"I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments." - PSALM 119:60
Live for God!
"I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments." - PSALM 119:60
Live for God!
2Ki 1:3 … 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?' 4 Now therefore, thus says the LORD: 'You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'
2Ki 1:9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: "Man of God, the king has said, 'Come down!' "
Our God is a jealous God. Ahaziah’s penalty for inquiring of Baal was death. When the captain addressed Elijah as a servant of God, and then commanded him to do something by the authority of the king, this captain was putting the king’s authority above God’s authority. The second captain was even more insolent: “Come down quickly!” Their penalty also was death.
Today, as we gather to worship the Lord on the day He has designated, may we focus our minds on our worship because we know our God is jealous of our hearts, not just of our time and our physical presence at worship.
2Ki 2:9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me." 10 And he said, "You have asked a hard thing…
Think of the greatest Christian you know. Even better, think of the Bible character you admire the most. Have you ever thought, “I wish I could be like him or her?” That’s aiming too low! Elisha wanted to be just like Elijah – only better! Obviously he did not ask this for his own glory, but for the ability to carry on the great work that Elijah did – and even do more for the Lord. And God granted his request!
Today I want to encourage each of us to ask God to grant us the ability and the opportunity to do something great for Him. Don’t aim too low! It may be difficult in our eyes, but nothing is too hard for the Lord!
2Ki 3:25 And they overthrew the cities, and on every good piece of land every man threw a stone until it was covered. They stopped every spring of water and felled all the good trees, till only its stones were left in Kir-hareseth, and the slingers surrounded and attacked it.
Why did the Israelites leave the stones of Kir Hareseth intact? The slingers surrounded the city and attacked it – just like they did all the other cities. But this city was the capital city, the last remaining refuge for the Moabites and their king. If it were destroyed, Moab would be no more. In desperation the Moabite king sacrificed his son on the wall. “And there was great indignation against Israel. So they departed…” Where did this great indignation that caused them to depart come from? An ally of Moab that Israel feared? God? The Bible does not tell us. We do know that the Moabites were descendants of Lot, and perhaps God restrained the Israelites from totally destroying them – just as He prohibited Israel from destroying them when they conquered Canaan, Dt.2:9, evidently because of a promise God had made to Lot.
Dear Lord, we shudder when we read of the actions of the king of Moab – and also when we hear today of babies in the womb being sacrificed to the idol of selfishness or perhaps a mistaken trust in self instead of in You. Oh Lord, we pray that by word and deed we can show to all around us the peace and joy that comes from denying self and trusting in You.
What do we do when we have a serious problem? The woman in the first part of this chapter decided to tell Elisha about her dire situation, probably since she recognized him as a prophet of the One who could help her. It is significant that God did not just instruct Elisha to hand her the money she needed to pay her debt – He gave the woman something to do: a test of her faith. When I am facing a serious problem, what should I do? We have no prophets today, but we certainly have direct access to the throne of grace – to God Himself! So, then, what would God instruct me to do after I have prayed to Him? Sit back and just wait for Him to hand me a solution? God has given us His word that contains practical instruction on how to solve the daily challenges of life. If we seek out His will and exercise our faith to do it, then God will act on our behalf!
Dear Lord, many times we know what Your word says, but when life is tough, or when we don’t understand the reason behind Your commands, or see how they will benefit us, we fail. Lord, help our unbelief! And many times we are too lazy to put for the effort to seek and/or do. Help us to remember the example of this woman and use it to motivate us to be willing to do whatever is necessary to carry out Your instructions.
2Ki 5:3 Then she said to her mistress, "If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy."
As we read of the kings in these chapters, remember that the king of Syria is Ben-Hadad II, successor of Ben-Hadad I who reigned during the time of Ahab; and the king of Israel is Joram the son of Ahab (2 Kings 8:16), sometimes called Jehoram, (2 Kings 3:1). In this account we see a young girl: traumatized by the loss of her family, away from those who would influence her to keep her faith, an unwilling slave. How amazing to see her selflessness and her faith! On the other hand we have Gehazi, blessed to see the hand of God’s care over and over, with every opportunity to grow in faith as he is mentored by Elisha, a servant by choice. How amazing to see his selfish greed and lack of faith!
