דָּרַשׁ

But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, was in Gibeon before the tabernacle of the LORD. So Solomon and the assembly inquired of Him there.

And Rehoboam did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.

He commanded the people of Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments.

So he said to the people of Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.

So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.

And whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, would be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his disease became increasingly severe. Yet even in his illness he did not seek the LORD, but only the physicians.

Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals,

…but he sought the God of his father and walked by His commandments rather than the practices of Israel.

But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”

But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”

The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.

However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God.”

Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.

Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah, and Jehu’s soldiers captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. So Ahaziah was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.” So no one was left from the house of Ahaziah with the strength to rule the kingdom.

So the king called Jehoiada the high priest and said, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the LORD and by the assembly of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony?”

Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him. Instead, Joash killed Jehoiada’s son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, “May the LORD see this and call you to account.”

Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet, who said, “Why have you sought this people’s gods, which could not deliver them from your hand?”

But Amaziah would not listen, for this had come from God in order to deliver them into the hand of Jehoash, because they had sought the gods of Edom.

He sought God throughout the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. And as long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.

…who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.”

Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and Levites about the heaps,

He acted with all his heart in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law and the commandments, in order to seek his God. And so he prospered.

And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might know all that was in Hezekiah’s heart.

In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his father David, and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images.

“Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah concerning the words in the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that has been poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD by doing all that is written in this book.”

But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘As for the words that you heard,

…they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”

The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel.

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.

Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’

So the exiles did as proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, each of them identified by name, to represent their families. On the first day of the tenth month they launched the investigation,

For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews and highly favored by his many kinsmen, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.

If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it.

However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and lay my cause before Him—

…that You should seek my iniquity and search out my sin—

He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing.

Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

For the Avenger of bloodshed remembers; He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his schemes there is no God.

Why has the wicked man renounced God? He says to himself, “You will never call me to account.”

Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call him to account for his wickedness until none is left to be found.

The LORD looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God.

The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise Him. May your hearts live forever!

Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob. Selah

I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.

Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.