2 Kings 24-25 & 2 Chron. 36 - Babylonian Conquest and Exile

LINK: 2 Kings 24 & 25 & 2 Chronicles 36   (Read over the next two days)

BACKGROUND

Final Kings of Judah:

Jehoahaz - 2 Kings 23:30-34; 2 Chronicles 36:1-4

Reigned: 609 B.C. for 3 months
Character: Bad
Manner of death: Taken by Pharaoh Neco II to Egypt where he died

Jehoiakim/Jehoikim/Eliakim - 2 Kings 23:34-24:6; 2 Chronicles 36:4-8; Jeremiah 36:1-32      

Reigned: 609-598 B.C. 11 years  (switching allegiance back and forth under Egypt and Babylon while they warred)
Character: Wicked
Manner of death: Killed and body was "dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem" (Jeremiah 22:19, Jeremiah 36:30).

Jehoiachin/Jeconiah/Coniah  - 2 Kings 24:5-25:30; 2 Chronicles 36:8-10

Reigned: Dec. 9, 598-March 15/16, 597 B.C. for 3 months and 10 days           
Character: Bad
Manner of death: Natural death in Babylon

Zedekiah/Mattaniah - 2 Kings 24:17-25:7; 2 Chronicles 36:10-21; Jeremiah 21, 34, 29:3; 51:59-52:11; Ezekiel 17:11-18

Reigned: 597-586 B.C. 11 years  (Jews still regarded Jehoiachin as ruler instead of his uncle and even Ezekiel refers to Jehoiachin as king)        
Character: Bad
Manner of death: Blinded and died imprisoned in Babylon

By the way, Wikipedia has articles on all four of these kings with evidence that they really did exist.

2 Kings 24

We learned in 2 Kings 23 that Eliakim was placed on the throne by Neco. As an ancient Near East custom, Neco demonstrated his control over Judah by changing Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim.  He now submitted to Neco's authority and paid tribute through the people's taxes.

In 605 B.C., Babylon became the new world power and Nebuchadnezzar took control as its king after his father Nabopolassar died. Earlier that year, Nebuchadnezzar had defeated Pharaoh Neco at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. Babylon took control of Egypt and its vassals which included Judah. 

Later that year, Nebuchadnezzar also invaded Judah. The prophet, Daniel, and others were deported to Babylon during this first invasion. Most of the story of Daniel occurs after all the events in this post and the events of Jeremiah. 

Judah's King Jehoiakim submitted for three years but eventually revolted and appealed to Egypt for help. He was taken prisoner to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:6), but eventually made it back to Jerusalem and died there.

Nebuchadnezzar was already marching on Jerusalem when Jehoiakim died and his son, Jehoiachin, became king for three months. Jehoiachin was evil. He surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar and was carried away to Babylon in the second deportation in 597 B.C. This fulfilled Jeremiah's prophecy that none of Jehoiachin's sons would sit on the throne (Jeremiah 22:30). This invasion was the consequence of God's warning during Solomon's reign (1 Kings 9:6-7).

Altogether, there were 10,000 people taken captive, including the prophet Ezekiel, the post-exilic prophet. Only the poorest people were left in Judah. 

Jehoiachin's uncle, Mattaniah, was installed by Nebuchadnezzar as king of Judah. He was the third son of Josiah to rule, being the younger brother of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim. Nebuchadnezzar changed Mattaniah's name to Zedekiah. Remember that the renaming of a person was an ancient Near East custom that demonstrated control. 

King Zedekiah was also evil. He submitted to Babylon for several years but foolishly rebelled under pressure (Jeremiah 37-38). He made an alliance with Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt (589-570 B.C.). 

2 Kings 25

In January of 588 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia began his march to besiege Jerusalem. On July 16, 586 B.C. they broke down the wall. Nebuchadnezzar captured Zedekiah, killed his sons (cutting off all heirs to the throne), blinded Zedekiah (making further rebellion an impossibility, Ezekiel 12:3), and carried him off to Babylon (Jeremiah 32:4; 34:1-3; 39). 

On August 16, 586 B.C., they burned down every important building in Jerusalem, including the temple and royal palace which had stood for four centuries. Following this, seventy-two leaders were executed. All this made Israel an object of scorn to the surrounding nations. Gedaliah was set up as governor but was eventually murdered by Ishmael, a person of royal descent who wanted to govern Judah (Jeremiah 40:13-16; Jeremiah 41:2). In fear of reprisals from the Babylonians, the leaders of Judah fled to Egypt with Jeremiah the prophet (Jeremiah 41:1-43:7).

Remember that Jehoiachin was taken captive to Babylon in 597 B.C. (24:15). When a new king came into power in 562 B.C., he gave Jehoiachin great privileges and treated him more as a guest than a prisoner. There are Babylonian tablets that confirm that Jehoiachin, his sons, and others received rations from Nebuchadnezzar's stores! This all led to more freedom for the Israelites in captivity. What a nice positive end to the book of 2 Kings!

