2 Kings 15-16

2 Kings 15-16

Scripture Thought (What I Learned):

Chapter 15: Israel and Judah in Wickedness

                In the twenty seventh year of the reign of Jeroboam, reigned also Azariah the son of Amaziah in Judah. Azariah began to reign when he was only 16 years old and reigned for 52 years! Azariah did right in the eyes of the Lord, but became a leper until the end of his life 2 Chronicles 26 tells us more about that. Jotham was over the land and did the judging for Azariah until he died and was buried with his fathers.

                The 5 Kings over the Kingdom of Israel:

Zechariah reigned over Israel in Samaria for 6 months, in which time he did evil in the sight of the Lord, making Israel to sin! Jabesh conspired against him, and Shallum the son of Jabesh killed him in front of the people and reigning in his stead. Shallum reigned for 1 full month, before Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah and struck Shallum dead. Mehahem was very wicked he went into Tirzah and killed everyone and ripped open all the pregnant women there. Menahem reigned for 10 years! During his reign he gave Pul a thousand talents of silver so that Israel could in tribute to the Assyrian Empire!

                After his reign, Pekahiah, the son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria. He reigned for 2 years and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. In the 52nd year of Azariah, king of Judah the son of Remaliah (Pekah) became king over Israel in Samaria. Pekah's reign lasted for twenty years! In the days of Pekah, Tiglath-Pileser the king of Assria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gildead, and Galilee, which is all the land of Naphtali and carried them captive into Assyria. Then Hoshea the son of Elah led a conspiracy against the king of Assyria and killed him, taking his place.

                Jotham dies and his sons Ahaz reigns in his place. 

Chapter 16: Ahaz Reigns in Wickedness

                In the 17th year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. Ahaz was only twenty years old when he became a king and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, he did evil.

                Ahaz walked in the way of the many kings that had gone before him. He did not worship God properly. Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the king of Israel went to war with Jerusalem and they attacked Ahaz, but could not overcome him. But Ahaz was not cocky he immediately sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser to make a treaty with him.

                Ahaz perverts the worship at the temple by designing an altar that he saw in Damascus. This was done to please the Assyrian Empire. Ahaz also directs the renovation of the temple court to give it preference to the new altar. Ahaz made the altar, ruled over the people and was a priest of his own design... not something that God would have.