2 Kings 19:1-7 - Take all discouragement to God

Hezekiah’s representatives were totally affected and discouraged. Returning to the King with torn clothes they reported to him Sennacherib’s threats and demands. On seeing them distraught, 2 Kings 19:1-7 then describes Hezekiah’s immediate response. In great distress, he tore his clothes put on sackcloth, and beelined for the house of the Lord. Meanwhile, he sent both Eliakim and Shebna, dressed in their mourning clothes, to Isaiah. Conveying the king’s utter helplessness, they told the prophet how Hezekiah felt. However, from what was said to Isaiah, there was a hint that the king was concerned for the honor of God. As Eliakim and Shebna conveyed the words of Hezekiah to the prophet, they also requested Isaiah to pray for the remnant held in Jerusalem, hopeful that the Lord would hear the prophet’s prayer.

Verse 6-7 narrate how Isaiah responded o what he had heard. He told them to return to assure the king not to be intimidated. They were instructed to tell Hezekiah, saying  “Thus you shall say to your master, “‘Thus says the Lord, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”

God is faithful. He could not stand idly by and allow His name to be blasphemed, and His people intimidated. He assured the king that He would respond to the threat of Assyria. God would be sending a spirit of fear upon Sennacherib who would receive a disturbing rumor from his own homeland and hurry home and would be assassinated.   

From these verses, we learn that we can always bring our fear to the LORD. We can lose heart and succumb to needless fear when our discouragement is not properly handled. This passage gives us a clue on how to handle fear and discouragement. The right thing to do is not to make light of what we hear but take it to the LORD. Like Hezekiah, we ought to take every threat seriously and bring our fear to the Lord. In other words, make God our first option and not our last resort. That should be the first thing we must do when we feel the stinging words of intimidation. Secondly,  Approach reliable, trustworthy, and proven men of God to seek godly counsel and prayer.  Thirdly, having put your trust in the Lord and rest in the Lord. Our God is able to do far more exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ever ask, think or imagine. Praise His name! 

 

2 Kings 18:26-37 - Discerning the Shepherd's voice

When Rabshakeh threatened Eliakim,  Shebnah, and Joah, he was using a particular Hebrew language. He did not use Aramaic, which was a common language that was less understood by the Judean. Speaking in Hebrew would mean that more Judean would understand what was going on and become intimidated by the conversation. So Eliakim interrupted and requested that they speak in Aramaic instead. He was trying to lessen the impact Rabshakeh’s words would make on the people of Judah. Obnoxiously, the Assyrian envoy denied the request. His intention was for more of the people of Judah to know about Assyria’s demands. He wanted them to know how they would be affected if Hezekiah refused to surrender unconditionally. Right from the onset, he was not there to negotiate but to make demands. Sennacherib’s intention was to discourage the people till there was no motivation left to oppose him.   

Instead of acceding to the request, Rabshakeh intensified his words in Hebrew. He spoke even more vehemently with a raised voice so that all around could hear what he was saying. Firstly, he accused Hezekiah of deceiving his people and told the people not to be deceived by their king. He intimidated them, saying that their king did not have the capacity to save Judah from the Assyrians. Secondly, he insisted that Hezekiah’s trust in Yahweh would be an act of futility and urged them not to believe in him. Rabshakeh himself was deluded into thinking that trusting God was useless. How could a pagan know? Yet in real life, there are believers who are foolish enough to listen to advice from pagans. Thirdly, urging them not to listen to Hezekiah, he made promises of immediate peace under Assyria. He suggested that they would be allowed to return to their farming and carry on with their usual life. Fourthly, he even advocated that being deported might not be as bad as they thought. He tried to entice them, saying that where they would be deported to was as much a land of abundance as Judah. Finally, he boastfully claimed that no other gods had been able to protect their lands from the mighty king of Assyria, not even Samaria, the capital of Israel, Judah’s northern relative. But we know that although Samaria claimed to worship the LORD, they had perverted their worship with syncretism. Boastfully and offensively, Rabshakeh intimated that not even the LORD could save Jerusalem from the king of Assyria.

Under the instruction of King Hezekiah, the people did not respond to the Assyrian’s intimidation.   The three representatives of Judah return to the king with their clothes torn and told all that Rabshakeh had said. Like the people of Judah when we capitulate to intimidation, we will feel defeated. That was what Rabshakeh was trying to do to the people of Judah. And that’s what the devil would do to us in our trials. But the devil cannot make us do anything except drop scary suggestions into our minds. It behooves us therefore to learn to discern what is the voice of God and what is the intimidating suggestions of the enemy. Remember Jesus, our Lord tells us that we, His sheep can recognize His voice. Can we recognize the voice of our Shepherd? If we are not able to, could it be that we have well overly entertained negative thoughts input by the adversary? Learn to apply Philippians 4:8 daily to counter the adversary's subtle insinuation. We must actively engage our minds and think about “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence, and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” As we cultivate this habitually, the God of peace will rule our hearts and keep us steady in Christ. Be assured that we are forever safe in our Shepherd’s arm. 

2 Kings 18:19-25 – Make time for God

Representing Sennacherib, Rabshakeh the spokesman for the three Assyrian ambassadors spoke out. Second Kings 18:19-25, describe the Assyrian’s continuing intimidation. Threateningly, Rabshakeh on behalf of Sennacherib asked the first rhetorical question in verse 19. He asked, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, “What is this confidence that you have? In verse 20. Rabshakeh hinted that they were aware that Hezekiah was not afraid to defy Assyria because he was relying on God and the support of Egypt.

