[Linux4christians] Thursday - 2 Kings 15

Wed Feb 23 20:28:56 EST 2011

    Thursday

      2 Kings 15

Azariah's Reign over Judah

15:1 In the twenty-seventh year of King Jeroboam's reign over Israel, 
Amaziah's son Azariah became king over Judah. 15:2 He was sixteen years 
old when he began to reign, and he reigned for fifty-two years in 
Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecholiah, who was from Jerusalem. 15:3 
He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Amaziah had done. 15:4 
But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer 
sacrifices and burn incense on the high places. 15:5 The Lord afflicted 
the king with an illness; he suffered from a skin disease until the day 
he died. He lived in separate quarters, while his son Jotham was in 
charge of the palace and ruled over the people of the land.

15:6 The rest of the events of Azariah's reign, including all his 
accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the 
Kings of Judah. 15:7 Azariah passed away and was buried with his 
ancestors in the city of David. His son Jotham replaced him as king.

Zechariah's Reign over Israel

15:8 In the thirty-eighth year of King Azariah's reign over Judah, 
Jeroboam's son Zechariah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria 
for six months. 15:9 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his 
ancestors had done. He did not repudiate the sinful ways of Jeroboam son 
of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 15:10 Shallum son of Jabesh 
conspired against him; he assassinated him in Ibleam and took his place 
as king. 15:11 The rest of the events of Zechariah's reign are recorded 
in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 15:12 His 
assassination brought to fulfillment the Lord's word to Jehu, "Four 
generations of your descendants will rule over Israel." That is exactly 
what happened.

15:13 Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of King 
Uzziah's reign over Judah. He reigned for one month in Samaria. 15:14 
Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah to Samaria and attacked Shallum 
son of Jabesh. He killed him and took his place as king. 15:15 The rest 
of the events of Shallum's reign, including the conspiracy he organized, 
are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 
15:16 At that time Menahem came from Tirzah and attacked Tiphsah. He 
struck down all who lived in the city and the surrounding territory, 
because they would not surrender. He even ripped open the pregnant women.

Menahem's Reign over Israel

15:17 In the thirty-ninth year of King Azariah's reign over Judah, 
Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel. He reigned for twelve years 
in Samaria. 15:18 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not 
repudiate the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel 
to sin.

During his reign, 15:19 Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and 
Menahem paid him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and to 
solidify his control of the kingdom. 15:20 Menahem got this silver by 
taxing all the wealthy men in Israel; he took fifty shekels of silver 
from each one of them and paid it to the king of Assyria. Then the king 
of Assyria left; he did not stay there in the land.

15:21 The rest of the events of Menahem's reign, including all his 
accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the 
Kings of Israel. 15:22 Menahem passed away and his son Pekahiah replaced 
him as king.

Pekahiah's Reign over Israel

15:23 In the fiftieth year of King Azariah's reign over Judah, Menahem's 
son Pekahiah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for two 
years. 15:24 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not repudiate 
the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 
15:25 His officer Pekah son of Remaliah conspired against him. He and 
fifty Gileadites assassinated Pekahiah, as well as Argob and Arieh, in 
Samaria in the fortress of the royal palace. Pekah then took his place 
as king.

15:26 The rest of the events of Pekahiah's reign, including all his 
accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the 
Kings of Israel.

Pekah's Reign over Israel

15:27 In the fifty-second year of King Azariah's reign over Judah, Pekah 
son of Remaliah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for 
twenty years. 15:28 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not 
repudiate the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel 
to sin. 15:29 During Pekah's reign over Israel, King Tiglath-pileser of 
Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, 
Gilead, and Galilee, including all the territory of Naphtali. He 
deported the people to Assyria. 15:30 Hoshea son of Elah conspired 
against Pekah son of Remaliah. He assassinated him and took his place as 
king, in the twentieth year of the reign of Jotham son of Uzziah.

15:31 The rest of the events of Pekah's reign, including all his 
accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the 
Kings of Israel.

Jotham's Reign over Judah

15:32 In the second year of the reign of Israel's King Pekah son of 
Remaliah, Uzziah's son Jotham became king over Judah. 15:33 He was 
twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen 
years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 15:34 
He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Uzziah had done. 15:35 
But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer 
sacrifices and burn incense on the high places. He built the Upper Gate 
to the Lord's temple.

15:36 The rest of the events of Jotham's reign, including his 
accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the 
Kings of Judah. 15:37 In those days the Lord prompted King Rezin of 
Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah to attack Judah. 15:38 Jotham passed 
away and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor 
David. His son Ahaz replaced him as king.

      Prayer

Lord, when leaders compromise with Your great and perfect plan everyone 
around them suffers. May I take care to do things Your way and not make 
excuses for exceptions which rebel against You.

      Commentary

Azariah became king over Judah at the age of 16 but failed to remove the 
high places -- after a time the Lord God visited him with a skin disease 
so his son Jotham functioned as the public ruler while he was hidden 
away in his private quarters.

Jeroboam's son Zechariah became king over Israel for six months, he was 
an evil king who promoted the worship of false gods, Shallum son of 
Jabesh murdered him and became king for one month until Menahem son of 
Gadi killed him and took his place as king.

Menahem was so evil that during one attack he even cut open pregnant 
women. Pul, king of Assyria, invaded Israel so Menahem paid him a 
thousand talents of silver (taken from wealthy citizens) to buy Pul's 
support and solidify his own power.

Menahem's son Pekahiah became king over Israel for two years, he was 
evil like his predecessors and was murdered by his officer Pekah, who 
then reigned for twenty-two years. Pekah was also evil and King 
Tiglath-pileser of Assyria captured several regions of Israel, deporting 
many of the people to Assyria as slaves.

Jotham became king over Judah for sixteen years, he was generally 
obedient to the Lord God but did not remove the high places. At the 
Lord's prompting King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel attacked 
Judah. During his reign Jotham built the Upper Gate to the Lord's 
Temple. After his death Jotham's son Ahaz became king.

      Interaction

        Consider

Menahem was evil but clever, he tolerated the domination of Pul of 
Assyria -- rather than fight and probably lose - paying Pul with wealth 
taken from the wealthy, so he could remain as king.

        Discuss

Given the history of troubles why did none of these kings figure out 
that ignoring God's expectation that they remove the high places was a 
major reason for the absence of blessing?

        Reflect

The tolerance of the evil high places created an evil environment where 
king after king was murdered and replaced by their murderers.

        Share

When have you experienced or observed troubles that flowed from 
disobedience yet the disobedience continued?

      Faith in Action

        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place in your life where you have 
made excuses for something that you know to be offensive to the Lord God.

        Action:

Today I will begin the process of purging that which offends the Lord 
God from my life. I will ask a fellow believer to be my accountability 
partner and to pray in-agreement for my complete and continued freedom.

        Be Specific ______________________________________________________

    Friday's text will be:

      2 Kings 16

-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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