Moving Toward Judgment

Transcript

GRS 2-110
5/11/2008
Moving Toward Judgment
2 Kings 15
Gil Rugh

We are studying the history of Israel, Second Kings Chapter 15. Second Kings Chapter 15, the history of Israel as recorded in the Kings is the history of the kings, primarily the kings of the northern kingdom. Israel has been a divided kingdom since the days of Solomon’s son Rehoboam. And under him in 931 you have the division of the kingdom into a northern and southern division. Ten tribes in the north basically, two tribes in the south, comprising the twelve tribes. So we usually refer to the northern kingdom as Israel since ten of the tribes were there. The southern kingdom is Judah because Benjamin is much smaller, less significant in its impact.

We are moving toward judgment. Chapter 17 of Second Kings will bring the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom 722 BC. Then in Second Kings Chapter 25 we will have the southern kingdom go into the Babylonian captivity in 586. Now remember Second Kings would have been written about 550 BC during the Babylonian captivity and one of the purposes of the writing of this Book for Israel’s benefit would have been to explain to the Jews why judgment on the northern kingdom was necessary and why judgment on the southern kingdom was necessary. As the Jews now, Second Kings would have been written in the Babylonian captivity, some 50 years into the Babylonian captivity. There would naturally be questions. What has happened to the God of Israel, why would this happen to us as God’s people? And this record would explain to them the necessity of God bringing judgment on His people.

Second Kings Chapter 15 continues the account of the Kings and in just this one Chapter we have seven kings brought our attention. Two from the southern kingdom Judah, remember in Kings Judah is just considered briefly, much more briefly than the northern kingdom. Chronicle, Second Chronicles gives a fuller consideration of the kings of Judah. The Chapter opens up with a consideration of one of the Kings of Judah. It will close with an account of another king of Judah. In between you’ll have five kings of the northern kingdom presented. And the very brevity of the treatment given to these kings gives you that sins of momentum that rush toward judgment.

We are in Chapter 15. In Chapter 17 the northern kingdom will come to an end. And in the events of Chapter 17 we see that for boding that clouds gathering on the horizon we will see Assyria asserting its influence in the region as God prepares for judgment and yet the nation he has chosen for himself will be oblivious. In fact Assyria will be invited into the region by one of the kings in the southern kingdom and that will prepare the way for the downfall of the northern tribes.

Note how we begin Chapter 15. In the 27th year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah, king of Judah became king. So the first seven verses record the account of Azariah who is king of Judah so we’re in the southern kingdom. Azariah is more familiar to us under the name Uzziah. So if you have your kings of Israel and kings of Judah you’ll note that the tenth king of Judah is Uzziah, that’s another name for Azariah. In fact down in verse 13 of Chapter 15 Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah. So here in the same Chapter he’s called by both names referred to him mostly as Uzziah since we are more familiar him generally under that name.

He has an exceptionally long reign verse 2 he was sixteen years old when he became king he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. So that is an exceedingly long reign. Now it was an solo reign for all that time. For the first part of his reign he was a co-regent with his father Amaziah and during the last part of his reign he was co-regent with his son Jotham. So even though he’s a king for fifty-two years he is in solo ruler. He is co-ruler with his father for part of that time then he’s co-ruler with his son. And particularly we’ll see why it was necessary for his son to reign with him at the last part of his reign.

He is a good king. Verse 3 he did right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Amaziah had done. So Amaziah is designated the same way, he was a good king, Uzziah also was a good king meaning at least for a significant portion of his reign he reigned in obedience to God. Thus was pleasing to the Lord. However, there is a qualification that we’ve seen keeps coming up as a reminder even in Judah, I say even in Judah because remember in the northern ten tribes they never had a good king. All 20 of their kings were evil wicked people. And the ten tribes were totally corrupted by the calf worship begun by their first king Jeroboam but in the southern kingdom we have good kings we have some Godly influence. But verse 4 only the high places were not taken away that people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. And previously we looked in the Deuteronomy Chapter 12 this very thing had been forbidden by God. Before Israel ever came into the land he told them they were not to worship him on the high places scattered around but only in the specific place that he designated which was in the temple at Jerusalem by this time.

