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Josiah’s Reforms; Fall of Jerusalem; Captivity

2 Kings 23-25

Josiah Finishes Well

Josiah receives the message from Huldah well. Her words from the Lord give him inspiration. (Note: Interesting that a male dominated culture has no problem seeking the advice of a female prophet.) Josiah invited everyone in Jerusalem, from the least to the greatest, to hear the Word of the Lord.

He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord–to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul… 2 Kings 23:2-3

Everyone recommitted themselves to the teaching, they all agreed to uphold their part of the covenant.

Josiah systematically removed all of the articles of worship throughout the kingdom…a lot of stuff to be burned and destroyed. Remember that Manasseh ruled for 55 years and incorporated all kinds of idolatrous worship. Josiah removed them all. Even the place where it all began:

Even the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin–even that altar and high place he demolished. 2 Kings 23:15

Josiah served the Lord with all his heart, soul and strength and he gave the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield fighting the Egyptians.

Jehoahaz

Next we have Jehoahaz, 23 years old. He “reigned” for 3 months. I put reigned in quotes because of the extremely short duration of his rise to the throne! In just 3 months “he did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Kings 23:32. Seriously? Pharaoh took Jehoahaz away in chains; he died in Egypt.

Jehoiakim

Pharaoh Necho placed Eliakim, one of Josiah’s sons, in charge as king, but renamed him Jehoiakim. The Pharaoh wanted people to know he was in charge! Jehoiakim was 25 when he was made king and he reigned for 11 years. The puppet of Pharaoh did evil in the eyes of the Lord, again.

Nebuchadnezzar enters the picture during Jehoiakim’s reign. For 3 years Nebuchadnezzar, the crown prince of Babylon, defeated Pharaoh and began asserting his power.

Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord’s command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done, including the shedding of innocent blood. 2 Kings 24:3

Jehoiachin

Another short-lived ascent to the throne, Jehoiachin was 18 and reigned for 3 months. His claim to fame is surrendering to Nebuchadnezzar when he came in person to Jerusalem. He imprisoned Jehoiachin until the 37th year of exile when Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon released him.

All of Jerusalem was taken into exile and all of the treasures from the temple were removed. “Only the poorest people of the land were left” (2 Kings 24:14).

Zedekiah

Zedekiah (renamed by the king of Babylon) was placed as king. At 21 years of age, he reigned for 11 years. There was no real hope that another puppet-king would have a chance, but we always have a choice and Zedekiah chose to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.

The Fall of Jerusalem

At this point it is no surprise that we come to the end of the kings of our ancestors. Nebuchadnezzar takes over in full force:

He set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 2 Kings 25:9-10

The life-work of Solomon was destroyed. Everything that was used to glorify God was removed, carried away to Babylon. Gone.

So Judah went into captivity, away from her land. 2 Kings 25:21

Those who were afraid fled to Egypt to hide. How interesting that they would seek refuge in the very place that Moses led them out of so many years ago.

Conclusion

As those of us who call ourselves Christ-followers go about our daily lives, I pray that we can see the ways we have become like the many who did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but only enough to turn away from the foolishness of idolatry. Jesus gave us a simple command to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). But simple doesn’t mean easy. It’s truly difficult to discern the difference between paths that are before us. Living in this world while not being consumed by its demands is a challenge. We only have a chance if we put Christ first. Lord, help us to do just that. Help us to love you first with everything we have and love others. Let that shine through us and draw people to Christ.

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Hezekiah’s Life Extended; Manasseh’s Evil

2 Kings 20-22 and Psalm 69

Hezekiah contract some deadly disease and is about to die when Isaiah comes to pay him a visit. Not one to beat around the bush, Isaiah tells him to “Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover” (2 Kings 20:1). Hezekiah accepts the word of the prophet, turns aside to pray,

“Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” 2 Kings 20:3

Hezekiah wept bitterly. Assuming these were his last words with Isaiah, he honors the Lord and simply says, don’t forget I gave you my best.

