Topical Bible: Kings: Removed by God

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In the biblical narrative, the removal of kings by divine intervention serves as a significant theme, illustrating God's sovereignty and justice. Throughout the Scriptures, several kings are deposed or face divine judgment due to their disobedience, idolatry, or failure to uphold God's covenant. This entry explores key instances where God intervened to remove kings, emphasizing the theological implications and lessons for the faithful.

Saul: The First King of Israel

Saul, the first king of Israel, was chosen by God but later rejected due to his disobedience. Initially anointed by the prophet Samuel, Saul's reign began with promise. However, his failure to fully obey God's commands led to his downfall. In 1 Samuel 15:26, Samuel declares, "I will not return with you, because you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel." Saul's removal underscores the importance of obedience to God's word and the consequences of rebellion.

Rehoboam: The Division of the Kingdom

Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, witnessed the division of the united monarchy due to his harsh policies and failure to heed wise counsel. His reign marked the beginning of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. In 1 Kings 12:15, it is noted, "So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word that the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite." Rehoboam's account highlights the role of divine providence in the affairs of nations and the fulfillment of prophetic words.

Ahab: The Wicked King of Israel

Ahab, one of the most notorious kings of Israel, was known for his idolatry and the influence of his wife, Jezebel. His reign was marked by the worship of Baal and the persecution of God's prophets. In 1 Kings 21:25-26, the Scripture states, "There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel. He committed the most detestable acts by going after idols, just like the Amorites whom the LORD had driven out before the Israelites." Ahab's eventual downfall and death in battle, as prophesied by Elijah, serve as a testament to God's judgment against idolatry and evil.

Zedekiah: The Last King of Judah

Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, reigned during the final days before the Babylonian exile. His refusal to heed the warnings of the prophet Jeremiah and his rebellion against Babylon led to the destruction of Jerusalem. In 2 Kings 25:7, it is recorded, "Then they put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon." Zedekiah's removal and the fall of Jerusalem illustrate the severe consequences of ignoring God's prophetic warnings and the inevitability of divine judgment.

Nebuchadnezzar: The Humbling of a Foreign King

While not an Israelite king, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, experienced a period of removal from power as a demonstration of God's sovereignty over all nations. In Daniel 4:31-32, it is declared, "The kingdom has departed from you. You will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like an ox." Nebuchadnezzar's humbling and subsequent restoration after acknowledging God's supremacy serve as a powerful reminder of God's authority over earthly rulers.

These accounts of kings removed by God reveal the consistent biblical theme of divine justice and the necessity of aligning with God's will. They serve as warnings and lessons for leaders and individuals alike, emphasizing the importance of faithfulness, obedience, and humility before the Almighty.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Kings 11:11
Why the LORD said to Solomon, For as much as this is done of you, and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely rend the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant.
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Daniel 2:21
And he changes the times and the seasons: he removes kings, and sets up kings: he gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
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Library

2 Kings iv. 25, 26.
... 2 KINGS IV. ... Lessons it has a Tendency to teach them:"And they have Reason to hope,
it is well with those dear Creatures whom GOD hath removed in their ...
/.../submission to divine providence in the death of children/2 kings iv 25 26.htm

How Solomon Removed the Ark into the Temple How He Made ...
... ministration, to the sacrifices of God, and removed them to ... king in his sleep informed
him that God had heard ... that then his posterity should be kings of that ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 4 how solomon removed.htm

That God is Without a Body, nor Does He Need Difference of Sex for ...
... But what is so far removed from the nature of ... should any one think it impossible
for God Himself to ... because they were very great and powerful kings; and since ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap viii that god is without.htm

On the Nature of God
... (Deuteronomy 4:14; 1 Kings 8:1 ... from all others, and others are removed from it. ...
Whatsoever is predicated absolutely about God, is predicated concerning Him ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 4 on the nature.htm

How the King of Babylon Took Jerusalem and Burnt the Temple and ...
... temple, and carried out the vessels of God, both gold ... city to the very foundations,
and removed all the ... we have enumerated the succession of the kings, and who ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 8 how the king.htm

Defence of the Divine Unity against Objection no Analogy Between ...
... gradually, by the issue of the comparison, removed and excluded ... if two gods are compared,
as two kings and two ... is this: either we must deny that God is the ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter iv defence of the divine.htm

God's People Delivered.
... our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests ... and temptations of
earth are ended, and the cause removed, the people of God will ever ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /40 gods people delivered.htm

God's People Delivered
... from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests ... and temptations
of earth are ended and the cause removed, the people of God will ever ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 40 gods people delivered.htm

That the one God was Foretold Even by the Prophets.
... gains,"a disposition which was far removed from those ... content with the unstored food
which God had supplied ... of them were princes, or even kings, [28] upon ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap iv that the one god.htm

How David Brought under the Philistines, and the Moabites, and the ...
... management, that so it might prove, as God had foretold ... army were in a good state,
he removed from Jerusalem ... the most excellent of all their kings in strength ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 5 how david brought.htm