Savage Street Church of Christ

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03082017SecondKings15DonRuhl

Second Kings 15 

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • March 5, In the year of our Lord, 2017

1. Sacrificing on every high hill may have meant that Israel worshiped God there rather than idols, although this was still unacceptable. 
   1. We have noticed that a king may have done good things, but
      1. the Bible would note that the high places were not take away, and
      2. the children of Israel continued to worship in those places.
         1. 2Ki 12.3
         2. 2Ki 14.4
   2. Notice the warnings in Deuteronomy 12,
      
      2 “You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. 4 You shall not worship the LORD your God with such things. 5 But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. 6 There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7 And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the LORD your God has blessed you. 8 You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—“ (Deu 12.2–8).
      
2. Second Kings 15.1–4 | Azariah’s Reign Summarized
   
   1 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, became king. 2 He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done, 4 except that the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
   
   1. Few people ever rule over a nation for over five decades.
   2. How old was Azariah when he died?
      1. He began reigning at 16 years of age.
      2. He reigned for 52 years.
      3. He died when he was 68 years old.
   3. How did the writer summarize his reign?
      1. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord.
      2. He did what was right in the way that Amaziah had.
      3. The high places were not removed.
         1. For the most part, Judah remained faithful to the Lord.
         2. However, what does verse 4 indicate?
            1. Although a king reigned in righteousness,
            2. he still allowed the potential seed for idolatry to enter.
3. Second Kings 15.5–7 | Azariah’s Last Days
   
   5 Then the LORD struck the king, so that he was a leper until the day of his death; so he dwelt in an isolated house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the royal house, judging the people of the land. 6 Now 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? 7 So Azariah rested with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jotham his son reigned in his place.
   
   1. Why did the Lord strike Azariah with leprosy?
      1. See 2Ch 26, especially verse 16
   2. Since Azariah had to live in isolation, his son became co-regent with him, fulfilling the duties of a king.
4. Second Kings 15.8–12 | The Reign of Zechariah of Israel
   
   8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. 9 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 10 Then Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and struck and killed him in front of the people; and he reigned in his place. 11 Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 12 This was the word of the LORD which He spoke to Jehu, saying, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it was.
   
   1. How long did Zechariah reign in Samaria?
   2. Why did he reign for such a short time?
      1. He did evil in the sight of the Lord.
      2. He remained with the sins of Jeroboam I.
   3. Who assassinated Zechariah?
      1. Shallum
      2. Did he do it in private?
   4. What promise or prophecy did the reign of Zechariah fulfill?
   5. What do you think about the two statements that we keep seeing?
      1. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord.
      2. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.
5. Second Kings 15.13–18 | More Kings
   
   13 Shallum the son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria. 14 For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, came to Samaria, and struck Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and killed him; and he reigned in his place. 15 Now the rest of the acts of Shallum, and the conspiracy which he led, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 16 Then from Tirzah, Menahem attacked Tiphsah, all who were there, and its territory. Because they did not surrender, therefore he attacked it. All the women there who were with child he ripped open. 17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi became king over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria. 18 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin.
   
   1. How long did Shallum reign?
   2. What did Menahem do after he killed Shallum?
      1. He reigned as king.
      2. He attacked Tiphsah.
      3. What did he do to the pregnant women there?
   3. How long did he reign over Israel in Samaria?
   4. How does the Bible summarize his reign?
6. Second Kings 15.19–22 | Assyria Begins to Be a Problem
   
   19 Pul king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom under his control. 20 And Menahem exacted the money from Israel, from all the very wealthy, from each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and did not stay there in the land. 21 Now 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 So Menahem rested with his fathers. Then Pekahiah his son reigned in his place.
   
   1. The Assyrians went away for awhile, but Israel’s insistence on sin eventually brought the Assyrians back and they took Israel into captivity.
   2. Paying off the bully only puts off the bully temporarily, for he will return.
   3. The solution for Israel was repentance.
7. Second Kings 15.23–26 | Political Instability in Israel
   
   23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. 24 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 25 Then Pekah the son of Remaliah, an officer of his, conspired against him and killed him in Samaria, in the citadel of the king’s house, along with Argob and Arieh; and with him were fifty men of Gilead. He killed him and reigned in his place. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
   
   1. Every king of Israel just kept staying with sin, especially idolatry.
   2. Does the pattern in Israel change?
8. Second Kings 15.27–28 | Same Story
   
   27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years. 28 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin.
   
9. Second Kings 15.29 | The Assyrians Return
   
   29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria.
   
   1. The captivity of Israel began.
   2. The Lord had told Israel that if they remained faithful to Him, He would cause other nations to serve them, but if they departed from Him, they would serve other nations.
   3. Thus, we saw Israel pay off Assyria.
   4. However, the Law of Moses also said that if Israel did not repent, the Lord would send foreign armies against them and take them captive.
10. Second Kings 15.30–31 | Assassinations Continue
    
    30 Then Hoshea the son of Elah led a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and struck and killed him; so he reigned in his place in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 31 Now the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
    
    1. The unstable political situation in Israel continued.
    2. This was bad timing on their part, for an enemy had already captured part of their land.
11. Second Kings 15.32–36 | Jotham Reigned in Judah
    
    32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 34 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. 35 However the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. He built the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD. 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?
    
    1. Judah still had kings who remained with the Lord, although they keep neglecting the removal of the high places of worship.
12. Second Kings 15.37–38 | Judah Starts to Suffer Punishment
    
    37 In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. 38 So Jotham rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. Then Ahaz his son reigned in his place.
    
    1. Israel went down the path leading to captivity.
    2. Judah did not learn from Israel, but continue to worship the Lord the way that they desired, opening the door in their minds to change other things about worship, including what god they worshiped.
    3. See how the Lord gave Israel and Judah plenty of time to repent.
       1. He sent prophets to turn them back.
       2. When He did send a foreign power, He did it slowly.