Hezekiah Reigns in Judah

                                                                        2 Kings 18:1-12

 

November 1, 2021

 

 

Hezekiah Reigns in Judah

In the third year of Hoshea, son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.   He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.   And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.   He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).   He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.   For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.   And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.   He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.

In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it,  and at the end of three years, he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.   The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.

For most of the kings of Judah after King David, this statement was made;  And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father had done.  Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings in high places.  And often, it would say but not as his father David had done.

 

But not so with King Hezekiah; “He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.”  Few men in the Scriptures that God has said such things about, but if we are to have any hope of being the people God calls His Church, we need men who have that heart for God.  Men who will hold fast to the Lord, men who seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, and not interested in the modern method of filling the church building.  Do you have that calling on your life, it is a choice, most of the kings of Judah were not willing to do all that God had commanded them?  You have to set your mind and heart on seeking first the kingdom of God and have a spirit of obedience, to a Father who loves you.

 

Do you see how different Israel Kings choose to do evil, to rebel against what God had commanded, and it not only cost them, their families but the people of Israel more than anyone could have imagined.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

Exile Because of Idolatry

                                                                        2 Kings 17:7-18

 

October 30, 2021

 And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced.   And the people of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtowers to fortified cities.   They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree,  and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the Lord carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the Lord to anger,  and they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this.”   Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”

But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God.   They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them.  And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves metal images of two calves, and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal.   And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.   Therefore, the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.

 

A reader will notice that it matters not in a home, a business, a church, or a nation, leadership has a profound effect on the people under it. One of the sadist verses in the Scriptures is, “But they would not listen” and history is and has repeated itself over and over.  Has God told us in His Word that murder is a sin, it is never justified, and I’m sure most of my readers agree?  He has told us you and I who are in Christ were bought with a price, we are not our own, yet you keep quiet as our nation has become the chief of mass murders, in the name of convenience, and let me ask you did you believe it was a women rights to kill the child God put inside of her?  What about marriage, were you silent when laws were passed that marriage was not just between a man and a woman?  God’s word was not silent!  And what about homosexuality, once more God has not been silent, but many of our leaders, in and out of the Church sure have been.

When prayers were removed from all government places, even our school, where were the Christian voices, now we the people or paying the price of unbelief, of turning our hearts to the little gods of this nation, pleasure, sports, golf, fishing and stuff like vacations homes and select sports, yes the little gods that have removed the fear of God who has all authority.  One of the most prominent little gods is Self Will over God’s Will,  God keeps His Word, and yes he is a very jealous God, who is not pleased with our nation or any nations that put other gods before Him.

 

Read about His chosen people, and learn from the Scriptures what a loving Father will do to bring His children to repentance.  Wake up Church.  

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

A man in Khaki

                                                                          A man in Khaki

 

April 18, 2011

 

 

 

 

You will never believe it, not in a thousand years, what happened to Jan and me?  Now, it’s important for me to share that we did not seek this person out; we had no understanding of his wealth, his status, or his ability to change our lives.  I’m sure you heard stories of how some millionaire came to a person’s door and gave them a million dollars, that’s not even close to what happened to us.  We were at Fiesta a celebration linked to a religious holiday, and thousands of people from the San Antonio area and from all over the United States and the world were enjoying the big party.  Jan and I were enjoying the food and just watching the people, especially the young family as they enjoyed the day, and that is when it happened.

 

We had stopped at a small café on the river and were having a cup of coffee when a gentleman came to our table and ask if he could sit down for a while.  He was wearing khaki, both his shirt, and his pants, and his hair was out of place, he was a large man but not fat, and his face had deep lines as if he had seen some hard times.  When we looked up to see who was asking this of us, both of us were taken by his eyes, it seemed as if they pierced into our souls, and his smile was very inviting.

 

What was obvious to both of us was that he had picked our table for some reason because all the other tables we empty around us.  My first thought was, I wonder if he is hungry, or is he going to try to sell us something?  But that was not the case; he just wanted to be with us, to ask about why we were there and if we were enjoying ourselves.  He told us that he had watched us as we talked with many of the young couples and admired the children and that it had brought joy to his heart, just seeing such actions.  He went on to share that he loved people and yet was saddened when he saw so many who seemed to have little or no hope.  We sat and talked for what seemed only a short time, but over two hours had passed, when this stranger in khaki asked if we would accept a gift from him.  We both said, as if with one voice, that his time at our table was a very special gift, and we would like to give him our cell phone numbers and address, in hopes that when he was back in town he would come to stay with us.  