2 Chronicles 36

The account in 2 Chronicles adds some important things that are not in the 2 Kings account:

1) It summarizes God's motivation for sending the pre-exilic prophets:

The LORD, the God of their fathers sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophet, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy.  (2 Chronicles 36:15, 16)

2) It speaks of the 70-year captivity:

2 Chronicles 36:21 is the fulfillment of what was predicted in Leviticus 26:27-45. The land would enjoy a 70-year rest because Israel and Judah had failed to keep the sabbatical years. (Every seventh year the land was supposed to lie fallow, resting from crop production. See Exodus 23:10,11; Leviticus 25:1-7.) This was also prophesied in Jeremiah 29:10. This probably refers to the 70 years from the first deportation under Nebuchadnezzar in 605 B.C. to the rebuilding of the temple foundation by the returning exiles in 536 B.C. (see Daniel 9:2, Ezra 1:1).

3) It closes on a note of hope:

Cyrus, king of Persia (559-530 B.C.), made a proclamation 48 years after the temple was destroyed (36:18, 19) and a year after he conquered Babylon (538 B.C.) that the people of Judah could return to their land and rebuild the temple (See Ezra 1:2-3a). This was a fulfillment of the prophetic words of Jeremiah 25:12; 29:10 and an answer to Daniel's prayer in Daniel 9:4-19. This is fitting since the account in Chronicles focuses more on the temple and temple worship than the parallel account in 1 & 2 Kings.

REFLECTION and APPLICATION

Chew on 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 for a while. Are there any areas where you are not listening to the Lord and obeying Him?

Remember that God Guides is a great book about listening and obeying.

PRAYER

Lord, help us to listen to Your Word and obey. May we do it through the power of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

2 Kings 18-20 & 2 Chronicles 29-32 - Hezekiah the King

LINK: 2 Kings 18-20 & 2 Chronicles 29-32 

(Read over the next week)

I decided to put the whole life of Hezekiah in one post with both the 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles accounts. 2 Chronicles devotes much more time to all the religious reforms of Hezekiah.  That is because the temple is central in 2 Chronicles. 2 Kings focuses more on his military movements.

Most commentators believe that the events in both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles are not chronological. Also, they overlap with the prophet Isaiah in chapters 36-39. We will go through the whole life of Hezekiah before we turn to that big book so as not to break up the flow of history.

BACKGROUND

Israel is no more. They have been carried off in the Assyrian captivity. Now, we will see the last days of the surviving kingdom of Judah from 2 Kings 18-25 and the parallel account in 2 Chronicles 29-36.

Hezekiah of Judah - 2 Kings 18-20, 2 Chronicles 29-32

Reigned: 715-686 B.C. for 29 years, vice-regency under father, Ahaz, for 14 years (729-715 B.C.), and vice-regency with his son, Manasseh, for 11 years (697-686 B.C.)
Character: The Best
Overlap with Israel's King: Hoshea during Hezekiah's co-regency with his father, Ahaz (732-722 B.C.)
Manner of death: Natural 

Hezekiah's name means "the Lord strengthens," and he lived up to his name by seeking the Lord's strength. He was considered Judah's best king. In the first two months of his reign, he removed the high places, put an end to idol worship, and restored worship in the temple. "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done" (2 Chronicles 29:2). This is phenomenal when you consider that his father was such a bad king who defiled the temple, closed its doors, stopped the ministry of the Levites, and practiced idolatry (2 Chronicles 28:24; 2 Kings 16:10ff). Hezekiah lived above his upbringing!

In addition, Hezekiah invited people from both Judah and Israel to come to the temple in Jerusalem and worship the Lord because it was the only true center of worship (see Deuteronomy 12). He also restored the observance of Passover (2 Chronicles 30). (See HERE for a previous post about the Passover.) The people's return to worship shamed the priests into action. They sanctified themselves and brought offerings to the temple (2 Chronicles 30:15).

Regardless of the mocking of the people outside of Judah and the mocking of the king of Assyria when he attacked Judah, Hezekiah remained steadfast and fought the Lord's battle exactly where it should have been fought: on his knees! God honored his prayers by defeating Assyria.

Isaiah prophesied that Hezekiah would die, but Hezekiah's faith-filled intercession caused God to hear his prayer and see his tears and heal him, giving him fifteen more years of life (701-686 B.C.). He showed this through the sign of the shadow on the "stairway of Ahaz." Some commentators say this was an Egyptian sundial in the form of a miniature staircase with shadows moving up and down the staircase. Other commentators say it was a literal staircase built by King Ahaz. Hezekiah had pride in his heart and did not respond to the Lord's kindness. Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart though and the Lord's wrath was averted (2 Kings 20:1-11; 2 Chronicles 32:24-26). 