So even in the good times in Israel there is not a pervading permeating obedience to God. The king here is a good king Uzziah. Basically even the southern kingdom Judah is not following him spiritually and so they are corrupted in their worship. Verse 5 we’re told the king, the Lord struck the king so that he was a leper to the day of his death. He lived in a separate house while Jotham the king’s son was over the household judging the people of the land. And thus his reign comes to an end. The rest of the acts of Azariah all that he did are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah. Azariah slept with his father’s he’s buried in the city of David.

So you see a very brief summary and in Kings we are not told why the Lord struck him verse 5 with leprosy. So you can leave a marker in Kings and we will go over to Second Chronicles. After Kings we come to Chronicles. Second Chronicles Chapter 26 and the Chapter opens up with basically a repeat of the material we’ve already read in Second Kings 15 that Uzziah and here’s he’s called Uzziah verse 1 of Chapter 26. All the people of Judah took Uzziah who was sixteen years old, and he became king in the place of his father Amaziah. He was sixteen years old verse 3. He reigned fifty-two years. He did right verse 4 in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Amaziah has done. He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah who had understanding through the vision of God. And as long as he sought the Lord, the Lord prospered him.

He benefited greatly from the ministry of a prophet called Zechariah, that’s not the Zechariah who will later come on the scene and write the Book of Zechariah, the next and the last Book of our Old Testament. They’ve had the same names but this is not the same man because that Zechariah is going to be writing his prophesy in a much later date. But this is a prophet called Zechariah. He’s one that the Lord revealed himself two envisions so that Zechariah could give the word of the Lord to Uzziah and that’s last part of the verse is important. As long as he sought the Lord, God prospered him. We’re told in verse 7 God helped him against the various opponents that he had.

Down in verse 15, the end of the verse. Hence his fame referring to Uzziah spread afar for he was marvelously helped until he was strong. So God greatly blessed Uzziah’s reign in these early years. It was a prosperous time in Israel; the enemies of Israel were turned back and defeated. The nation prospered materially, the army was strong. So they were in a great time and the Lord brought him to this. And if there’s ever a man that had reason to walk faithfully with the Lord you say was Uzziah. Look what the Lord has done for him, he’s given him victory over his enemies, he strengthened him, he has brought him prosperity.

And then you read verse 16; but, when he became strong his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, this is going to be a rather disappointing, discouraging note. God blesses and so the people stop obeying him. Somehow a self-confidence begins to invade and take hold of their thinking. You know what, when you are literally nothing and you have little or nothing, you see like you turned to the Lord he’s your only help, your only source of strength and enablement. But now you prosper, now you have a powerful army, now you have fortified your cities, now you have material wealth. I am quite a king and now he intrudes into the office of the priesthood.

Maybe I am a divine king as the pagan nations like to claim for their king or like the Pharaohs of Egypt would claim for themselves. We’re not told why he would do such a thing other than his pride. Verse 16; when he became strong his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.

Exodus Chapter 30 verses 7 and 8; specifically designates only the priest. Aaron and his decedents are permitted to offer incense on the altar of incense. Here in his pride, Uzziah thinks I am so great and so important, I don’t need a priest to act for me, I will do this on my own. Azariah the priest entered after him with eighty priests of the Lord valiant men I mean this is a courageous act here. We’ve seen kings in Israel’s history who have slaughtered priests. They uphold Uzziah the king and said to him "It is not for you Uzziah to burn incense to the Lord but for the priest the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the Lord God."

It’s interesting the times that God chosen to intervene and the times he does not. There have been times when godly men who have opposed the king have had to give their lives; this is not one of them. God intervenes on behalf of the priests. Uzziah verse 19 with a censer in his hand, for burning incense, was enraged; he is ready to pour out his wrath on these priests. Who are they to oppose him the king, not a priest, the king greatly blessed of God as the king never given the right to serve as a priest, only one king of Israel who is permitted to be the king priest and that will be the one who is the priest after the order of Malkezadek, because remember the priestly line comes through Aaron. The kingly line comes through the tribe of Judah.

