Judah’s Good Kings
1 Kings 15; 2 Kings 18–19; 2 Chronicles 14–15; 22–24; 29–35
April 19, 2026
Sunday Recap
•
Sunday Recap •
Hey Fams!
Good kings and evil kings—both were seen throughout the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Depending on who was king, the people would either be led to worship the one true God or led the opposite direction toward idolatry and wickedness.
King Asa sought to do what was good in the eyes of the Lord and removed the places of idol worship. He commanded the people of Judah to worship and obey God. But once Asa died, Ahaziah became king and led the people to once again turn to idolatry. When he died, his mother Athalia made herself queen by force. She ruled as queen for six years and did evil in God’s sight.
The priest Jehoiada planned to overthrow the evil queen. His men captured her and made one of Athalia’s young sons, Joash, king. Following Jehoiada’s lead, Joash tore down the temple of Baal and restored worship in the temple to God alone.
After Joash came King Hezekiah. He also sought to do what was right in the sight of the Lord. After cleaning out the temple so the people could worship, Hezekiah invited Judah and Israel to celebrate the feast of the Passover. Afterward, everyone went back to their towns and destroyed their places of worship to false gods.
When the king of Assyria came to attack Judah, King Hezekiah prayed to God, and Judah was saved. God sent an angel to destroy the Assyrian army.
The last good king of Judah was Josiah. King Josiah was only eight years old when he came into power, but he also did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Under his rule, the people renewed their covenant with God and remained faithful to Him.
The good kings of Judah led the people to worship the one true God. The Lord raised up kings who would lead Judah to turn away from idolatry and keep His commands. Judah would serve God under the rule of the good kings but returned to their sinful ways after the good kings died. Yet, despite the people's inconsistent worship of the Lord, God proved faithful to preserve His people. The line of Judah would one day give rise to the King of kings, who would make the way for people to worship God in spirit and truth.
** Next week: Prophets to Judah (Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah)
Family Discipleship Plan
•
Family Discipleship Plan •
-
Read Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah from the Bible.
-
The mimic octopus is a very interesting creature. It has the amazing ability to change color and shape to look like other sea creatures. When the octopus feels threatened, it often mimics the appearance of a toxic animal like the lionfish or sea snake to scare away predators. When the danger has passed, the mimic octopus returns to her normal colors and goes on about her day.
Judah was blessed to have some good kings who chose to follow God and pointed the people back to God. Unfortunately, after these kings passed away, many of the people in Judah once again turned away from God and continued in their sinful ways. This cycle continued for many years.
Much like the mimic octopus, a person’s ability to change their sinful hearts is only temporary. We might try to do better and make wiser choices, but the sin in our hearts is too pronounced to hide.
The only real, lasting change for our hearts must come from Jesus. His death and resurrection have broken the power of sin. Everyone who believes in Jesus is forgiven and has been forever changed by His grace!
Judah’s good kings led the people to God and away from sin. Yet when they died, the people returned to their sinful ways. Jesus is our good King who died and rose again, and always leads us to God and away from sin.
Pray: God, help us to not trust in our own ability to change our hearts, but to trust in what Jesus has done to change our hearts. Help us know the eternal forgiveness and joy that comes from knowing Jesus as Lord. Amen.
-
Preschool:
“The Lord is good to everyone.”
Psalm 145:9
1st-5th:
”The LORD is good to all. He shows deep concern for everything he has made.”
Psalm 145:9 (NIRV) -
Mornings
Ask God to help you trust in Him in all situations today. Ask for His help in remaining faithful to Him as you interact with others. What did the good kings of Judah do to keep their attention on God? Why is important to trust in what God’s Word says is true rather than trust in what others might say?Evenings
Thank God for His faithfulness to us even when we are not faithful to Him. Praise Him for the patience He showed the people of Judah when they turned away from Him and for the patience He has shown to you. How was God patient with the people of Judah? Why does God show patience to those who turn away from Him? -
For Fun
Play hide-and-seek as a family. After the game, talk with kids about how our sin cannot be hidden from God. The good kings helped the people follow God, but it was only temporary. In a greater way, Jesus has come to reconcile us to God. When we place our trust in Him, He forgives our sin, changes our hearts, and gives us eternal life.To Serve
Work as a family to plant evergreen shrubs in flower beds or your yard. You may also want to add seasonal plants or flowers to beautify the property. Afterward, talk as a family about the differences between plants and how evergreen shrubs will remain green throughout the year. Talk about the way our good works might make us feel better, but that is only a temporary change. Jesus is the only one who can eternally change our hearts.