Merodach-Baladan reigned Babylon during two time periods: 721-710 and 703-702 B.C. He sent an envoy to Judah to seek King Hezekiah's support as an ally in the anti-Assyrian effort but also to find out how strong Judah was. Hezekiah made a foolish mistake and failed the Lord's test in showing the Babylonian envoy all of his wealth and armaments and revealed more of his proud heart (2 Chronicles 32:25-31; 2 Kings 20:12-19; Isaiah 39:1-8). This led to Isaiah's sad prophecy regarding the end of Judah at the hands of the Babylonians.

Despite his pride, Hezekiah responded well to the "word of the LORD" (2 Kings 20:19).

He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. For he clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. (2 Kings 18:5-6)

Only a handful of people in the Bible are given 10 or more chapters in the Bible: Moses, David, Paul, and Hezekiah are a few. Of course, those chapters are scattered between three books: 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah!

REFLECTION

Oh PRIDE! It got even good King Hezekiah in the end, and it can get all of us because it is one of the evil one's greatest tools:

Pride is one of Satan’s chief weapons in his battle against the Lord and His people. Satan himself committed the sin of pride when he rebelled against God and sought the worship and obedience that God alone deserves (Isa. 14:12–15). Pride makes us rob God of the glory that belongs to Him alone. Pride gives us a feeling of false security and this leads us into sin and defeat. Charles Spurgeon said to his London congregation, “Be not proud of race, face, place, or grace.” Good advice! William Barclay wrote, “Pride is the ground in which all the other sins grow, and the parent from which all the other sins come. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2002). Be Distinct, p. 135)

Be aware! No one is immune to pride.

APPLICATION

How is your pride meter today? There are many verses on pride, pray through some of them:

Leviticus 26:19
Psalm 36:11
Proverbs 8:13
Proverbs 11:2
Proverbs 16:18
Proverbs 21:24
Proverbs 29:23
Isaiah 2:17
Micah 6:8

Also, the book Praying God's Word by Beth Moore has an excellent chapter called "Overcoming Pride." I heartily recommend this book. It is fantastic for your prayer life!

"Pride is the deification of self." 

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

PRAYER

Lord, You bring down rulers from their thrones, but You exalt the humble (Luke 1:52). Please show us the areas of pride in our life and root them out so that we might give ONLY YOU the glory and honor. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Ezekiel 17 - Eagles, a Vine, and a Tender Sprig

LINK: Ezekiel 17

Here is where Ezekiel 17 fits in chronologically with the history and the prophecies of Jeremiah:

2 Kings 24:18-20

2 Chronicles 36:11-14

Jeremiah 49:34-51:64

Jeremiah 11:18-12:6

Jeremiah 23:9-40

Jeremiah 27:1-28:17

Ezekiel 1-23

Jeremiah 21:1-14

Ezekiel 24-25

Jeremiah 37-38

Ezekiel 29-31

Jeremiah 32-34

2 Kings 25

2 Chronicles 36:15-21

If you want to see how all the later prophets fit in chronological with the 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles accounts, see HERE.

As I have said before, I chose not to do a strict chronology because we would be jumping back and forth between books. I think it is easier to read each book as a whole and fit them together semi-chronologically. As you can see Ezekiel is much more chronological than Jeremiah! 

BACKGROUND

The first eagle in this allegory symbolized King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (17:12) who went to "Lebanon" (Jerusalem) and clipped off the top (King Jehoiachin, 2 Kings 24:8-16) of a cedar tree (Davidic dynasty) and replanted that top bough in a city of traders (Babylon). This occurred in 597 B.C.

The eagle (Nebuchadnezzar) took some of the seed of the land and planted it by abundant water and it grew into a spreading vine. After King Jehoiachin died in captivity, Nebuchadnezzar "planted" King Zedekiah as a vassal king in Jerusalem. This meant he was in a treaty with Nebuchadnezzar and under oath. He and Jerusalem would grow and prosper as long as Zedekiah kept his side of the bargain.

We know from the accounts in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles that he did not. The vine (Zedekiah) stretched out toward a new eagle (Pharaoh of Egypt) to receive water (protection) and forgot the oath of allegiance made to the first eagle (Nebuchadnezzar) and rebelled against it. When Ezekiel prophesied this in captivity (sometime between 592 and 591 B.C.), this final revolt had not yet happened in Jerusalem (588 B.C.). Jeremiah prophesied the same thing in Judah (Jeremiah 2:36, 37; 38). Isaiah had preached it over a century before (Isaiah 31:1; 36:9).

The result of this rebellion was a disaster. The vine would not thrive. Zedekiah was not only rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar but also against God (17:19-21). Nebuchadnezzar captured Zedekiah, killed his sons, blinded him, and took him captive to Babylon, where he died in captivity (Ezekiel 17:16; 2 Kings 24:17-25:7; Jeremiah 52:1-11).