In verses 21-25, Rabshakeh continued to taunt Eliakim and Shebna, and Joah, whom Hezekiah sent as his representatives. He gave reasons why Judah should surrender and stop resisting. Firstly, he said that Egypt could not help them. Insultingly he called Egypt a “crushed reed” that could be easily pierced when someone leans on it. Here he was suggesting that Egypt was too weak to defend itself against the Assyrian’s strong force much less protect Judah. Secondly, in verse 22, he insinuated that their trust in the covenant LORD their God would also prove pointless. For Hezekiah had offended God by removing the high places and making Jerusalem the only place where incense and sacrifices could be offered to Him. Thirdly, in verses 23-24, mockingly, he insinuated that Judah's limited resources and men could not stand up against Assyria’s mighty force. Fourthly, in verse 25, he said that they, the Assyrians were there with the approval of Judah's LORD. It was Him who had told them to ‘Go up against this land (Judah) and destroy it.”

The Assyrians thought too highly of themselves. They were boastful and arrogant. Their insults, sarcasm, and mockeries are like the roars of a lion. They were meant to break the spirit of the Judean. Isn’t this also the tactic of our adversary the devil? First Peter 5:8 calls him a roaring lion. Why a roaring lion? A lion would frighten its prey with loud roars so that the victim would be too petrified to move. Then it would slowly devour it. For Christians who are not acquainted with the Word of God, our enemy would plant fearful scenarios and outcomes of the trials we encounter in life like loud roars to petrify us. Then it would make us distrust God before it slowly chews us up. It is therefore needful for us to know our God and His Word well. Knowing God and His Word will enable us to remain steadfast and immovable in the LORD. We will then be strengthened to resist the devil’s intimidation. Don’t neglect in building a strong relationship with God. Make time for Him.

 

2 Kings 18:17-18 – Dealing with intimidation

Despite the hefty sum Hezekiah paid to Sennacherib as tribute, the latter still sent his men to intimidate Judah. He was bent on punishing Judah anyway. In 2 Chronicles 32:2-4, we see that when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib intended to make war on Jerusalem, in consultation with his officers and his warriors decided to cut off the supply of water from the springs which were outside the city. Many people then assembled and stopped up all the springs and the stream which flowed through the region. He did this in preparation for the attack from Assyria.

Meanwhile, 2 Kings 18:17-18 said that Sennacherib sent three of his senior officers namely, Tartan, Reb-saris, and  Rabshakeh with a large army from Lachish to Jerusalem to intimidate Hezekiah. The three men and the army came to a conduit that led to the upper pool and called out to the king.  In response, verse 18 said that Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came out to meet them.

We will explore what Sennacherib said to Hezekiah in our next reflection. Suffice it to say that in life we will meet intimidating people like Sennacherib, who cannot be appeased easily. First Peter 5:8 tells us that we also have adversaries like a roaring lion would prowl around seeking to devour us. What should we do? Stay sober in spirit and alert. Be discerning. Paul tells us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. And remember to put on the full armor of God. Our victory is in the Lord!   

 

2 Kings 18:13-16 - Safe in the hand of God

Hezekiah did the right thing when he came to the throne by standing up against the Assyrians. He refused to pay tribute to them begun by Ahaz his father. Here in 2 Kings 18:14-16, we see how Assyria retaliated. So in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib another king of Assyria who came to the throne decided to punish Hezekiah for rebelling against Assyria.  He came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them.

Hezekiah panicked and sent words to the king of Assyria  in Lachish saying, “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me; whatever you impose on me I will bear.” Sennacherib then demanded that Judah 300  talents of silver and 30 talents of gold. Hezekiah then gave him all the silver found in the house of the LORD and in the king’s treasuries. He removed the gold which he laid over the temple’s door and gave it to the king of Assyria. Having acceded to the demand of Sennacherib, Hezekiah was unsure if that appeased  the king of Assyria. Second Chronicles 32 adds details to what other things Hezekiah did to protect Jerusalem. He repaired the Jerusalem wall and ensured they had a water supply during the Assyrian's siege.   

Shouldn’t Hezekiah have immediately turned to consult the LORD instead of panicking and responding so hastily? Proverbs 29:25 tells us that the fear of man brings a snare. Bear in mind that we belong to the LORD and our lives are in His hand. He will not allow suffering more than we can take. First Corinthians  10:13 assure us that “No temptation has overtaken you, but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also so that you will be able to endure it.” If we walk faithfully with God, He will make it His business to protect us. What a glorious blessing! 

2 Kings 18:7-12 – Trusting God brings blessing

Let’s have a brief recall of the background. In 2 Kings 16, we learn that Assyria at this point was the dominant power and was menacing the surrounding nations. King Pekah of Israel and King Rezin of Aram invited King Ahaz of Judah to join them in their alliance against Assyria. But he turned down, so the two of them then came against Judah.  It was then that Ahaz sought the help of Assyria. Second Kings 16:8 said that  “he took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and sent a present to the king of Assyria.”  Judah then became a vassal state to Assyria and had to pay yearly tribute to them.

When Hezekiah came to the throne, he started on the right footing and began to reform  Judah. The Lord was with Him for he trusted and clung to Him. Being confident in the Lord, Hezekiah experienced success and prosperity. He then rebelled against Assyria and was no longer willing to subject to her demands. Besides not cowing down to Assyria, Hezekiah also “defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.”

