In the four Books of Kings the Scriptures go back and forth between the kings of the divided children of Israel—Juda & Jerusalem and Israel & Samaria
To the extent that I referenced as “sort of a dance back and forth” in Day 131:
Day 131: OT Fourth Kings C17-20; Assyria takes Israel; Juda’s Prayers are Answered!
Israel split into two countries—Israel including Samaria in the North and Juda including Jerusalem in the South. The Juda and Israel kingships always referenced each other to one another, it was sort of a dance back and forth to time-stamp the changes in leadership with the wildcard always being Assyria:
Now here is the splendid detail of Second Paralipomenon we see Ezechias, King of Juda, lead what looks to be the reuniting and reunification of all Israel, both Juda and Jerusalem and Israel and Samaria!
In the extracted inspirational words of the Bible:
And king Ezechias rising early, assembled all the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord. And they offered together… for sin, for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, for Juda… and the priests took the blood, and they poured also their blood upon the altar… and the priests immolated them, and sprinkled their blood before the altar for an expiation of all Israel: for the king had commanded that the holocaust and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.
And he set the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, and psalteries, and harps, according to the regulation of David the king… for it was a commandment of the Lord by the hand of his prophets. And the Levites stood, with the instruments of David, and the priests with trumpets… they began to sing praises to the Lord, and to sound with trumpets, and divers instruments which David the king of Israel had prepared. And all the multitude adored, and the singers, and the trumpeters, were in their office till the holocaust was finished. And when the oblation was ended, the king, and all that were with him bowed down and adored…
Ezechias, and all the people rejoiced because the ministry of the Lord was accomplished. For the resolution of doing this thing was taken suddenly.
And Ezechias sent to all Israel and Juda: and he wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasses, that they should come to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and keep the phase to the Lord the God of Israel.
Ezechias… proclaiming: Ye children of Israel, turn again to the Lord, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel: and he will return to the remnant of you that have escaped the hand of the king of the Assyrians. Be not like your fathers, and brethren, who departed from the Lord the God of their fathers, and he hath given them up to destruction, as you see. Harden not your necks, as your fathers did: yield yourselves to the Lord, and come to his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: serve the Lord the God of your fathers, and the wrath of his indignation shall be turned away from you. For if you turn again to them your brethren, and children shall find mercy before their masters, that have led them away captive, and they shall return into this land: for the Lord your God is merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.
NOTE: action indicated with the words “to do,” inspired to act on the Scriptures, initiated by the heart!
The Lord who is good will show mercy, to all them, who with their whole heart seek the Lord the God of their fathers… kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy, praising the Lord every day… during the seven days of the solemnity… And there was a great solemnity in Jerusalem, such as had not been in that city since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel… and their prayer came to the holy dwelling place of heaven.
Perhaps a return to the remnant of your self is a prayerful, reuniting and reunification of Israel and perhaps with family and friends to eventually encompass the one hundred and ninety-five or so countries that make up our entire world!
Perhaps, as Ezechias did with spirit and prayer, or by way of The Third Testament of The Holy Spirit and our Splendid Spiritual Selves…
Day 153: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Return to the Remnant of You…a Prayerful Reuniting and Reunification of Israel!
Read and inspired by the Old Testament, The Second Book of Paralipomenon, Chapters 27-31
Bible Notes:
This book opens with the story of Solomon: his building of the Temple in Jerusalem, the beginning of sacrifices therein, his great riches, and finally his death. The latter section of the book records the history of the Southern Kingdom, Juda, up to the Babylonia Captivity. The last two verses contain the opening words of a decree by Cyrus, King of Persia, allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild the Temple.
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 27: Joatham reigns well; Joatham defeats the Ammonites; Achaz succeeds Joatham.
Joatham was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem… And he did that which was right before the Lord, according to all that Ozias his father had done, only that he entered not into the temple of the Lord, and the people still transgressed. He built the high gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Juda, and castles and towers in the forests.
He fought against the king of the children of Ammon, and overcame them… And Joatham was strengthened, because he had his way directed before the Lord his God.
Now the rest of the acts of Joatham, and all his wars, and his works, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Juda.
And Joatham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and Achaz his son reigned in his stead.
(David—Solomon—Roboam—Abia—Asa—Josaphat—Joram—Ochozias—Joas—Amasias—Ozias—Joatham—Achaz)
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 28: Achaz reigns wickedly; Achaz defeated by Israel and Syria; Oded demands release of the captives; Captives released; Assyrians hired to aid Juda; Achaz becomes more idolatrous; Ezechias succeeds Achaz.
Achaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord as David his father had done, but walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; moreover also he cast states for Baalim. It was he that burnt incense in the valley of Benennom, and consecrated his sons in the fire, according to the manner of the nations which the Lord slew at the coming of the children of Israel. He sacrificed also, and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
And the Lord God delivered him into the hands of the king of Syria, who defeated him, and took a great booty out of his kingdom, and carried it to Damascus: he was also delivered into the hands of the king of Israel, who overthrew him with a great slaughter… a hundred and twenty thousand in one day… And the children of Israel carried away of their brethren (children of Juda and Jerusalem) two hundred thousand women, boys, and girls, and an immense booty; and they brought it to Samaria.
At that time there was a prophet of the Lord there, whose name was Oded… and he said to them: Behold the Lord the God of your fathers being angry with Juda, hath delivered them into your hands, and you have butchered them cruelly, so that your cruelty hath reached up to heaven. Moreover you have a mind to keep under the children of Juda and Jerusalem for your bondmen and bondwomen, which ought not to be done: for you have sinned in this against the Lord your God. But hear ye my counsel, and release the captives that you have brought of your brethren, because a great indignation of the Lord hangeth over you.