The story could have ended there, but before Isaiah was able to leave the middle court (my guess is that wasn’t far), he gets a message from God. The Lord chooses to heal Hezekiah, plus a bonus: adds 15 years to his life. Isaiah returns to deliver the message and solution. I’m thinking Isaiah was happy to do this since Hezekiah was actually a man of faith and integrity. He received a favorable prophesy to tell the man who honors God–any preacher’s dream!

Hezekiah asks for a sign, something impossible for man, so Isaiah prays and the shadow on the steps (think big sun dial) reverses its direction for 10 steps (2 Kings 20:11). Interesting, yes?

Babylonian Visitors

Hezekiah is a man of God for sure, but perhaps not the brightest bulb in the factory, or perhaps the disease affected his mind enough that when a group from Babylon sends gifts and visits him, Hezekiah gives them the grand tour of the place, nothing is hidden. Isaiah hears about this and confronts Hezekiah:

“Hear the word of the Lord: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have store up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord” 2 Kings 20:17

Bad news indeed, but the message doesn’t end there.

And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. 2 Kings 20:18

Worse news. Hezekiah once again humbly accepts the words from Isaiah. The prophecy is well before the Babylonian Empire is a force to be reckoned with.

Manasseh & Amon

Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son, succeeded him as king and reigns 55 years–completely undoing everything Hezekiah lived for. Back to the pattern of “he did evil in the eyes of the Lord…” Manasseh and Amon to follow rebuild the Asherah poles, the altars to Baal and other gods. Somehow they didn’t see how the Lord had provided for his people during Hezekiah’s years.

Amon didn’t last long, only 2 years. He was assassinated by some officials and Josiah was put in his place.

Josiah

Josiah did well and “followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left” (2 Kings 22). When he discovers the book of the Law, he asks a prophet for insight. Huldah lets him know the Lord will “bring disaster on this place and its people” (22:16), but since Josiah’s “heart was responsive” (22:19), his “eyes will not see all the disaster” (22:20) that the Lord is going to bring. We are treated to a long list of idols, shrines, etc., that Josiah removed. These details provide a peak into how far God’s people had wandered from his word, his ways and his covenant.

Josiah reestablished the Passover celebration and removed all the idolatrous worship throughout his kingdom, even after he heard the words of the prophet, knowing disaster would eventually come, so that many may turn back to the Lord, to know his peace and rely on the one true God. This is a similar battle for us today. We see what is happening all around us, we know the truth in Christ, yet we must remain resolute, we must be diligent to help as many people as possible come to know Jesus Christ. Lord, may your words seem as fresh to us today as they did to Josiah, may we celebrate your covenant like no others before (23:22).

The rollercoaster continues as we near the end of the kings. The simple lesson is this: God is steady and consistent the whole time–we, however, are all over the map! Lord, help us to keep you in the center of all, to learn from Hezekiah and Josiah that which is good as well as Manasseh and Amon, that which is bad. You’ve shown us both sides of the coin, Lord, help us remember!

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Hezekiah’s Prayer and Jerusalem’s Deliverance

2 Kings 19

Chapter 19 continues the story with Hezekiah’s response to the verbal abuse and physical threats from the Assyrians. All wearing sackcloth, they know they are doomed without God’s help. Hezekiah sends a team to Isaiah, heads down, they are completely humbled and ask merely that he would “pray for the remnant that still survives” (2 Kings 19:4). Isaiah’s response is assuring:

This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard — those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! When he hears a certain report, I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword. 2 Kings 19:6-7

The king of Assyria continues his battle of words through messengers so Hezekiah does what we all need to learn from: he put the entire matter before the Lord and prayed. He asks the Lord for deliverance not for himself, not for personal glory, rather:

so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God. 2 Kings 19:19

Even today as we fight our own personal battle, I believe the Lord hears those who pray such earnest prayers. Our needs may not be so desperate as Hezekiah–he was surrounded by an army that had no issue with slaughtering every single person they met–but God hears the prayers of those who love him above all others!

Through the prophet Isaiah, the words of the Lord are strong and clear:

Because you rage against me and because your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came. 2 Kings 19:28, Isaiah 37:39

Then the Lord provides a sign, a profound prophesy that we should be excited about even today:

For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. 2 Kings 19:31

The concept of the remnant is so encouraging to me as we hear and see churches dying, how Christ is removed from courthouses and schools. Slowly, it seems, those who choose to follow the Lord are being reduced to a mere remnant. But God loves his own and if we truly believe God is the Creator of all things who loves his people, we should rest assured he will prevail.