While Judah under Hezekiah was experiencing success and gaining ground, Israel, on the other hand, was suffering defeat. Second King 18:7-12, show us the contrasting experience. Verse 9 says that it all took place during the fourth year of  Hezekiah’s reign of Judah and the seventh year when King Hoshea’s reign of Israel. Assyria under King Shalmaneser came up against Israel and besieged it and after three years was able to capture it.  He then carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and settled the people  “in Halah and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.” The reason is given in verse 12. It says that it was because “they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded; they would neither listen nor do it.”

Here we see two contrasting situations. Two nations with two kings. One led the nation to experience success and prosperity and the other got the nation captured and taken not captivity. What made the difference for them was how the nation had related with God, their covenant Lord. Here is the takeaway: One determining factor for whether we will experience success or failure is how we relate with God. When we trust and cling to the Lord and take heed to His voice, we can anticipate success and blessing. If we will not, then be prepared to experience failure and misery.      

2 Kings 18:1-6 – Getting the fundamental of life right

Second Kings 18:1-4 briefly introduces us to the reign of Hezekiah, the son of King Ahaz of Judah. His mother was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah. Hezekiah succeeded his father on the throne in the third year of Hoshea’s reign of Israel. When he became king of Judah, he was 25 years old, and he reigned for 29 years.  The description of him as a king was a favorable one. He began on the right footing by doing what was right in the eye of the Lord. For followed in the footsteps of King David and did what the latter had done.

Verse 4 describes some of the things he did when he became king. Firstly, he removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah. He also destroyed Nehushtan, by breaking it into pieces. This was the bronze serpent that Moses made to deliver the people from the fiery serpents in the wilderness. Hezekiah had to destroy it because the people had made it into an idol and were venerating and burning incense to it.

Verse 6 hailed him as an outstanding king. For there was none like him before and also none after him. The reason: he trusted in the LORD the God of Israel. His trust in the LORD was an enduring one. It was said that “he clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.”

We can see that Hezekiah started on the right footing. He had a solid foundation. Trusting and clinging to the LORD were the keys to Hezekiah’s success. Without a deep conviction and love for God, it would be impossible to achieve what he had achieved.  Like him, no one can be effective for God without this very basic foundation in life. A lofty building can never be built if the foundation is weak. In much the same way, an effective life cannot be achieved without a strong foundation of trust in God. Like a tree, its fruitfulness is determined by its rootedness. Our fruitfulness in the Lord is also determined by how deeply we are rooted in Him.  The deeper the root, the more will be the fruit.    

 

2 Kings 17:34-41 – Be consistent in our relationship with God

Second Kings 17:34-41 is a description of what Israel had become. There was a great contrast from the one that God had intended for her to be. With the split of the divided kingdom, the land had now been invaded and overtaken by foreigners. The new inhabitant had brought in their idolatrous worship. What they did was a departure from what God wanted from Israel. So verse 34 says that “they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, whom He named Israel.”

The phrase that they do not fear the  Lord seems to contradict what was said of then in 2 Kings 17:33. This verse expressly noted that “They feared the Lord and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile.” How do we reconcile this apparent contradiction? It was apparent that the people acted incongruently. They did not act according to their heart. They did it out of convenience. This is by way of saying they professed one thing and acted another way. They lived lives that were not consistent with what they professed. Isn’t this very like many people today? They profess to love God, yet their conducts and behaviors are so insistent with what they say they believe. As Christians, we must seek be live our lives in alignment with what we believe. Our confession and the way we conduct ourselves must be congruous.

The verses of 2 Kings 17:35-39 were included as a warning and reminder to the people of Israel. They were God’s covenant people who were obliged to live like it. They were told not to venerate or fear other gods but only the God who had miraculously delivered them out of Egypt and made them His covenant people. They must fear only Him and obediently keep the stipulated covenant agreement. If they would be faithful to God, He would deliver them from the hands of all their enemies. However, what we see here is a very mixed group of people, the Samaritans. They were people who continued to be syncretic in practice. So verses 40 and 41 say, “However, they did not listen, but they did according to their earlier custom. So while these nations feared the Lord, they also served their idols; their children and their grandchildren, as their fathers did, so they do to this day.”

This passage calls us to be true and uncompromising believers of God. We must not profess one way but act and live another. We must show congruency in our beliefs and our conduct. Don’t claim to love God but live a contradictory lifestyle.  There must be consistency in our faith and practice.  

2 Kings 17:29-33 – Seek the truth and live it

Bear in mind that Israel is referred to as Samaria. The new inhabitants of different nationalities brought by the king of Assyria to dwell in Israel were steep in the worship of their gods. Each brought along brought its own deity along. Second Kings 17:30-31 listed the deities worshipped by the diverse nationalities in Samaria. “The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak….” Besides the plethora of  false gods, the Sepharvites were said to indulge in the abominable act of burning “their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim.” While engaging in worshipping the different deities, these new inhabitants also feared the Lords and appointed priests to manage the high places. There was widespread syncretism among the inhabitants.  Israel was not just invaded by a foreign force but was also invaded by a host of different false gods. The intermarriage between the people of Israel and the diverse nationalities brought to dwell in Israel, gave rise to the race known as the Samaritan.   