Lord, so many of us, like Gehazi, have never experienced the trauma that the young servant girl experienced. We thank You for blessing us and allowing us to see Your loving care in so many aspects of our lives. Help us to consciously develop a heart of giving, of being others-focussed instead of self-focussed. And if we or our children ever have to face the kind of trial that the servant girl faced, may we retain our selflessness and our faith!
When reading through these chapters, I was very curious about “the sons of the prophets,” especially as, from this chapter it seems that these “sons of the prophets” were asking permission for some of them, who had been living with Elisha at Dothan, to build a common dwelling place near the Jordan river. There were already “sons of the prophets” living at Jericho (2 Ki.2:5), Gilgal (2 Ki.4:38), and Bethel (2 Ki.2:3). It seems that these groups of prophets were first established in the days of Samuel, 1 Sam.10:5-6. Not all “sons of the prophets” lived in a communal dwelling, as some were married (2 Ki.4:1) and would obviously live in their own houses. It seems that not all of these men actually prophesied, and they did not seem to be able to work miracles, 2 Ki.4:38-41, 6:1-7. Therefore, we conclude that these groups seem to have been more like schools, a place where men gathered to learn the law of God, and then perhaps returned to their home villages to teach others; or, as in this chapter, went to another place to establish another “school” where others could be taught. The term “sons” seems to refer to their dependence on prophets such as Samuel, Elijah, Elisha and others, eg. Micaiah (1 Ki.22), to teach them spiritual things, just as a father would teach his son physical things. These men were living in dark days. Imagine how much comfort they drew from the close fellowship that they seemed to have.
Dear God of grace and comfort, we thank you so very much for Your plan of providing local congregations. Help us to be an encouragement to our fellow-believers – and may they also be the same for us and our children, that together we may stand strong against the spiritual and physical trials that we face.
2Ki 7:2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, "If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?"
Mal 3:10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
The phrase “windows in heaven” is used 2 other times in Scripture besides in this chapter. The first time is when the Lord sent the flood. Indeed, God sent a “flood” of food to this starving city! And in Malachi God promises to also “pour down” a “flood” of blessings to those who give in a way that pleases Him. A preacher once told us a story of his widowed mother who always gave to God tenth of whatever she received, and was still blessed to have enough for her and her children during the time of the Great Depression. Although no specific percentage is prescribed in the New Testament, it is hard to imagine that we who are part of a greater covenant would want to give less.
Today I encourage us all to work out what percentage of our income we actually do give – and ask ourselves if we need to do better. If so, make a plan! And even if we give well, maybe we can give even more! I also encourage us to think about the blessings that we would wish for God to “pour out” on us. Would they be mainly physical?
2Ki 8:5 And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, "My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life."
What are the odds that an idol-worshipping king would ask a leper to testify to the great deeds of Elisha? And what are the odds that the Shunammite would appear before the king with her request at that exact moment? This is the providence of God. The word providence simply means God’s provision for His people. God’s providence may be simply through laws He has set in motion, for example, the rain and the seasons. But it can also be in an extra-ordinary sense, as what it seems to be in this account. Although miracles have ceased, providence has not! From a human standpoint, we can never be sure if any certain event is a special act of God’s providence or simply a coincidence, but we do know for sure that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,” Jms.1:17. Therefore, whether our blessings come via a special working of God’s providence or in an ordinary way, the Source of our blessings needs to be thanked and praised!
O Lord Almighty. We thank you for creating this beautiful world that abundantly provides the needs of all mankind. And we give praise to Your Son who upholds the universe by the word of His power. We know that we are alive today by Your providence and Your grace. You have given us so much more than we deserve, especially the forgiveness of our sins – but also the many physical blessings we enjoy. May we use the gifts You give us to glorify You and help others.
2Ki 9:7 And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD.
