Promises for the Throne: The Kings of Judah in Light of Proverbs 3:1–8

Series Handouts available at https://humble-sidecar-837.notion.site/Handouts-A-Little-Bit-of-This-A-Little-Bit-of-That-1a3b35a87d63804aa6f6c33ffd00264c?pvs=74

Series: A Little Bit of This…A Little Bit of That

Dr. Randy White | www.RandyWhiteMinistries.org

----------

1. Understanding the Background

• Historical Context

• The kingdom of Judah emerged when Israel split into two nations under King Rehoboam (1 Kings 12).

• The southern kingdom's royal line stretched from David to Zedekiah.

• Key Scripture: Proverbs 3:1–8 (KJV)

• God promises "length of days, and long life, and peace" (3:2) to the royal line who follows His ways. NOTE: This is built on the assumption I’ve laid out in my study “Proverbs: Wisdom Unveiled,” a series which seeks to make sense of the book of Proverbs by viewing it as a guide to the Law for Judah’s Kings, not an “any-size fits all” approach.

• The passage emphasizes trusting God and keeping His commandments, while warning the king who turns away.

• What You'll Learn

• How each king's reign shows the results of either following or rejecting God's commands.

• The two types of kings you'll study:

• Faithful Kings: Those who either stayed true to God or returned to Him after straying.

• Unfaithful Kings: Those who consistently disobeyed God.

----------

2. Surveying the Faithful Kings

• Overview of the Seven Faithful

1. Asa (41 years)

• Removed idols, trusted God against enemies.

• Mistake near the end (relied on alliances), yet overall “his heart was perfect with the LORD all his days” (1 Kings 15:14).

2. Jehoshaphat (25 years)

• Sent teachers of the Law to instruct Judah (2 Chr 17:7–9).

• Unwise alliances but repeatedly turned back to God’s ways.

3. Uzziah (Azariah) (52 years)

• Prospered greatly by seeking the LORD, eventually became proud and intruded into priestly duties.

• Struck with leprosy but had decades of overall obedience.

4. Jotham (16 years)

• “He did that which was right in the sight of the LORD” (2 Kings 15:34).

• Generally stable reign, though idolatry remained among the people.

5. Hezekiah (29 years)

• Restored temple worship, trusted God against the Assyrians.

• Granted 15 extra years of life.

6. Manasseh (55 years)

• Began extremely wicked. After captivity in Assyria, he repented and tore down idols.

• Ended his reign seeking the LORD.

7. Josiah (31 years)

• Rediscovered the Book of the Law, cleansed Judah of idols, held a great Passover.

• Died in battle, yet Scripture portrays him as a model reformer.

• Connections to Proverbs 3

• Longer reigns (average over 30 years, from 16 to 55).

• Times of peace, miraculous rescues (e.g., Hezekiah vs. Sennacherib).

• Illustrate “in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

----------

3. Surveying the Unfaithful Kings

• Overview of the Twelve Unfaithful

1. Rehoboam (17 years)

• Idolatry and arrogance. Brief humbling did not change his overall trajectory.

2. Abijah (Abijam) (3 years)

• Fought Jeroboam with a nod to the LORD, but “his heart was not perfect” (1 Kings 15:3).

3. Jehoram (8 years)

• Killed his own brothers, led Judah into idolatry. Died painfully, unlamented.

4. Ahaziah (1 year)

• Followed Ahab’s ways, killed by Jehu.

5. Joash (Jehoash) (40 years)

• Faithful under priestly mentor Jehoiada, turned wicked afterward. No repentance.

6. Amaziah (29 years)

• Began well, ended worshiping idols of Seir.

7. Ahaz (16 years)

• Child sacrifice, pagan altars, constant defeat.

8. Amon (2 years)

• Continued early Manasseh’s idolatry, assassinated.

9. Jehoahaz (3 months)

• Did evil, deposed to Egypt.

10. Jehoiakim (11 years)

• Burned Jeremiah’s scroll, died in disgrace.

11. Jehoiachin (3 months)

• Did evil, surrendered to Babylon.

12. Zedekiah (11 years)

• Rejected Jeremiah’s counsel, led Judah to destruction, blinded by Babylon.

• Connections to Proverbs 3

• Average short reign (~11 years, from 3 months to 40 years).

• Political turmoil, invasions, defeats, assassinations.

• Demonstrate “forget not my law” in the negative: they did forget, and faced dire consequences.

----------

4. Comparisons and Observations

• Reign Length Totals

• Faithful: ~35.57 years average.

• Unfaithful: ~11.54 years average.

• Key Pattern

• Even with slip‑ups, those who turned back to God found stability and longevity.

• Habitual rejection yielded chaos, defeat, and short reigns.

----------

5. Reflections Tied to Proverbs 3:1–8

• Promises in Proverbs can be taken as “always true” if you always take them for their intended audience.

• “Length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.”

• “Trust in the LORD … lean not unto thine own understanding.”

• Illustrating the Principle

• Faithful kings exemplify “in all thy ways acknowledge him.”

• Unfaithful kings repeatedly “forgot” the Law and reaped bitter consequences.

• Takeaway

• The narrative of Judah’s monarchs is more than historical record; it is a lived example of Proverbs 3’s promises and warnings.

• Even egregious sin (Manasseh) does not prohibit restoration if true repentance occurs.

• Consistent reliance on God fosters enduring blessings.