God wants to be worshipped exclusively. Right from the onset when He made the covenant with Israel, He stated it plainly. He told them not to have any other god besides Him. hence Syncretism is dangerous. While it does not totally abandon the faith, it is insidiously introducing practices inconsistent with the Word of God. Biblical lingo but not biblical definitions are used to camouflage their falsehood. In our days where all sorts of Christian-sounding teachings are so readily available, we need to be more decerning in accepting the things we hear. Don’t swallow everything, hook line, and sinker. We must be serious students of the Word of God and seek only to live by the truth.            

 

2 Kings 17:24-28 – Let’s truly worship God

Having captured Israel, the king of Assyria deported the people from Samaria and brought people from “Babylon and from Cuthah and from Avva and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria.”  This forms the backdrop to how we have the Samaritan. The foreigners who were brought to intermarry with the Israelites and their children came to be the Samaritans.

These new settlers filled Israel and lived in the cities. Being foreigners they had no respect for the  Lord and did not fear Him. He then sent lions among them which killed some of them. Troubled they came to the king of Assyria and reported the situation to him. The king of Assyria then commanded that some of the exiled priests be brought back home to teach the people about the worship of the Lord. Somehow these foreigners seemed to understand the warning better than the people of God.

From this incident, we learn that being religious is not true worship. The people of the land  had their own custom of serving their gods. But being religious is one thing and truly worshipping God is another. We must truly worship God and not just engage in religious practices.  Do not mistake the forms for reality. Real worship connects us with the true God. If we don’t truly connect with Him, we are merely going through the motion. What God truly desires is worship and not empty practices that may make us look religious but do not touch the heart of God. Don’t go through the motion. 

2 Kings 17:21-23 – The consequences of a bad choice

These three verses in 2 Kings 17:21-23, bring back the focus on Jeroboam the son of Nebat.  He was the initiator of the downward spiral of Israel. He led the ten northern tribes of Israel to negotiate with Rehoboam to lessen the burden that his father Solomon had laden on them. Listening to the advice of his less experienced contemporaries, Rehoboam repudiated the request. That was when Jeroboam and those with him swore to have nothing to do with the Davidic Dynasty. They then broke rank with them to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Jeroboam the son of Nebat became their first king. That break left Rehoboam to rule the Southern Kingdom of Judah from Jerusalem with only two tribes namely, Judah and Benjamin. 

Fearing that the people from the north might travel down south to worship at Jerusalem, Jeroboam made two golden calves. First Kings 12:28 said that “…the king (Jeroboam), consulted and made two golden calves, and he said to them (the people of Israel), “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.” In so doing he drove the people away from the Lord and made them commit a great sin. But the people continued to walk in the sin of Jeroboam till the day the Lord removed them from His sight as He had warned them by the mouths of His servants and prophets. He allowed Israel to be captured so the Assyrians came and carried them into exile in Assyria.

Jeroboam would have been a very successful man had he seriously taken heed to the word of God. He was a capable man and Solomon saw his capability, so 1 Kings 11:28 said Solomon made him a supervisor. “Now the man Jeroboam was a valiant warrior, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, he appointed him over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph.” Besides, Jeroboam’s appointment as the first king of Israel did not come without God’s approval. It was a prophetic choice. In 1 Kings 11:31, the prophet Ahijah gave him a message from God saying “Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes. Then in 1 Kings 11:38, God made him a great promise to him saying, “Then it will be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.”

What a promise! Jeroboam could have had a great ending had he taken the word of God to heart. But alas, he did not. He broke the very commandment which demanded that no one should ever make God into any form of a graven image. Yet he chose to make the golden calves. This serious mistake had caused Israel to careen into spiritual darkness. Since then things were no longer the same, Israel went from bad to worst. The great ending he was promised had been turned into a nightmare for Israel and for him. He became the bad example that every succeeding king of Israel after him emulated. Like him, we all can be an influencer for good or bad. It’s our choice. We can choose to be a force for God or a force against Him. We can choose to be a good or a bad influence. Whatever, our decision is, we must remember that we are creating the future of our families. Therefore choose carefully, what we want to do for God is not mocked for what a man sows, that he shall also reap.                 

 

2 Kings 17:7-20 – Let’s not bite the hand that feeds us

In 2 Kings 17:7-21, we see the whole litany of how Israel had failed God. These were the reasons for their downfall. Time and again they had tested the patience of God by taking their covenant relationship with Him for granted. There was not a single thing that He warned them about that they did not break. Since their deliverance from the land of bondage, they did not wholeheartedly honor Him who had delivered them but instead feared other gods. Israel’s main failure was a spiritual one. It was a failure of the whole nation and not just the kings only. Verses 9-13 summarised for us how they had failed God spiritually. “The sons of Israel did things secretly which were not right against the LORD their God. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. They set for themselves sacred pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, and there they burned incense on all the high places as the nations did which the LORD had carried away to exile before them, and they did evil things provoking the LORD. They served idols, concerning which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 

Despite the repeated warnings of God through His prophets, they gave a careless disregard for their warnings. They did not return to the Lord and the covenant that He had made with them. Like their stiff-necked fathers, they did not believe in God but rejected His statutes, and the covenant, and defied the commandments of God. Vainly they followed the folly of the pagans and indulged in the practices of those heathens. Verse 16 says that “they made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served and practiced  Baal.” And verse 17 says that “they made their sons, and their daughters pass through the fire, divination, and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD provoking Him.” They had shown that they were unwilling to serve the only true God who had given them all that they needed to have a meaningful life. Instead of showing gratitude, they spurned His love by going after worthless idols and vain practices.   