 

The man in Khaki, with eyes that seemed to look into our souls, took our information and said he would love to be part of our lives, to share with us, and to stay in our home, and then he left.  The day was almost gone and we wanted to leave before the traffic got too bad on 281, so we also headed home.  On arriving at our driveway we saw a man in a dark suit standing on our front porch, and his car a new BMW Z4, was sitting in our driveway, I told Jan that’s not a vacuum cleaner salesman.  As we got out of our car, the man in the suit came to us and explained that he was sent by his boss to give us a message.  We asked, who is your boss and he explained that we had shared a cup of coffee with him that day, and this was the message.  I am a person of great wealth, and your invitation to stay in your home touched me greatly.   I would enjoy beyond your wildest thoughts being part of your life.  Today, I’ve sent my messenger with this offer; I will take care of all your needs from now on, my desire is to give you a quality of life that is far beyond your understanding, the only condition is you must say yes to my offer.

That’s a story that was formed in my mind this past Sunday as I listened to my pastor tell of the great love of our Heavenly Father for all of us.  Yes, it did not happen, it was just a story, but I must tell you that something very close to that did happen to Jan and me many years ago.  And like in my fictional story, we were not seeking a relationship with our heavenly Father, nor did we have much understanding of His great love for us.  He came to each of us at different times and places but the offer was the same as the fictional man in khakis, to be not part of our life, but, to come and live in us and to supply our every need.  We have not always been faithful to Him, but we are witnesses to His faithfulness in all that He has promised.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

In Search of Truth

 2021

Truth-Seeker

 

 This thought came into my mind, what if we the Church of the Living Christ, became seekers of truth?   And I do mean me and you, beginning today. Jesus said in John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”  We as a people have become more like the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate when he replied to Jesus with this question; What is Truth?

 

Would you be willing to say the truth does not change, what is a fact today is also tomorrow as well?  That it is exactness and precision, and as a seeker of truth, you will want to always seek to have accuracy in what you send on the internet, and in your speech.

 

It all begins with you, not with a political party, not with your boss, or even with someone you look up to, it must begin with you.  Do you want deception, then listen to the talking heads on T.V. or the media, or many people in a public office.  As a truth-seeker, your role is to not believe without verifying, always believing that all men are liars and only God is truth.

 

Let me tell you if you desire to be a seeker of truth, where to begin, by checking out these words of Jesus.  Jesus said in John 14:6-7, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.  From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

 

I have found out that a follower of Christ has been given a promise of a Helper, you will find that in John 14:15-17. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.   And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

 

Remember, we serve a God of the second chance, He loves you and will forgive, so confess the need to be a seeker of Truth, for in doing so you will find Jesus!

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Hoshea Reigns in Israel

 

2 Kings 17:1-6

 

October 29, 2021

 

Hoshea Reigns in Israel

 

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years.   And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.   Against him came up Shalmanese, king of Assyria. And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.   But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore, the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.   Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.

It could be said in today's terms Hoshea cleaned up his act a little, using the 2021 timeline, he no longer drank adult beverages in his coffee at the temple, and he joined the choir.  But he did not turn his heart to God and obey the laws handed down from God.

The Fall of Israel

In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Harbor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

Sin always brings us into captivity, many a person who goes by the name Christian is living below their status, for they are King's kids, and yet the enemy has them living in fear of many things.  Let me list a few, fear of failure, in marriage, in child razing, in business, and of death.  If you have been captured, run to Jesus and ask Him to forgive your unbelief.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

 

A Nation in Decline

                                                                         2 kings 16:10-20

 

October 28, 2021

 

 

When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, he saw the altar that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a model of the altar, and its pattern, exact in all its details.   And Uriah the priest built the altar; in accordance with all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Uriah the priest made it before King Ahaz arrived from Damascus.   And when the king came from Damascus, the king viewed the altar. Then the king drew near to the altar and went up on it and burned his burnt offering and his grain offering and poured his drink offering and threw the blood of his peace offerings on the altar.   And the bronze altar that was before the Lord he removed from the front of the house, from the place between his altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of his altar.  And King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering and the king's burnt offering and his grain offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. And throw on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice, but the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by.”   Uriah the priest did all this, as King Ahaz commanded.