NB. If you are color-coding the different dynasties of Israel on your chart, please color the names of Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah and Joram with a different color to the previous two dynasties. In the 11 years of Jehoram’s reign he had seen the power of the Lord with his own eyes many times. He saw the miraculous provision of water for his and Judah’s army (2 Ki.3:16ff), the great deliverance from Moab (2 Ki.3:23ff), the healing of Naaman (2 Ki.5:6-8), several deliverances from raiding bands of Syrians (2 Ki.6:8-10), the blinding of Ben-Hadad’s army (2 Ki.6:20-23), and the miraculous deliverance of Samaria (2Ki.7:6ff). He also heard a recounting of many other miracles in 2 Ki.8:1-6, as well as meeting the woman whose son was raised from the dead. But none of these miracles moved him to repent of his idolatry! Had he humbled himself under God’s mighty hand, as Ahab did (1 Ki.21:29), the Lord may have relented from the curse He had pronounced upon the sons of Ahab. However, he was hard-hearted, as was his mother Jezebel, and so it was fitting that God avenged the blood of His servants the prophets on them and their descendants.
Today I encourage each of us to examine our hearts and see if there are any areas of hardness in our hearts, any command of the Lord that we are resisting. There is no excuse for us because we have seen the mighty power of God in Scripture, the preservation of the Bible, and the many proofs He has provided of its validity.
2Ki 10:16 And he [Jehu] said [to Jehonadab], "Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD."
2Ki 10:31 But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin.
Jehu was an amazing manipulator. He manipulated the leading men of Samaria to kill Ahab’s sons and used that to get the general population to believe that he was not alone in his conspiracy. He even thought he was using God, as he got the people and Jehonadab (evidently a very righteous, influential man) to believe that he was accomplishing everything because of zeal for the Lord. With the people and Jehonadab behind him, he further strengthened his hold on the kingdom by exterminating the rest of Ahab’s house, including his servants of (2 Ki.9:8) and the worship of Baal (whose priests may have been loyal to Ahab and particularly to Jezebel). However, in v.31 it becomes evident that Jehu is not motivated by zeal for the Lord but for himself. Although the Lord rewarded his deeds, v.30, He let Jehu know that He was the one in control, not Jehu! (v.32).
Today I encourage each of us to examine our motives. Why do I do what is righteous? Because it is in my own best interest to do so? (Although it is!) Or is it because of who God IS?
Gen 6:7 So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." 8 But Noah …
2Ki 11:1 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs. 2 But Jehosheba …
What if there were no Noah? Had God destroyed man, there would have been no salvation as promised in Genesis 3:15. What if there were no Jehosheba? Had Athaliah succeeded in killing all the royal heirs, God’s promise of salvation through the Seed of David would have failed. What if there were no YOU or me? The value of one soul is worth more than all the treasure of the world. Is there any soul who is going to be saved because of you or me? Could Jehosheba save ALL the royal heirs? No, but she saved one, she did what she could, and because of that we are blessed to this day. We will never save all the people we speak to or study with either, but if we do what we can, God will help us as He helped Jehosheba. Jehosheba risked her life to save one soul – what are we willing to risk?
Dear Father, You have told us that You are not willing for any soul to perish; and you have given us, as fearful and as halting of speech and as lacking in skills as we are, the charge to be Your instruments to bring souls to You. I pray that each of us will do what we can, and trust in You to help us accomplish Your will.
(NB. If you are color-coding the different dynasties, color Athaliah the same as color as Omri’s dynasty since she is the daughter of Ahab.)