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

Ezekiel's prophecy does end in a ray of hope. God said he would take a sprig (Jesus) from the very top of the cedar (Davidic dynasty) and plant it on the mountain heights of Israel. It would prosper and provide shelter for all who come to it (17:22-24). 

Jesus came from the stem of Jesse and will one day establish His kingdom on earth (Isaiah 11:1-10; Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:15-17; Zechariah 6:12-13) and all other kingdoms will fall.

REFLECTION

How often do we in our human wisdom try to trade the abundant, life-giving water of the Lord for "foreign" water that can do nothing to quench our thirst? The treaty with Babylon was God's protection for Judah, but they didn't drink.

Where is your water source?

APPLICATION

Meditate on (and maybe illustrate) Psalm 1 and talk to God about where you are getting your water these days. 

Then, ponder this quote by Bernard of Clairvaux: 

“If then you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. A canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, and a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, and thus without loss to itself communicates its superabundant water. In the Church at the present day we have many canals but few reservoirs.” 

PRAYER

Lord, help us to drink deeply from Your abundant, living water. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

2 Kings 8 - Elijah's Commission #1 Fulfilled Through Elisha

LINK: 2 Kings 8 
Parallel passage - 2 Chronicles 21-22

BACKGROUND

Jehoram (Joram) of Israel - 2 Kings 3:1-9:25

Reigned: 852-841 BC for 12 years (brother of Ahaziah and son of Ahab)
Character: Bad mostly

Overlap with Judah's King: Jehoshaphat (873-848 B.C.) and Jehoram (853-841 B.C.)
Manner of Death: Murdered by Jehu
Parallel Story: 2 Chronicles 22:5-7

He did evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and mother; for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal . . . Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam . . . he did not depart from them" (2 Kings 3:2-3)

 

The Shunammite Woman in Rewind (8:1-6)

2 Kings is not written chronologically. The events of 8:1-6 must have happened before the events in 2 Kings 5 because Gehazi is still Elisha's servant and has not yet been struck with leprosy. In this story, the Shunammite woman of 2 Kings 4:8-37 was warned by Elisha to flee to the land of the Philistines during the famine (may have been the one in 4:38). As Gehazi was telling King Joram the miraculous story of how Elisha had restored the Shunammite woman's son to life, she walked in to beg for the restoration of her property. Joram had her property restored.

Anointing of Hazael (8:7-15)

Remember back in 1 Kings 19:8-18 when the Lord gave Elijah three anointing commissions? Do you remember who he was to anoint?

1) Hazael king of Syria
2) Jehu king of Israel
3) Elisha as his successor

Elijah only accomplished the third, but through the anointing of Elisha, the first two were fulfilled! This chapter covers commission #1.

Ben Hadad was sick and called for the prophet Elisha to find out if he would get well. Think about it: a pagan king asked to consult the LORD through one of His prophets! Maybe Naaman had something to do with this since he had probably gone back and told the king about his miraculous healing (2 Kings 5). Sadly, Elijah predicted that Ben Hadad would recover but that his messenger, Hazael, would become king of Aram and would bring harm to the Israelites. Hazael returned and killed the king. 

Hazael ruled Syria for forty-one years from 841-801 B.C. "Hazael did not come from noble stock; on one Assyrian record Shalmaneser III called him 'the son of a nobody'"(David Luckenbill, Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia. 2 vols. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1926-1927, 1:246). He may have been a nobody, but he was God's anointed and an instrument of God's discipline on His people for their idolatry. Stay tuned!

Two Kings of Judah (8:16-29)

Jehoram of Judah - 2 Kings 8:16-24

Reigned: 853-841 BC for 8 years alone and 5 years as co-regent with his father, Jehoshaphat
Character: Bad
Overlap with Israel's King:  Ahaziah (853-852 B.C.) Jehoram (Joram) (852-841 B.C.)
Manner of Death: Stricken by God
Parallel Story: 2 Chronicles 21:1-20

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did (for Ahab’s daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the sight of the Lord (2 Chronicles 21:5-6, NASB95).

 
Now, we shift gears to the southern kingdom of Judah. King Jehoram (the same name as the Israelite king, but the Scriptures show the Israelite king's name as Joram to avoid confusion) brought apostasy and judgment to Judah. He was married to Athaliah, a daughter of Ahab. Consequently, he walked in the idolatrous ways of Israel instead of like his father, Jehoshaphat. According to the parallel account in 2 Chronicles 21, he murdered his brothers and anybody who might threaten his throne. Because of God's covenant with David (2 Samuel 7), He did not destroy Judah, but revolts from Edom (The rough hills on the east side of the Arabah. Remember the people of Edom are descendants of Esau [Gen. 25:30].) and Libnah (southwest of Jerusalem near the border of Philistia) left Judah weakened. The account in 2 Chronicles 21 adds that he died of a painful disease of the intestines (21:18-19) that Elijah had prophesied (21:12-15). Jehoram reigned in co-regency with his father for 5 years (853-848 BC) and solely for 8 years (848-841 BC).

