1. 📖 Introduction & Context

After the division of the monarchy, the Kingdom of Judah endured longer than its northern counterpart. Centered in Jerusalem and ruled by the line of David, Judah experienced alternating periods of faithfulness and apostasy. Some kings, like Asa, Hezekiah, and Josiah, led sweeping reforms to restore worship of Yahweh, while others—Manasseh, Ammon, and Jehoiakim—deepened the nation’s descent into idolatry.                                                                                                                      

God raised up prophets such as Isaiah, Micah, and Jeremiah to warn Judah, confront injustice, and call for repentance. Yet the people often ignored these voices. Surrounded by powerful neighbors—Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon—Judah’s fate was sealed by spiritual compromise.                                                 

In 586 BC, Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the temple was destroyed, and the      people went into exile. Judah’s story reveals both the seriousness of disobedience and the unrelenting   mercy of God, who promised restoration through a coming Messiah.

2. 🕰 Timeline

Biblical History
3000 AM – Kingdom of Judah established ----| 3406 AM – Fall of Jerusalem and exile (586 BC)                    

World History

• 701 BC: Assyrian king Sennacherib besieges Jerusalem (miraculous deliverance).

• 612 BC: Fall of Nineveh (Assyria defeated by Babylon).

• 609 BC: King Josiah killed by Pharaoh Necho II at Megiddo.

• 605 BC: Babylon defeats Egypt at Carchemish.

• 586 BC: Babylon destroys Jerusalem and the Temple.

3. 🎯 Learning Objectives

1. Trace Judah’s history from its formation under Rehoboam to its destruction and exile in Babylon.

2. Understand the role of Judah’s prophets in warning, confronting, and comforting the nation.

3. Reflect on the lessons of Judah’s repeated reforms and failures, and how obedience, justice, and repentance remain essential to God’s people.

4. 📖 Right Exegesis – Teaching to Correct

• Faithful kings did not guarantee lasting revival: reforms under Hezekiah and Josiah show the power of leadership, yet also the limits when the people’s hearts remain unchanged.

• Prophecy was not political advice—Isaiah and Jeremiah spoke God’s word, not human strategy. Judah’s leaders often dismissed them as impractical, but their warnings proved true.

• Temple security was a false hope: Jeremiah rebuked the idea that God’s house guaranteed safety while the nation practiced idolatry and injustice (Jer 7).                                                                                
  ✅ Correct teaching: God’s covenant promises to David remained—but the people’s sin demanded exile. Judgment and mercy operate together: exile was discipline, not abandonment.

5. 📜 Grammatical & Linguistic Context (Key Hebrew Words)

1. Berit – “Covenant”: God’s covenant with David promised an eternal throne (2 Sam 7:16), still central even in Judah’s decline.

2. Teshuvah – “Repentance/Return”: The prophets’ constant call—repent and return to Yahweh.

3. Nevuá – “Prophecy”: Divine messages warning Judah of judgment and pointing to future hope.

4. Tzedek – “Justice”: A repeated demand in Isaiah and Jeremiah against oppression and corruption.

5. Chesed – “Mercy/Faithfulness”: God’s loyal love that promised restoration despite judgment.

6. Galut – “Exile”: The Babylonian exile, the defining consequence of Judah’s rebellion.

7. Miqdash – “Sanctuary/Temple”: Judah’s spiritual center, destroyed in 586 BC as fulfillment of prophetic warnings.

6. 📖 Bible References

• Founding of Judah: 1 Kings 12:21–24

• Reforms: 2 Chronicles 14:2–5; 17:1–9; 29:1–11

• Isaiah’s Call: Isaiah 6:1–13

• Jeremiah’s Warning: Jeremiah 7:1–34

• Fall of Jerusalem: 2 Kings 25:1–21                                                                                                                    

Key Verses

• 2 Kings 18:5–6 — Hezekiah trusted the Lord and kept His commands.

• Isaiah 1:18 — “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”

• Jeremiah 7:3 — “Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.”

7. 📝 Homework / Revision

Part A – Visuals

• Map of Judah with Jerusalem at the center, enemies (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Edom) marked.

• Timeline chart of Judah’s kings: good (green), evil (red), reformers (gold).

• Prophets & Kings pairing: Isaiah (Uzziah–Hezekiah), Jeremiah (Josiah–Zedekiah).

Part B – Quiz (5 Questions)

1. What factors explain Judah’s mixture of faithfulness and idolatry throughout its history?

2. How did reforms under Hezekiah and Josiah affect Judah, and why did they not prevent the final judgment?

3. What central message did Isaiah proclaim to Judah about sin, repentance, and hope?

4. Why did Jeremiah warn against trusting the Temple as a guarantee of security?

5. How does Judah’s story of judgment and exile highlight both God’s justice and His promise of restoration?