2 Kings 15:8-12 Friends?

 “In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. Then Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and struck and killed him in front of the people; and he reigned in his place. Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. This was the word of the Lord which He spoke to Jehu, saying, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it was.” II Kings‬ ‭15‬:‭8‬-‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months: The reign of Zechariah was both short and wicked, and he continued in the state-sponsored idolatry begun by Jeroboam.

i. “There appears to be (from a comparison of dates) a period unaccounted for, of about eleven years, between Jeroboam’s death and the beginning of his son Zechariah’s reign… Anarchy probably prevailed during the above-noted interregnum.” (Knapp)

b. Then Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and struck and killed him in front of the people: Zechariah was so despised by his own people that Shallum was able to do this. This was the end of the dynasty of Jehu, which began with such potential but ended (as God had foretold) in great darkness.

i. “God keepeth promise with his foes: shall he fail his friends?” (Trapp)

ii. “The death of this last king of the dynasty of Jehu saw the end of the Northern Kingdom proper. In the last twenty years six rulers were to follow each other, but only one was to die naturally. Anarchy, rivalry and regicide led to terminal bloodshed which fulfilled Hosea’s prophecies (Hosea 1:4).” (Wiseman)

iii. “Half a dozen ‘pseudo-kings’ would reign in rapid succession, one murderer replacing another on the throne, as the nation tottered on the brink of anarchy.” (Dilday)

(Guzik)

Friends?

“God keepeth promise with his foes: shall he fail his friends?” (Trapp)

This is encouraging news because the bible says:

“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” ‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” ‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Are you a foe or a friend of God?

Blessings 

2 Kings 15:5-7 Pride and Haughtiness!

 “Then the Lord struck the king, so that he was a leper until the day of his death; so he dwelt in an isolated house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the royal house, judging the people of the land. Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? So Azariah rested with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jotham his son reigned in his place.” ‭‭II Kings‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. The LORD struck the king, so that he was a leper until the day of his death: 2 Chronicles 26also tells us of the downfall of Azariah, who was marvelously helped till he became strong(2 Chronicles 26:15). The Chronicler goes on: But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense(2 Chronicles 26:16). The priests tried to stop him, but the king insisted on forcing his way into the temple to offer incense.

i. Azariah violated what had become a general principle in God’s dealing with Israel: that no king should also be a priest, and that the offices of prophet, priest, and king should not be combined in one man – until the Messiah, who fulfilled all three offices.

ii. “His great power fostered such pride and haughtiness that about 750 b.c. he sought to add to his vast power by usurping the prerogatives of the sacred priesthood.” (Patterson and Austel)

b. He dwelt in an isolated house: Azariah came into the temple as an arrogant king, and he left as a humbled leper. Indeed, he hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him(2 Chronicles 26:20).

i. “It was a fearful stroke from God. Death was the actual penalty enjoined by the law for his crime (Numbers 18:7), and leprosy was really that – a living death, prolonged and intensified.” (Knapp)

c. So Azariah rested with his fathers: The death of Azariah (again, also known as Uzziah) contributed to the call of the prophet Isaiah: In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD sitting on a throne (Isaiah 6:1).

i. Considering the reign of Azariah:

· He began his reign at only 16 years of age.

· He reigned for 52 years.

· Overall, he was a good and strong king who led Israel to many military victories, he was an energetic builder and planner.

· Despite all this, Azariah had a tragic end.

ii. Therefore, when Isaiah wrote that he was called in the year King Uzziah died, he said a lot. It is to say, “In the year a great and wise king died.” But it is also to say, “In the year a great and wise king who had a tragic end died.” Isaiah had great reason to be discouraged and disillusioned at the death of King Uzziah, because a great king had passed away, and because his life ended tragically. Yet despite it all, he saw the enthroned LORD God who was greater than any earthly king. (Guzik)

Pride and Haughtiness!