For Hezekiah, deliverance is swift: that very night “the angel of the Lord” killed 185,000 Assyrians. Sennacherib woke up surrounded by death. He decided to leave and return to Nineveh. Later, his own sons killed him while he worshiped one of his gods. Sennacherib is dead as Isaiah foretold. End of chapter 19 and the Assyrian attempts to oust the remnant of the Lord.

 

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Hezekiah and Sennacherib

Hands Raised

2 Kings 18 and Psalm 68

Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, became king of Judah when he was 25 years old and reigned for 29 years during the height of Isaiah’s prophetic years. Finally, after reading about horrible leadership we see these words:

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. … And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. 2 Kings 18:3,7

Hezekiah did away with the “high places,” he cleaned the slate that previous kings refused to eliminate; he did it because it was the right thing to do, not for personal glory. He even destroyed the bronze snake that Moses made, at the direction of the Lord, to save those who were bitten by snakes during their journey (Numbers 21:4-9). He had to destroy it because these people considered it an idol, they “were burning incense to it” (2 Kings 18:4). Crazy stuff!!

Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. 2 Kings 18:5

It’s important to note that Hezekiah rose to the throne while the Assyrians were overpowering Israel in Samaria–essentially the rest of the Promised Land. He had no possible way of repelling the Assyrians, no way to prevent them from taking the tiny tribe of Judah. Yet here he was, completely faithful. He removed the idols and taught the people to worship the One True God. He listened to Isaiah.

Hezekiah was in his early 30’s when the Assyrians carried away his brothers, those following the king of Israel (northern kingdom) off to exile–to their eventual death. But he remained faithful.

By his 40th birthday, the arrogant Assyrians, under leadership of Sennacherib, attacked Judah and captured the fortified cities. The NIV Study Bible notes refer to Sennacherib’s own documents that indicate he captured 200,000+ people across 46 cities and Hezekiah was a mere “bird in a cage” hiding in his palace.

Sennacherib sends an envoy to Hezekiah as he prepares to mop up the rest of the kingdom (at least in his mind). The message is strong, demeaning, demoralizing and clear: we took your fortified cities, you’re next! The Assyrian supreme commander sends the message loud and clear for all to hear:

This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have the counsel and the might for ware–but you speak only empty words. 2 Kings 18:19-20

He goes on to taunt and completely disrespect the Lord, doing everything he can to demoralize the people. The commander continues,

“Was is only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall — who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?” 2 Kings 18:27

Seriously? Did you just say that in the Bible? The commander isn’t done. He was speaking in Aramaic up to that point, now he switches to Hebrew and continues his tirade against the people of God. Over and over the commander speaks against the Lord and Hezekiah,

“Do not let Hezekiah deceive you… Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord… Do not listen to Hezekiah… Do not listen to Hezekiah…” 2 Kings 18:28-35

Here’s the remarkable response from the people who follow Hezekiah as their king and trust in the Lord:

the people remained silent and said nothing in reply 2 Kings 19:36

Nothing. Silence.

Is it possible that we should react to vicious attacks against us with silence? Is this the season to be silent? The oppression of the Assyrians is huge! If the boastful Sennacherib is accurate, he’s just captured more than the population of Anderson, Greenville and Columbia combined and now he surrounds Jerusalem. His words are not mere words, they are backed up by aggressive actions against our brothers and sisters. Nothing? Silence?

I can only imagine that these people, the remnant of God’s chosen, have listened to Isaiah’s words, they have watched the faithful actions of Hezekiah, and they have made the decision to trust God completely.

