This is the Bible Book Club, the book of Second Chronicles.

Welcome to the club.

Last time in chapters 20 through 24 of Second Chronicles, we read a story of how sin can have far-reaching consequences.

King Jehoshaphat made an alliance with the House of Ahab, almost ending the line of David.

Jehoshaphat married his son Jehoram to Ahab's daughter, Athalia.

Athalia influenced Jehoram and encouraged idolatry in Judah.

That was bad.

Then Jehorum died.

Their son, Ahaziah, became king.

Athalia rose to even greater power as the queen mother.

Then Ahaziah died, and Queen Athalia took a stab at ruling herself by killing all of her grandchildren.

That was an evil act, except for one, Joash, who was saved by a priest and his wife.

In this episode, the chronicler recounts the story of the five kings following the death of Athalia. The report of these kings will be a warning to the exiles

rather than an encouragement. These kings began well. They were faithful, but ultimately failed

to remain true to God. The pattern is a lesson that the Israelites must learn from, or they will

repeat the pattern.

Unfaithfulness leads to divine discipline. And the purpose of divine discipline is relational restoration.

The pattern is familiar to us.

The concept can be found all throughout the Old Testament.

In the books of Exodus, numbers, Deuteronomy, judges,

and kings, recall in numbers, for example, after the spies rebelled in numbers 13 and 14,

the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness learning to trust God. That was the divine discipline

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