2Ki 12:3 But the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
What are these “high places”? Worship of God at any place other than “where His Name dwells” was forbidden in the Law, Dt.12:5. Worship by using any kind of pillar or wooden image, (the way the Canaanites worshipped their idols), was also forbidden, Dt.12:1-4. After the Israelites conquered Canaan, worship was still only at the tabernacle. However, when Shiloh was destroyed by the Philistines, Samuel moved back home to Ramah and built an altar of worship there, 1 Sam.7:17, 9:12. It seems that he also built altars of worship at the places where he went in a circuit to judge the people – Bethel, 1 Sam.10:3-5,13 and Gilgal, 1 Sam.13:8-9. However, from 1 Sam.13 we see that it was unlawful for anyone but Samuel to do this. Eventually the tabernacle was set up at Gibeon, and priests offered sacrifices there. Solomon went to worship God there at the “great high place,” 1 Ki.3:2-4, because “there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days.” Therefore, once the temple was built, there was no need or authority for worship at any “high place.” When Solomon apostatized, he introduced idol worship to the Israelites by building “high places” for Chemosh and Molech, 1 Ki.11:7. Jeroboam built “high places” at Dan and Bethel, 1 Ki.12:29-31, where the people worshipped gold calves. The “high places” mentioned in 2 Ki.12:3, 14:4, 15:4, 15:35 & 2Ch.33:17, seem to be places where the people of God set up stone or wooden pillars, not necessarily as objects of worship, but memorials of God in the place where they worshipped Him, (eg.Gen.28:18). This practice, forbidden in the Law, was actually a “stepping-stone” to idol worship, 1 Ki.14:22-23, 2 Ki.16:3-4. Stepping stones today might include going to parties where we know there will be drugs and alcohol, wearing slightly immodest dress, missing mid-week Bible study, doing something we are not sure we have authority for, etc.
Lord, help us to see the “stepping stones” in our own lives that might lead us down a path to sin and avoid them!
2Ki 13:3 Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, …
2Ki 13:23 But the LORD was gracious to them, had compassion on them, and regarded them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence.
NB. It’s easy to get confused with these names. Joash is the shortened form of Jehoash. Joash, king of Israel, and grandson of Jehu, is called Jehoash in 2 Kings 13:25, 14:9ff. Do not get him confused with Joash, king of Judah, whose reigned overlapped with his by about a year, 1 Ki.14:1. (So on the chart of the kings, the king of Israel is called Jehoash, and the king of Judah is called Joash.) Also note that Hazael names his son Ben-Hadad, the same name as the man he killed in order to become the king of Syria. So the Ben-Hadad in 13:25 is Ben-Hadad III. If you receive this via email, please print out the attached chart of the Divided Kingdom. This is the chart I keep in my Bible.
For over 100 years, the Israelites have “followed the sins of Jeroboam.” God spent 70 of those years trying to move the kings of Israel and the Israelites to repentance by the messages and the mighty signs which were worked by Elijah and Elisha. He has also tried to move them to repentance by using the kings of Syria to punish them. But nothing has worked. The Israelites cry to God when they are oppressed, but ignore Him when they are delivered. The Lord’s anger is justified and His punishment of Israel is just. But His unfailing love gives them another chance. He answers the prayer of Jehoahaz through a deliverer, Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash. It is Jehoash who wept over Elisha on his deathbed, recognizing his worth and the power of his God. And so Elijah tells him that the arrow represents deliverance from Syria by means of “striking” them. When he then instructs Jehoash to “strike” with the arrows, Jehoash shows his limited faith by only striking three times. How sad and frustrating for Elisha that, even on his deathbed, his message from God is not able to move this king of Israel to a stronger faith.
Today I want to encourage each of us to think about what we would say to our loved ones on our death bed. Would we not also encourage them to have a strong faith in God in order to fight the battles they will face in life? Since we don’t know when our last day on earth will come, why don’t we let them know today – and every day, by word and deed, how we feel about the importance of faith in God?
2Ki 14:25 He [Jeroboam II] 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.
The reign of Jeroboam II (called this by Bible scholars to distinguish him from the first king of Israel), is not mentioned in Chronicles, and is only mentioned for 7 verses here in 2 Kings. However, from a worldly perspective, he was probably the greatest king of the northern kingdom of Israel. In verse 25 we see that God used Jonah (yes, that Jonah!) to prophesy good things for the kingdom of Israel – and good things did happen! At this time God used lovingkindness instead of punishment as a motivation; but tragically, this did not work either! Israel’s rejection of God’s love is depicted in the heart-wrenching prophecy of Hosea, a prophet of Jeroboam II’s day who married a woman who rejected his love and turned to prostitution. During this time God also sent the prophet Amos to warn Israel of their impending destruction at the hands of Assyria. It was hard for the Israelites to accept a warning that they could go from such wonderful prosperity and strength to utter destruction in less than 40 years – but that is exactly what happened!