Ahaziah of Judah - 2 Kings 8:24-9:29

Reigned: 841 B.C. for 1 year
Character: Bad 
Overlap with Israel's King: Jehoram (Joram) (853-841 B.C.)
Manner of Death: Murdered by Jehu
Parallel Story: 2 Chronicles 22:1-9

Ahaziah "walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab's family" (2 Kings 8:27). 

Jehoram's youngest son, Ahaziah (the other sons were taken away by the Philistines and Arabs, 2 Chronicles 21:16,17), was a bad king and only reigned for one year.

At the conclusion of this chapter, Joram (King of Israel) was wounded by Hazael, the anointed king of Aram. Stay Tuned!

No REFLECTION and APPLICATION today until I sum this all up in the parallel account in 2 Chronicles. 

PRAYER

Lord, help us to learn that You are sovereign and in control of the events of kings and nations. We know that our world is in uncertain times, but we trust solely in You as our Lord and King! Amen.

2 Kings 15 & 2 Chronicles 26-27 - How Can We Finish Well?

LINK: 2 Kings 15 & 2 Chronicles 26-27
2 Kings 15:1-7 parallels 2 Chronicles 26

BACKGROUND

Uzziah/Azariah of Judah - 2 Kings 15:1-7, 2 Chronicles 26

Reigned: 790-739 B.C. for 52 years, vice-regency under father, Amaziah, for 23 years (790-767 B.C.), and co-regency with son, Jotham, for 11 years (750-739 B.C.)
Character: Good 
Overlap with Israel's King: Jeroboam II (793-753 B.C.)
Manner of death: Stricken by God 

Azariah means "Jehovah has helped." When he became king, his throne name was Uzziah which means "Jehovah is strength." He reigned while his father was taken captive to Samaria for fifteen years after the war with Joash, King of Israel. This co-reign (some refer to it as a vice-regency) lasted for 23 years from age 16 to 39 years. He was taught by Zechariah. In his early reign, he "sought the LORD," and "God gave him success" (2 Kings 15:3; 2 Chronicles 26:5), but he did not remove the high places (2 Kings 15:4). The conjecture is that it was just too much of an inconvenience for them to travel to the temple to offer their gifts and sacrifices. So, they visited the local shrine. 

He was a successful warrior and city builder and was skillful in organizing and delegating. Sadly, his great power led to pride (2 Chronicles 26:16). We already know from our study of Proverbs that, "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling" (16:18). His pride led him to perform priestly duties in disobedience to the Law which stipulated that this was only to be done by descendants of Aaron (Exodus 30:7-8). His destruction came in the form of leprosy that plagued him for the rest of his life. This led to Uzziah being quarantined and unable to reign. So his son, Jotham, was co-regent until Uzziah died. His death coincided with the beginning of the ministry of the prophet Isaiah whom we will study once we get through the life of the other kings reigning during Isaiah's time. While Uzziah started out well, he did not have lifelong obedience!

2 Kings 15:8-31 covers five kings of Israel who were all BAD! 

Zechariah of Israel - 2 Kings 14:29 - 15:12 

Reigned: 753-752 B.C. for 6 months
Overlap with Judah's king: Azariah/Uzziah (790-739 B.C.)
Manner of death: Assassinated by Shallum

He was evil through and through. God's Word stated that four generations would succeed Jehu on the throne of Israel (2 Kings 10:30). Therefore, his dynasty came to an end with Zechariah.

Shallum of Israel - 2 Kings 15:13-16

Reigned: 752 B.C. for 1 month
Overlap with Judah's King: Azariah/Uzziah (790-739 B.C.)
Manner of death: Murdered by Menahem (commander of Jeroboam II's army) 

Menahem of Israel - 2 Kings 15:6-22

Reigned: 752-742 B.C. for 10 years, overlapping reign with Pekah
Overlap with Judah's King: Azariah/Uzziah (790-739 B.C.), Jotham (750-735 B.C.)
Manner of death: Natural 

Like the kings before him, he was an apostate. This is the first mention of Assyria (2 Kings 15:19). Pul was one of Assyria's strongest rulers. The invasion of Israel was in 743 B.C. and resulted in Menahem paying tribute to Pul.

Pekahiah of Israel - 2 Kings 15:23-26

Reigned - 742-740 B.C. for two years, overlapping reign with Pekah
Overlap with Judah's King: Azariah/Uzziah (790-739 B.C.), Jotham (750-735 B.C.)
Manner of death: Murdered by Pekah (one of his military officers) 

He followed the "ways of Jeroboam." Pekah assassinated him in the most secure place in the palace, the citadel!

