Judges 9 Virtually every account in the book of Judges paints this formative period in Israel’s history as a very dark, brutal time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6; 21:25). The story of Abimelech’s rise to power is no exception. Judges 6-8 recounts the heroic deeds of Gideon, a […]
Category Archives: Battles
Shishak Attacks Israel and Judah
1 Kings 14:21-31; 2 Chronicles 11-12 At the start of his long and prosperous reign, King Solomon formed an alliance with Egypt and sealed their treaty by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kings 3:1). While this ensured no overt military conflict between Israel and Egypt, behind the scenes Egypt was no doubt working to subtly undermine […]
The Battles of Amaziah of Judah
2 Kings 14; 2 Chronicles 25 If only a single word could be used to summarize King Amaziah’s reign, perhaps conflicted might be the most fitting. To begin with, his own devotion to the Lord appears to have been conflicted, for he is described by the biblical writers as doing what was right in the […]
Sheba Rebels against David
2 Samuel 20 Sometime after David’s son Absalom had rebelled and was killed near Mahanaim (2 Samuel 13-18; see “Absalom Rebels against David” map), David and his forces began the journey back to Jerusalem. Along the way, many people from Judah and other Israelite tribes came to the Jordan River to escort David and his […]
Philistines and Arabs Attack Judah
2 Chronicles 21 During the reign of Jehoram of Judah, the Philistines and the Arabs near the Cushites attacked Jerusalem and carried off all his possessions, his wives, and his sons except Jehoahaz, his youngest son. The Arabs who joined in the attack were likely those who lived southeast of Edom, and the Cushites were […]