O righteous Lord, it is hard for us to grasp that a great nation such as the USA could be totally destroyed during our lifetime. We pray for our country, whatever country it is, that whatever You send our country’s way – blessings or trials – it will only motivate us to draw closer to You and work hard to motivate those around us to repent. Also we pray for ourselves that we will place our trust in You and our hope in the indestructible inheritance that You have prepared for those who love You.
Amo 7:8 And the LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said: "Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore. 9 The high places [where idols were worshiped] of Isaac shall be desolate, And the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste. I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam."
After Jeroboam II’s death, things quickly deteriorated. His son Zechariah only lasted 6 months before being assassinated by Shallum, who in turn was assassinated by Menahem just 1 month later. (If you are color-coding the dynasties, the dynasty of Jehu lasted to Zechariah, the 4th generation after him, 1Ki.15:12.) Menahem was particularly cruel, ripping open women with child. He also heavily taxed the people so that he could buy Assyria’s support and strengthen his position as ruler. God saw this as spiritual prostitution, Hos.8:9, 9:1. Amazingly Menahem died a natural death, but when his son Pekahiah had reigned for just 2 years, Pekah assassinated him and became sole ruler. (Since 1 Ki.15:27 says that Pekah reigned 20 years – ending in the 20th year of Jotham’s reign, v.30, it seems that he was the real ruler all along and that Menahem and Pekahiah were puppet rulers. See chart.) Towards the end of Pekah’s reign, the Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser III, put an end to the nation of Syria, and captured many cities of northern Israel. This seems to have prompted a conspiracy against Pekah, and so he in turn was also assassinated by Hoshea, the last king of Israel (2 Ki.15:29-30). Four out of the last six kings of Israel were assassinated!
Dear Lord, as we gather today to worship You, help us to realize that lack of repentance will not only cause a physical nation to fall apart, but will also cause Your spiritual Israel to deteriorate. Help us to sincerely meditate today on what Christ did for us so that our hearts will be softened towards any rebuke we may need to hear.
Note: This is a very confusing and traumatic time in Israel’s history – and Judah’s. I have added a few notes from history and other Bible references that I hope will help us better understand these Bible events.
631 BC – Death of Ashurbanipal, Sennacherib’s grandson, the last great king of Assyria.
625 – Nabopolassar seizes throne of Babylon and declares independence from Assyria.
612 – Together with the Medes, Nabopolassar destroys Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, and the Assyrian army regroups at new capital, Haran.
608 – Haran falls to the Babylonians and Assyrians move to Carchemish.
609 – Josiah’s battle against Egypt delays Pharoah Necho’s army from reaching Carchemish in time to save it from the Babylonians. Pharoah sends Josiah’s son Jehoahaz to prison in Egypt (where he dies), puts Jehoiakim his brother on the throne of Judah and heavily taxes him.
606/605 -- Nabopolassar’s son, Nebuchadnezzar, defeats the Egyptian army at the Battle of Carchemish, & chases after them until they are virtually destroyed. The Baby-lonian army returns through Canaan, bringing all nations there under its control. Daniel and other Jews were carried away as slaves to Babylon at this time, 2 Ki.24:1a, Dan.1:1. 601 – Nebuchadnezzar returns to Egypt to subjugate it but is defeated. Jehoiakim, thinking Egypt will help him, rebels against Babylon as well, 2 Ki.24;1b.
599 – Nebuchadnezzar, with strengthened forces, re-establishes control of Canaan and punishes Jehoiakim by taking him to Babylon for a brief time, 2Chr.36:6, 2 Ki.24:7.
