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