Let Us Reason Together
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“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD.” — Isaiah 1:18
Come, Follow Me · Old Testament 2026 · Week 29

“He Trusted in the Lord God of Israel”

July 13–19, 20262 Kings 16–2510 chapters · 289 verses

Two kingdoms fall. Israel ignores the prophets and is carried away by Assyria in 722 BC, becoming the “lost tribes.” Judah survives longer because of two righteous kings. When the Assyrian army surrounds Jerusalem, Hezekiah spreads the enemy's letter before the Lord, and the city is spared. Josiah finds the book of the law in the temple and leads the people in renewing their covenant. But Judah keeps returning to idols, and in 587 BC Babylon burns the temple.

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    Study guide

    These chapters cover about 150 years and the fall of both kingdoms. These notes give you the big picture, the key dates, and their connection to the Book of Mormon.

    How to read this week

    • Keep two empires in mind. Assyria (capital Nineveh) destroys Israel in the north; Babylon later destroys Judah in the south. The map shows both exiles.
    • Read chapter 17 as an explanation. It's the narrator stepping back to say why Israel fell: idolatry and ignoring the prophets (17:7–23).
    • Watch the righteous kings. Hezekiah trusts the Lord in crisis (chs. 18–19); Josiah responds to rediscovered scripture with a tender heart (chs. 22–23).
    • Read with Isaiah. Isaiah ministered during Hezekiah's reign; Isaiah 36–39 retells 2 Kings 18–20.
    • Place Lehi. 1 Nephi begins “in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah” (1 Nephi 1:4). These chapters are the Book of Mormon's background.

    The fall of two kingdoms

    1. c. 735 BC — Ahaz of Judah turns to Assyria (ch. 16)
    2. 722 BC — Samaria falls; Israel exiled to Assyria (ch. 17)
    3. 701 BC — Sennacherib's siege; Jerusalem spared (chs. 18–19)
    4. c. 622 BC — Josiah finds the book of the law (ch. 22)
    5. c. 600 BC — Lehi leaves Jerusalem (1 Nephi 2)
    6. 597 BC — First Babylonian deportation (ch. 24)
    7. 587/586 BC — Jerusalem and the temple destroyed (ch. 25)

    Images and ideas to recognize

    PassageImageWhat it means
    2 Kgs 18:4Broken brass serpentA holy symbol that had become an idol.
    2 Kgs 18:21Bruised reedFalse security in worldly powers.
    2 Kgs 19:14Letter spread before the LordTaking our problems to God.
    2 Kgs 20:11Shadow turned backGod's power over time and nature.
    2 Kgs 22:8The book found in the templeRediscovering forgotten scripture.
    2 Kgs 25:9Burned templeThe cost of a people forsaking their covenants.

    Restoration connections

    • 1 Nephi 1:4–20 — Lehi prophesies Jerusalem's destruction during Zedekiah's reign.
    • 2 Nephi 25:10 — Nephi confirms Jerusalem was destroyed and its people carried to Babylon.
    • Helaman 8:21 — Mulek, son of Zedekiah, escaped to the promised land.
    • Articles of Faith 1:10 and D&C 110:11 — The literal gathering of Israel and the restoration of the ten tribes.

    Questions for the week

    • What “brass serpents” might become idols if we're not careful (18:4)?
    • What threatening “letter” in your life could you spread before the Lord (19:14)?
    • Josiah's heart was tender when he heard the scriptures. How do you respond when the scriptures correct you (22:11, 19)?
    • What would it look like to “stand to the covenant” as Josiah's people did (23:3)?
    • How do these chapters help you understand Lehi's world and the Book of Mormon?

    Conference talks & Church resources

    Talks the Church's lesson points to this week, plus other Church resources that teach from these chapters.

    Scholarly papers

    Faithful scholarship from BYU and related publishers, tagged with the chapters each one discusses.

    Podcasts & video

    Come, Follow Me shows and episodes covering this week's reading.