle, success in government, and peace with other nations. Conversely, when the rulers led the people into idolatry, the nation suffered. 

Just as Judah’s faithfulness to God was key to her peace and survival as a nation, so our obedience to God as individuals is vital to our peace and spiritual survival today. If we forget that all our blessings and benefits come from God, we are in danger of the same spiritual and moral collapse that Judah ultimately experienced.

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QUESTIONS

1. Chapter 21 describes the reign of King Jehoram, who succeeded his father Jehoshaphat on the throne of Judah. He was married to Athaliah, the idolatrous daughter of Israel’s wicked King Ahab and his wife Jezebel. Verse 6 of chapter 21 notes that Jehoram “walked in the way of the kings of Israel.” This was a negative evaluation, because while the Southern Kingdom of Judah had both godly and wicked kings, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had only evil rulers. According to verses 8-10, what were some of the consequences to Jehoram and Judah because he forsook the God of his fathers?
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2. Chapter 22 of 2 Chronicles relates that Athalia used the death of her son Ahaziah (Jehoahaz) to assume control of the kingdom. She immediately destroyed all the royal family—her own grandchildren—to eliminate any who might resist her efforts to gain the throne. The only survivor was Ahaziah’s youngest son, Joash. Ahaziah’s sister, Jehoshabeath, and her husband, Jehoiada the high priest, concealed the baby Joash in the Temple and then kept him hidden for six years before establishing him on the throne of Judah. Why do you think this couple risked their own lives to preserve the life of the young prince?
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3. After establishing Joash upon the throne of Judah, Jehoiada continued to be a powerful influence for good in the kingdom. Verses 16-17 of chapter 23 record that he led the people in making a covenant of recommitment to God and then in destroying the temple of Baal at Jerusalem. In verse 18-21, Jehoiada reinstituted worship practices based on what God had revealed to Moses and David. What significance do you see in the statement in 2 Chronicles 24:2 that Joash did what was right in God’s sight “all the days of Jehoiada the priest”?
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4. Chapter 25 is a record of the twenty-nine-year reign of Amaziah, who ascended the throne of Judah following the death of his father, Joash. While Amaziah began his reign doing what was right in the sight of the Lord, verse 2 indicates that he did not serve God with a perfect heart. What do you think “a perfect heart” means in this context? What actions of Amaziah as described in verse 14 support your evaluation?
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5. The fifty-two-year reign of King Uzziah, described in chapter 26, was the second longest in Judah’s history. Uzziah had a positive beginning and accomplished much good for Judah. Read verses 6-15 and summarize what material changes Uzziah made for the nation.
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6. After accomplishing so much for the Kingdom of Judah, what led to Uzziah’s downfall? 2 Chronicles 26:16
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7. Verses 9-15 of chapter 28 tell of a remarkable act of courage: the intervention of the prophet Oded, who reproved Israel’s military leaders as they were returning home from battle. What did he tell them and what was the result?
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8. If we face circumstances in our lives that require courage, what can we learn from the prophet Oded that might help us?
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9. Chapters 29 through 32 of 2 Chronicles are a record of the twenty-nine-year reign of King Hezekiah, the fifteenth king of Judah. Hezekiah is considered by many Bible scholars to be the greatest of the reformer kings of the nation. Verse 2 of chapter 29 states that “he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.” The people of Judah had turned from God to idols, but Hezekiah attempted to completely wipe out all vestiges of idolatrous worship—he destroyed or removed pagan altars, idols, and temples. Based on the following verses, what other actions did Hezekiah take toward reform in Judah? 2 Chronicles 29:3-5, 10, 20-21; 30:1; 31:2
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10. In Hezekiah’s time, the Assyrian Empire was the superpower that controlled most of the Middle East. Chapter 32 records how Sennacherib tried to overthrow Judah in order to force the people to pay tribute. Hezekiah made diligent efforts to fortify Jerusalem against the expected assault: he strengthened the city walls, added another wall around the city, and prepared armament. He also diverted the spring outside the city that provided Jerusalem with water, channeling the water through an underground tunnel to provide a water supply in event of a siege. Based on 2 Chronicles 32:6-8 and 20, what other and even more important actions did Hezekiah take to prepare for the assault?
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CONCLUSION

The history recorded for us by the author of Chronicles teaches that a nation that does not follow God and abide by His instructions will never be successful.