20241014

restored, not revived

2 Kings 14:23-15:38 (JDV).

2 Kings 14:23 In the fifteenth year of Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash, Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years.
2 Kings 14:24 He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight. He did not turn away from all the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
2 Kings 14:25 He restored Israel’s border from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word Yahveh, the God of Israel, had spoken through his servant, the prophet Jonah son of Amittai from Gath-hepher.
2 Kings 14:26 Because Yahveh saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter for both slaves and free people. There was no one to help Israel.
2 Kings 14:27 Yahveh had not said he would blot out the name of Israel under the sky, so he delivered them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.
2 Kings 14:28 The rest of the events of Jeroboam’s reign — along with all his accomplishments, the power he had to wage war, and how he recovered for Israel Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah — are written in the Book of Israel’s Kings.
2 Kings 14:29 Jeroboam lied down with his fathers, the kings of Israel. His son Zechariah became king in his place.
2 Kings 15:1 In the twenty-seventh year of Israel’s King Jeroboam, Azariah son of Amaziah became king of Judah.
2 Kings 15:2 He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem.
2 Kings 15:3 Azariah did what was right in Yahveh ‘s sight just as his father Amaziah had done.
2 Kings 15:4 Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.
2 Kings 15:5 Yahveh afflicted the king, and he had a serious skin disease until the day of his death. He lived in quarantine, while Jotham, the king’s son, was over the household governing the people of the land.
2 Kings 15:6 The rest of the events of Azariah’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.
2 Kings 15:7 Azariah lied down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His son Jotham became king in his place.
2 Kings 15:8 In the thirty-eighth year of Judah’s King Azariah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria for six months.
2 Kings 15:9 He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight as his fathers had done. He did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
2 Kings 15:10 Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He struck him down publicly, killed him, and became king in his place.
2 Kings 15:11 As for the rest of the events of Zechariah’s reign, they are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.
2 Kings 15:12 The word of Yahveh that he spoke to Jehu was, “Four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel,” and it was so.
2 Kings 15:13 In the thirty-ninth year of Judah’s King Uzziah, Shallum son of Jabesh became king; he reigned in Samaria a full month.
2 Kings 15:14 Then Menahem son of Gadi came up from Tirzah to Samaria and struck down Shallum son of Jabesh there. He killed him and became king in his place.
2 Kings 15:15 As for the rest of the events of Shallum’s reign, along with the conspiracy that he formed, they are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.
2 Kings 15:16 At that time, starting from Tirzah, Menahem attacked Tiphsah, all who were in it, and its territory because they wouldn’t surrender. He ripped open all the pregnant women.
2 Kings 15:17 In the thirty-ninth year of Judah’s King Azariah, Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria.
2 Kings 15:18 He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight. Throughout his reign, he did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
2 Kings 15:19 King Pul of Assyria invaded the land, so Menahem gave Pul seventy-five thousand pounds of silver so that Pul would support him to strengthen his grasp on the kingdom.
2 Kings 15:20 Then Menahem exacted twenty ounces of silver from each of the prominent men of Israel to give to the king of Assyria. So, the king of Assyria withdrew and did not stay there in the land.
2 Kings 15:21 The rest of the events of Menahem’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.
2 Kings 15:22 Menahem lied down with his fathers, and his son Pekahiah became king in his place.
2 Kings 15:23 In the fiftieth year of Judah’s King Azariah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years.
2 Kings 15:24 He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight and did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
2 Kings 15:25 Then his officer, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him and struck him down in Samaria at the citadel of the king’s palace– with Argob and Arieh. There were fifty Gileadite men with Pekah. He killed Pekahiah and became king in his place.
2 Kings 15:26 As for the rest of the events of Pekahiah’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, they are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.
2 Kings 15:27 In the fifty-second year of Judah’s King Azariah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years.
2 Kings 15:28 He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight. He did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
2 Kings 15:29 In the days of King Pekah of Israel, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee– all the land of Naphtali– and deported the people to Assyria.
2 Kings 15:30 Then Hoshea son of Elah organized a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked him, killed him, and became king in his place in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.
2 Kings 15:31 As for the rest of the events of Pekah’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, they are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.
2 Kings 15:32 In the second year of Israel’s King Pekah son of Remaliah, Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah.
2 Kings 15:33 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha, daughter of Zadok.
2 Kings 15:34 He did what was right in Yahveh’s sight just as his father Uzziah had done.
2 Kings 15:35 Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. Jotham built the Upper Gate of Yahveh’s temple.
2 Kings 15:36 The rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Book of Judah’s Kings.
2 Kings 15:37 In those days Yahveh began sending Aram’s King Rezin and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.
2 Kings 15:38 Jotham lied down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his ancestor David. His son Ahaz became king in his place.

restored, not revived

What was happening during much of this period is that Israel’s land was being restored, but that did not mean that worship of the LORD was being truly revived. This is a dangerous thing, because it gave the people and leaders a false confidence. Even partial control over Judah was not a sign that God had forgotten what the people were doing in their pagan high places. Judgment was coming.

LORD, help us to see our true shape, not just what we want to see.