And King Ahaz cut off the frames of the stands and removed the basin from them, and he took down the sea from off the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pedestal.   And the covered way for the Sabbath that had been built inside the house and the outer entrance for the king he caused to go around the house of the Lord, because of the king of Assyria.   Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?   And Ahaz slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

The first thing one observes when a nation is in decline, it abandons its history, its founders, and in our case and Israel the God of our fathers.  All our blessings have come from, one source, God, so why would a people or a nation look elsewhere?

 

Shall we go back in Judea’s history, and it will become apparent what happens when a nation's leaders turn from God.  The temple was built by Solomon, the plans were passed on by his dad King David, and yet neither of them was the designer.  God was the designer of the house that would have His name, so pay very close attention to King David's charge to his young son.

 

David's Charge to Solomon

 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.   Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.”

Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple, and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the mercy seat;  and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the Lord, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for dedicated gifts;

Maybe you and  I the Church, and our nation’s leaders would be wise two parks on the first two verses of that charge to Solomon?  As you can see King Ahaz ignored those words and so is whoever is running our nation.  It has become apparent it is not the man in the office of the President, but whoever it is our big God knows your name, and the gate of Hell will not prevail against the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Ahaz Reigns in Judah

 

 

2 Kings 16:1-9

 

October 27, 2021

 

 

Ahaz Reigns in Judah

In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign.   Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done,  but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.   And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to wage war on Jerusalem, and they besieged Ahaz but could not conquer him.   At that time Rezin the king of Syria recovered Elath for Syria and drove the men of Judah from Elath, and the Edomites came to Elath, where they dwell to this day.   So, Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.”   Ahaz also took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king's house and sent a present to the king of Assyria.   And the king of Assyria listened to him. The king of Assyria marched up against Damascus and took it, carrying its people captive to Kir, and he killed Rezin.

 

Wake up Church, do you understand that brothers are fighting brothers, both believe they are standing on solid ground, and both have departed to the little gods of this world, just as has our Nation.  Is the Church, and let me be clear, the Church I’m referring to is one that believes Jesus is the only way to eternal life, it cannot be earned, it is a gift of faith in Jesus Christ and Him only.  It is time for the Church if it is serious about finding the truth, to ask two questions, number one: Is there a God?  Number two:  If there is, has he said anything?  My friend asked this of a Jewish friend he worked with, and Carroll went on to say to him; If you will honestly search for the answers to these two questions, I guarantee that you will find the truth.

 

I believe we need a “Faith that Works (between Sundays) and my mentor and friend Carroll Ray Jr. sent me a Manuscript on this subject that was never published and I believe it needs to be.  I want to share a small portion of page 51.

“We have been taught to believe that unless something can be seen or touched, it isn’t real.  This mindset even affects religious activity.  We measure success by things which can be quantified: how much, how many, and how often.  When raising funds for the church, we act as if God is on the verge of bankruptcy, and when recruiting volunteers, we look for natural talents or aggressive personalities.  When we pray, we often sound more like we’re talking to each other than to God.  I was visiting a church once where the pastor stood to give the offertory prayer and he prayed these words . . .” Lord, I wonder how many times people sin during  the offering by not giving what they should?”  He wasn’t fooling anybody.  They knew he was talking to them, trying to increase the offering by laying guilt feelings on them.  This only reinforces the idea that anything to do with God is unreal.  If the holy man doesn’t seem to talk to God when he prays, why should a layman think God would listen to him?”

 

I end this paper with another comment from the Manuscript.  “We are to have a different attitude: faith in God.  A faith that says, “You are Lord, and I respect your right to reign in my life.  You are the Master, and I am your servant.”

Only when the Church acts on that truth, “You are the Master, and I am your servant, and I will spend time in your Word so that I can know your ways, then and only then will the Church have influence in a fallen world.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Jotham Reigns in Judah

 

 

2 Kings 15:32-38

October 25, 2021

 

Jotham Reigns in Judah

In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign.   He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.   And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done.   Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord.   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?   In those days the Lord began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah.   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 place.

God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts, with that, said, often when we read the Scriptures, we come away wondering why they did that, why God did what He did.  Why did Uzziah and his son not fully follow what had been written and passed down to them?  But, when we go there it becomes a double edge sword, in that the Holy Spirit will ask, Bob why do you do so.