With severely tested patience, God in His anger gave them over to their opponents. He removed all the tribes, except Judah, from His sight. Yet Judah did little to prove themselves worthy of the grace extended to them. They emulated their northern brethren and walked in their ways. They would be dealt with later. Meanwhile, God punished Israel by allowing them to be plundered by foreign nations until they were taken out of His sight.   

The issue we see here is the issue of gratitude. How could a nation so graciously chosen by God yet show itself so unworthy of grace? They were obstinate and ungrateful people. They had chosen to bite the hand that fed them. Obstinacy always breeds disobedience. They will make us insensitive to the outstretched hand of God. We must not allow ourselves to reach that state. One way to avoid becoming stiff-necked and stubborn is to nurture an attitude of gratitude. Always remember we must give thanks to God for everything. Whether circumstances are congenial or not, never leave the God of Love. Here are some words of Marty Nystrom’s song for us to make them our constant prayer:

Lord, my heart is prone to wander
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Your courts above

    

2 Kings 17:1-6 – Never take the grace of God for granted

Second Kings 17:1-6  is the fulfillment of the prophecy foretold to Jeroboam some 200 years before it happened. In 1 King 14, we are told that Jeroboam sent his wife in disguise to consult the prophet Ahijah concerning the future of Abijah his son, who was sick at that time. After telling her what would happen to Abijah, the prophet went on to describe what would happen to all of Jeroboam’s descendants. The prophet then said  in 1 Kings 14:16, “For the Lord will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger.” 

What God had prognosticated in 1 Kings 14:16 happened during the reign of King Hoshea, the son of Elah. He ascended to the throne in the 12^th year of the reign of Ahaz of Judah and ruled Israel for nine years. Second Kings 15:30 tells us he conspired against Pekah, killed him, and became king in his place. Hoshea was no different from the rest of the kings of Israel who did evil in the sight of God, except that he was not as bad as his predecessors.  

Several things happened during his reign. Shalmaneser of Assyria, who had succeeded Tiglath Pileser harassed Israel. Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute thus making Israel a vassal state to Assyria. Verse 4 tells us that the king of Assyria discovered that he had conspired against him by seeking help from So, the king of Egypt. Shalmaneser probably discovered this when Hoshea withheld the yearly tribute that he would usually pay to him.  So the king of Assyria came and had him imprisoned. Furthermore, verse 5 said that Shalmaneser invaded Israel and came to Samaria, and besieged it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea’s reign, Shalmaneser captured Samaria and took Israel into exile to Assyria. Verse 6 said that the captives were settled “in Halah and Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.”

The fall of Israel did not come as a surprise, for God had already foretold it. What is a surprise was how could Israel be so stubbornly refusing to respond to the grace of God, held out to them for so long? Romans 2:4 warns us never to take lightly the riches of God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience. In patience, God is extending His grace, He is not condoning our sin. So never take the grace of God for granted. Payback time is definite! 

    

 

 

2 Kings 16:14-20 – Don't live a compromising life

With the help of Tiglath Pileser, King Ahaz secured a victory in the conflict he had with King Pekah of Israel and King Rezin of Aram. And as we have seen, he had to pay a great price. He went from bad to worst. he not only had Urijah the priest made an altar that he saw at Damascus, but in 2 Kings 16:14, but we are also told that he made that altar more prominent. The brazen altar constructed during Solomon’s time he ordered it shifted to the north side of the altar he had made.

In 2 Kings 16:15-16, he had ordered Urijah that all major sacrifices be offered on the new altar he had made. He also had some of the bronze structures built during Solomon’s time dismantled to appease the king of Assyria. Second Chronicles 28:22-24 had this to say of Ahaz. “In the time of his distress, this Ahaz became yet more unfaithful to the Lord.  For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they became the downfall of him and all of Israel. Moreover, when Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God, he cut the utensils of the house of God in pieces; and he closed the doors of the house of the Lord and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem.” 

The rest of Ahaz's deeds were recorded in the Books of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. Verse 20 said that Ahaz died and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His son Hezekiah succeeded him and reigned in his place. One wrong move and Ahaz's life just spiraled downward rapidly. He became more compromised and unfaithful to the Lord as time progressed. Ahaz became the worst king Judah ever had. His life tells us that compromise will always lead to unfaithfulness. This is an area we must guard. Let’s  be watchful and be sure not to live a compromising life.

 

2 Kings 16:10-24 – How’s your heart today?

For engaging the service of  Tiglath-Pileser and the Assyrians, Ahaz had to pay an enormous price. He had virtually made Judah a vassal state to Assyria. We already saw how much he had paid. Second Kings 16:8 said that “Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and sent a present to the king of Assyria.” Prior to engaging Assyria in his conflict with the kings of Israel and Aram, he was already leading a life of compromise. He was said to follow the idolatrous lifestyle of the kings of Israel and even committed the abominable act of making his son pass through the fire. He also “sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.”       

Now in 2 Kings 16:10-14, we will see the heavier price he had to pay for engaging the service of Assyria. He went to meet the king of Assyria in Damascus after the latter had conquered Aram and put King Rezin to death. Ahaz was probably summoned there by Tiglath-Pileser. While there he was impressed and charmed by an altar, so he sent a sketch of the altar to Urijah the priest, and ordered him to construct one like it.  And the priest did. When he returned from Damascus verse 12 said, “…the king saw the altar; then the king approached the altar and went up to it.  Verses 13  went on to say that he “burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar.” All this we shall see later that he did it to accommodate Tiglath-Pileser. That was the price he had to pay for not fully trusting the LORD.  

