1 In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
2 Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
Azariah became king as a teenager. He was king for 52 years. Azariah reigned longer than any king in Judah thus far. His mother is named, and she is from Jerusalem. Jecholiah is the first woman named among Judah's kings to have a mother born in Jerusalem.
3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;
Azariah did what was right, just as his father did in the sight of God.
4 Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.
Azariah left places in the same state of defiance as his father did. When leaders take office, they tend to ignore the traditional wrong people practice in the same condition or place before they took office. Perhaps they do this while thinking, I will get around to it, but they never do.
5 And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land.
God smote the king with leprosy. Could it be that God said I must show others that there are consequences for kings who disobey? None of us are exempt from doing what is right. His son had to stand in his place as king in public because of the disease God struck him with. If you were a leper, you had to be heal of leprosy or quarantined.
6 And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
Azariah reigned 52 years as king. More details about what he did will is recorded in the book of Chronicles.
7 So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
Jotham takes Azariah's position as king after Azariah's death.
8 In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.
While Azariah was alive and king in his 38th year, Zachariah became king in Israel.
9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
Zachariah did evil. He was a king in name but not a king as in a leader who followed God's guidelines of a king. Many people wear the title, but they do not live to the quality of the title. When we live up to the position of what God has given us, we make the business of God look appealing. Bad leadership is contagious.
10 And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
Shallum killed Zachariah and took his place as king. He did not do it secretly; he killed Zachariah while people were looking.
11 And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
12 This was the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.
Zachariah was Jehu's 4th son. God fulfilled his word in allowing his sons to lead. No longer will the sons of Jehu sit on the throne as king of Isreal.
13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.
Uzziah name is also Azariah. In Azariah's 39th year as king, Shallum, the new king, began to reign in Samaria for a month.
14 For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
Another king, Menahem is king, after killing Shallum, who was king one month.
15 And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
Shallum reign one month, and more of what he did is recorded in the book of chronicles.
16 Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.
Menahem was an evil king. He went to war with the city that did not respect him as king. He killed people and tore the unborn from women who were pregnant. Studying this isn't easy. However, if we don't read it, we tamper with the truth of God's word.
17 In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.
In the 39th year of Azariah being king in Judah, Menahem, the king of Israel, reign in Judah 10 years.
18 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
He was an evil king. He added sin to sin.
19 And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
Paid him off.
20 And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land.
The king made the rich pay taxes to pay his enemy, the king of Assyria.
It was never God's will for people to be lead by a king. God knew the advantage that a leader would do to the people he led if his authority did not show them who he was as their God.
21 And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
22 And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.
Israel has changed kings several times in less than 50 years. Judah had a king that reigned 52 years. Because of the constant disobedience of Isreal, the people suffered. When we change husbands, jobs, homes, and other costly things we need in life, it shows unrest. God is able to settle us and establish us. I have changed jobs, churches and bought several homes in my turmoil of life. It is expensive to make those moves. When we are stable in our doings, we are in a position to help others. All these moves in the northern kingdom showed a disconnect from God's plan for his people.
23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah, king of Judah Pekahiah, the son of Menahem, began to reign over Israel in Samaria and reigned two years.
Azariah reigned two more years in Judea. Pekahiah, the new king reign two years during the same ruling time as Azariah.
24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
The cycle of the leadership of Israel is redundant. His father was an evil leader; now, his son rules as an evil king. Fathers have a tremendous impact on the paths of their sons.
25 But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.
Pekah worked closely with king Pekahiah. Pekah and several other men took the life of Pekahiah. Pekah now reigns as king.
26 And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
27 In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.
Pekah is the king of Israel for 22 years.
Israel is lead by another king. While Judea has the same leader they had for the last 52 years. Pekah
28 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
Israel is being judged. God allowed Israel's enemies to take them captive because they refuse to obey his command.
30 And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.
Hoshea crowns himself as king of Israel after he murdered Pekah.
31 And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
The camera is now turning to Jotham, king of Judah.
Uzziah became king in Judah when Pekah was reigning in Israel.
33 Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
34 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.
35 Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.
What are high places in today's society? A high place can be considered a place where someone will resort to getting away from others who do not see the value of their worship. When I became discouraged with the ministries I was trying to be a part of, I decided to worship from my home. I felt I did not fit in, and I was tired of searching for what seemed like no one else wanted. No one came to see about me, and I did not continue to explain my convictions. God never meant for me to leave, and he did not mean for me to feel ignored by the church I attended. We must know the condition of the people in our organization. When we reach out to hurting people, we show that God is at work and wants us to know he cares through other believers' actions.
36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
37 In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
God is judging Judah. In the book of chronicles, we will find out more of why God sent the results of their choices they continued to make. In our world today, we are so much like the children of Israel. God does have checkpoints to weigh us in. He wants us to know what we need to change in our lives. Sending people who will cause us to change should let us know God is love and God means business.
38 And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
Another new king in Isreal. Have you ever walked into a house without electricity? Have you ever lived in a home without electricity? When we live without the Word of God, we live in total darkness. Even if we live half-heartedly, we live in darkness. To make the right decisions, we must allow the lamp for our feet to guide our paths. Northern Israel did so much damage as the people of God it was deadly daily. I pray that we open the door to the light of the word and find the life God purposely set for us freely. Every day I endeavor to find someone who wants to see. May God's grace open the doors of our minds to explore what God said precisely in the way he meant for us to repeat.
Comments
Post a Comment