Verse 19 Uzziah with censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged while he was enraged with the priest, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priest in the house of the Lord, beside the altar. Here he’s enraged holding that censer of incense to perform a priestly act, filled with rage at the priest who had opposed him and leprosy breaks out on his head. Everyone is aghast. Azariah the priest and all the priest looked at him and behold he was leprous in his forehead, they hurried him out of there and he himself also hastened to get out because the Lord abandoned him. He’s aware that this has happened to him. He wants to get out now as fast as he can, the priest want to get him out why, he’s a leprous person, he’s unclean, he cannot have access to the temple at all.

So now we’ve gone beyond this to performing a priestly act. This is the man unclean, unfit to come in to the temple of the Lord and he’s aware the disaster that has overtaken him. King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death. He lived in a separate being leper for he’s cut off from the house of the Lord. Jotham his son was over the king’s house judging the people of the land. So you see his son has to become co-regent. He’s a leper, he’s defiled, he can’t perform the normal acts of the king. He has to be isolated still the carrying the title king, but all the kingly prerogative and functions are carried out by his son now. And he’s a leper to the day of his death. Sometimes God n his sovereignty has intervened and recalled his judgment. Remember the king who stretched his hand and it withered and he couldn’t draw it back but the prophet prayed and he was able to draw it back but there was no intervention for Uzziah he’s a leper to the day he dies. How do we sort out, why did the Lord do that, that king was not even a good king, Uzziah at least had a good record. It’s in the Lord’s hands. What and when and how he meets out his judgment. Always consistent with his righteous character.

What a sad end for Uzziah. You know he’s followed the pattern of his father and of his grandfather. Both those kings started out well. His father and his grandfather neither finished well. You are in Chronicles here back up to Second Chronicles 25. You remember Amaziah the father of Uzziah. In verse 14 The Lord had blessed him, the Lord had given him victory prospered him then verse 14 now after Amaziah came back from slaughtering the Edomites he brought the God of the sons of seer set them up as his Gods bowed down before them and burnt incense to them. Then the anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah send a prophet to him. He wouldn’t listen to the prophet. The prophet says I know God intends to destroy you. That was Uzziah’s father.

Uzziah’s grandfather had been king. Backup to Chapter 24 King Joash the grandfather of Uzziah had started out, been a godly king been prospered by the Lord. Verse 17, remember he’s the one who had been under the influence of Jehoiada who had preserved him so he could become king and yet when Jehoiada died. Verse 18, they abandoned the house of the Lord the God of their fathers; they served the Asherim and the idols so that the wrath came up on Judah and Jerusalem for their guilt. He sent prophets to bring them back to the Lord; they testified against him, they would not listen. Then the spirit of the Lord came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest he stood and prophesied against the king and he’s the one who had to give his life because they stoned him to death for giving them the word of the Lord.

So you see this pattern and you think Joash, then Amaziah now Uzziah come to this point, this time in their lives where something changes. Instead of taking the blessings of God and being filled with gratitude and recognizing that I have this from God they drift away from God and ultimately come under his discipline.

Come back to Second Kings Chapter 15 That’s Uzziah in Judah. Now in verse 8, we are going to return to the northern kingdom and look now at a series of five kings before we return to the next king of Judah. Verse 8; in the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, who remember is Uzziah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in Samaria for six months. So that’s his capital, Samaria for the northern kingdom. He is only going to reign six months. You know what, that’s ample to reveal his character, he did evil in the sight of the Lord as his father’s had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat with which Israel sin that was the calf worship. That would take you to the accounts of the withered arm that we talked about.

The rest of the acts, then Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him before the people and killed him and reigned in his place. So you see things beginning to unravel in the northern kingdom. And then he struck him before the people. Here you have this reward against the king done in a public way. The whole structure in the northern kingdom is beginning to disintegrate. You have a king now reigns six months and then there’s a public revolt and he’s killed before the people in a public way and replaced by the one who killed him.

So Shallum conspired against him, struck him, and reigned in his place. Now verse 11, now the rest of the acts of Zechariah behold they’re written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel. This is the word of the Lord which he spoke to Jehu saying your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel so it was.

The death of Zechariah ends the dynasty that began with Jehu. It’s the end of the descendents of Jehu. Jehu reigned and then four of his sons back in Second Kings Chapter 10 verse 30. The Lord said to Jehu "Because you have done well in executing what is right in my eyes, have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel." Zechariah was the fourth of those sons and he is murdered and his murder replaces him that’s the end of the dynasty of Jehu that is the end, the fulfillment of the prophesy. God is honored his word to Jehu.

Verse 13 Shallum became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah he reigned one month. So he was strong enough, clever enough to execute the existing king be an instrument if you will to fulfill the prophesy that God had given concerning the line of Jehu but he only lasts one month and then he is killed. Verse 14, then Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah and came to Samaria and struck Jabesh in Samaria and killed him and became king in his place. And Menahem is an extremely cruel and violent person and he continued the pagan worship that had been begun by Jeroboam, and down in verse 18. He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat with which he made Israel to sin. That’s the calf worship remember, which Jeroboam the first king of the northern kingdom established. It continues permeates Israel down to the end of that kingdom.

Verse 19 important verse you might want to circle it. Pul, king of Assyria came against the Land and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver so that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom under his rule. Then Menahem exacted the money from Israel even from all the mighty men of wealth from each man fifty Shekels of silver to pay the king of Assyria. How do you get all this money as a tribute to buy off the king of Assyria if you will; all the people who are wealthy in the land are given an added tax, they have to pay fifty Shekels of silver. You know the amount of, a thousand talents of silver is thirty-five tons. Now you can multiply that out in today’s value what is an ounce of silver worth then translate that to pounds and translates those pounds to tons then multiply those tons, thirty-five tons of silver I mean this is a huge tribute that he paid to Pul king of Assyria.

Pul king of Assyria better known to us as Tiglath-Pileser III. We have a hard time coming up with new names for our kids. So here’s one for you Tiglath-Pileser III, he reigned over Assyria from 745 to 727 BV. Now you can see where we are in Menahem’s reign 752 to 742. In 722 the Assyrians will carry the northern tribes into captivity. So you see what’s going on here, we have a Assyrian now asserting its influence, authority and power into this area. Ultimate judgment is put off if you will for a time but it’s an awesome reminder here.

The end of verse 20 the king of Assyria returned and did not remained there in the land but now their power is the power to be reckoned with. There’s no one who can stand against the Assyrians. Israel could not battle against the Assyrians, they buy them off. He give you enough that’s worth of your time to stay here right now but, their influence as begun to permeate the region.

Then Menahem slept with his fathers and Pekahiah his son verse 22 became king in his place. He’s going to reign two years and then he’s going to be murdered. So in the fiftieth year of Assyria King of Judah Pekahiah son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria reigned two years, he did evil in the sight of the Lord, didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat which he made Israel to sin. God doesn’t tire of reminding Israel. Remember, you are a Jew sitting in Babylon. The southern kingdom then carried into captivity. You have fifty years of Babylonian captivity look back over and said what is happened, his reputation constantly - as you read now the history of Israel you have it read to you driving home why was this necessary, why was this necessary. He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam. Reminding then why the northern kingdom had to go into captivity in 7:22 and that prepares them. And you see the sins of Israel, the southern kingdom, Judah why they had to go into the Babylonian captivity.

Then Pekah the son of Remaliah, his officer conspired against him, struck him in Samaria in the castle of the king’s house with Argob and Arieh and with him were fifty men of the Gileadites and he killed him and became king in his place. Now you see we’ve just got now this going on. The kings aren’t just dying natural deaths, dying in battle, you just have this instability that has become the characteristic of the northern kingdom and when you did have a king who ruled for ten years he was so cruel, he was ripping open pregnant women, performing those kind of atrocities. So Israel the northern kingdom is in a terrible condition.

Verses 27 to 31 we have the reign of Pekah, he reigned for twenty years. So he has a long reign. He evidently way we have we have his reign structure and what’s going on. He evidently was a part of an anti-Assyrian faction and they were centered in the Transjordan region of Gilead. So this would account for his murdering the king who has in fact become a vassal of the Assyrians by paying tribute to them, he acknowledges their authority over them. This anti-Assyrian faction in the Transjordan area that’s unacceptable so he comes to assert his power, murders the king of Israel and takes his place. So he’s been a rival if you will, you have this tension. What do we going to do with the Assyrian? Well, Pekahiah becomes a vassal by paying a huge tribute to Assyria but Pekah is an anti-Assyrian faction. He believes they are those stand against the Assyrians so he murders the king of Israel and replaces him.

Now what happens here, comes out not only here but also over Chronicles so let me tell you then we’ll look at a little further down. When Pekah establishes his rule having murdered the king he becomes king in Samaria. He enters into in an alliance with the king of Syria as we know it whose capital is in Damascus. Together they form an anti-Assyrian alliance. They want the king of Judah, the southern kingdom to join them. Now you have the king of the north, northern ten tribes and the king of the Aram, Syria at Damascus joined in an alliance against the Syria. Of course you’re trying to build a coalition. They want Judah to join them, Judah says no. So the northern ten tribes and the Syrians come up to attack Jerusalem because they’re going to replace the king of Judah with a favorable king who will support them in their anti-Assyrian alliance.

What happens is the king of Judah appeals to a Assyria to come and help them. Now the Assyria’s why did they respond to this because you have an anti-Assyrian developing but here you have a nation in the land who calls to help them against this alliance and so the Assyrians do.

Let’s read through this then we’ll look over in Second Chronicles 28 at that account. Verse 27 you have Pekah becoming king, reigning for twenty years did evil. Verse 29 the days of Pekah king of Israel Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and captured and you have the list of the cities that he captured and he carried them away captive to Assyria and Hoshea, the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah struck him, put him to death, he became king in his place in the 20th year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. So the account breaks off.

Come over to Second Chronicles, 28. And we’re moving ahead some of this will be picked up in Chapter 16 but to understand what is happening here and the reason Assyria is back in the picture after having being bought off if you will. You come to Ahaz as Chapter 28 opens up we’re just a little ahead of where we are in Chronicles, but there will be some backup here and you have some accounts concerning him. Verse 5; wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Aram. They defeated him, carried away from him a great number of captives and brought them to Damascus. There were heavy casualties. Verse 6 for Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah 120,000 in one day.

So you see when the king of Israel, the northern ten tribes and his ally the Syrians when they come against Jerusalem it’s devastating. Judah takes 120,000 casualties in one day. And the king’s son is slain in verse 7. Verse 8 the sons of Israel carried away captive of their brother and 200,000 women and so on, a prophet intervenes we’ll leave that for a later day but that is to give you a sense of the context here why when you come back to Kings in Second Kings 15 verse 29 you have Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria coming into the picture because Judah has asked for help against the northern ten tribes and when Assyria comes their power and authority in a dramatic way here and install their own king. Hoshea has killed Pekah and assumed the throne. Hoshea would be the last of the kings of Israel he reigned ten years. Then you have the Assyrian captivity.

So things have pushed to pretty much of a climax. We are in the period of time here where we have some great prophetic ministries going on. Isaiah the prophet, when we come into the Chapter 16 and talk about Ahaz, we’re in the time of Isaiah, Hoshea. These great prophets in the context of the end of the northern kingdom. You read those prophets in that context our Bibles laid out we cover the history, we realize that now these prophetic ministries fit in this period of time as Israel now at the end of their period. Well the account breaks off from the northern kingdom and now we go back to the southern kingdom and we are going to conclude with a king of Judah. So the chapter opened up with an account of the king of Judah now closes with another king of Judah the son of Uzziah.

So verse 32 in the second era of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king. He reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. Verse 34 he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. He did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. So he is a godly king.

Second Chronicles Chapter 27 verse 6 you’ll need to turn there. Second chronicles 27:6 says Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God. Again God is so gracious. Even though Uzziah turned against the Lord, even though his father turned against the Lord, even though his grandfather turned against the Lord, even though they followed the Lord, the last part of their reign they became unfaithful. Remember so those sitting in the Babylonian captivity can be reminded not just sitting there and thinking the northern ten tribes deserve to go into the Assyrian captivity. They’re reminded we too deserve the judgment of the Lord.

They’re reminded him verse 35 only the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed him burned him on the high places. In fact Second Chronicles 27:2 says that Jotham did what was right in the sight of the Lord but that verse also says but the people continued acting corruptly. So you see even when you have a godly king doing the right thing it’s not sifting down. And the God is great, God is gracious in dealing in blessings when the king is obeying but the people still are acting corruptly. And the worship is going on in the high places. They sacrificed and burnt incense there. You cannot worship the God of Israel on the high places. You can only be worshiped at the place he has designated for the worship for himself.