597 – Jehoiakim dies. His son Jehoiachin reigns just 3 months before he, his family and others are taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, who makes his uncle Zedekiah his vassal king. Jehoiachin dies in Babylon, but his grandson Zerubbabel will eventually return to Judah, 1 Chr.3:17, Ez.3:2, and it is through him that the Messiah will come.
586 – Zedekiah rebels. Jerusalem is destroyed after an 18-month siege. Zedekiah and his sons are killed, more captives are taken, and a few are left behind to farm the land.
2Ki 16:7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me."
Tiglath-Pileser III, king of Assyria, according to Assyrian history, made three raids across Canaan in 732, 733 and 734 BC. In the first raid he marched to Egypt, conquered the Philistines and captured several cities of Israel in Gilead and Galilee, 1 Ki.15:29. The events in 1 Kings 16 take place between 1 Ki.15:29 and 1 Ki.15:30. Pekah’s solution to the Assyrian threat was to form a coalition with Syria and Judah so that together they could stop Assyria’s conquest. It seems that the war against Judah in 2 Ki.16:5 is because Ahaz, king of Judah, refused to join the coalition with Israel and Syria. Even though Isaiah the prophet told Ahaz not to worry about this threat (Isa.7), he instead took all the gold and silver out of the temple, sent it to Tiglath-Pileser III, and asked for his help. Since the king of Assyria planned to conquer Syria anyway, (and eventually Israel and Judah as well!), he was only too happy to oblige. In the king of Assyria’s third raid, he successfully conquered Damascus and put an end to Syria. Ahaz journeyed to Damascus (to express his gratitude to Tighlath-Pileser? with a gift to keep him from conquering Israel at that time?) and imported the design of an altar he saw there. The original altar didn’t help Syria – why did Ahaz think it would help Judah? As Paul says in Romans 1:21, when people refused to glorify God, “their foolish hearts were darkened.”
Dear Lord, it is so frightening to think that we, by our bad attitude towards Your will, can actually lose our ability to reason properly. Please help us not to fall into the same trap as Ahaz.
2Ki 17:14 Nevertheless they would not hear [the prophets], but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. 15 And they rejected His statutes and His covenant…
The Assyrians struck terror into the hearts of those they fought against. They had several innovations that made them a superior fighting force, eg. Pairs of horsemen—one rider held the reigns of both horses while the other shot arrows, they invented the battering ram, they had mandatory military service for all males, etc. They also waged psychological warfare, subjecting some of their captives to having their eyes put out, having body parts dismembered and left to die, being flayed alive, being hung alive on stakes to die, being burnt alive, etc. They were also the first in history to practice deportation of conquered people on a massive scale. They were scattered throughout the empire to keep them from banding together to rebel, 2 Ki.17:6. Conquered people from other nations, along with ruling Assyrians, were sent to the conquered country to colonize it, 2 Ki.17:24. God did not want this for His people! He gave them so many warnings and so much time to repent, but they would not hear. Imagine how His heart broke when He looked down on their destruction. Note: Samaria was besieged by Tiglath-Pileser’s son, Shalmanezer V in 724 BC, but he died in 722. The new king, his brother Sargon II finished the siege and recorded that he carried away 27,290 captives.
Dear loving Father, You have given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, Your Son suffered to save us and is preparing for us an eternal resting place of joy, beauty and peace. How Your heart must break when You look down and see Your creation rejecting Your Son and hurting and destroying one another. Help us to feel Your pain and use that pain to motivate us to live close to You, be compassionate to the needy and show others the blessedness of a godly life.
2Ki 18:13 And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 14 Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay."
