If you are a historian, 1 and 2 Chronicles is a treasure trove of information. However, I think many of us get confused on the kings, who is on what side…You may be thinking “My job is in question, my car needs tires, I have a court date in three days—what does this have to do with ME?”

As I read through these chapters, I found some nuggets that serve as a warning and encouragement to me.

This week we read about the lives of six kings and one queen of Judah. In many ways the events recorded read like a novel with intrigue, betrayal and murder.

Once again, we see kings begin their reign in obedience to God and end their reign in rebellion. There is a persistent theme linking WHO the king sought advice from and his success. We will look at each chapter for an overview.

We concluded last week’s readings with the life of King Asa. Chapter 15 ends with a sentence that foreshadows what is to come: “So there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign” (2 Chronicles 15:19). This week, we begin with the 36th year of Asa’s reign and the lives of two additional kings: King Jehoshaphat and his son, King Jehoram. Each of these kings were defined by how they responded to the Lord, particularly in moments of crisis and correction.