2 Kings 15:27 – 38 “In the fifty-second year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twenty years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
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, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people as captives to Assyria. Then Hoshea son of Elah led a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah. In the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah, Hoshea attacked Pekah, killed him, and reigned in his place.
As for the rest of the acts of Pekah, along with all his accomplishments, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
In the second year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah over Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done.
Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.
Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD.
As for the rest of the acts of Jotham, along with his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
(In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram (Syria) and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.)
And Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David his father. And his son Ahaz reigned in his place.”
This image is a graph of what happens to the cardiac output of a patient who begins to bleed and who does not receive transfusion in time. Notice that at the beginning, a little blood loss does nothing to hurt the patient; the patient’s heart is able to compensate. But as the blood loss worsens, the patient slides into irreversible shock. At a point, no amount of transfusion will save the patient.
Both the northern nation of Israel and the southern nation of Judah have been hemorrhaging spiritually and morally for years. But in the beginning things didn’t really appear that bad. The telling phrase that keeps repeating is this: “Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.” Offering by offering, the people were sliding further away from the Lord God of Israel and closer to complete destruction. Now the destruction has begun.
“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, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people as captives to Assyria.” Until now, God has held the Assyrians at bay; however, now the Assyrians swoop in and capture large portions of Israel on both sides of the Jordan River, carrying these idolaters back to Assyria. In retaliation for these humiliating defeats, Hoshea son of Elah assassinates Pekah and rules in his place. Events are beginning to reach the steep part of the curve in Israel and the precipitous downward slide will begin soon.
Meanwhile, in the southern kingdom of Judah, Jotham, the son of King Uzziah, takes up his rule and rules for sixteen years. But things are not peaceful in Judah. Idolatry continues apace and the king of Syria (Aram) and Pekah of Israel persistently attack Judah. The longer the citizens of Judah worship at the high places, the more God withdraws His protection from them. Judah is only lagging a few years behind Israel.
APPLICATION: We read these accounts and wonder how any nation could be so stupid and short – sighted as to abandon the One True Living God for idols. But look at recent events in America. At this point, America desperately needs a transfusion of righteousness that only God the Omnipotent can give us. America stands in critical need of revival, and no amount of espousing worthwhile causes will substitute for such a move.
There are many people in America and in other nations who appear to believe that if they just do enough good things, if they just save Colubus monkeys in Nigeria, or endangered species in other places, this will be enough. Now, there is nothing wrong with caring for the environment or for endangered species. God charged Adam and Eve to care for the animals and that charge remains today. But no amount of social action can compensate for sin, and sin appears to be multiplying throughout the world.
The problem for all nations today is the same problem faced by both Israel and Judah: sin. The citizens of both nations had turned away from their God to serve demons in the hopes that they could control events and people. But those powers were reserved for the One True Living God. To repent means to turn away from sin completely and to live as new people, but how are we to do that? Only God can help us! Only God has the power to save us from ourselves and to change us into His likeness.
No social programs, no scientific studies, no environmental protection efforts can possibly save us from our own sinful natures. When we look to these things for salvation, we are as confused as were the people who were burning incense and making sacrifices on the high places.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help all who read these words to understand their need for You and to turn to You for salvation. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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