 

Just think of what happened to King Uzziah for just making a sacrifice to the Lord on the right altar. He tried to function in what he was not called and was smitten with leprosy. But Ahaz was smitten with a far worse condition, the hardening of the heart. A hardened heart makes it difficult for one to be willing to please God. What is the condition of our hearts today? The condition of our hearts will determine how receptive we are to God. The Parable of the Sower tells us so. Let's be sure that our hearts are “good soil” that can accommodate the word of God to bring about our incremental growth in the Lord. First a thirty-fold, then a sixty-fold, and ultimately a hundredfold.

 

 

 

2 Kings 16:5-9 - Trust God unwaveringly

In 2 Kings 16:5-9, we can see that Pekah, the king of Israel, and Rezin, the king of Aram waged war against Ahaz and Judah. In this passage, we are not told why they had come against Judah. This is where Isaiah 7:1-9 fill in the gap for us. Assyria under Tiglath-Pileser III was a dominant force at that time and they were bullying the smaller surrounding nations. Kings Pekah and Rezin, in their attempt to protect themselves from menacing Assyria,  sought to rope in King Ahaz and Judah to strengthen the coalition. But the latter would not join them. So Isaiah 7:6 tells us that Pekah and Rezin sought to depose Ahaz and put Tabeel as a puppet king in his place.  

In 2 Kings 16:6, we are told that Razin managed to retake Elath. This was the city in which  2 Kings 14:22 tells us that King Uzziah built Elath and restored it to Judah. Now Razin had occupied it, evacuated the Judeans from that city, and populated it with the Arameans.  From Isaiah 7:2, that we learn that when Ahaz heard that the Aramean had camped in Elath, he and the people of Israel were disheartened. They panicked and shook like leaves in a tree shaken by the wind. However, despite Ahaz's unfaithfulness, Isaiah was sent by God to tell him to stay calm and not panic.  But he chose not to trust the message given to him by God. And this is where 2 Kings 16:7-9 continue the story.  

Instead of trusting God, Ahaz sought the help of  Tiglath-Pileser. He sent a humiliating  message to him and put Judah under the domination of Assyria. Hear what he said, to the king of Assyria in 2 Kings 16:7,  “I am your servant and your son; come up and deliver me from the hand of the king of Aram and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.” On top of this, he took the silver and gold from the house of the Lord and the treasury of the palace and sent them as presents to the king of Assyria.  So verse 9 said that “the king of Assyria listened to him; …went up against Damascus and captured it, and carried the people of it away into exile to Kir, and put Rezin to death.” He seemed to have won in the conflict with the coalition, but he had unwittingly put himself into needless problems. This victory over the coalition forces led Ahaz deeper into idolatry.  

Ahaz had jumped from the frying pan into the fire. He chose to depend on his own inventiveness rather than God. He would rather depend on Tiglath-Pileser than on God. What foolishness! Here is the lesson for us, no matter how hard our circumstances in life may be, always turn to eth Lord and trust Him. Take the word of Proverbs 3:5-7 to heart:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.  

 

 

 

2 Kings 16:1-4 – Choose wisely

Second Kings 16:1-4, tell us that Ahaz succeeded his father Jotham on the throne in the 16^th year of Pekah’s reign in Israel. He was 20 years old when he became king and ruled Judah for 16 years in Jerusalem. Unlike his grandfather Uzziah and his father Jotham, he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God. And he did not measure up to God’s required standard set by King David, his forefather.

It was bad enough for him not to follow the way of David, but what was worst was that he adopted the stuns of the kings of Israel. He committed the abomination of making his son pass through the fire, something which the Lord had removed from the sons of Israel. He was said to have sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and every green tree. This is what 2 Chronicles 28:2-4 also said of him. “But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made molten images for the Baals. Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel. He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.”

Ahaz was idolatrous through and through. He was considered a terrible king of Judah, outdone only by two other kings namely, Menasseh and Ammon who came to the throne later. He had no regard for God by choosing to follow bad practices instead of good ones. Choices have consequences. Like him, our choices in life have much to do with what would become of us. We are free to choose what we want but we are never free to choose our outcome. Hence, there is a need for us to make decisions wisely. Remember that in every choice we make, we must choose to honor God and do what is right in His sight. Always put Him into the equation of the choices we make. Only then will we be able to choose what will have eternal value.  

 

2 Kings 15:32-38 – Order our life aright

Second Kings 15:32-38 narrate the reign of  Jotham, the son of Uzziah. He became king in the second year of Pekah’s rule of Israel. He was 25 years y old when he ascended the throne and reigned for 16 years. Like his father he was a reasonably good king, doing what was right in the eye of the Lord, except that he did clear the high places. This setback allowed the people to continue to sacrifice in the high places.  He was able to build the upper gate of the house of the Lord. It was in his reign that Rezin king of Syria joined forces with Peaklah, king of Israel came to trouble Judah. The rest of the act of Jotham was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. When he died, he was buried in the city of David and succeeded by his son Ahaz.

Nothing much had been said about Jotham here. The thing we can learn from him is what 2 Chronicles 27:6 said about him. There it was said that “So Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God.” He was strong and mighty because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God. This is how we can have sure victory and have God’s help in our journey. This is what we also must do if we want to be blessed by God. This is what Psalm 50:23 also said, “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.” Be sure to order our ways before the Lord. 