Lord, give us a discerning heart to know how you would have us react. May we have the confidence to completely trust in your word, your ways and your timing in all things–even as our enemies surround us! Let us know when the response should be silence and when we should respond boldly. Help us to seek you in all things. Put a song in our mouths to sing in confidence and with great joy:

May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
    may his foes flee before him.
May you blow them away like smoke—
    as wax melts before the fire,
    may the wicked perish before God.
But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God;
    may they be happy and joyful. Psalm 68:1-3

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Samaria/Northern Israel Falls

2 Kings 16-17

Ahaz follows Jotham, but as with his fellow Israelites in the northern kingdom, he is lured into the ways of wicked and evil people:

…and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree. 2 Kings 16:3-4

This is so sad. It’s bad enough that Jeroboam led the northern kingdom into such idolatry, now the southern kingdom joins the party. These are God’s chosen people living in The Promised Land! Hard to tell from their actions.

When the Arameans attacked Jerusalem, Ahaz used the silver and gold from the temple of the Lord to hire the Assyrians. No respect for the Lord, no hint of seeking a word from Isaiah, Ahaz makes a deal with the Assyrians…then it gets worse. King Ahaz:

saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. 2 Kings 16:10

Ahaz formally worshiped the gods of Assyria alongside of the Lord, as if that were even possible. He took it upon himself to rearrange the items in the temple of the Lord to please himself. For 16 years Ahaz led the people of Judah astray. King Hezekiah is next (for tomorrow’s discussion).

Hoshea, the Last King of Israel

Years of idol worship and bowing to the gods of neighboring kingdoms have led the northern kingdom, the people of God, to this closing chapter. Hoshea becomes king and “did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him” (2 Kings 17:2). Hoshea reneged on the previous deals made with the Assyrians, so Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, attacked Hoshea, put him in prison, then deported the people of Israel to Assyria. God’s people were forcibly exiled, no longer to be called Israelites.

All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. 2 Kings 17:7-8

The rest of chapter 17 provides details into the things the Israelites did to arouse God’s anger. Like their ancestors before them, they were stiff-necked people who simply would not listen.

So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. 2 Kings 17:18-19

Samaria, where the kings of Israel used to rule, is populated with people from Babylon, etc., to replace the Israelites. They are given priests to worship gods of their creation along with the Lord. Basically, they accepted everyone’s religion. It’s no wonder Samaria is referred to in the New Testament with disdain. This also explains the background for “the woman at the well” in John 4 and her knowledge of God and the coming Messiah (along with other gods, etc.).

Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did. 2 Kings 17:41

To this day…I wonder. What idols do we serve alongside of the Lord? What have we become so accustomed to, so comfortable with, that we simply put them on an equal footing with the God of the universe? If we read the narrative of the people of Israel in the Old Testament and say to ourselves, “those stupid people,” we are perhaps missing the point.

Lord help us to follow your ways and your ways only. Reveal to us those idols in our lives that we have placed before you. Remove these Lord, help us to serve you alone!

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Kings of Israel and Judah

2 Kings 14-15 and Psalm 67

Amaziah begins at age 25 and rules for 29 years. He did well in the beginning, but didn’t remove the “high places” and the “people continue to offer sacrifices and burn incense” in such places (2 Kings 14:3-4). The narrative of the rise and fall of Amaziah has no reference to prophets or seeking God’s will. For the record, neither does any discussion about the northern kingdom. At this time Elijah and Elisha are gone, but there are other prophets, major and minor prophets, who will speak into the lives of God’s chosen people. They definitely need to be listening to the prophets!

Amaziah establishes himself and executes those who conspired to assassinate his father, Joash. He didn’t kill their entire family, just those who were responsible. The power of the throne must have strengthened him because he is notorious for attacking the Edomites against 10,000 soldiers. He was so impressed with himself that he provoked King Jehoash, northern kingdom, to come and fight. Jehoash’s response is classic:

“A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot.” 2 Kings 14:9

Just to be sure the message is clear, Jehoash continues:

“You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant. Glory in your victory, but stay at home! 2 Kings 14:10

Amaziah is indeed arrogant and foolish. He continues to provoke the “wild beast” and the civil war picks up the pace. Israel routs Judah, breaks down the walls, takes hostages and returns to Samaria. Amaziah escapes, but is tracked down and killed in Lachish.

Azariah is next in line as King of Judah. He begins at age 16 and reigns for 52 years. Once again, he does well, but doesn’t remove the “high places” and people keep up their habit of burning incense there. Eventually, the Lord afflicted him with leprosy and he died in a separated house leaving Jotham, his son, in charge until he succeeded him. Not much else to say about Azariah.

