Review of Israel's History up to 2 Kings 22

The Amazing Bible. Book Club

This review began with the calling of Abram and his covenant with the Lord in Genesis 12. Abraham and Sarah had Isaac, Isaac and Rebekah had Jacob and Esau. From Esau came the nation of Edom. Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, had 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel. The Lord sent Jacob's family to Egypt because of a severe famine, but the Lord had also sent Joseph ahead to prepare the way for them. (This was when his eleven brothers sold him into slavery!) The Israelites blossomed in Egypt, until a Pharoah arose that did not "remember" Joseph, so they became enslaved there. They cried out to the Lord, and He raised up Moses to deliver them. After the Exodus, the Lord gave Moses the law and they made the tabernacle. They went to the promised land, but because of their unfaithfulness, they had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, until that generation died off. Even Moses was not allowed to enter. It was then that Joshua led them into the promised land, and they took the land and divided it up to the 12 tribes. Just a side note, Levi did not receive land because the Lord and the tabernacle was their inheritance, and instead of Joseph receiving one spot, his two sons that he had in Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim received land. After Joshua died, the Lord raised up Judges to help lead the people, but there was a downward cycle of sin, which caused the people to cry out for a king to lead them. Samuel, a prophet/priest of the Lord anointed Saul the first king, then the most righteous king, King David as the second king of Israel. Solomon, David's son, built the temple and brought Israel to it's height, but it was at the cost of high taxes and extreme labor. When his son, Rehoboam, began to lead, the people revolted, and the nation of Israel divided with the northern 10 tribes as Israel, and the two northern tribes of Judah. The northern 10 tribes began and ended in idolatry, and in 722 Assyria conquered Samaria and Israel fell. This was during the time of the prophets of Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, and Isaiah. It was during Isaiah's ministry, that Assyria tried to take Judah and Jerusalem, but because they blasphemed the name of the Lord, and because King Hezekiah humbled himself and sought the Lord through Isaiah's guidance, the Lord spared Judah. However, Hezekiah's son, Manasseh, did extreme evil in the eyes of the Lord, which brought the Lord's anger, and the Lord sent prophets proclaiming that Babylon was coming. These prophets were Joel, Nahum, and Habakkuk. Even though judgment is coming, there is also hope that the Lord's people will come back, and there is a promise of One who will come with an everlasting kingdom.