Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. 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. 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. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. 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.”
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.
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.”
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. 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?”
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. Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 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. 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.
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? Jehoash rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son succeeded him as king.
Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?
They conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. He was brought back by horse and was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors, in the City of David.
Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.
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. 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. 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.
The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them. 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.
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? Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.

• 2 Kings 14:1-29

In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. 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. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
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.
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? Azariah rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in the City of David. And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.
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. 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.
Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people, assassinated him and succeeded him as king. The other events of Zechariah’s reign are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. 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 son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria one month. 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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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. 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.
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? Menahem rested with his ancestors. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.
In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. 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. 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.
The other events of Pekahiah’s reign, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.
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. 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.
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. 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.
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?
In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. 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. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done. 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.
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? (In those days the Lord began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.) 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.

• 2 Kings 15:1-38

In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.
Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him. At that time, Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram by driving out the people of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day.
Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria. The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death.
Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned. When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings on it. He offered up his burnt offering and grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and splashed the blood of his fellowship offerings against the altar. As for the bronze altar that stood before the Lord, he brought it from the front of the temple—from between the new altar and the temple of the Lord—and put it on the north side of the new altar.
King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: “On the large new altar, offer the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. Splash against this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.” And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered.
King Ahaz cut off the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base. He took away the Sabbath canopy that had been built at the temple and removed the royal entryway outside the temple of the Lord, in deference to the king of Assyria.
As for the other events of the reign of Ahaz, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

• 2 Kings 16:1-20

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

2 Kings 14:1-4 ‘Amaziah’: “The next change in kingship happened in Judah, where Amaziah son of Joash succeeded his father in Jerusalem (14:1-2). The statement made in 14:3 is key. It says, He did what was right in the Lord’s sight, but not like his ancestor David. He did everything his father Joash had done. All the kings of Judah were measured against David, Judah’s greatest king who kept God’s law and received the promise of the Messiah coming from his line. Amaziah upheld the worship of God as Joash had done, at least in the early years of his reign. Yet, he also left the high places standing where the people practiced forbidden worship (14:4).”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings 14:3 ‘not like … David’: “David set a high standard of unswerving devotion to the Lord for the kings of Judah who were his descendants to follow (cf. 1 Kin. 11:4, 6, 15:3). Amaziah did not follow the Lord completely, as David had, because he, like his father Joash, did not remove the high places (v. 4) where, in disregard for Mosaic law, the people worshiped the Lord (Deut. 12:2–7, 13, 14). Further, according to 2 Chr. 25:14–16, Amaziah embraced the false gods of the Edomites.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings 14:5-7 ‘retribution per the law of Moses’: “Amaziah also killed the men who had assassinated his father. But, importantly; he limited his retribution to that prescribed by the law of Moses, an indication of Amaziah’s respect for the law (14:5-6).
“He experienced a successful battle against Edom when it tried to rebel against Judah’s control, seizing the city of Sela, which today is the famous rock fortress of Petra in Jordan (14:7).”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings 14:9 ‘thistle … cedar’: ”In this parable (cf. Judg. 9:8–15), the thistle (Amaziah), an irritating and worthless plant, sought to become the equal of the majestic cedar (Jehoash), but a wild animal crushed the thistle. Jehoash counseled Amaziah that he was overestimating his power and prominence and should not go to war with Israel lest he be crushed (v. 10).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings14:14 ‘he took’: “Jehoash plundered both the temple at Jerusalem and the palace of Amaziah. The value of the plundered articles was probably not great, because Jehoash of Judah had previously sent the temple and palace treasures to pay tribute to Hazael of Damascus (12:17, 18). Jehoash probably took hostages from Jerusalem to Samaria to secure additional payments of tribute in view of the small war booty.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings 14:21 ‘sixteen years old’: “Azariah, a.k.a. Uzziah (see … 15:1) had actually begun to reign at the age of 16 in 790 B.C. when his father Amaziah was taken prisoner to Samaria (v. 13). When Amaziah returned to Judah, Azariah ruled with him as co-regent from 782–767 B.C. (v. 17). In 767 B.C. when Amaziah was killed (v. 19), Azariah began his sole rule (15:1).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings 14:23-29 ‘Jeroboam II’: “The prophetic history, found in 2 Kings, places particular emphasis on the history of the northern kingdom and kings, such as Jeroboam II. Jeroboam was the fourth generation of the Jehu dynasty in Israel, following his grandfather Jehoahaz and father Jehoash to the throne. His long reign of about 41 years (793-753 B.C.) began with an 11-year coregency, during which time Jeroboam ruled together with his father. Upon the death of Jehoash (Joash) in 782 B.C., Jeroboam succeeded to his father’s throne (2Ki 13:13), now a king in his own right.
“It was a good time to take leadership in Israel. The Assyrian Empire led by Shalmaneser Ill had forced Jeroboam’s great-grandfather Jehu to pay tribute in 841 B.C. But that empire was now greatly weakened. During the years from 782 to 745 B.C., Assyria was fragmented into various governor-ruled states, and threatened by an expanding kingdom of Urartu to its north­ Assyria’s weakness allowed Jeroboam to pursue an expansionist policy himself, restoring territory on Israel’s northern border (2Ki 14:25).”

