gainst the will of God.

The Books of Kings and Chronicles give us, as it were, the history of a
nation from God's point of view.

The writers' names are not even known. But in these Books we are shown
clearly that God rules over the nations, and is working His purpose out
through His chosen instruments, year by year. It is in vain for a man
to strive against God, or for a nation to hope for prosperity while it
forsakes the law of the Lord.

No other history has ever attempted to show us the deep truths and
perfect order which lie behind apparent confusion in the story of a
nation.

With the History Books of the Bible, the Books of the Prophets are
closely interwoven. Throughout Kings and Chronicles we catch many
glimpses of the prophets and of their noble efforts to keep alive God's
words in the hearts of the people; but in the writings of the prophets
themselves we may read the actual messages which God's messengers
proclaimed in order to stir up their hearers in times of national
distress or heart-backsliding.

God's indignation against hypocrites and oppressors is declared in
words that cannot be passed over; but ever as the clouds of trouble
gather more thickly over His people is the hope of a coming Saviour
more clearly put before them.

For a real understanding of the Prophets' Books it is necessary to know
something of the circumstances under which each man lived and wrote.
Amos and Hosea, for instance, warned their people of the approach of
Sargon of Assyria unless they repented and turned again to the law of
the Lord. As they did not repent the prophets' warning came true, and
Sargon invaded and destroyed the Kingdom of Israel.

But Nahum brings comfort, for he tells the suffering Kingdoms of Judah
and Israel that the Kings of Assyria shall so disappear that in the
years to come the very place where they dwelt shall be forgotten, while
Judah shall keep the Lord's feasts for ever. (Nahum i. 15.)

The Bible tells of many of God's acts which seem very wonderful to us.
We call these acts 'miracles,' because we cannot explain them, nor how
they happened.

Now the writings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the rest of the
prophets are also miracles, for although these men wrote at widely
different times, and hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, yet
their books all speak of Him. The light of God's Spirit shone into
their hearts so that they foresaw and foretold the coming of the
Saviour Kin