At the death of Sargon II in 705 BC, there was a general rebellion of nations against Assyria. Judah, as well as the other nations, wished to stop paying the overly burdensome tribute Assyria demanded. Sargon’s son Sennacherib, after quelling a Babylonian revolt, marched to Canaan to quell the revolt of Tyre, Sidon, Philistia and Judah – countries who had been promised help by Egypt. The prophet Isaiah warned Judah not to rely on Egypt (Isa.30:1ff), but Hezekiah evidently didn’t listen and joined with the revolting nations. The siege of Lachish was in 701 BC, at which time Sennacherib states that he took 40 walled cities of Judah and shut up Hezekiah in Jerusalem “like a bird in a cage.” Hezekiah “bought him off” with gold and silver from the temple, 2 Ki.18:13-16. There are no Assyrian records of the last eight years of Sennacherib’s reign, but it seems that the account of the siege in 1 Ki.18:17ff happened much later – probably about 690BC, since Tirhakah did not begin reigning in Ethiopia and Egypt until about 690. (See 2 Ki.19:9.)
What do you do when you are faced with a problem or major decision? Do you stop, pray to God for guidance, and then humbly try to apply appropriate scriptures to the problem, or does your mind immediately click into high gear, thinking of various ways to solve the problem and sifting through them to see which one seems the wisest course of action? Sad to say, I tend to be more like Hezekiah in 2 Ki.18:14-16. Hezekiah was a good king who zealously served the Lord – but he, like so many of us, still needed to do some growing. Dear Lord, help us to think of You first!
2Ki 19:14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. 15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said: "…19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God, You alone."
This is what Hezekiah should have done all along! Notice that Hezekiah did not only ask the Lord for help, but he asked “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God, You alone.” According to 2 Chr.32:22-23, this did indeed happen! As a matter of fact, it appears from history that Judah was the only kingdom in the region who managed to escape the Assyrian yoke. Even Egypt and Ethiopia were eventually conquered by Assyria in the days of Sennacherib’s son, confirming Isaiah’s words that Egypt would be of no help to Hezekiah.
O glorious God, when we come before you to pray for ourselves, those who are ill, or in whatever supplication, may our pleas be not simply for our own benefit, or simply for physical benefits, but for Your glory. And when You show mercy and hear our prayers, may we humbly give You the glory!
2Ch 32:24 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the LORD; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
Since Hezekiah died in 686, his illness must have taken place around the time of Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 BC – the time when Hezekiah gave him the temple treasures. This was certainly a low time in Hezekiah’s life. Notice that Isaiah’s message to Hezekiah was not simply that God would spare Hezekiah, but also that He would spare Jerusalem. It is interesting that the Babylonian king Berodach-Baladan had, at one time, also managed to stand up against Assyria. He had been forced to flee from Babylon in 703 BC, but in 700 BC he came out of hiding and again began inciting rebellion against Assyria. Cultivating friendships with others who were willing to stand up against Assyria would be a good strategy. Hezekiah, in his pride, seems to have been flattered by this overture of friendship. Fortunately, he repented at the rebuke of Isaiah, and his repentance is seen in the fact that he did not waver in his trust in the Lord again, even when Assyria threatened invasion.
Lord, in our pride we make so many foolish mistakes and decisions. Please help us to realize that anything we accomplish is by Your grace. Help us to realize that it is only when we are humble that You can use us to exalt You.
2Ki 21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king… 2 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 16 Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another…
If you notice the chart of the kings, it seems Manasseh became a co-regent with Hezekiah at age 12, so he was about 25 when Hezekiah died. He rebelled against all his father must have taught him. It is hard to imagine how someone who was taught about God could be so cruel. According to the Talmud (Jewish oral tradition that was written down a few centuries after the time of Christ), and possibly referenced in Heb.11:37, Manasseh had Isaiah sawn in half lengthwise. It is horrible enough to think of the suffering the guilty Jews endured. How much worse to think of the suffering the righteous endured! “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…You have not yet resisted to bloodshed striving against sin,” Heb.12:1,4.
Dear Father, You know our weaknesses and how much we do not want to suffer. Help us to be willing to suffer for You, knowing that whatever we suffer in this life is not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Rom.8:18)
Age 8 – Began to reign
Age 16 – Began to seek the Lord, 2Chr34:3
Age 20 – Began to purge land of idols, 2Chr34:3
Age 21 – Jeremiah (1:1) begins to prophesy
Age 26 –Repaired temple & restored worship
Age 39 – Died in battle
I am really intrigued by this account of Josiah’s life. Who ran the kingdom while Josiah was growing up? What was his mother like? Who mentored this amazing young man? How did a 20-year-old get enough respect to get people to destroy the objects they had worshipped for centuries? And how did a 26-year old learn such humility?