• Timothy B. Cargal, et al., The Chronological Study Bible

2 Kings 14:25 ‘restored … the territory of Israel’: “Jeroboam II’s greatest accomplishment was the restoration of Israel’s boundaries to approximately their extent in Solomon’s time, excluding the territory belonging to Judah. The northern boundary was the entrance of Hamath, the same as Solomon’s (cf. 1 Kin. 8:65) and the southern boundary was the Sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea (Josh. 3:16; 12:3). Jeroboam II took Hamath, a major city located on the Orontes River, about 160 mi. N of the Sea of Galilee. He also controlled Damascus, indicating that the Transjordan territory S to Moab was also under his authority. These victories of Jeroboam II were accomplished because the Syrians had been weakened by attacks from the Assyrians, while Assyria herself was weak at this time, suffering from threats on her northern border, internal dissension, and a series of weak kings. Jonah. The territorial extension of Jeroboam II was in accordance with the will of the Lord as revealed through the prophet Jonah. This was the same Jonah who traveled to Nineveh with God’s message of repentance for the Assyrians (see Introduction to Jonah). Gath Hepher. A town located in the tribal area of Zebulun, about 14 mi. W of the Sea of Galilee (Josh. 19:13).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings 15:1-7 ‘Uzziah (Azariah)’: “Here the author of 2 Kings switches, once again, to the southern kingdom of Judah and the reign of Azariah (15:1); his was the second-longest reign of any king on either side of the border. Dismissing his fifty-two years with only a few verses may seem odd, especially because he was commended as a king who did what was right in the LORD’s sight, except for leaving the high places intact (which almost all the kings of Judah did; 15:2-4). The only other thing included about Azariah was that God afflicted him with a serious skin disease (15:5), which required him to live separately in the later years of his reign while his son Jotham administered.  So, what happened?
“Importantly, Azariah was also known as Uzziah (see 15:13, 30). In 2 Chronicles, we find some helpful details about his story. Uzziah was one of the most effective kings of Judah, expanding its territory and following the Lord-until he became proud, usurped the role of the priest, and was struck by God with a skin disease for his arrogance (see 2 Chr 26:1-23). Perhaps God left it to the author of 2 Chronicles to fill in the details of Azariah’s reign because 1 -2 Chronicles take a special interest in Judah’s kings.”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings 15:5 ‘leper’: “Azariah suffered from leprosy as punishment for usurping the priestly function of burning incense on the altar in the temple (see … 2 Chr. 26:16–18, 19, 20). The disease eventually killed him (see … Is. 6:1). isolated house. Lit. ‘in a house of freedom.’ Azariah was relieved of all royal responsibilities. His son Jotham served as co-regent until Azariah’s death (750–739 B.C.; see … 15:2, 32). As co-regent, Jotham specifically supervised the palace and governed the nation.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings 15:8-15 ‘Zechariah’: “Up in the northern kingdom, Zechariah’s evil reign over Israel lasted only six months before a man named Shallum assassinated him publicly and claimed the throne (15:8-10). The writer is careful to note that Zechariah’s reign fulfilled God’s promise to Jehu that four generations of his sons would sit on the throne of Israel (15:12). The usurper Shallum lasted even less than Zechariah: one month. He was replaced by someone who did the same thing to him. Menahem took him out and became king (15:13-14).”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings 15:16-18 ‘Menahem’: “Menahem further demonstrated his brutality by attacking the town of Tiphsah because its people wouldn’t surrender­ that is, they wouldn’t acknowledge him as king. His murder of all the pregnant women and their children was especially barbaric (15:16). It highlights the horror and cruelty of which fallen human beings are capable. It’s no surprise that the author describes Menahem’s reign as evil (15:18). He was a butcher.”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings 15:29 ‘Ijon … Naphtali’: “The areas of Galilee and Gilead are described here. When Pekah and Rezin, the king of Syria, sought to have Judah join their anti-Assyrian alliance, another invasion by Assyria was provoked (cf. 16:5-9) in 733/32 B.C. Tiglath-Pileser III took Galilee and Gilead and converted them into 3 Assyrian provinces governed by royal appointees. He also was involved in replacing Pekah with Hoshea as king over the remaining area of Israel (see … 15:27).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings 15:32-16:4 ‘Jotham and Ahaz in Judah’: “While political instability plagued Israel, the calm succession of David’s descendants on the throne of Judah continued. After coregency with his father, Uzziah (Azariah) (750-740 B.C.), Jotham ruled Judah alone until being succeeded by his own son Ahaz , 735-715 B.C.). A coalition between Israel’s king Rezin and Aram’s king Rezin had some impact upon Jotham’s kingdom, but would present a serious crisis for Ahaz’s kingdom (2Ki 15:37; 16:5).”

• Timothy B. Cargal, et al., The Chronological Study Bible

2 Kings 16:3 ‘walked in the way of the kings of Israel’: “This does not necessarily mean that Ahaz participated in the calf worship introduced by Jeroboam I at Bethel and Dan, but that he increasingly brought pagan, idolatrous practices into the worship of the Lord in Jerusalem. These are specified in vv. 10-16 and parallel those of Jeroboam I in the northern kingdom. This included idols to Baal (2 Chr. 28:2). made his son pass through the fire. As a part of the ritual worship of Molech, the god of the Moabites, children were sacrificed by fire (cf. 3:27). This horrific practice was continually condemned in the OT (Lev. 18:21; 20:2–5; Deut. 18:10; Jer. 7:31; 19:5; 32:35). the abominations of the nations. See … Deut. 18:9–12.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings 16:4 ‘the high places’: ”Ahaz was the first king in the line of David since Solomon who was said to have personally worshiped at the high places. While all the other kings of Judah had tolerated the high places, Ahaz actively participated in the immoral Canaanite practices that were performed at the ‘high places’ on hilltops under large trees (cf. Hos. 4:13).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Kings 16:5-9 ‘Israel and Aram Besiege Judah’: “Assyria’s growing power under Tiglath- Pileser Ill could no longer be ignored. Israel and Aram formed a defensive alliance, and their kings, Pekah and Rezin, demanded that Judah join the alliance as well. Ahaz declined, perhaps influenced by the prophet Isaiah’s assurances that the Syro-Israelite coalition was doomed (Isa 7:3-9; 8:5-8).
“Aram and Israel, then, decided to secure their flank by attacking Judah. Thus Ahaz, trying to avoid war with Assyria, had incited Israel and Aram to besiege his land. Isaiah told him to depend on God (Isa 7:4), but Ahaz preferred more pragmatic steps. He made a treaty with the only power strong enough to protect him: Assyria. He has invited (and paid) Tiglath-Pileser to attack Aram and Israel, and Tiglath-Pileser was happy to oblige.
“In the prophecies of Isaiah 7:1-10:4, Isaiah rebukes King Ahaz, addressing him as ’house of David’ (Isa. 7:13).  Ahaz trusts in Assyria instead of in God. The prophet also prophecies against Damascus (Syria) and Ephraim (Israel), the two allies (Isa. 17:1-14).  In the midst of this rebuke and judgment, Isaiah offers Judah its ultimate hope: the personal presence of God (Hebrew Emmanuel ‘God with us’ 7:14; 8:8, 10). This promise of God’s personal presence forms the core of the New Testament’s understanding of Christ (see Mt. 1:23 quoting Isa. 7:14).”