Pekah of Israel - 2 Kings 15:27-31

Reigned: 752-732 B.C.  for 20 years, overlapping reign with Menahem (752-742 B.C.) and Pekahiah (742-740 B.C.)
Overlap with Judah's King: Azariah/Uzziah (792-740), Jotham (750-732)
Manner of death: Murdered by Hoshea

Pekah had set up a rival government east of the Jordan River in Gilead when Menahem became king in 752 B.C. He did this because he disagreed with Menahem's paying tribute to the king of Assyria. He also aligned with Rezin, the king of Damascus. This led to Assyria invading in 734-732 B.C. (Recorded in 2 Chronicles 28:5-8) and deportation of the people there to Assyria in 733 B.C. He continued in his evil ways just like the kings before him.

Jotham of Judah - 2 Kings 15:32-38, 2 Chronicles 27. 

Reigned: 750-735 B.C. for 16 years (co-reigned with his father and his son) 
Overlap with Israel's King: Menahem (752-742 B.C.), Pekahiah (742-740 B.C.), and Pekah (752-732 B.C.
Character: Good
Manner of death: Natural

WHEW! When we go back to Judah, we have a good king.  He rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple and had many other building projects. "He walked steadfastly before the LORD his God" (2 Chronicles 27:6), but the 2 Kings account says, "the high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there" (15:35). 

REFLECTION

I must admit that when I get to this part of my Bible reading, I become very, very weary. The descent into evil of the people God chose to be His special possession is SO disheartening! They could have had it all!  But they all blew it, even Uzziah, who started well, did not finish well. The kings of Israel started and ended horribly with most being assassinated by their successors! 

I want a long-term game plan for my life. I want to finish well. How about you?  

APPLICATION

Writing out a Rule of Life can be a framework for growing and deepening in Him?

Def­i­n­i­tion of Per­son­al Rule of Life: ​“Your per­son­al rule of life is a holis­tic descrip­tion of the Spir­it-empow­ered rhythms and rela­tion­ships that cre­ate, redeem, sus­tain and trans­form the life God invites you to humbly ful­fill for Christ’s glory.” (Craft­ing a Rule of Life, p. 14)

I highly recommend this webinar on developing one:

The Well-Ordered Life: Finding Freedom in a Rule of Life

(There are links to many resources on this page.)

(Written in 2011): Billy Graham wants to finish well. I just saw this new book by him in my library.  This is a key verse He shares:

But I do not account my life of any value 
nor as precious to myself,

 if only I may finish my course and the ministry 

that I received from the Lord Jesus, 

to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Acts 20:24 (ESV)

I am already intrigued by the chapter titles:

Running toward home
Don't retire from life
The impact of hope
Consider the golden years
Fading strength but standing strong
Death's destination
Influencing the impressionable
A foundation that lasts
Roots strengthen in time
Then and now

2014 Update: I read it, and it was excellent! Let's finish well as we near home. 

2023 Update: He finished well in 2018 at the ripe old age of 99. He also wrote three more books after this!

PRAYER

Lord, help us to walk in all Your ways not forgetting to obey You in the smallest areas and details of our life. Remove our "high places," Lord. We ask this because the Holy Spirit empowers us to live in obedience to You. Please teach us to number our days so that we may present to you a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12). Help us to finish well. We pray this in Jesus' strong and powerful name. Amen.

April in 2 Chronicles & 2 Kings with Obadiah, Joel, Jonah, and Amos

1. 2 Kings 4
2. 2 Kings 5
3. 2 Kings 6 & 7
4. 2 Kings 8
5. 2 Chron. 21
6. 2 Kings 9
7. 2 Kings 10
8. 2 Kings 11
9. 2 Chron. 22
10. 2 Chron. 23
11. 2 Kings 12
12. 2 Chron. 24
13. Joash Character Study
14. 2 Kings 13
15. Obadiah 1
16. Joel 1 – 2:17
17. Joel 2:18 – 3:21
18. 2 Kings 14
19. 2 Chron. 25
20. 2 Kings 15
21. 2 Chron. 26 & 27 
22. Jonah 1 & 2
23. Jonah 3 & 4
24. Amos 1
25. Amos 2
26. Amos 3 & 4
27. Amos 5
28. Amos 6
29. Amos 7 & 8
30. Amos 9

2 Kings 11 & 2 Chronicles 22-23 - The Wickedness of Ahaziah and Athaliah

LINK: 2 Kings 11 & 2 Chronicles 22-23 (read over the next two days)

Parallel Passages: 
2 Kings 9:27-29  = 2 Chronicles 22:1-9
2 Kings 11:1 = 2 Chronicles 22:10
2 Kings 11:2-12 = 2 Chronicles 22:11-23:11
2 Kings 11:13-21 = 2 Chronicles 23:12-21

BACKGROUND

We left the story of the kings of Judah and the murder of Ahaziah by Jehu at 2 Kings 9:27-37 to talk about the descendants of Ahab. Now we are picking up this story which parallels 2 Chronicles 22-23. Some of this background will be a review from a previous post just to refresh your memory or to fill in the blanks if you are just reading 2 Chronicles alone. 

Ahaziah of Judah- 2 Kings 8:24-9:29; 2 Chronicles 22:1-9

Reigned: 841 B.C. for 1 year

Character: Bad 

Overlap with Israel's King: Jehoram (Joram) (852-841 B.C.)

Manner of Death: Murdered by Jehu

Ahaziah "walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab's family" (2 Kings 8:27). 

His "mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. He did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction" (2 Chronicles 22:2-4).

Since all of Jehoram’s older sons were killed, his younger son, Ahaziah, became king in 841 B.C. at 22 years old. Influenced by his mother, he did evil. Also, he followed the counsel of the house of Ahab in Israel and went to war aligned with King Joram of Israel. When Ahaziah went to visit King Joram after he was wounded in battle with the Arameans, he was killed by Jehu, whom God had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab (1 King 19:8-18). He only reigned for one year.


Queen Athaliah of Judah - 2 Chronicles 22:10-23:21; 2 Kings 11:1-20

Reigned: 841-835 B.C. 6 years
Character: Devilish 
Overlap with Israel's King: Jehu (841-814 B.C.)
Manner of Death: Murdered by an army

The Queen Mother Athaliah (daughter of Ahab) seized the opportunity to take control of the throne of Judah. She reigned from 841-835 B.C. She tried to kill all the royal princes because she had no desire to see the Davidic kingdom continue. Without the Davidic kingdom, there would be no Messiah! Thankfully, Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister to King Ahaziah saved her nephew, Joash, and protected him in the temple (she was married to the high priest, Jehoida) for six years at which time he had Joash anointed as king and Athaliah executed.

REFLECTION

There are no words for a woman who would want to kill her own grandchildren! Such callousness is unfathomable! She is a “chip off the old block” because Jezebel was her mother.

PRAYER

Lord, we worship You as our God and King. Remove idolatry and evil far from us. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

2 Kings 1 & 2 - Ahaziah's Judgment/Elijah and Elisha

LINK: 2 Kings 1 & 2

BACKGROUND 

Overview of 2 KINGS

Memory Pointers: 

1 Kings was about 1 Kingdom until it was split into

Two parts 1/2 way through (end of 11 out of 22).

2 Kings is about 2 Kingdoms: 

Israel's 17 bad kings until  
2 Kings 17 when they were carried off by the Assyrians.  

Judah's 10 bad and 6 good kings until 
2 Kings 24 when 150 years later they are carried off for 70 years of captivity in Babylon.

2 Kings also tells the shining stories of two men of God: Elijah and Elisha!

BACKGROUND 

1 Kings 1

Ahaziah of Israel - 1 Kings 22:40-2 Kings 1:18

Reigned: 853-852 BC for 2 years
Character: Bad
Overlap with Judah's King: Coregency of Jehoshaphat and Jehoram (853-848 B.C.) 
Manner of Death: Fell through a lattice
Parallel Story: 2 Chronicles 20:35-37

Ahaziah hurt himself in a fall and showed just how far he had fallen from the Lord God of Israel by asking his messengers to go and consult Baal-Zebub. Baal-Zebub was a popular, male fertility god that also had curative powers. The angel of the LORD (the pre-incarnate Christ!) gave a message for Elijah to deliver to his messengers that let them know exactly how He felt about that: 

"You are going to die for consulting a pagan god instead of Me!" 

Ahaziah knew exactly who he was dealing with. Elijah was the same guy who gave Ahaziah's parents, Ahab and Jezebel, so many problems! Many of his soldiers died by fire trying to get Elijah to come down to meet with Ahaziah. The angel of the LORD finally directed him to go down. He pronounced God's judgment on Ahaziah directly, and Ahaziah died. Because Ahaziah had no son, his brother, Jehoram (Joram) became king in his place in 852 BC. The king of Judah at that time was also named Jehoram!

1 Kings 2 - Elijah Passes the Mantle to Elisha

In this chapter, Elijah is taken up in a whirlwind with a chariot and horses of fire. Before he did that he walked while Elisha faithfully followed, refusing to be left behind. They walked by four significant different places that are significant in Israel's history:

1) Gilgal - the first place after the Israelites crossed the Jordan and where they submitted to the covenant of circumcision before they entered the Promised Land (Joshua 4). 

2) Bethel - Abraham worshipped there (Genesis 12-13). Jacob saw the ladder to heaven and vowed to make his father's God His God if God continued to bless and care (Genesis 28). By Genesis 35, Jacob had returned to Bethel and made Isaac's God, his God.

3) Jericho - The sight of Israel's first victory in the Promised Land (Joshua 5-6). 

4) Jordan River - God opened this river to let them into the Promised Land (Joshua 1-4).

(These are all places we have trod as we read the Old Testament last year!)

Before Elijah was taken up, Elisha asked for a double portion of spiritual blessing to carry on the work that Elijah had started, and God granted him his desire because his heart was pure. Elisha would go on to perform even more miracles than his master, Elijah!

