As go through the books of Kings who reign over the divided kingdom, Israel/Judah, of God’s people; we wonder why lessons are not learned and the same mistakes in judgement with detestable sins are repeatedly made.  Why can’t the kings submit to God and do what He says. Why must most kings of Israel and Judah succumb in their leadership to doing “evil in the eyes of the Lord” as an arrogant habitcausing most people who live in their kingdoms to sin as well which leads to destruction and the implosion of their nation? We are not alone for the prophet Isaiah cries, too!

“Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31

As we read and study the behaviors of the kings of Israel and Judah, still divided, we might be throwing up our hands in disgust at their sins. We might even be thinking proudly that we are certainly better now than they were. We, in our country, who declare ourselves “one nation under God” while singing “God bless America” must be “doing right in the eyes of the Lord”—but are we? 

Do you not know, have you not heard?!

We must remind ourselves that a relationship with God is personal.We are not saved because of being born of a certain heritage, culture, group or of a nation that speaks of God but does not necessarily do what He says.  We are only saved by the grace of God through Jesus, His Son who died for our sins and rose again in power to declare the glory of God!  His sacrificial act of obedience to God, the Father, redeemed us once and for all. It’s personal!

One by one we must repent of our sin to Jesus Christ who is our sacrificial Savior, accept the guidance and power of His Holy Spirit living in all who believe and repent to do what God says, then truly and committedly by our surrender trust and obey all God’s commands that Jesus taught us and demonstrated for us.  We cannot do life without the Source of Life eternal!  We won’t always get it right; but we will always be God’s children whom He loves unconditionally forever and forgives when we call on His Name.  Jesus reconciled us to God. Jesus did what we could not do for ourselves—remove our repented sins.  Our work is to go and teach others who God is, what Jesus did and how they can be reconciled to God to begin a growing, intimate relationship with God!

This is the continuing story of God where we find ourselves in need of Him today.

2 Kings 14

Amaziah King of Judah

14 In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. ² He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. ³ He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. ⁴ The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

⁵ After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. ⁶ Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the Lord commanded: “Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”

⁷ He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.

⁸ Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: “Come, let us face each other in battle.”

⁹ But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. ¹⁰ You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant. Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”

¹¹ Amaziah, however, would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. ¹² Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. ¹³ Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section about four hundred cubits long. ¹⁴ He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria.

¹⁵ As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, what he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ¹⁶ Jehoash rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son succeeded him as king.

¹⁷ Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. ¹⁸ As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

¹⁹ They conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. ²⁰ He was brought back by horse and was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors, in the City of David.

²¹ Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. ²² He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.

Jeroboam II King of Israel

²³ In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. ²⁴ He 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. ²⁵ He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea, in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.

²⁶ The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them. ²⁷ And since the Lord had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

²⁸ As for the other events of Jeroboam’s reign, all he did, and his military achievements, including how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ²⁹ Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.

WHAT DO WE LEARN AND HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Even in ancient times, the average citizen didn’t care about the character of the nation’s leaders, so long as the people had food on their tables, money in their purses, and no fear of being invaded by their enemies. And it showed!

But as citizens of heaven, as children of God, joint heirs with Jesus Christ, our Lord, there is so much more to life!  When God calls us by name, quickly and humbly come and listen to Him. God has great things to say as He relates His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:1-2, MSG

Believe, repent, follow, trust, and obey God—there’s no better way!

Lord,

I offer my life as an offering to you this morning. Show me your agenda for today.  May your glory be seen in and through me today.  I surrender to your will and purpose.

In Jesus Name, Amen