Jotham was 25 years old when he started and he reigned for 16 years. He did the same as his fathers (meaning he did well, but didn’t destroy the “high places”). He also “rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord” (2 Kings 15:35). In his time, the Lord sent “Rezin king of Aram and Pekah [king of Israel] against him” (2 Kings 15:37). Ahaz is next.

Isaiah speaks during the reign of Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah and Manasseh. Michah overlaps a bit with Hezekiah and Manesseh. It’s good to remember the prophets do exist, they’re just not given the presence of the king during these declining dynasties.

Northern Kingdom – Israel

A new Jeroboam begins in the southern kingdom. As his namesake implies, he continue to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. As bad as Jeroboam was, the Lord had mercy on the people and saved them from his hands.

Zechariah followed Jeroboam II as king of Israel for a mere 6 months. Assassinated quickly, he was followed by Shallum for one month. Shallum was assassinate and Menahem took over for 10 years. The evil continues to grow in Israel.

Under Menahem’s reign, the king of Assyria (Pul) invaded. Menahem forced everyone to contribute and he paid Pul off, so the Assyrians left (for now).

Pekahiah, son of Menahem, became king next. He continued the evil practices and lasted 2 years. He was assassinated by Pekah and now Pekah is king of Israel. He managed to stay alive for 20 years, continued the evil practices and was himself assassinated by Hoshea. Not much to say about Pekah except that the king of Assyria came and taken people seemingly at will.

Amos and Hosea, two of the minor prophets, speak into the northern kingdom during the timeframe of Jeroboam II to Hoshea (the last king of Israel) before they are taken into Assyrian captivity and vanquished from the planet. Incredibly sad. God’s people completely forgot the incredible gift given to them.

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Love is from God — Let Us Learn to Love One Another

Walking Children

Since we celebrate Valentine’s Day today, I took some time to look through photos curated as “love” from my favorite photo source at unsplash.com. The photo above shows children walking together with their parents leading in the distance. The powerful legacy that I hope Zoë and I can leave our children: follow the narrow path dear children! I could write a post completely on that imagery, but I’ll leave that to your imagination! There are loads of photos of young couples getting married, of small baby feet, new families just getting started, but for me, perhaps because of my age, I think about a time when things have settled down, when I’m on the front porch swing with my wife, old and content. One of the photos includes an elderly couple, head to head, smiling authentically. Such joy is in their eyes. One day, many years from now, I look forward to being that elderly man loving his elderly wife. How about you?

John’s epistles, part of the pastoral letters toward the end of the Bible, First, Second and Third John, are a quick read, but full of the assurance that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are love and as such, we should love one another. Meeting on Sunday is great, but more than that, we should really enjoy being together. Stocked with wisdom in few words, I love the way he ends the second and third letters: “I hope to come to you and talk face to face so that our joy may be complete” (2 John 12) and “I hope to see you soon, and we will be face to face” (3 John 14). We are called to be a people of love and action, not just words and letters and emails and texts — we should find joy in being together!

John reminds us over and over in these few pages:

Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth. 1 John 3:18

1 John is a short letter written to those who might be a bit confused about what love truly is so John makes it clear:

God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as he is, so also are we in this world. 1 John 4:16-17

John lets us know without doubt,

I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13

There are some warnings about those who are against God, who do not profess Christ as the risen savior, but most of this text speaks to me about the fellowship we enjoy as part of this thing we call church. In this day and age, especially in this country, the masses may confuse church with a physical location, but as Pastor Mark Gasque pointed out several years ago when he was planting Hope Fellowship, a growing congregation,

“The church, in my understanding of scripture, has very little to do with the building and more to do with people” Pastor Mark Gasque, Hope Fellowship Church, April 7, 2007

The notion of biblical love, of being part of a community that is united in Christ is something to get excited about!

My prayer is today we stop and take a moment to ponder the depth and width of God’s love for us. I hope we can take hold of that love and pour into others as He poured into us.

Forget what this world teaches about love, look to the Bible and learn to love as Jesus loved. Be willing to take risks, to give it all and enjoy the sensational love that God lavishes on us through Jesus Christ!