I have no defense, I listen to the wrong voice, and get caught up in the world system, yet God has said I am not part of this system, this is not my home, I’m just passing through.  What about you, are you using the wrong weapons, the world's ways and not God’s.  If so you are living below your calling, get back in God’s word, and pray.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Pekahiah Reigns in Israel

 

2 Kings 15:23-26  27-31

 

October 24, 2021

 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years.   And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.   And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him with fifty men of the people of Gilead, and struck him down in Samaria, in the citadel of the king's house with Argob and Arieh; he put him to death and reigned in his place.   Now the rest of the deeds of Pekahiah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

Pekah Reigns in Israel

In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years.   And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.

In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria.   Then Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and struck him down and put him to death and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.   Now 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.

 

In my early days in sales, a young man told me there were two things I would need to learn, no one had the ability to deal with ignorance and apathy.  Is that not where we find Israel in this account, and also the United States of America today?  Ignorant of what God has said, and an attitude of unconcern.

Some of you may say we are very concerned about what is happening in our nation, if we just had honest elections, this problem would be fixed.  And if we look at Judah at the same timeline their kings look to God and some did more so than others, but as a nation, the people follow his lead and look to God. Godly men in Leadership have a great influence on the direction of a nation.

 

My concern is would such a person be disregarded just as Israel ignored the prophets God sent to them?  When we awake as a nation we will come to understand these truths, money has got us some of the most dishonest people, they lie and call it spin, and they go to Washington without and become millionaires.  So, the answer is to send wealthy people to Washington D.C., wrong, no for most people it is not just wealth, but the power their wealth gives them to take freedom from all those Walmart shoppers, who have an odor and are too stupid to manage life.

 

A verse often quoted is 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will heal their land."  Yes, that is the answer, but it not going to happen until the Church, you, and me awake, we have been guilty of the sins of Israel, and sought after the pagan gods of materials and wealth and self, and drank the Kool-Aid of their offering, and not found the peace or contentment and had no understanding of why.  Peace and contentment are only found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and looking to Him for our direction.  Our nation does not need another religious man who bragged about having atheists in his Sunday School class that were not in disagreement with his teaching.  But a man who is a follower of Jesus Christ, and allows God to direct his ways.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

Menahem Reigns in Israel

 2 Kings 15:17-22

 

October 23, 2021

 

 

Menahem Reigns in Israel

In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria.   And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.   Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that he might help him to confirm his hold on the royal power.   Menahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty shekels of silver from every man, to give to the king of Assyria. So, the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land.   Now the rest of the deeds of Menahem and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?   And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his place.

 

After ten more years of evil, Israel has been rebelling against God for so long that it does not matter that God's prophets tell them to return to the only true God.  Can you see a parallel or resemblance between our nations and Israel?   From the reign of Jeroboam Israel had chosen to reject the God who loved them and gave them all they had and they chase after the God of the nation God had defeated to give them the life they had.  They chose to have a man rule over them and as a people rejected the God of Israel.  And what about us have we also not chosen to do the same?  It has not worked well for Israel and we the land of the free and home of the brave, have for years chosen the same path.  How is it working, not so good, the chicken has come home to roost?  You may be surprised to find out that money will not solve our problems, nor a strong military, nor lower taxes, or an honest election.  What this nation needs is an awakening to the truth, we or evil and need to cry out to a Holy God to forgive us, yes repent and turn, or we will be destroyed.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

 

Zechariah Reigns in Israel/ Shallum Reigns in Israel

 2 Kings 15:8-12  13-16

 

October 22, 2021

 

 

Zechariah Reigns in Israel

In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months.   And he did what was 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, which he made Israel to sin.   Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place.  Now the rest of the deeds of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.   (This was the promise of the Lord that he gave to Jehu, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so, it came to pass.)

 

A short reigned for Zechariah, who did evil in the sight of the Lord.  It is of interest that this young man models his dad in his actions.  What a message to all dads of the important role they have in a child’s life.  The murderer must have believed his action had the people and the approval of the nation, in that the murder was very public.

 

Shallum Reigns in Israel

Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned one month in Samaria.  Then Menahem the son of Gadi came up from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and he struck down Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and put him to death and reigned in his place.   Now the rest of the deeds of Shallum, and the conspiracy that he made, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.   At that time Menahem sacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory from Tirzah on because they did not open it to him. Therefore, he sacked it, and he ripped open all the women in it who were pregnant.