Dear Lord, we pray today especially for the young people we know who are trying to find their feet when it comes to serving You. Help them to be humble, and help us to never underestimate their capability and spiritual maturity, but teach them, encourage them, and give them opportunities to serve You and their fellow-men.
2Ki 23:26 Nevertheless the LORD did not turn from the fierce-ness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.
Spiritually, Josiah was the greatest king Judah or Israel ever had. None of the previous good kings of Judah ever tore down the places of idolatry that Solomon built. Not even in the days of David was such a Passover feast so strictly observed according to the Law. So why did God not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath? Jer 36:1 Now it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: 2 "Take a scroll of a book and write on it… 3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the adversities which I purpose to bring upon them, that everyone may turn from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin." Unfortunately, the people of Judah submitted outwardly to Josiah’s reforms, but their hearts remained untouched, Jer.3:6-11. Had Josiah continued in the sins of Manasseh, the nation would have followed in those sins as well! God does not simply look at our government leaders when deciding whether or not to bring judgment on a nation – He looks at the heart of each individual – and judges the nation accordingly.
Dear Lord, help us and our descendants to be the salt of the earth – the salt of our nation.
2 Ki 24:1 In his [Jehoiakim’s] days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years.
The first part of this verse is talking about 606/5 BC, when the first captives were taken to Babylon. This first taking of captives, not Jerusalem’s destruction (as I thought for many years), marked the beginning of the 70 years of captivity which ended in 536 BC. The second group of over 10,000 captives, including the soon-to-be-prophet Ezekiel and 18-year-old king Jehoiachin, was carried away 8-9 years later in 597 BC, v.12. After they arrived in Babylon, Jeremiah sent them an inspired letter, encour-aging them to build houses, plant gardens, have large families to increase in number, and seek the peace of Babylon, Jer.29:1ff. They are the “lucky” ones! The ones left in Jerusalem are going to suffer sword, famine and pestilence.
Dear Father, when I suffer in minor ways compared to these captives, help me to be patient and to look for Your goodness so that I will come to see how blessed I really was all along.
When Josiah died, Jeremiah (Jer.22) prophesied what would happen to Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin. As he prophesied, so Zedekiah saw it happen. A false prophet arose (Jer.28) who prophesied that those who were already captive in Babylon would return within 2 years. Jeremiah said to the false prophet, “You shall die within this year,” and he did – and Zedekiah saw the fulfilment. When the Babylonians temporarily left off besieging Jerusalem, Jeremiah told Zedekiah that they would come back – and they did. Jeremiah’s credentials as a prophet were unquestionable, and so several times Zedekiah asked Jeremiah for word from the Lord. Jeremiah gave him the truth, and Zedekiah did not kill Jeremiah (although he also did not always spare him, Jer.38:5). Finally, Zedekiah asked for a secret meeting with Jeremiah, Jer.38. Jeremiah told him that if he surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar, it would go well with him and his family, and the city would be spared being burnt by fire. So much suffering could have been averted by that one act alone – not just Zedekiah’s personal suffering (watching his sons being put to death before his eyes), but the suffering of so many others. Imagine how Jeremiah felt when he did all he could to avert suffering, but Zedekiah just couldn’t seem to get up the resolve to obey the Lord.
Today I encourage each of us to think about ourselves in two ways. The first way is to examine ourselves: those of us who are parents know we should be faithful in attending worship and spending time on a daily basis, training our children in the ways of the Lord – so that we avert their spiritual death. We know the truth – but are we like Zedekiah, failing in our resolve? Secondly, we should think of ourselves as messengers of the Lord to people who are going to end up being destroyed if they do not listen. Do we have the love in our hearts to speak to them, as Jeremiah did, even though we know they will probably not listen?