Page 56 - Biblical Backgrounds student textbook

Government and History

During the prophet Samuel’s ministry, Israel asked for a king, as the other nations had. It was, in a
sense, the rejection of Jehovah as King. God warned them that the king would take their sons and
daughters, the best of their crops, and their income, but that did not seem to pacify their demands. So
God allowed them to have a king.

The king of Judah was the
government. He
established all policies and
supervised the military,
judicial, and religious
activities of the land. The
king even regulated the
economy and made sure
that he was the wealthiest
person in the kingdom.
He claimed vast pieces of
land as his own. He
managed the defense of
cities, fortifying them
against foreign aggressors.
While he had commanders
in the army, the king
generally commanded the
troops during a defensive
or offensive battle.

Some of the Kings of Judah sought the Lord and were considered “good” kings. They would encourage
the people to obey the laws of Moses and put the Lord first in everyday life. But on occasion, a king
would rise in rebellion to their father’s faith and stand against the Lord. And when this happened, the
people generally followed their king in his waywardness. Here is a list of kings when Judah stood alone
as God’s people:

List of the Kings of Judah from 722 to 586 BC and their
Response to Yahweh

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