2 Kings 15:27-31 – Be careful not to perpetuate a sinful model

Second Kings 15:27-31 describe another king who had ascended the throne of Israel during the reign of Uzziah. This time it was Pekah, the son of Remaliah. Having conspired and assassinated Pekahiah, he became king of Israel and ruled for 20 years. Though we must have gotten tired of hearing the sad refrain, here it is again in 2 Kings 15:18. Pekah, like the rest of the kings, “did  evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin.”

Verse 29 said that in Pekah’s reign, Tiglath-Pileser, the king of Assyria came to and captured Ijon and Abel-beth-maacah and Janoah and Kedesh and Hazor and Gilead and Galilee and all the land of Naphtali. Besides capturing these areas, he also carried captives to Assyria.  Pekah was assassinated by Hoshea who led a conspiracy to strike him, put him to death, and became king in his place. This took place in the 20^th year of Jotham, the son of Uzziah. Pekah's other acts were also recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.    

The root of all the kings of Israel’s sin could be traced to Jeroboam. Practically every king was said to have indulged in the idolatry he had perpetrated.  The sin he started was both invasive as well as pervasive. It was not only aggressive but also widespread. By the way, that's the nature of sin. The sad refrain of the son he had started had influenced the kings of Israel after him. And it has shown us how they all had allowed that sin to become a foothold in their lives. This can be the story of us too if we are not careful. We must keep a short account with God. We must pause periodically to check our lives. Else, we may be unwittingly perpetuating a sin of someone we had influenced us. Let us not be found initiating or perpetuating a sin.   

 

 

2 Kings 15:23-26 – Open my eyes, Lord!

Second Kings 15:23-26 describe yet another king that rose to the throne during the long 52 years reign of King Uzziah. He was none other than Pekahiah, the son of Menahem. He ascended the throne of Israel in the 50^th year of Uzziah’s reign and ruled over Israel for two years. His reign was only about one-fifth of his father’s, who ruled for ten years and then died of a natural cause.

In verse 24, we again see the sad refrain that says, “He did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin.” Here is yet another king who was no different from all the rest of the kings of Israel. No spiritual reform. No return to the way of the Lord.

Verse 25 reveals how he died. His officer, a guy by the name of Pekah conspired against him. Together with Argob and Arieh and a gang of 50 men of the Gileadites, Pekah struck and killed the Pekahiah and became king in his place. Sadly nothing good could be said of Pekahiah except three sad facts. Firstly, he had a short two-year reign. Secondly, he was evil like his father in the sight of God for he perpetrated the continual worship of the golden calves introduced by Jeroboam I. And thirdly,  he was murdered.  Verse 26 tells us that the rest of his deeds were written in the  Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

Perhaps the only lesson we can learn from Pekahiah is the meaning of his name. It means Yahweh the one who opens eyes or the One who enables one to see. It is sad to be reminded that it is the LORD who enables one to see and yet remained so spiritually blind. It is good to know that God will enable us to see the truth but more importantly, to want to act on obediently on what he has revealed. May our prayer always be that He will not only open our eyes and enable us to see but that He will also enable our hearts to be willing to obey Him. That He will enable us to live a life pleasing to Him.  

2 Kings 15:17-22 – Dare to be different

King Azariah or Uzziah of Judah had a long 52-year reign in Judah. Second Kings 15:17 tells us in the 39^th year of his reign, Menahem became the king of Israel. Having assassinated Shallum, Menahem began to rule from Samaria for ten years. Second Kings 15:18 then said that he did evil in the sight of God for he was infested by the same evil started by Jeroboam. He continued in the sin of worshipping the golden calves initiated by Jeroboam. He did nt0 do anything to bring Israel back to God.

During his reign, Pul the king of Assyria (Tiglath Pileser III) came against Israel.  To appease him and gain his favor, Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver. Second Kings 15:20 tells us how he got the silver to give to Pul. He literally extorted the silver from the people. Menahem took them from all the wealthy men. Each of them had to cough out fifty shekels of silver so that he could pay the king of Assyria. Menahem paid tribute to Pul to get his protection. Appeased, Pul then returned to Assyria and did not trouble them. But this would have put the nation under an undue burden. We are told that his deeds, like all his predecessors, were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Pekahiah his son succeeded him on the throne when he died.    

The root problem of all the kings of Israel, including Menahem, was their pandering to the sin initiated by Jeroboam I. They all fail to capitalize on the opportunity given them to assert a more positive influence to bring about spiritual reform in the nation. None stood out to be counted. Can we see here as the call of God for us to stand up and make a difference for Him? We don’t have to pander to the old and we don’t have to run with the crowd. We can live differently for the glory of God!    

 

 

2 Kings 15:13-16 – Sin makes us lose our conscience

Shallum assassinated Zachariah and became king of Israel in his place and had only a  short one-month reign. That would make him the king with the second shortest reign. Zimri was the king with the shortest reign of only a few days. He was murdered by Menahem, who traveled from Tirzah to Samaria and struck him now. Shallum’s reign was so short that it was not possible to even evaluate the impact of his reign. Second Kings 15:15  said that whatever he did including the conspiracy he led against Zachariah was all written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. How Menahem had Shallem killed was described in verses 16. He was purported to strike Tiphsah from Tirzah and all who resisted him. We can only guess that the people of Tiphsah did not welcome him, so they resisted and refused to let him in. But the cruel Menahem not only broke their resistance but also committed atrocities. It was said that he ripped open the womb of all the pregnant women. This is cruelty personified.   