• Timothy B. Cargal, et al., The Chronological Study Bible

2 Kings 16:10-20 ‘After the Syro-Ephraimite War’: “The Syro-Ephraimite War ended in 732 B.C. when Tiglath-Pileser and Assyria destroyed Damascus, the capital of Aram (Syria). The Assyrian armies made their presence felt throughout the Holy Land, from Aram in the northeast to the Philistine coastlands in the southwest. Isaiah warns Assyria that her hold on the Holy Land will not last forever (Isa 14:24-27), but before Assyria’s power would be broken, that power would stretch even to the land of the Philistines (14:28-32).
“Judah too, which had avoided war by making diplomatic concessions, was under Assyrian sovereignty. Ahaz’s Assyrian-inspired temple modifications (2Ki 16:10-18) should perhaps be seen as a sign of the Judean king’s loyalty to his Assyrian overlords (16:18).”

• Timothy B. Cargal, et al., The Chronological Study Bible

2 Kings 16:10 ‘the altar’: “When Ahaz traveled to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser III, he saw a large altar (v. 15) which was most likely Assyrian. Ahaz sent a sketch of this altar to Urijah the High-Priest in Jerusalem and Urijah built an altar just like it. The serious iniquity in this was meddling with and changing, according to personal taste, the furnishings of the temple, the design for which had been given by God (Ex. 25:40; 26:30; 27:1–8; 1 Chr. 28:19). This was like building an idol in the temple, done to please the pagan Assyrian king, whom Ahaz served instead of God.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

My Thoughts

King Amaziah was a good king, except…

I am irritated by critics who say, “This was a good movie, but here are the ten thousand things that are wrong with it.”  If it was a good movie, state at least one thing about the movie that was good.  There must be a good reason to say that a movie is good.  Ten thousand reasons why the movie missed the mark and none for the good side negates the argument.

But in stating that Amaziah was a good king, we are stating that in his worship of the Lord, he stayed true to God.  His father Joash made a lot of bad decisions after Jehoiada, the priest and Joash’s father figure, passed away.  And the author of this passage states Amaziah was more like his father Joash than he was like David.  The high places were still there.  The people worshipped there and burned incense there, but Amaziah did not do that.  Thus, he was a good king.

But pride was Amaziah’s problem.  He soundly defeated the Edomites.  Then he challenged Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel to a battle.

Jehoash replied with a parable that gives some insight as to the reason for the challenge of war.  Jehoash speaks of a thistle who demanded that the cedar give him a daughter to marry the thistle’s son, but then a wild beast trampled the thistle.  This gives us a big hint that Amaziah was wanting a woman of Israel, maybe even a daughter of Jehoash, to be the bride for Amaziah’s son.  Thus, there would be a marriage truce between the countries.  Jehoash must have refused this offer, which led Amaziah, in a post-battle euphoria, to challenge Israel.