Now one person wrote of this continued emphasis on only the high places were not taken away. The apparent compromise is indicative of a basic spiritual shallowness that was the surface in the prophases of the great writing process of the eighth century and those are the prophets like we mentioned Hoshea, Joel, Amos, and so on. So great prophetic ministries going on in these days.

The rest of the acts of Jotham they recorded and so verse 37 in those days the Lord began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah, king of Remaliah against Judah. So you see what’s going on here with these kings that will lead into Chapter 17 that we have looked a little ahead of where they will come against Jerusalem that will be the occasion for the calling in of the Assyrians in the final Chapter where Assyria will be prepared for Chapter 17 to come and conquer the northern ten tribes.

All right just a few words of observation. We had a contrast Uzziah reigned for fifty-two years then his son reigned for sixteen years. What a contrast with the northern kingdom during this period of time six months one month, two years. One king murdered, another king murdered another king murdered going on. The kingdom is disintegrating preparing for his ultimate overthrow. Several lessons. One, I don’t know why it’s a hard one but we can struggle with it faithfulness brings blessing; I mean there is no greater blessing than in obedience.

When we were in Second Chronicles Chapter 26 we are told verse 5 concerning Uzziah as long as he sought the Lord God prospered him. Verse 7 God helped him against his enemies. The end of verse 15 hence his fame spread far for he was marvelously helped until he was strong. I mean he continued to seek the Lord, continued to obey the word of the Lord brought to him by Zechariah the prophet and God greatly blessed him. Faithfulness brings blessing. We are never to be confused our blessings are from the Lord. Every good gift and every perfect act of giving comes down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow caused by turning. That is true down to today all our blessings comes from our God and being faithful to him brings the greatest blessings.

Secondly compromise effectively corrupts. There is no way to compromise as God’s people and not be corrupted I mean you just can’t work it out. Back in Second Kings Chapter 15 verse 4 only the high places were not taken away the people still sacrificed and burnt incense. That contrast verse 3 he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. Verse 4 only the high places were not taken away. Verse 35, verse 34 he did was right in the sight of the Lord verse 35 only the high places were not taken away. Judgment is on the way for the southern kingdom as well because they have compromised the worship of their God.

Pride brings destruction. Uzziah an example of that in Second Chronicles Chapter 26 verse 16 and following. When he became strong his heart was so proud he acted corruptly. Great blessings bring great danger. I have to be careful. I don’t think that my blessings gives me reason to function other than completely faithful to the Lord. Pride brings destruction. And what else can I say there’s a fourth observation about what we have said. Few who begin well finish well, unless we look back and say that’s terrible for Israel. I’m afraid that is a pattern that is too often repeated in our day. And sadly when we get to that stage we are not always so sensitive that the fact we are not finishing well. You know something happens to that spiritual sensitivity and we become done to the fact you know I’m not finishing with the same passion, the same zeal that I had at one time. We think well, that’s all right. I’m not young anymore or I’m sure the kings had their reasons. Very few who begin well also finish well.

An encouraging note God is true to his promises in Chapter 15 verse 12. This is the word of a Lord which he spoke to Jehu your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel. That was true even when they weren’t faithful. This last king did evil on the sight of the Lord God honors his word. I said it will be four of your descendents then it will be four of your descendents. God is always true to his promises. This observation you know the wages of sin is death. Sin always bring ruin. Misery and destruction are in the way of the wicked. Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah means just the list goes on. Misery, destruction are in the way of the wicked. And one thing to note to close that alludes to what we have said in prosperity people tend to forget the Lord. Second Chronicles 26:16 when Uzziah was strong his heart was lifted up. Each of these kings we’ve saw his father, his grandfather they seems to a place when the Lord has blessed them they were clothed successful, they forgot the Lord.