 

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Joash; Elisha’s Last Days

2 Kings 11-13 and Psalm 66

Chapter 11 begins with the story of Jehosheba, the sister of Ahaziah (Judah) hiding Joash (his son must have been really young) for 6 years while the queen mother (my term) Athaliah ruled Judah. She’s not the least bit righteous! Her ascension to the throne we the result of killing off the rest of the royal family, so no one was left.

The priest Jehoiada revealed Joash in the 7th year by having round-the-clock guards protecting him…he knew Athaliah would not be pleased!

When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the Lord. She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!” 2 Kings 11:13-14

Johoiada takes charge to defend the king, but insists she is not to be put to death in the temple of the Lord.

So they seized here as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds, and there she was put to death. 2 Kings 11:16

Joash was just 7 years old when he was installed as the King of Judah. Imagine that! Under the watchful and wise eyes of Jehoiada he rules Judah for 40 years.

Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. 2 Kings 12:2-3

Chapter 12 provides some interesting insight into the temple repair project. Joash, probably under the direction of Jehoiada, tells the priest to collect money for repairing the temple. After 22 years, the project is obviously stalled–nothing was done. At this point, Joash is nearly 30 years old and he gets it–the priests are hoarding the money or at least completely ineffective at repairing the temple, so he has a new plan. The repairs are made by skilled workers, but obviously not everyone was happy with the arrangements.

His officials conspired against him and assassinated him at Beth Millo, on the road down to Silla. 2 Kings 12:20

Amaziah, Joash’s son, succeeded him as king of Judah.

Chapter 13 switches back to Israel, the northern kingdom, where Jehu’s son Jehoahaz is king. No surprise, “he did evil in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam (2 Kings 13:2), so the Lord allowed the Arameans to oppress them.

Jehoahaz begged for relief and the Lord “listened to him” by providing a deliverer for Israel (eventually).

But they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; the continued in them. 2 Kings 13:6

The Arameans reduced the army of Israel to 50 horsemen, 10 chariots and 10,000 foot soldiers. Jehoahaz died and was succeeded by Jehoash.

Jehoash “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (surprise!), did some stuff, then died. That’s about it!

Jehoash and Elisha

Jehoash heard about Elisha’s illness that will eventually take his life. Jehoash can see that this is bad and declares, “My father! My father!…The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” (2 Kings 13:14). Elisha prophesies about the Lord’s victory over the king of Aram, “you will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek” (2 Kings 13:17). Elisha then told Jehoash to take the arrows and strike the ground. Apparently Jehoash’s half-hearted striking of the ground was offensive:

The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeated it only three times.” 2 Kings 13:19

Those were the last words of Elisha, but not the last comment.

Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. 2 Kings 13:21

The legacy of Elisha lived on, but we don’t get a lot of insight into the things he did.

Jeroboam (obviously not the original) followed Jehoash as King of Israel.

 

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Jehu

2 Kings 9-10 and Psalm 65

It’s been a long time since anyone was anointed as king, but here we read about Elisha sends one of his young prophets to anoint Jehu as king of Israel.

“The take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run; don’t delay!” 2 Kings 9:3

The young prophet anoints Jehu with a mission: destroy the entire house of Ahab, including a horrible death for Jezebel, for all their treachery.

When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did this maniac come to you?” 2 Kings 9:11

It’s interesting to note that Jehu is one of the officers, not “the” officer. Also, the disdain they have for the company of prophets is evident by referring to the “maniac” that bolted in and bolted out. It had to look kinda crazy!

The message was clear and the officers fell in line behind Jehu to prosecute the words of the prophet. So, even though they mocked the maniac, they took his words seriously–in a big way.

First task, kill Joram and Ahaziah, king of Israel and Judah. Both were following the ways of Ahab reaching back for decades into the past, all very far from serving the Lord. Jehu is certainly inspired by the Holy Spirit.

When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?”
“How can there be peace,” Jehu replied, “as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel around?” 2 Kings 9:22

Joram and Ahaziah got the message! The ran like crazy, but Jehu’s arrow was precise and Joram was shot between the shoulders, piercing this heart–dead. Ahaziah must have been quicker, because the chase took a while, but he was wounded in the flight and died in Megiddo.