Post-battle euphoria is like anything else when winning with ease is involved.  How many times do you see a college football team have an undefeated season halfway through the season.  They go into the next game with a traditional powerhouse, and they have great bravado.  The powerhouse must have a weak team.  They have two losses already, but by halftime, the undefeated team is so far behind that they will never catch up in the second half of the game.  Why?  They had not played any strong teams up until now, while the powerhouse had played a couple of elite teams.  This is what Jehoash meant regarding the thistle and cedar parable.  He even told Amaziah that you only beat Edom.  Note that Edom was not always a pushover, but at this time, Edom was no real match for Judah.

Jehoash defeated Amaziah completely.  He tore down a huge section of the wall around Jerusalem.  He plundered the temple of its gold and silver.  He did the same to the palace.  And he took hostages.

With the recent war in Gaza, the people taken as hostage have been starved and tortured.  The hostages that Jehoash took were probably made to work as slaves.

Jehoash died and was replaced by Jeroboam II, his son.  Amaziah died fifteen years later when he was assassinated.  He was replaced by Azariah.

Jeroboam II restored land that had been lost.  But God had seen how these people were treated poorly, whether slave or free.  God remembered His covenant and restored them to Israel.  Jeroboam II just happened to be king at the time.  Otherwise, Jeroboam II was another in a long line of bad kings.

Azariah (Uzziah) reigned longer than almost all the other kings of Judah, yet Second Kings affords him seven verses.  In fact, after giving the same glowing comments given his father who lost the silver and gold of Judah due to his arrogance, Azariah was inflicted with leprosy.  Why?  Again, it was arrogance late in his reign.  He offered incense, something only priests were allowed to do.  But notice only a chapter before what the biographer of Azariah’s father, Amaziah, wrote about the high places.  The people worshipped there, not taking the worship that the king was doing as a good example.  And the people offered incense while worshipping at the high places.  Could Amaziah have thought that everybody except me is offering incense.  Why can’t I?  He became leprous, but he still reigned as king.  The administration of his government was performed by his son, Jotham.  Due to his leprosy, Azariah was not even allowed to live in the palace, but in a separate home entirely.

In the meantime, Zechariah was king of Israel for only six months.  Zechariah had been evil like the kings before him.  He was assassinated by Shallum.  Shallum killed him in full view of witnesses, and he took the kingdom.  Shallum only reigned for one month before Menahem assassinated him and became king.

Note that instead of listing any accomplishments of Zechariah, the author makes a point of argument.  God promised Jehu that his lineage would have the throne for four generations.  It was a technicality.  God had said that four generations would sit on the throne.  God never said for how long.  God is true to His word, but are you listening carefully?  Have you read the fine print?  We need to fully trust Him and obey Him.  God is long-suffering, but not eternally-suffering.

Menahem reigned over Israel for ten years, and he might have been the worst since Ahab.  The city of Tiphsah refused to honor him as king.  Menahem tore down the walls of the city.  And he ripped open the wombs of all the pregnant women.  This might be symbolic for the city of Tiphsah and all Israel.  If you do not honor me and open your gates when I arrive, I will “open” your pregnant women.  This might have been done in pagan societies as a deterrent against rebellion, but this was something new for an Israelite.  And when Assyria attacked and demanded tribute, Menahem gave him silver, but not his own.  He exacted taxes on the rich for them to pay.

Pekahiah, son of Menahem became king of Israel and he reigned for two years, continuing the evil that started with Jeroboam son of Nebat (in other words, Jeroboam I).  Pekah came to Samaria with fifty men and killed Pekahiah.  Pekah then reigned for twenty years, but he was no better than any of the others.

Notice that this chapter of Second Kings speaks a great deal about the kings of Israel.  The book tries to maintain chronology, to a point.  Azariah had such a long reign in Judah that several kings came and went in Israel.  Then again, some of those Israel kings had very short reigns, a bloody time in Samaria.

