In the ancient world, nations were consistently at war over the acquisition of land and wealth.  War was common, a way of life, for all people.  Kings would come and go while common people lived on farms and in villages, trying to survive while land is fought over in numerous, bloody battles. Borders were changed often while the common people wonder who will be their next king in power.  Who gets what depends on the cunning and manipulations of the ones in current power.  Reading through the pages of the Kings of Israel and Judah, I am reminded of a game we played long ago as kids called “king of the hill.” The classic version of this game had simple rules developed while you played:

1. The first to get on the hill at the start becomes the king.
2. To become a king, you need to go up the hill and push the current king off.
3. Play stops by a teacher’s whistle or a parent calling you home; the current king at the top wins.

Did you know there is a “team” version?  Why, yes there is, and we did this as kids without knowing the game had rules of play! In this version, there are two or more opposing teams:

1. The king is the leader of the first team to get up the hill at the start.
2. To become the new king, the leader of an opposing team must get on the hill and push the king off.
3. Allies of the king can push opponents and enemies off, and non-lead opponents can push off allies but not the king.
4. At the end, the king and his allies win.

Over the years, as I became the teacher on the playground, this game, along with “Red Rover”, “Red Light/Green Light” and even “Mother, May I,” were banned because of bruised bodies caused by overly enthusiastic players! 

During the time of division of God’s people into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, we see that the kings of Israel consistently did what God said was wrong, following their fathers before them. On the other hand, the kings of Judah mostly did what God said was right. (The one exception was Ahaz, who even sacrificed his son to false gods.) These behaviors prompted a“king of the hill” situation between good and evil in civil wars between Judah and Israel.  There were times they would unite against their common enemy as a team sport when other nations wanted what they had. War loomed on every horizon by the Assyrians in this reading and later with other enemies of God’s people.

God used many prophets to speak to these rebellious kings: Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, and Isaiah.  And the words of these prophets are still read and used by God today to warn us of the dangers of following false gods and sacrificing all that is precious to these gods.  Jesus, Son of God, sees all that is going on because he is part of God and is God from the beginning of creation.  When He comes to earth; a new light will shine brightly, piercing the darkness evil has caused over centuries.  But until the Messiah comes…

We learn that God loves His people even when they are unfaithful children. Israel and Judah remained God’s chosen people despite their spiritual adultery.  God is amazing and relentless in His love for us.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” 

This is the first Word we learn as believers. God loved us and sent His Son to save us as a sacrifice for our sins!  This Truth of God’s relentless love and His power working in us becomes a part of our being and supplies all we need to do good in the eyes of the Lord as we turn from the dark deeds of evil.  It’s a new day with a new life for all who believe and are saved from evil’s grasp and hold on us!  As we grow in God’s love, we will watch God’s powerful work within us transform us.  He will lead us to cease childish games like “king of the hill” with all other people whom God loves; and instead put all our hope and worship to the One and Only King of kings and Lord of lords, King Jesus! 

God gave us Jesus to save us and set us free from our sins.  Believing, repenting, and living this out loud is accepting this gift with humbled, grateful hearts!  God didn’t give up on His people. He never gives up on us.  Keep this thought in mind as we continue to read the story of God and find ourselves within it.

2 Kings 15

Azariah King of Judah

In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. ² He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. ³ He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. ⁴ The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

⁵ The Lord afflicted the king with leprosy until the day he died, and he lived in a separate house. Jotham the king’s son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.

⁶ As for the other events of Azariah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ⁷ Azariah rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in the City of David. And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.

Zechariah King of Israel

⁸ In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months. ⁹ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his predecessors had done. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

¹⁰ Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people, assassinated him and succeeded him as king. ¹¹ The other events of Zechariah’s reign are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. ¹² So the word of the Lord spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: “Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”

Shallum King of Israel

¹³ Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria one month. ¹⁴ Then Menahem son of Gadi went from Tirzah up to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, assassinated him and succeeded him as king.

¹⁵ The other events of Shallum’s reign, and the conspiracy he led, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

¹⁶ At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.

Menahem King of Israel

¹⁷ In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years. ¹⁸ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

¹⁹ Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. ²⁰ Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy person had to contribute fifty shekels of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and stayed in the land no longer.

²¹ As for the other events of Menahem’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ²² Menahem rested with his ancestors. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.

Pekahiah King of Israel

²³ In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. ²⁴ Pekahiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. ²⁵ One of his chief officers, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.

²⁶ The other events of Pekahiah’s reign, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

Pekah King of Israel

²⁷ In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. ²⁸ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

²⁹ In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria. ³⁰ Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

³¹ As for the other events of Pekah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Jotham King of Judah

³² In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. ³³ 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. ³⁴ He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done. ³⁵ The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord.

³⁶ As for the other events of Jotham’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ³⁷ (In those days the Lord began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.) ³⁸ Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David, the city of his father. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

What God did give up was His Son, Jesus who was with Him, a part of Him from the beginning of time and creation.  Believe in God whose compassions never fail with a love for us that does not give up.  From the beginning, God always had a plan to save us.

Believing will cause changes in all we think, say, and do.  We thank God more as we think of how much He loves us without conditions of earning it. His love is amazing and beyond what humans think is love. God simply loves us. Our new way of thinking caused us to live grateful lives in response to His never-ending mercy and grace for us.  Others will notice our behavior and see a new light in us and ask what is different. We can’t wait to tell them of King Jesus!

Pause right not to thank God for never giving up on you. Make God’s faithfulness to us be the model for all our relationships.  Don’t give up on others trying to live to please God!  All are sinners in need of God’s grace!  No one is perfect; but all are perfectly forgiven by a God who loves and forgives!

What if we truly loved others the way God loves us?  What if we never gave up on loving others? What if we embodied God’s love? Paul helps us by giving us explanations of God’s love to be modeled in us—

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 

Lord,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your loving kindness and patience with me.  Help me to love others the way you love me!

In Jesus Name, Amen