Few Christians have a deep understanding of the Old Testament kings of Israel, or the prophets and their messages. The purpose of this series is to allow anybody to quickly gain a better understanding of those things, as well as an appreciation of how that information is relevant today. The Old Testament prophets were real people who proclaimed important messages from God that have stayed true for thousands of years. Jesus and the apostles thought the kings and prophets were important, so we should, too.
It is no wonder that few Christians have deep familiarity of the kings and prophets. Christians tend to read the New Testament, while the kings and prophets are in the Old Testament. The books of the kings and prophets are not arranged in chronological order, the history of ancient Israel and its neighbors is complex, and the geography of the region is an ever-shifting jigsaw puzzle. The language of the prophets is often symbolic or metaphorical, and the intended messages seem to be shrouded in mystery. Lastly, many people assume that Old Testament prophecies have mostly been fulfilled, so they must not still be very important.
Perhaps our attitudes would change if we thought of prophets as truth tellers, not fortune tellers. Their truths stand important today. Besides, it may be that a number of their prophecies of the future have not yet been fulfilled.
Your browser does not support HTML5 video playback.
There is no city like Jerusalem. It is a sacred site for the three major religions of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. It has long been known as the City of God.
The likely first mention of Jerusalem was when Abraham met Melchizedek, the king of Salem, as in Jeru-Salem. The first specific mention is when Joshua and the Israelites confront the king of Jerusalem. Shortly thereafter, Jerusalem is identified to be the same city as Jebus.
With that information, Jebusites are mentioned in Genesis to Judges. In the book of Judges, it is not clear whether the Israelites did or did not conquer Jebus, or if they conquered it for a short period of time. It is also not clear whether the people of Judah or Benjamin were to conquer the city, but it was most likely Judah.
Imagine David as a shepherd boy, tending sheep a few miles away from Bethlehem, sometimes almost in the shadow of Jerusalem. It must have rankled him that his own tribe could not defeat that one hilltop city. It must have goaded him to the point that the first thing he did after killing Goliath was to take his bloody head to Jerusalem as a warning.
Ezra – Ashley Wood Paul – Brian Shoop Samuel – Austin Tindle King Saul – Juan Fiol King David – John Gabriel Nathan – Micah Pediford Tamar – Rachael Turner Ruth – Stephanie Rhodes Mary – Chana Keefer King Solomon – Todd Terry A Son of Korah – Pierce Bailey King Rehoboam – Rett Terrell King Jeroboam – Earl Browning III King Ahab – Cameron Cobb Elijah – Andreas Robichaux King Jehu – Austin J. Morris Elisha – Darius R. Booker A Slave Girl – Sahara Ale Jonah – Ryan Paul Gomer – Gidget Taylor Jehoiada – Bruce Melena King Joash – Ryker Sixkiller King Hezekiah – Wes Frazier Isaiah – Ricky Catter King Josiah – Michael Nguyen Jeremiah – Blake Henri King Nebuchadnezzar – Patrick Lescarbeau Daniel – Eric Rolon Zechariah – Paul T. Taylor Queen Esther – Carine Rice Malachi – Chase Bradshaw Narrator – Kyle Chapple