“These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬-‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Pride cometh before a fall and king Azariah fell hard by usurping the prerogatives of the sacred priesthood! But I wonder why he didn’t repent right away like king David did when confronted by Nathan the prophet, you are that man! 

“Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.” ‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

If we find any pride and haughtiness creeping through a crack into our brain, we should immediately confess our sin to the Lord and ask for forgiveness like David!

For He is a loving and forgiving Father!

Blessings 

2 Kings 15:1-4 Crown of Glory!

 “In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, became king. He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done, except that the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.”

‭‭II Kings‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. He did what was right in the sight of the LORD: The reign of Azariah (also called Uzziah in 2 Kings 15:13 and many other places in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah) was largely characterized by the good he did in the sight of the LORD. His godliness was rewarded with a long reign of 52 years.

i. Azariah came to the throne in a difficult era: “Following the tragic events that brought King Amaziah’s reign to an end, Jerusalem was in disarray, a major section of its protective wall destroyed, its temple and palace emptied of their treasures, and some of its inhabitants taken away to Israel as hostages.” (Dilday)

ii. 2 Chronicles 26 tells us much more about the successful reign of Uzziah (Azariah):

· He began his reign when he was only 16 years old (2 Chronicles 26:3).

· He reigned during the ministry of Zechariah the prophet (2 Chronicles 26:5).

· He defeated the Philistines and took many of their cities, and also kept the Ammonites in tribute (2 Chronicles 26:6-8).

· He was internationally famous as a strong king (2 Chronicles 26:8).

· He was an ambitious builder and skilled in agriculture (2 Chronicles 26:9-10). “He probably gave special attention to the tillage of the soil because of the prophecies of Hosea and Amos concerning the scarcity about to come. (See Hosea 2:9; 4:3; 9:2; Amos 1:2; 4:6-9; 5:16-19).” (Knapp)

· He built up and organized the army, introducing several new items of military technology (2 Chronicles 26:11-15).

iii. Knapp suggests that Azariah became king in an unusual manner: “He seems to have come by the throne, not in the way of ordinary succession, but by the direct choice of the people. The princes had been destroyed by the Syrians toward the close of his grandfather Joash’s reign (2 Chronicles 24:23), leaving the people a free hand.”

b. Except that the high places were not removed: As with Jehoash (2 Kings 12:3) and Amaziah (2 Kings 14:4), the reforms of Azariah did not reach so far as to remove these traditional places of sacrifice to the LORD. (Guzik)

i. “The apparent compromise is indicative of a basic spiritual shallowness that was to surface in the prophecies of the great writing prophets of the eighth century b.c.” (Patterson and Austel)

ii. “This, if it did not loose, yet it lessened his crown of glory.” (Trapp)

Crown of Glory!

Trapp’s comment “yet it lessened his crown of glory.” Is interesting but do you know what the bible says about us that have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior concerning our crowns?

“to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,”

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” ‭‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Irighteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The New Testament says will receive an imperishable crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory, and the crown of life!

I wonder what they will look like?

Blessings 

Five Heavily Crowns?

2 Kings 14:28-29 Rested With His Father’s!

 “Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did—his might, how he made war, and how he recaptured for Israel, from Damascus and Hamath, what had belonged to Judah—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? So Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. Then Zechariah his son reigned in his place.” II Kings‬ ‭14‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. His might, how he made war, and how he recaptured for Israel, from Damascus and Hamath, what had belonged to Judah: The reign of Jeroboam II was a time of economic, political, and material prosperity for Israel. Yet it was not because of their own merit or goodness, but because of God’s great mercy to Israel.

i. Archaeology confirms the economic might of Jeroboam II. In the age prior to Jeroboam II, the houses in Israel’s cities were roughly the same size. But archaeologists find a change starting in the eighth century b.c. – ancient cities like Tirzah have a neighborhood of large, expensive houses and another neighborhood of small, crowded structures, smaller than the houses from previous years. The larger houses are filled with the marks of prosperity, and the oppressive rich of Israel thought they could find safety there – but God’s judgment came against those houses as well (Amos 3:13-15).

