APRIL 11 2 KINGS 13-17

2 Kings 13-17

 Five of the saddest chapters in the Bible! And here are five reasons:

There is the relentless refrain: So and so began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he also did evil in the sight of the Lord. Not one of all the kings of Israel, the northern kingdom, is given a passing grade by the historian. 

There are the conspiracies: how many of the kings of Israel fell to assassins! Shallum became king by conspiring against Zechariah just six months into his reign. After just one month, Menahem assassinates Shallum (“He who lives by the sword...” Matthew 26:52). Mehahem’s son, Pekahiah, was assassinated by Pekah, the son of one of his captains. Pekah managed to rule Israel for twenty years, but, in the end, he, too, was assassinated by Hoshea. Hoshea was Israel’s last king. Too bad; his epitaph had an encouraging ring to it: “And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.” (2 Kings 17:2)

There is the fall of Samaria. Because of their persistent idolatry, their endless love affairs with foreign gods, God sent Assyria to capture Samaria (the capital of Israel) and carry many of the people of Israel into a permanent exile. Folks from other nations were brought into Samaria for the purpose of diluting the nation, and obscuring the “ten lost tribes” forever.

There is the death of Elisha. This is recorded in 2 Kings 13, before the final string of royal assassinations in Israel. The last loud voice for the Lord in the northern kingdom was silenced. Yet even in death, Elisha’s bones brought a dead man to life! (2 Kings 13:21)

 There is the reign of Ahaz in Judah. Throughout these five chapters, the kings of Judah maintain a holding pattern; Amaziah, Azariah (Uzziah) and Jotham “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,” despite allowing sacrifices in the high places. But when Ahaz becomes king, Judah finally has a king whose wickedness outweighs them all. Ahaz participated personally in every available idolatry, even to the extreme of burning his own son as a human sacrifice to a foreign god. 

Pretty sad stuff. Is there any hope?

Until Tomorrow, when we discover that hope’s name is Hezekiah!
Pastor Gary

P.S. Another confusing name exchange: Joash (also called Jehoash) reigned rather well in Judah for 40 years (835-796 B.C.). Jehoash (also called Joash) reigned rather poorly in Israel for 16 years (798-782 B.C.) including a “civil” war with Amaziah, king of Judah (2 Kings 14:11f).