Having killed Shallum, Menahem then became king of Israel and ruled in Samaria for ten years. He was no better than any of the predecessors, for it was said that he did evil in the sight of the Lord and did depart from the ways of Jeroboam I. This suggests that he perpetrated the sin of idolatry Jeroboam had introduced.  

One lesson we can take away from these verses is that sin will make us lose our conscience. Shallum unconscionably murdered Zachariah and he himself was killed by Menahem. Then Menahem took his cruelty to an even greater level. He not only killed Shallum but also carried out extreme atrocities of ripping the wombs of pregnant mothers apart. It’s hard to think that his conscience didn’t even disturb him. That’s the depravity of sin. It will leave us engaging in wicked and unconscionable acts with the least bit of feeling.  Only a sure relationship with God will keep our conscience alive!   

2 Kings 15:8-12 – Guard our relationship with God

Second Kings 15:8-12 is a short record of the reign of Zachariah the son of Jeroboam II. He became king of Israel for six months on the 28^th year of Uzziah’s reign. Like many of his predecessors, he was also described as one who did “evil in the sight of the LORD….” What Jeroboam I did as the first king of Israel had never rescinded. The kings of Israel, one after another, perpetuated the worship of the golden calves he placed at Bethel and Dan. This had been the root cause that led Israel down the road of sin, king after king.  

Nothing much was said of Zachariah, except that he was assassinated. In a conspiracy led by Shallum, the son of Jabesh, the people struck and killed him. Shallum, the  key conspirator, having initiated the removal of Zachariah then seized the throne. Verse 11 tells us that the rest of the acts of Zachariah were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel.

What is noteworthy in this paragraph is the fact God is a promise-keeping God and that He will never fail to fulfill what He has promised. He had promised that Jehu’s descendents, up to the fourth generation, would sit on the throne. Though short, Zachariah was the fourth and last of Jehu’s line to ascend the throne. God gave His word and so it was.     

All Zachariah had was six months on the throne. The fact that there was no public outcry over his murder shows how weak and useless a king he was. His weakness, though a great concern, however was not the primary cause of his downfall. What caused his downfall was his failure to align his life with the LORD. He perpetuated the idolatry introduced by Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. One's spiritual orientation affects life at every level. Our total well-being depends largely on it. Hence, our relationship with God is the area we all need to guard zealously. 

2 Kings 15:1-7 – Don't be stumble by pride

The opening paragraph of 2 Kings 15 introduce us to the reign of Azariah, also known as Uzziah. Several things were said of him in verses 1-7. Firstly. he became king of Judah in the 27^th year of Jeroboam II, the king of Israel. Secondly, he started reigning at the age of 16. Thirdly, he ruled Judah for 52 years. Fourthly, his mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. Fifthly, he like his father did what was right in the eyes of the Lord yet not completely. Like him, he also did not remove the high places, so the people continued to make sacrifices and burned incense on those high places. Sixthly, he was struck with leprosy by the LORD, and he was a leper till the day he died. His son Jotham was made to co-reign with him. Like the other kings of Judah, Azariah’s other deeds were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah. When Azariah died he was buried with his fathers in the city of David and Jotham was the obvious choice to succeed him.

This passage only tells us he was struck with leprosy by the Lord but did not give us the reason why. The reason he was stricken with leprosy was provided by 2 Chronicles 26. There we find a description of him as a successful nation builder. He won wars, build a strong military force, and honed skillful men for wars. So we are told that he was successful and was a great builder of the nation. Then 2 Chronicles 2:16 has this to say about him, “But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.”

This is how 2 Chronicles 26:18-21 describe the situation. ^“They (the priests) opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the Lord God.” But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of incense.  Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because the Lord had smitten him. King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death….”  

The key lesson: pride goes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction. Pride makes a person stubborn even when in the wrong. Such a person would be hostile, defiant, argumentative, and unteachable. The Bible urges us to be humble because God only gives grace to the humble, but He will resist the proud. If we want to be greatly used of the LORD, deal with our pride. Don’t let pride stumble us, stay humble!  

 gs were said of him in verses 1-7. Firstly. he became king of Judah in the 27^th year of Jeroboam II the king of Israel. Secondly, he started reigning at the age of 16. Thirdly, he ruled Judah for 52 years. Fourthly, His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. Fifthly, He like his father did what was right in the eye of the Lord yet not completely. Like him, he also did not remove the high places, so the people continued to make sacrifices and burned incense on those high places. Sixthly, he was struck with leprosy by the Lord and he was a leper to the day he died. His son Jotham was made to co-reign with him. Like the other kings of Judah, Azariah’s other deeds were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah.  When Azariah died he was buried with his fathers in the city of David and Jotham was the obvious choice to succeed him.

This passage only tells us he was struck with leprosy by Lord but did not give us the reason why. The reason he was stricken with leprosy was provided  by 2 Chronicles 26. There we find a description of him as a successful nation builder. He won wars, build a strong military force, and honed skillful men for wars. And we are told that he was successful and was a great builder of the nation.  Then 2 Chronicles 2:16 has this to say about him, “But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.” He became proud and went into the

This is how 2 Chronicles 26:18-21 described the situation. account of ^“They (the priests) opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the Lord God.” But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the altar of incense.  Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because the Lord had smitten him. King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death….”  

The key lesson: pride goes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction. Pride makes a person stubborn even when in the wrong. Such a person would be hostile and defiant and argumentative and unteachable. The Bible urges us to be humble because God only gives grace to the humble, but He will resist pride. If we want to be greatly used of the LORD, deal with our pride. Don’t let pride stumble us, stay humble!