But now, we get back to Jotham.  He had administered and governed the kingdom of Judah while his father suffered from leprosy.  When his father died, he became king, officially.  Jotham was a good king like many before him, worshipping the true God, but not getting rid of the high places.  Thus, not leading the people back to true worship.  He reigned for sixteen years.  He rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple.  This may have been destroyed when Jehoash of Israel plundered the temple.  Otherwise, not much is mentioned here, but there is a parenthetical statement.  There began a period of tribute given to Aram and Israel during his reign.

The next king of Judah was Ahaz.  It is noted that he sacrificed his own son in the fire, and he worshipped on the high places.  This may have been done by kings before him, but it is first noted here.  But then Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Aram attacked Judah, besieging Jerusalem.  Ahaz sent a message to Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria to come to his aide.  Tiglath-Pileser attacked Damascus, killing Rezin.  Ahaz came to Damascus to meet with Tiglath-Pileser.  He noticed an altar there.  He sent Uriah the priest a sketch and had a duplicate built in Jerusalem.

At this point, Ahaz was a vassal of Assyria.  He modified the temple and the Sea in accordance to what the king of Assyria requested.

Ahaz had not gone to God in his time of distress.  He went to the king of Assyria, and he paid a heavy price for doing so.  When he died, his son Hezekiah became king.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

2 Kings 14:1-22 Amaziah King of Judah 1. Amaziah aimed too high and ended up six feet under. As for you, is it better to aim high and miss, or aim low and hit? How do you feel about failure? How is success or failure measured? Should ‘success and failure’ be done way with altogether?
“2. In some respects, Amaziah had it coming to him. Is it generally okay to beat up on bullies? Why or why not?
“3. What traits of God evident in this section comfort you? Alarm you?
“4. What is pride? How much of a problem is it for you? What’s to be done about this?
2 Kings 14:23-29 Jeroboam II King of Israel 1. Who are the ‘helpless’ in your world? Why are they suffering? What role could your church or group play in helping them?
“2. If God shows kindness through sinful people (v.27), how can God show kindness through you?
2 Kings 15:1-7 Azariah King of Judah 1. Do you know any­ one with disability? Mental illness? Is God to blame?
“2. Do you have problems that never go away? How do you cope?
2 Kings 15:8-16 Zechariah and Shallum Kings of Israel 1. Is Zechariah’s career any admonition to stay abreast of current events? To pay attention to God’s word?
“2. What hard choices confront you? From whom do you seek advice?
“3. Do you always reap what you sow? When were you last on the receiving end of justice? When did you get off easy?
2 Kings 15:17-26 Menahem and Pekahiah Kings of Israel 1. Is evil tolerable as long as the economy looks bright? Is it better to be poor and Christ­like or comfortable and compromised? What gets your attention most-the bank balance or the word of God?
“2. Does God give you some wealth to help fend off evil? What is the purpose of your prosperity?
2 Kings 15:17-26 Pekah King of Israel and Jotham King of Judah 1. Have you ever met a refugee? Who is responsible for aiding refugees?
“2. How does the writer’s view of God’s involvement in human events affect your attitude toward developments on the world scene?
2 Kings 16 1. How do you determine acceptable modes of worship? Are some modes unusual but not a great problem? Are some dead wrong?
“2. Are you in any alliances that pang your conscience from time to time? What is best: (a) Decide the liaison is wrong and break it? (b) Decide it’s okay and keep it? (c) Keep feeling torn?
“3. No one held King Ahaz or Uriah the priest accountable for doing things against the Law of God. How do you respectfully call those in spiritual authority to account when they err? How can it be done gracefully?
“4. Where do you go for guidance: Bible? The woods? Prayer closet? People in your church or small group? How does guidance come? What guidance do you need right now?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

Second Kings 14 has two sets of questions as noted. There are four sets of questions for 2 Kings 15 as noted.  Second Kings 16 has one set of questions.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.