For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
—Psalm 86:5
Key Verse Thought: Have you ever thought about how good God really is? He is always ready to forgive — any who will call upon Him (remember Romans 10:13). In our Key Verse see that mercy means “kindness, love, or mercy shown. Even when men may prove unfaithful to this relationship, God’s mercy to His people is everlasting.”
Emphasis: We are to understand God’s faithfulness and mercy to His people — even when they forget Him.
Lesson Summary: As we continue with our study today, do not get confused by the king’s name; Jehoash is often called Joash. Keep in mind that they are the same person as you read through 2 Kings 13–15. We also will learn of the Prophet Elisha’s death.
While Jehoash is king, he is challenged by the king of Judah (after he won a great victory against the Edomites) which led to the defeat of Judah. After King Jehoash died, Jeroboam II became king and reigned for 41 years. Because the kings had continually allowed the worship of the golden calves in Bethel and Dan, God permitted the enemies around to oppress Israel. God revealed to them that they had used all of their resources, tried everything they could, and still needed help. God never left them; they left God. One continual theme we can see as we study our lesson today is the same as our memory verse: “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee” (Psalm 86:5). In spite of Israel’s continual state of sin, because they were God’s people, He continually saved them from their enemies. Even though King Jeroboam II continued in the same sin of the previous kings, God allowed him to restore much of Israel’s land that had been lost to enemies around. We also remember back to Amos as he delivered God’s warning to Israel. Especially recognize Amos’ tenacity to continue preaching God’s Words to Israel even after being confronted by a priest of Bethel named Amaziah.
After King Jeroboam II died, his son Zachariah reigned. We conclude our lesson today with God’s promise to King Jehu being fulfilled. If you remember, God promised that King Jehu’s children to the fourth generation would sit upon the throne of Israel because he destroyed Ahab’s family as God had commanded him. Remember the generations after Jehu: Jehoahaz, Jehoash (Joash), Jeroboam II, and Zachariah. Zachariah was the fourth generation to sit upon the throne after King Jehu. We conclude our history today with Shallum, the son of Jabesh, who conspired against Zachariah and killed him to reign in his stead.
Y2Q1 Lesson 8 Children’s Worksheets
If you are doing these lessons and would like a craft idea, see the following:
