The Kingdom had lasted 120 years.

• Saul - 40 years (Acts 11:21)
• David - 40 years (II Samuel 5:4)
• Solomon - 40 years (I Kings 11:42)

• What incident caused the division of Israel into 2 kingdoms after the death of King Solomon?
• 1 Kings 12:1-17
• Ten Tribes form the Northern Kingdom, called "Israel."
• It lasted a little over 200 years and was destroyed by Assyria, 721 B.C.
• Judah and Benjamin form the Southern Kingdom, called "Judah."
• It lasted a little over 300 years and was destroyed by Babylon, about 600 B.C..

• Northern
• Calf worship.
• The calf came to stand as a symbol of Israel's Independence of Judah.
• Baal Worship, introduced by Jezebel, prevailed about 30 years.
• Every one of the 19 kings followed the worship of the Golden Calf - and some also served Baal.
• None attempted to bring the people back to God!
• Southern
• God-Worship
• Even though most of the kings served idols and walked in the evil ways of the kings of Israel, some of Judah's kings served God - and at times there were great reformations.
• Eventually, however, in spite of the repeated warnings, Judah sank lower and lower in the horrible practices of Baal worship and other Canaanite religions, until there was no remedy.

• Jeroboam I (933-911) twenty-two years
• Nadab (911-910) two years
• Baasha (910-887) twenty-four years
• Elah (887-886) two years
• Zimri (886) seven days
• Omri (886-875) twelve years
• Ahab (875-854) twenty-two years
• Ahaziah (855-854) two years
• Jehoram (Joram) (854-843) twelve years
• Jehu (843-816) twenty-eight years
• Jehoahaz (820-804) seventeen years
• Jehoash (Joash) (806-790) sixteen years
• Jeroboam II (790-749) forty-one years
• Zechariah' (748) six months
• Shallum (748) one month
• Menahem (748-738) ten years
• Pekahiah (738-736) two years
• Pekah (748-730) twenty years
• Hoshea (730-721) nine years

• Rehoboam (933-916) seventeen years
• Abijam (915-913) three years
• Asa (Good) (912-872) forty-one years
• Jehoshaphat (Good) (874-850) twenty-five years
• Jehoram (850-843) eight years
• Ahaziah (843) one year
• Athaliah (843-837) six years (only woman)
• Joash (Good) (843-803) forty years
• Amaziah (Good) (803-775) 29 years
• Azariah (Uzziah) (Good) (787-735) fifty-two years
• Jotham (Good) (749-734) sixteen years
• Ahaz (741-726) sixteen years
• Hezekiah (Good) (726-697) 29 years
• Manasseh (697-642) fifty-five years
• Amon (641-640) two years
• Josiah (Good) (639-608) thirty-one years
• Jehoahaz (608) three months
• Jehoiachim (608-597) eleven years
• Jehoiachin (597) three months
• Zedekiah (597-586) eleven years

• Even through their wickedness and evil, they were often quite prosperous.
• For the first 80 years, they were at war with each other,
• the next 80 years, they were at peace with each other,
• and the last 50 years, they had war off and on - right to the very end.

Ahab - the bad guy!
Six chapters are given to Ahab's reign, (wickedest of all the kings of Israel) while most of the kings of Israel are covered in only part of one chapter.

Elijah - the good guy!

The reason is that the story of Ahab is largely the story of Elijah.

Elijah was God's answer to Ahab and Jezebel.

God sent Elijah to eradicate Baalism, a cruel religion.

 

 

"Elijah's rare, sudden, and brief appearances, his undaunted courage and fiery zeal, the brilliance of his triumphs, the pathos of his despondency, the glory of his departure, and the calm beauty of his reappearance with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration ( Matthew 17: 3–4 ;  Mark 9:4 ;  Luke 9:30–33 ) make him one of the grandest characters Israel ever produced."  (Haley's Handbook)

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Hey kids - let's read the story about Elijah!
1 Kings 17 - 19; II Kings 1-2:11

It is during a time of Drought.
God gave Elijah power to shut the heavens for 3½ years so it would not rain. I Kings 17:1
(But the rain was to return - eventually - but not until God was done using Elijah to work on Ahab.  (18:41)

• During this time, Elijah was fed...
• by ravens by the brook Cherith.  - I Kings 17:2-7
• and by the widow of Zarephath, whose jar of meal (flour) and cruse (jug) of oil did not run out.  I Kings 17:8-16
• healed the widow's son - I Kings 17:17-24

• Elijah was to show himself to Ahab, and God would send rain upon the earth.
• I Kings 18:1,2

• The altar scene - choose God or Baal!
• I Kings 18:17-40
• vs 41 - abundance of rain

• Elijah runs faster than Ahab and his horse!
• I Kings 18:45,46