ii. “The resultant prosperity, however, which ended in the wrong use of power in luxury and the oppression of the poor, was denounced by the contemporary prophets, especially Amos (2:6-7; 8:4-6); Isaiah (3:18-26; 5:8-13) and Micah (2:2).” (Wiseman)

iii. In the days of King Jehoahaz of Israel, God promised to send a deliverer to Israel, one who helped them to escape from under the hand of the Syrians (2 Kings 13:4-5). It is likely that Jeroboam II was this promised deliverer.

b. From Damascus: Though the hand of the LORD was behind these events, God used the strength of the Assyrian Empire to bless Israel. For most of its history, the Northern Kingdom of Israel struggled against Syria, her neighbor to the north. But around the year 800, the mighty Assyrian Empire defeated Syria, and neutralized this power that hindered Israel’s expansion and prosperity. With Syria in check, Israel enjoyed great prosperity during the reign of Jeroboam II.

i. The Book of Amos shows that Israel did not handle this prosperity well, and the wickedness under the prosperity of Jeroboam II heaped judgment up for themselves.

ii. “Israel was blessed with the ministries of both Hosea and Amos during Jeroboam’s reign. From their writings it will readily be seen that though there was political revival under his rule, there was no real moral or spiritual awakening among the people.” (Knapp)

iii. “When Jeroboam II died in 752 b.c., he left behind a strong kingdom but, unfortunately, one whose core foundation was so spiritually rotten that the edifice of state would not long withstand the rising tides of international intrigue and pressure.” (Patterson and Austel)

c. Then Zechariah his son reigned in his place: Zechariah was the fourth generation of the Jehu dynasty, and it was prophesied that the dynasty of Jehu would continue for four generations (2 Kings 10:30).

i. “From the time of Jeroboam’s death, declension set in, ending less than seventy years later in its final overthrow and dissolution. Prophetic ministry was from this time greatly increased. ‘Such is the way of our gracious God,’ an unknown writer says, ‘that when judgment is near to approach, then testimony is multiplied.’” (Knapp)

Rested With His Father’s!

That is the biblical way of saying he died and was buried near his father(s). 

We don’t really grasp death until it stares us in the face! Recently my wife was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer and today is the day after her first chemotherapy treatment. They said it would last 5-1/2 hours but with the pre-meds, visits from the pharmacist, and others the day was more like 7 hours.

But our God is great because she tolerated it extremely well and the care was on the scale of 1-5 was a 5!

My wife knows where her home is and even left a little Jesus behind in the infusion center!

Have you considered your own mortality?

What about your spiritual mortality?

Blessings 

2 Kings 14:23-27 Mercy!

 “In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria, and reigned forty-one years. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. He restored the territory of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gath Hepher. For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter; and whether bond or free, there was no helper for Israel. And the Lord did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.” II Kings‬ ‭14‬:‭23‬-‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. He did evil in the sight of the LORD: Jeroboam II was a wicked king, who continued the politically-motivated idolatry of his namesake Jeroboam the son of Nebat. During his reign the prophets Jonah and Amos spoke for God.

b. He restored the territory of Israel… for the LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter: Out of great mercy, God showed kindness to a disobedient Israel ruled by an evil king.

i. “It seems to suggest amazement in his mind as he contemplated the patience of Jehovah with the sinning nation.” (Morgan)

c. According to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet: This is almost certainly the same Jonah who is famous for his missionary trip to Nineveh. Apparently he also had a ministry among his own people, not only among the people of Nineveh. (Guzik)

i. “God sent them Jonah to encourage them, and to assure them of better days.” (Clarke)

Mercy!

“Out of great mercy, God showed kindness to a disobedient Israel ruled by an evil king.” (Guzik)

“(for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭4‬:‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Throughout the Bible there are examples of our merciful God! 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Is He your Father of mercies and God of all comfort?

Blessings