The some of the chief men of the sons of Ephraim… stood up against them that came from the war. And they said to them: You shall not bring the captives hither, lest we sin against the Lord. Why will you add to our sins, and heap up upon our former offences? For the sin is great, and the fierce anger of the Lord hangeth over Israel. So the soldiers left the spoils, and all that was taken… clothed all then that were naked… anointed them because of their labor… and brought them down to the city of Jericho the city of palm trees to their brethren, and they returned to Samaria.
At that time king Achaz sent to the king of the Assyrians asking help. And the Edomites came and slew many of Juda, and took a great booty. The Philistines also spread themselves among the cities of the plains, and to the south of Juda: and they took (six cities) with their villages, and they dwelt in them. For the Lord had humbled Juda because of Achaz the king of Juda, for he had stripped it of help, and had contemned the Lord… king of the Assyrians, who also afflicted him, and plundered him without resistance. And Achaz stripped the house of the Lord, and the house of the kings, and of the princes, and gave gifts to the king of the Assyrians, and yet it availed him nothing.
Contemned—to treat or regard with disdain, scorn, or contempt.
Moreover also in the time of his distress he increased contempt against the Lord: king Achaz himself by himself, sacrificed victims to the gods of Damascus that struck him, and he said: The gods of the kings of Syria help them, and I will appease them with victims, and they will help me; whereas on the contrary they were the ruin of him, and Israel. Then Achaz… shut up the doors of the temple of God… and he provoked the Lord the God of his fathers to wrath.
And Achaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of Jerusalem: for they received him not into the sepulchers of the kings of Israel. And Ezechias his son reigned in his stead.
(David—Solomon—Roboam—Abia—Asa—Josaphat—Joram—Ochozias—Joas—Amasias—Ozias—Joatham—Achaz—Ezechias)
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 29: Ezechias restores true worship; Priests and Levites purify the Temple; Offerings for sin; Temple music is reestablished; The multitude worship.
Now Ezechias began to reign, when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem.
In the first year and month of his reign he opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them
Ezechias to the Levites: Hear me, ye Levites, and be sanctified, purify the house of the Lord the God of your fathers, and take away all filth out of the sanctuary.
Now therefore I have a mind that we make a covenant with the Lord the God of Israel, and he will turn away the wrath of his indignation from us. My sons, be not negligent: the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, and to minister to him, and to worship him, and to burn incense to him.
…and they purified the temple in eight days…
And king Ezechias rising early, assembled all the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord. And they offered together… for sin, for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, for Juda… and the priests took the blood, and they poured also their blood upon the altar… and the priests immolated them, and sprinkled their blood before the altar for an expiation of all Israel: for the king had commanded that the holocaust and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.
Expiation—the means by which atonement or reparation is made.
And he set the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, and psalteries, and harps, according to the regulation of David the king… for it was a commandment of the Lord by the hand of his prophets. And the Levites stood, with the instruments of David, and the priests with trumpets… they began to sing praises to the Lord, and to sound with trumpets, and divers instruments which David the king of Israel had prepared. And all the multitude adored, and the singers, and the trumpeters, were in their office till the holocaust was finished. And when the oblation was ended, the king, and all that were with him bowed down and adored…
And Ezechias, and all the people rejoiced because the ministry of the Lord was accomplished. For the resolution of doing this thing was taken suddenly.
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 30: Ezechias proclaims the Pasch; Ezechias letter of proclamation; Some mock at the Letter; Some fellow Ezechias’ proclamation; Idols in Jerusalem destroyed; Celebration of the Pasch; Paschal celebration prolonged.
And Ezechias sent to all Israel and Juda: and he wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasses, that they should come to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and keep the phase to the Lord the God of Israel.
Ezechias… proclaiming: Ye children of Israel, turn again to the Lord, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel: and he will return to the remnant of you that have escaped the hand of the king of the Assyrians. Be not like your fathers, and brethren, who departed from the Lord the God of their fathers, and he hath given them up to destruction, as you see. Harden not your necks, as your fathers did: yield yourselves to the Lord, and come to his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: serve the Lord the God of your fathers, and the wrath of his indignation shall be turned away from you. For if you turn again to them your brethren, and children shall find mercy before their masters, that have led them away captive, and they shall return into this land: for the Lord your God is merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.
But he hand of God was with Juda, to give them one heart to do the word of the Lord…
NOTE: action indicated with the words “to do.”
The Lord who is good will show mercy, to all them, who with their whole heart seek the Lord the God of their fathers… kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy, praising the Lord every day… during the seven days of the solemnity… And there was a great solemnity in Jerusalem, such as had not been in that city since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel… and their prayer came to the holy dwelling place of heaven.
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 31: Idolatry is abolished; Appointment of priests and Levites; Offerings and tithes; Distribution of offerings; Ezechias prospers.
…then all the children of Israel returned to their possessions and cities.
…for holocausts, and for peace offerings, to minister, and to praise, and to sing in the gates of the camp of the Lord… on the Sabbaths, and the new moons, and the other solemnities, as it is written in the law of Moses.
He commanded also the people that dwelt in Jerusalem… the children of Israel offered in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey: and brought the tithe of all things which the ground bringeth forth…
Since the firstfruits began to be offered in the house of the Lord, we have eaten, and have been filled, and abundance is left, because the Lord hath blessed his people: and of that which is left is this great store which thou seest.
Then Ezechias commanded to prepare storehouses in the house of the Lord. And when they had done so, they brought in faithfully both the firstfruits, and the tithes, and all they had vowed.
So Ezechias did all things which we have said in all of Juda, and wrought that which was good, and right, and truth, before the Lord his God, in all the service of the ministry of the house of the Lord according to the law and the ceremonies, desiring to seek his God with all his heart, and he did it and prospered.
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