We close with Deuteronomy 8 turn back to Deuteronomy 8. Many years ago I was involved in studies and part of the studies was examining the church worldwide and there was a disheartening observation. Then when the gospel came to new areas it made a great impact usually on what we would call the lower class, the not so prosperous because remember not many mighty not many noble so on are called. And then as these people got saved and became more responsible, more committed and carried their own their tasks they should they begin to rise in the social scale, they became more prosperous and we could chart, we did carts in different places of the world and we saw the zeal and passion and effectiveness of Christianity began to decline as people rose in the social, financial status. And you go to country after country and we’d making these charts and you’d see this pattern repeated and the warnings that God gave to Israel before they entered the land.

Deuteronomy 8:11, beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandment and his ordnances and his statutes which I am commanding you today. Otherwise, now note this when you have eaten and are satisfied and have built good houses and lived in them. When your herds and your flocks multiplied, your silver and gold multiply and all that you have multiplies then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. He led you through the great and terrible wilderness with its fiery serpents, scorpions, thirsty ground where there was no water. He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. In the wilderness he fed with Manna which your fathers did not know that he might humble you, that he might test you to do good for you in the end.

Otherwise you may say in your heart my power the strength of my hand made me this wealth but you shall remember the Lord your God it is he who is giving you power to make wealth that he may confirm his covenant which swore to your father as it is this day. It shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other Gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. Like the nations which the Lord makes to perish before you so you shall perish because you would not listen to the voice of the Lord your God. We are seeing that worked out in Israel’s history. They are coming to the point of perishing as a nation. Not that they’ve been annihilated, but they come under the severe devastating judgment of the Lord. We are prosperous people. Christianity prospers in this country because we are a prosperous country.

We go to visit other countries and they don’t touch us for our wealth. Christians there serving the Lord with meager resources and it’s very difficult for us because we have adapted the pattern our country, we’re successful, we’re rich we’re wealthy. I have earned my relaxation, my fun my games. Instead of our wealth becoming an occasion for us to have more time, more zeal, more passion, more resources for the Lord we hardly have time can fit the Lord you know we’re so busy. Play occupies so much of our time that we can hardly fit the Lord in. I mean I have so many good things to do, so many things to enjoy somehow that passion for the Lord gets squeezed out. We become shaped confirmed to this world and it happens and we don’t see anything wrong. I still love the Lord, I’m not denying him I mean he’s just given me these good things and I’m enjoying them and look around look at the churches.

People are happy that they have less time they have to be with God’s people. Less time for worship I mean can I fit Sunday night in my schedule Oh we’ve got to go in going, why do we need that? Pretty soon I was in other countries you had to get there early. They save seeds for us there people come. Work seven days a week they’ll honor the weekends like we do. Sunday is not a day off they’re pouring in. And we with all of ourselves oh, I’ve got things to play, games to do using that in a broad sense. Places to go, vacations to take I’m not against vacations, I hope to take one but you know we are in a different pattern than the world aren’t we? Our time of rest and relaxation is in the future.

Now we passionately serve the Lord to the end of this life. We sort to be careful. We don’t slide into Israel’s pattern, and I’m sure as Moses gave this to Israel said, oh no, we will never do that. And we study these things and look at Israel and say, how could they do that? You know what little by little our passion wanes our zeal wanes. Somehow we have less time for the Lord, more time for all the blessings that he has bestowed upon us. Somehow squeeze the Lord out and our passion cools. May it not happen to us.

Let’s pray together. Thank you Lord for this accurate record of Israel’s history. And Lord we must be careful that we don’t sit here smugly in our pride being glad we’re not like them. Lord we would learn from them. It is a tragic account. You blessed them again and again. You sent your prophets to them to tell them your word and somehow it fell on deaf ears. You had blessed the nation, you had given them a land that was fruitful and plentiful, you had given them your word, you had warned them, but somehow they forgot, they became indifferent. And when they were full and satisfied and wealthy and prosperous they indeed forgot about you.

And Lord it is a pressure from the world for us to confirm to be like them to take on their values, to fill our lives with what they think is important, to allow them to tell us what we should do with our time our possessions. Lord may we be careful to maintain a passion a consuming zeal for you. Consumed by a desire to honor you with our life, with our time, with our possessions, not looking for reasons to have less time for you but grateful to have more time for you. May we be faithful and finish well. We pray in Christ’s name, amen.