 

A king for a month and the guy that killed him was a demon from hell, he moved the place of power from Samaria to Tirzah.  It is hard for us as mere humans to see God allowing such evil, especially in a climate of evil that has consumed our nation in the last 30 years.  Our nation has killed 62 million babies in the name of convenience, we have no understanding of how God would have used them to solve our nation's problems.  Our nation is not Christian, nor has it been for many years, it is not a new problem.  And speaking of evil, many of our leaders have been men I would not allow in my home, or have any desire to be around, yet not one of them got to the office of the Congress or Senate of the United States, without God allowing it.

 

Why does the Church, the real Church, those who look to God and read His written Word, not understand, God will accomplish His will, and sometimes He allows evil people to bring it about?  Has He not told us, mere humans, My ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts are high than your thoughts?  Our nation is opposed to God’s ways, and so He allows it to have its desires.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

Azariah Reigns in Judah

                                                                         2 Kings 15:1-7

 

October 21, 2021

 

 

Azariah Reigns in Judah

In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign.   He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.   And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.   Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.   And the Lord touched the king so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house.  And Jotham the king's son was over the household, governing the people of the land.   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?   And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place.

 

It is hard for one to put their mind around a 16-year-old being over a nation.  In the world I grew up in I was checking groceries at H.E.B. and going to school, not ready to handle running anything, and most of the people I knew were in the same boat.  Today the majority of 16 years olds have never worked and believe they could run a nation, but have no clue what a nation is.

 

Have you noticed how often a mother's name is mentioned when it talks about these young kings?  Mothers have a major impact on the training of a child, for good or bad.  

 

Azariah reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem and he did as his father had done.  We are not given the reason God gave him leprosy in these verses.  
As you study you will find that this king had two names, Azariah and Uzziah.  Some reference books say that Uzziah was his official name and Azariah was his given name.  What a shame that a good king disobeyed God and brought this on himself.  You will find the account in 2 Chronicles 26:10-21,  Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead.  When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him.

King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house—leprous and banned from the temple of the Lord. Jotham, his son, had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.

Disobedience brings about punishment and obedience brings blessing.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel

  

2 Kings 14:23-29

 

October 19, 2021

 

 

Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel

In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years.   And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.   He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher.   For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel.   But the Lord had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his might, how he fought, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?  And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.

 

If these verses were to have a title it might be “A covenant Keeper and Covenant breaker”

 

What if we move to the person we look at each morning in the mirror, have you entered into an eternal Covenant with Jesus Christ, if not today is a great day to do so.  It is more than a prayer, it is more than going to a church and walking down an aisle to talk with a preacher.  My experience was in a hotel room reading Romans 10:9-10 and coming to an understanding that I had not one thing God needed, but He was all I needed.  When I entered into Him, He gave me life in full, He gave me a new Spirit and the old man died, I was crucified with Christ, and I no longer live.  

Has it been an easy relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, no, because of my flesh?  The flesh is not what many think, it is your desire to do it your way, and when you enter into Christ He has equipped you with authority over your flesh, it is always your choice, to get what you want or what is best.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

God judgment for not listening to Him

                                                                     2 Kings 14:15-2

 

October 18, 2021

 

 

How the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?   And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.

Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.   Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?   And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there.   And they brought him on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.   And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.   He built Elath and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers.

A summary of Jehoash's life is found in 2 Kings 13:11, King Joash of Israel ruled for sixteen years and “did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them”

 

The Bible summarizes Amaziah’s reign thus: “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done, (2 Kings 14:3). Amaziah later conquered the Edomites and foolishly brought back their gods and sacrificed to them. This idolatry resulted in an unnamed prophet coming to Amaziah and rebuking him. We have that account 2 Chronicles 25:16,  But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

 

After this victory, he became very arrogant and challenged Israel to war and Jehoash understood he was full of himself and tried to talk him out of picking a fight he could not win.  He lost and it cost not only Amaziah but the people of Judah.  He live 15 years after and we do not know when he was allowed to return to Judah, but like his father the people killed him. 

 

It is easy to see the failure in these kings, in your family, and others, but much harder to see it in one on life.  Have you given thought to what your life summary will look like?

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice