/ listen as you follow along /

Israel once had wonderful kings 👑 like David 🎶 and Solomon, 🧠 who built a magnificent temple ⛪️ that shone like a jewel 💎 in the sunlight. The people would sing 🎤 and dance, 💃 telling stories of God's love ❤️ and kindness.

But something happened that made God very sad. 😞 The people started to forget the most important things - being kind to each other, helping those who were poor, and listening 👂🏻 to God's loving instructions.

Imagine a big family splitting into two 2️⃣ groups that didn't want to be together anymore. 🚸That's what happened to the Israelites! They became two kingdoms:

- The Northern Kingdom (Israel), with its own kings 🌟 

- The Southern Kingdom (Judah), with different kings 🌙 

They began to fight ⚔️ and forget about being a family. Instead of helping each other, they started making bad choices. 😭 Then came the mighty foreign armies. First, the Assyrian warriors 🗡️ arrived like a giant storm. ⛈️ They were so powerful that they took many people away from their homes. Families were separated, and children cried 😢 as they were taken to a faraway land.

Later, another big army 🛡️ called the Babylonians came to the southern part of the land. They knocked down the beautiful temple ⛪️ that Solomon had built - the special house where people would pray 🤲 and sing 🎶 to God.

Even though everything seemed dark 😊🌚and scary, God had a special promise. "I still love you," 🥰 God whispered to His people. "One day, you will come home." 🏡 Some people remembered God's love. They held onto hope like a tiny candle 🕯️ in a dark room. They told stories  📖 to their children about their beautiful homeland and how God would never forget them.

34. jonah / 35. split kingdom / 36. shadrach, meshach and abednego