Next on the todo list: Jezebel. I have to think by this time Jezebel is pretty old. She hears about Jehu, so she fixes her hair and puts on eye makeup to appeal to him, but Jehu has nothing to do with her, he didn’t come for a conversation.

“Throw her down!” Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot. 2 Kings 9:33

There Jezebel was devoured by animals, nothing left but her skull and hands.

Chapter 10 provides a summary of the demise of Ahab’s family. First the 70 royal princes are killed, their heads delivered in baskets the set in “two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning” (2 Kings 10:8). Jehu killed all of the house of Ahab–left no survivor.

Jehu came upon Jehonadab and added him to his ranks  to “see my zeal for the Lord” (2 Kings 10:16). Their task: destroy the prophets of Baal. Their method: pretend to have a huge Baal Worship event at the temple–everyone must come! After hearing what Jehu has done, I’m sure they were eager to do whatever he had to tell them, so yes, they all came.

Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until is was full from one end to the other. 2 Kings 10:21

Jehu made quite a spectacle of the entire affair, making sacrifices and probably leading the worship team! They were all oblivious to the plot that was about to unfold.

So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel. However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit–the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. 2 Kings 10:28-29

The Lord blessed Jehu by assuring him his “descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation” (2 Kings 10:30). But Jehu didn’t keep the law of the Lord, he did not turn away from the idols of Jeroboam. For 28 years he ruled as king of Israel.

We’re still only in the first half of 2 Kings and the wayward ways of Israel and Judah are so far from the plan that the Lord set in motion with Moses. This is God’s chosen people. No longer slaves in Egypt or lost in the desert. They are in the Promised Land, free to choose, and choose they did.

I can’t help but wonder about the choices we make from our place of comfort and freedom. How will our history be written? These we read about were not stupid people. I imagine they were charismatic and intelligent leaders of their time, yet when we look back, all that’s recorded is failure after failure. Lord help us to keep you the center of our lives!

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Siege Ends; Ben-Hadad Murdered

2 Kings 6:24-8:29

“Some time later…” we pick up the story where the Arameans continue their annoying military coop attempts. The siege in Samara (i.e., against Joram, king of Israel) has reached the point where people are starving. Joram is convinced this is all at the Lord’s calling, but shows little sign of repentance:

The king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?” 2 Kings 6:33

Elisha’s response is calm an deliberate, for he knows the siege is about to break. The officer there with the king scoffs at Elisha’s reply–not a good plan. The following day, just as Elisha foretold, the Arameans bolt for the hills because the Lord caused them to hear a huge advancing army, so their camp was left empty. Four lepers made the discover, then went back and reported to the king. Of course the king didn’t believe them, but when his scouts discovered the truth, the people trounced on the camp and looted the place. In the ensuing stampede the officer that mocked Elisha was trampled to death.

The Shunammite’s Land Restored

Chapter 8 begins with a side-story, a continuation of the Shunammite’s story in chapter 4. Elisha told her there was going to be famine and they should leave for a while. When she returns (seven years later), she goes to the king to get her home and possessions back. He “happens” to be listening to Gehazi, Elisha’s former right-hand man, and hears the story of how Elisha (the Lord) revived the boy, so he grants her appeal with a bonus, “including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now” (2 Kings 8:6).

Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad

Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, gets sick and feels like he’s about to die, so he sends Hazael to ask Elisha if he will recover. (Apparently, Hazael is more than a mere messenger.) He asks Elisha and he tells him Ben-Hadad would recover, but will die nonetheless. He doesn’t say how he will die, but begins to weep as he  looks into Hazael’s eyes. Elisha sees the future of Hazael, how many will be killed at his hand. Hazael returns to Ben-Hadad and tells him he will recover,

But the next day he took a thick cloth, soaked it in water and spread it over the king’s face, so that he died. Then Hazael succeeded him as king. 2 Kings 8:15

Back in Judah

Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, becomes king of Judah next, but he chooses to follow the path of the kings of Israel, “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Kings 8:18). Not many details in this chapter, just eight years of bad leadership.

Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, took over next. “He followed the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Kings 8:27).

 

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