REFLECTION

I love the story of Elijah and Elisha. Elisha wanted to be with Elijah to the bitter end because he knew that Elijah's time was short.

That is how I feel about my Elijahs: Ginny and Lorraine, they are two wonderful women of God in their 80s. I have been meeting with them monthly since November of 2001. I also met with them weekly for about six months back in 1997 right before I went to Southeast Asia. They were coworkers in Japan shortly after World War II and lived there until 1987. They cannot believe I would want to make the hour drive north to McMinnville every month to see them, but like Elisha, 

"As surely as the Lord lives and [they] live, I will not leave [them]! (2:2, 4, 6)

They have been rocks in my life. They process with me and pray for me and impart wisdom to me that I can get nowhere else. I have so appreciated their presence in my life.

In his commentary on 2 Kings 2, Warren Wiersbe writes:

It rejoices my heart when I see younger Christians and Christian workers appreciating the “senior saints,” the veterans of Christian service, and learning from them. One day, these “giants” will be called home and we’ll no longer be able to learn from them. [Carol's note: both have been called home.]

These two men [Elijah and Elisha] represented different generations and opposite personalities, yet they were able to walk together. What a rebuke this is to those in the church who label the generations and separate them from each other. I heard one youthful pastor say that he didn’t want anybody in his church over the age of forty, and I wondered where he would get the wise counsel that usually comes with maturity. I thank God for the “Elijahs” in my life who were patient with me and took time to instruct me. Now I’m trying to share that same blessing with others. (Wiersbe, W. W., Be Distinct (12))

I am so grateful for these two "Elijahs" in my life. I, literally, have received a "double portion" just like Elisha!

2012 Update: Ginny has recently been moved to an assisted living facility. At age 87, she is becoming weaker and weaker. Lorraine could not take care of her anymore. 

2014: Ginny was "called home" in 2013. How I miss her! Lorraine and I still meet monthly, and she will be 90 years old in June 2015. 

2023: Lorraine was "called home" in May 2019. HERE is her obituary.

APPLICATION

Where is your Elijah (someone mentoring/discipling you)? Where is your Elisha (someone you can mentor or disciple)?

The Elijah/Elisha relationship also illustrates this principle from Many Aspire, Few Attain by Walt Henrichsen:

7. Avoid an independent spirit 

The seventh reason why people will never finish the race is they have an independent spirit. They are mavericks, loners. They want to serve God, but in their own way. Perhaps you are like the fellow I asked about the Episcopal form of government. He answered, “Well, I’m against bishops unless I can be one.” 

A lot of Christians have that attitude. They are against spiritual authority and leadership unless they are the authority and leader. But God says He will not give you that which is your own until you have been part of that which is another man’s (Luke 16:12). 

The prophet Elijah, as he was about to be taken out of this world, said to his follower Elisha, “Tarry here,” (2 Kings 2:2). Elisha answered, “No way, friend. Where you go, I go. There’s no way you can get rid of me.” Where is the guy or gal you have committed yourself to in an Elijah/Elisha relationship? Where is your Elijah? Where is the person that you are going to lock into by the will of God, and go for broke with? You might say, “Well, God is my teacher. He can speak to me as easily as He can speak through someone else. After all, doesn’t the Bible say that you shouldn't be like little tin gods?” 

That’s true. Nobody is your lord except Jesus. But I’m not referring to lordship. I’m talking about your independent spirit. 

Do you remember the argument that Dathan, Korah, and Abiram gave Moses (Num. 16)? “You take too much upon yourself, Moses. God can speak to us just as easily as he can speak to you. We don’t need to follow you.” Don’t we today say the same thing? Don’t we believe in the priesthood of the believer? Don’t our prayers get through to God? Can’t God speak to us? After all, why should we follow someone else’s leadership? 

Moses, in response to this argument, said, “Well, let’s talk this over with God and see what He says.” “Okay, let’s do it.” 

So they went to God and He said, “Moses, step aside and let me show you what I think of that idea.” So Moses stepped aside, and God opened up the earth, and Dathan, Korah, Abiram, and all that belonged to them fell in. God closed the earth back up and then sent fire and consumed the one hundred or so princes that were with them in rebellion. 

God then asked the children of Israel, “Any more questions?” 

The children of Israel got mad at Moses after that and said, “Moses, you dirty rat, you sicced God on us!” Thousands more died of the plague that day because of their attitude. 

Again God asked, “Any more questions?” 

This time the children of Israel answered, “No, we got the point.” 

God does not hanker to an independent spirit. You can be a maverick, you can be a loner and you can go your own way. It’s up to you. But that’s a quick way to climb up on that shelf. It is safer to have a servant’s heart and submit to spiritual authority. We need to make ourselves accountable to others.

PRAYER

God, thank You for the example of the godly life of Elijah who was not afraid to deliver Your message to a wicked and perverse generation. Help us to be bold in our generation. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen